thefourthvine | [Meta] Permissions Statements Are Awesome

Crossposts: http://thefourthvine.livejournal.com/173875.html

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[Meta] Permissions Statements Are Awesome

Okay, so a recent casual mention of blanket permission statements on Twitter taught me that:

There are a lot of authors who would love to be podficced who don't have blanket permission statements. (If you're in this boat: a permissions statement doesn't guarantee anything, but the lack of one certainly lessens your chances considerably.)
Many of these authors don't necessarily know what a BP statement is, or how to write one. (Spoiler: I'm going to cover this in considerable detail starting in about three paragraphs.)
A lot of people don't know that podficcers keep track of who has a blanket permission statement and refer to the list regularly. (In other words, you basically only have to do it once, and then you're done unless something changes. Good deal! Also, good idea to check to be sure you're on it if you want to be.)
A lot of people don't know how important having a statement - any statement, even if it's "no" or "maybe" - is to other fans.

So I thought I would talk about permission statements, since they are the greatest thing ever and I want everyone to have one.

Many years ago, I used to have the following experience:

PM arrives from a person I don't know.
I cringe and recoil and try to pretend it hasn't arrived, because PMs freak me right out.
I avoid with varying levels of success for varying levels of time.
Eventually I open it (maybe).
It is a podfic request! That's awesome!
...Now I have to PM the podficcer back. Oh no.
Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. Because communication is hard.
If I don't, guilt.
If I do, podfic!

It was an elaborate and moderately horrible process, obviously made that way entirely by my own idiosyncratic brain, and I loved that podfic happened but wished there was a way to tell podficcers to JUST DO IT PLEASE DON'T ASK JUST DO IT. For a while I tried putting JUST DO IT in my profile, but my profile was wordy and no one ever read all the way through it, so it didn't help (that I know of).

And then someone told me of the concept of blanket permission. And it was like the sun had risen. There was a way! A way to say yes, fine, go transform with my very best wishes, no need to ask! So I left a comment on some long-ago post saying so, and my relationship with podfic became a guilt- and stress-free one. Bliss.

Blanket permission is wonderful, is what I'm saying. Since I know podficcers now, I know that the stress was not entirely or even mostly on my side during my long, drawn-out struggles with my brain; the podficcer, who I used to sort of blithely assume had sent the PM and then forgotten about it, was actually probably checking her email reeeeeally regularly and hoping hoping hoping and oh god just GET BACK TO ME I just want to KNOW either WAY oh god are you even ALIVE? So blanket permission saves considerable wear and tear on both sides.

I am a big fan, basically. So, first, here's an example blanket permission statement. If you're already sold on permissions statements, go write one or modify this or just copy it and add it to your AO3 profile or wherever else you post your stories (if you comment here saying you've done so, I can make sure you're on the BP list, even!) and you're done.

"If you want to podfic any of my stories, go right ahead - no need to ask permission. Just please link back to the original story when you post your work, and let me know so I can go revel in whatever awesome thing you've done. Same goes for art or other creative or transformative works you might feel inspired to do. Just don't use my work for anything commercial, please!"

If you want to know more, or you aren't sure, or you have special circumstances, read on!

If you're thinking, yes, but I don't actually just want to say yes to everything, fear not! Blanket permission is a misnomer. (Or, okay, it isn't - it just means "this is the statement that covers everything you need to know." But it sort of sounds like you have to say yes to everything, no limits, no conditions when you give one. You don't!) You can say "sure, do what thou wilt" in one, but you can also be more specific. It's more like negotiated consent, actually - you say what you're comfortable with and what you want and need, and then a podficcer who is thinking about doing one of your stories can read it and decide if it matches what she wants and needs, making the process safer and easier for everyone.

So, for example, you can say, "Feel free to podfic anything except any story I've tagged juvenilia." Or you can say, "Feel free to podfic anything, but if it's posted archive-locked, I would like the podfic to also be archive-locked." Or whatever! State your conditions up front, basically.

You can even say, "I'm very open to podfic, and I will mostly say yes, but I still would like you to ask." This seems like a useless statement, but it includes two very important points: you are open to podfic and you will probably say yes. Many podficcers spend time trying to figure out if an author is potentially podfic-friendly before they ask permission. I have seen people do a LOT trying to figure this out, including:

Checking the blanket permission list
Checking all the author's profiles and masterlists everywhere, hoping one got missed (it happens, which is why it's a good idea for you to check, too)
Checking to see if there are other podfics of the author's work (which means she gave permission before and thus might again)
Checking to see if the author has pro-podfic friends
Asking the author's pro-podfic friends or betas if they know how the author feels about it
Asking other podficcers to see if they've ever asked the author for permission
And so on

Seriously. This process is a tense one for podficcers. Many of them work really hard to alleviate that tension somewhat before they take the leap of emailing a stranger for permission to do a fanwork. (Many of them have given up entirely and only podfic people with permissions statements, which is why not having one really reduces your chances of getting podficced.) So just saying somewhere public that you're into it is useful.

Your blanket permission statement can even look like this: "Please do not podfic any of my stories." (Or, in other words, a blanket no.) If you're going to say no to every request you get, why not just say that no in front and spare everyone, including you, the extra work? Plus, if you put yourself on the blanket no list, it will apply forever. Podficcers keep track. (Truth. When I started modifying my blanket permission statement, I was surprised to discover that the exact comment I'd left on that long-ago post had been carefully copy-pasted to Fanlore, which started years after that comment was made.) If you make a public statement of blanket no, you're done with podfic (unless you change your mind), and you've made everyone's lives easier. GO THERE, is my suggestion.

If you have other questions, I'm here to help. (Or more likely just ask people who know the answers, actually, but I stand willing to do that.) I want everyone to have a permissions statement, so we can have a world of blissfully consensual transformative works! (And don't forget to comment if you've added one, or if you've got one already but you're not on the list.)

YAY PERMISSIONS.

Thanks to

ParakaPodfic for reading over this and giving me a podficcer perspective on it. Further viewpoints welcome, of course, from podficcers, authors, lurkers, fanknitters, all kinds of people - comment away. But please don't say "podfic is creepy" or similar. I want this to be a place of fanwork acceptance. Thank you!

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Awesome, and thank you!

It occurs to me to say that I added my own caveat to the example above with the sentence "since my stories are about real people, please don't link those real people to them" and some might find that weird. But I have several artist friends who have had NSFW art tweeted (or otherwise brought to attention) of the subjects of said art. Now, why people would do that, I'm not sure, given the nature of the art, but they do. So I thought that might be a good thing to add in there.

Hello! I would like to be added to the list!

I have a BP here on my Ao3 account: http://archiveofourown.org/users/ionsquare/profile

Added you to my list to be added to the list. Thanks!

yes, +1 to the above - even a 'let's talk' is much better than nothing, because it assures them the answer at least won't be 'eww, no' or *embarrassed silence*.

Would you say that sort of statement is the less desirable option? Or am I just reading things into your use of "even"?

It was more of - I used even because it seemed like you weren't particularly happy with the idea. I can't be sure what's desirable and what isn't, because, you know, not a podficcer.

It's a bit wider than permission, I think, because I do see the discussions about warnings/content notes as being related to this. Something about that nexus of obligation, consent, and the ability to harm.

Oh, interesting! If you have more thoughts about this, I'd be interested to read and hear them.

It's totally worth adding yourself to the list even if you think nobody will care - I've had two podfics made of my work, and they were both in obscure/old fandoms and not popular pairings. Because of the way the Amplificathon awards points for obscurity (at least, historically), if you aren't a super-popular author, you actually seem to be *more* likely to get podfic for older fandoms and rarepairs - I'm pretty sure both of mine were podficced because amplificathon people were deliberately looking for obscure stuff for points-maximizing purposes.

Awesome! I have added you to the list of people who need to be on the list of people!

Thank you! I've added you to my list of people who need to be added to the list, and I should get you up there in the next couple days.

Yay! Thank you for doing that. I put you on the list to be added, and I should get you up there in the next couple days.

This is an excellent post!

I just want to add that if you're putting a statement on your profile or website, it is *totally* worth it to add mentions of non-podfic works-based-on-your-works that you're okay with - and if you're okay with anything, a list is still helpful, because it assures fanpeople that you have at least considered the possibility of what they do. And if you're not okay with everything, list all the stuff you are okay with! For example, I've rarely met a fic writer who *didn't* want art based on their work, but fanartists are still often cautious to do it unless they know an author is art-friendly.

Also: blanket statements can be especially nice for translators; active translators are often not entirely at home in English-speaking fandom, and doubly awkward around PMs/emails because of it. (I've been translated more than I've been podficced, and I'm really really not a well-known writer.)

My statement currently lists "remixing, podficcing, vidding, setting to music, illustrating, sequels, translations, critique or commentary, or any other not-for-profit derivative work" - I add more as I think of them or they become relevant; I could probably add more now. (so far I have been remixed, podficced, illustrated, translated, and commentaried. I'm still hoping somebody pics up on the sequel thing and continues some of my stories so I don't have to.)

I heartily second what

melannen said, as that has been my experience - stories in smaller fandoms/less represented fandoms tend to get podficced preferentially.

BUT I would also point out that having a statement and adding yourself to the list has benefits even if no one ever podfics your work. There's a benefit to you - thinking about how you'd like to be treated and where your boundaries are is never wasted time. And there's a benefit to fandom - the more people have statements, the more standard it will seem, and that will encourage other people to make statements.

It's always worth doing, is what I'm saying. Do you want me to put you on the list while I'm adding people?

Thanks for this comment! My experience has been the same.

Awesome! And, yeah, honestly - it just never occurred to me to do most of this, but once someone mentioned it to me, I was like, "Oh, that makes sense. Okay!"

Yesss! This post inspired me to check up on my blanket permissions and tweak it a bit, but basically, yep, blanket permissions are awesome. Whether a yes or a yes-with-caveats or a "nope, no, don't please". (It also inspired me to check whether I was on the Fanlore list, but I skimmed too quick and didn't see myself until I actually went in there to edit and there it was. I feel like I've made it somehow! And it's awesome!)

Edited 2013-08-25 05:28 (UTC)

I made a short, not-very-indepth post here answering a couple of questions I've seen here and elsewhere about this subject, in case anyone is interested or has additional comments.

That is totally the coolest thing about it. You're just wandering along and then BAM! Sudden awesomeness.

Hey, cool! I didn't know about that tag. *makes note*

Awesome! And, yes, this totally works for translating, too. My own says "all transformative works."

(I added you to my list of people to add to the list, and should get you up there in a couple of days!)

I've had a blanket permission up in various places for ages, just never figured out how to get on any kind of list. Or, well, never had such a deep longing to get on a list that I wanted to figure out how to edit on fanlore for it. *g*

Now I'm thinking I should expand it and make it more detailed, but I still like the lj version best. "Podfic: yes." Simplicity ftw.

Oh hey, I podficced one of your stories back in 2010, according to my podfic masterlist, and again in 2011! I hope I did not cause you too much stress. And great post, btw. : )

Would you say that sort of statement is the less desirable option? Or am I just reading things into your use of "even"?

Seriously, it makes me believe in the Good In People that you worry about this so much. But there's no need. Any statement about transformative works is awesome, because - speaking just for me, of course - it takes away the crippling anxiety the podficcer might feel before contacting you.

When I write a begging-for-permission email to someone who's never been podficced before, it usually takes me a long time. I don't have a template, I always write a new, individual email: explaining what podfic is, why it's not the devil's work, that the author may refuse without feeling guilty and that it's okay not to want to be podficced, I reassure that of course I will not ever post without permission. That on top of the usual lauding of the author's work and explaining why I want to podfic that particular story. It usually takes me 30 to 90 minutes. When I write to someone who's been podficced before, or someone who has a statement telling podficcers to ask, it's basically a ten minute email - hi, love your work, here's why, would love to podfic, please may I?

So, there's no "even" about it, really, even if I would probably have used the same phrasing. When you put up a statement letting podficcers know that you're approachable, that is taking the hardest part away. So many authors have been so vocal about hating podficcers and podfic that being told that you're open to the idea in general takes away almost all the barriers. Hence, no worries - one statement isn't really less desirable than the other. Any statement is good.

I get more translation requests than podfic requests, so I'd find the ability to BP that far more useful. But I understand that is probably less likely, since it requires the translator to be active in their own language fandom. But perhaps a some sort of blanket permission tag for the purpose on AO3 could be useful?

Anyway, I would like to give blanket permission and will be adding a note to that effect to my DW and AO3 profiles now. Here is the note, as I see that the text of it is also present on the BP list:

"Anyone has blanket permission to make derivative works or fair use of my fiction or statements. This includes podfic, remixes and other derivative works, such as using the plot in another universe or with other characters; translations; and quotations or linking for articles or academic papers. I ask that any derivative works credit me and link to the work in question. It would also be cool to be notified of them, but as a rule I don't listen to podfic (nothing philosophical about it; my brain just doesn't like processing information that way)."

I'm not on The List, but I now have an updated/reworded blanket permission on my AO3.
Thank you for this post!

I'm thinking that what I'm going to do is just refer to "adaptations of my works" and not mention podfic or anything else directly, to avoid the trouble of making the list. Though I suppose all those things aren't adaptations. I was going to say "transformative works" but I think that might be a particular barrier for non-native English speakers.

I too have been translated more than I've been podficced--once as opposed to not at all. But it's something?

It seems to me that the fannish discourses around producing content notes and producing transformative works are somewhat similar in that both involve suggestions (or demands, or somewhere in between) to the writer to widen the superstructure of context around the fanworks they create, in order to avoid creating anxiety or harm for other members of the community. "Obligation" is probably a strong word to use when it comes to transformative works statements, but that would once have been the case for warnings as well, whereas I think there are parts of the fannish community where either warning or explicitly choosing not to warn is seen as an obligation. (Not saying this is a bad thing, you understand, but it seems a fair description.)

So it may be that in both cases the author has more power in the situation, but what they are being asked to take on is a certain degree of responsibility for the well-being of other people. Again, not that this is a bad thing, but I think it's worth recognising that this *does* involve a significant amount of time, thought and worry for many authors, which is an idea that gets lost when it's all about reducing anxiety for podficcers.

As for consent, one can frame the need for warnings as involving the need for a reader to be able to consent in an informed way to whatever they're going to be getting into when they read a fic. (Implicit contract between writer and reader, that sort of thing.) Whereas obviously with permission statements, it's the author who's being asked to offer consent... and frankly I'm too much of a control freak to want to say "yes, anyone can do anything they want with any of my works, anywhere, anytime, go for it."

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[Meta] Permissions Statements Are Awesome

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