My Presents to Fandom

[seagull2eagle.livejournal.com]

With the kerfuffle running around on OTW's announcement of the imminent move of the Smallville Slash Archives to the Archive of Our Own site (at the request of the SSA's archivists), I feel myself compelled to state for the record:

These stories (and art pieces) are my gift to fandom.

As I always have for my 20+ years in various and sundry fandoms, I make up plots and stories for my own personal amusement and enjoyment. I write them and share them for others. Specifically, for you. For those who enjoy them.

If it was all about me, I would have no need to post. There are, frankly, hundreds of stories I've never shared with anybody because I was never involved in the actual fandom groups so I didn't put in the extra effort to put them out there. These here now? I've chosen to share.

I certainly have no wish to see my stories plagiarized (been there, done that, don't care to repeat it one little bit -_-). I also don't want them to be altered without my permission, as that is a form of plagiarism. They should most certainly never ever be sold by anybody for profit! (I'm putting them out for free entertainment purposes - nobody else should make any money off them. Plus, it's a copyright issue with the original sources once money gets involved.) I also want credit for having written them in the first place. ^^

However, I, here and now, as I always have in the past as well, give my fans and anybody who likes my work, free and complete permission to consider these stories as my presents to you.

I will never take these gifts back. They are from me to you, and no matter what I might personally think of my craftsmanship in the future, I have already given the gift and it is yours now.

Feel free to download the stories to enjoy on your own, to keep on your computers, to share with friends. If you're still sharing them 10 or 20 or 30 years or long after I'm gone, I will be flattered and honored (and amazed).

I will endeavor to keep sharing more gifts as long as the muse and the time allow. Please, enjoy them, and feel free to consider them as craft items that I have made and given to you. They are now yours, and I promise that I will not ever try to take them back away from you (as long as you don't abuse them ;p).

Thank you for enjoying the gifts. :) It makes the giving so very worth it!

_________
Edit: other authors can think of their stories as they like. If they choose to consider them "on loan"... That's up to them. Don't, however, force your mores and assumptions upon the rest of us and presume to know how all of us feel. My philosophy has, and always will be, that my stories are a present to be freely shared (with credit).