Fansplaining

Calling all fandom journalists—both current and aspiring! As promised, we've put together a doc for pitching Fansplaining (which will temporarily become a written-only publication after Flourish's last episode next month). If you've got an idea that fits in with our general tone and approach, please send int our way!

We highlight these pieces in the doc, but in case folks are unaware that we're *currently* a written publication as well as a podcast, here's a sample of some of the stuff we've published over the years!

Also please note: we're v transparent about money here. We *deeply* appreciate our Patreon support, but we can't afford to pay a ton or publish super frequently with the current amount we take in. So if any generous folks are interested in sponsoring smart, substantive writing on fandom in the future, please get in touch. fansplaining at gmail dot com. :-))

Write for me!!!

And if you're, like, independently wealthy or have something relevant to our audience that would be a good sponsorship fit, please help fund more smart, substantive writing on fandom! 🥰

(Even if you're not independently wealthy hahaha; outside Patreon we do have a one-off donation link if you have a few bucks to spare.)

Episode 220: The Fan-Journalist

On Episode 220, “The Fan-Journalist,” Flourish and Elizabeth welcome one particular fan-journalist—Kayti Burt—to discuss her recent article for us on the specific challenges of covering things you love in a very precarious industry. Topics discussed include Kayti’s journey from youthful fandom to pop culture reporting, a step-by-step rundown of how an article goes from idea to finished product, and the many ethical questions journalists have to weigh when writing about fans or their objects of fandom.

Click through to our site to listen or read a full transcript!

I'm so glad Kayti could come on to discuss her piece with us (and so we could complain about journalism together while Flourish waved their hands in the background trying to get us back on track).

Today we're thrilled to publish our newest article, by longtime pop culture journalist (and even longertime fan) Kayti Burt. On the especially precarious position of fan-journalists in an already precarious industry:

And speaking of paying journalists, we were only able to commission this article because of our patrons! If you'd like to see more in-depth fandom journalism out in the world (especially as Fansplaining transitions into a written-only publication), please consider donating.

I'm so grateful Kayti wrote this for us, and that I got to edit and publish it. I suspect it will resonate with a lot of journalists, not just fandom ones. But I also hope it gives fans a better sense of the other side of the fan-media equation! I think a lot of this is opaque to folks, and Kayti tackles it both eloquently and frankly, including pay transparency and a breakdown of working conditions (tl;dr...bad lol).

Today we're thrilled to publish our newest article, by longtime pop culture journalist (and even longertime fan) Kayti Burt. On the especially precarious position of fan-journalists in an already precarious industry:

And speaking of paying journalists, we were only able to commission this article because of our patrons! If you'd like to see more in-depth fandom journalism out in the world (especially as Fansplaining transitions into a written-only publication), please consider donating.

Kayti is also our guest this week, and we've released the new episode for patrons at $2 a month and up! 📝 Hear it now—and help us commission more pieces like this—by becoming a patron today!

Episode 219: Tropefest Speedrun

Episode 219, “Tropefest Speedrun,” kicks off with a big announcement: as you might have guessed with Flourish a few months away from a) giving birth and b) being ordained as a priest, they are going to be leaving Fansplaining in May. Post-Flourish plans for the podcast still TBD, this episode builds off the long-running “Tropefest” series for Patrons and jets through ten fanfiction tropes and themes in an hour, including classics like time loops, identity porn, truth serum, and sex pollen.

Click through to our site to listen or read a full transcript!

The news is out! My nine-year partnership with @flourish is coming to an end (weird...though we have been discussing this for literally years at this point lol). Saving all "tribute to Flourish" thoughts for our final few episodes haha.

As we discuss on the episode, Fansplaining will temporarily shift to a written publication after Flourish's last episode in late May, and I will hopefully ramp up the publishing schedule to at least one piece of fandom journalism/commentary per month (journalists, if you have a pitch, fansplaining at gmail!). In the medium-long term, I'd like it to become a podcast again, maybe in the same form with a new host, maybe in an different form entirely. We shall see....

(Meanwhile, please enjoy this week's episode, which I think is pretty fun! And the show notes have a lot of fic recs and goofy gifs.)

FYI we will have a more formalized call-for-pitches soon, but if you have a pitch right now, please send it our way!

Does getting real mail ever stop being exciting? I sure hope not.

Thank you @fansplaining for the wee treat amidst the coupons and bills and notices for church services that belong to the former owners of the house.

🥰 Aw we're happy to oblige!

(A reminder that you, too, could receive this particular treat in the mail if you pledge $5 or more on Patreon!)

I'm looking for this long post where someone asked what they learned as a result of writing fanfic. (Not the grilled cheese one, I have the grilled cheese one.) I need it for a paper, and I can't find it. I know it was from Tumblr because it got reblogged a lot. @transformativeworks @fansplaining Someone help me please?

This is not ringing a bell—can anyone help out?

Episode 218: The Money Question 3: Books???

Following previous installments on the thorny intersections of money and fanfiction, Episode 218, “The Money Question 3: Books???” tackles the recent debacle around people illegally selling bound copies of others’ fic, which has mostly centered on mega-popular Dramione works. Jumping off from Elizabeth’s WIRED article on the subject—which ties the practice to the current pull-to-publish wave as well as the Twilight fan-run presses of the early 2010s—Elizabeth and Flourish discuss the context collapse when a fic “breaches containment,” double standards in attitudes towards money and various fan practices, and, for likely the 1,000th time on this podcast, what exactly “fair use” means. 

Click through to our site to listen or read a full transcript!

You knew we were gonna discuss it—and of course this one ran super long lol. It was so helpful to talk this through with @flourish, who has a ton of historical knowledge in this realm (threatened by Warner Bros. as a pre-teen!) and, in their previous life working in Hollywood, has been in the room with the rights holders who are looking at monetized fanworks and taking...a variety of stances.