28-Oct-2004
Dancing with the Rude Boys was written over the fall and winter of 2003. After completing it, I was inspired to turn the AU into an original fiction. I essentially stole my own plot line and setting, and rewrote the story with original characters.
Fanfiction is a gray area. It is a copyright violation to be using someone else's characters, but in an AU, that is the only copyright violation that exists; the remainder of the story is protected under the author's own copyright. However, I realized I was not comfortable with the notion that a fanfiction piece might remain on the net while I attempt to get the original version published. This might not only confuse fans, but it could potentially piss off editors and agents, most of whom do not like fanfiction in the least. Until I'm a well-known author with several publishing credits under my belt, I can't afford that.
The first chapter of Dancing's original version is posted on the net, but only as a teaser. Posting more than that would put my 'non-published' status at risk, because what's on the net is considered published, by virtue of so many eyes potentially seeing the story.
I appreciate deeply that many people liked the story, and some even loved it. But please do not write me asking for a copy of the fanfiction version, nor do I like seeing posts on boards or elists requesting that someone else distribute the fanfiction version. This jeopardizes my publishing potential, so I would prefer the story's existence remain a low-key thing. If you have a copy, please, read it if you like, but do not send it around and definitely do not broadcast your ownership.
And finally, I cannot distribute copies of the original version, either. I wish I could, but giving it to enough strangers would also count as publishing, albeit self-publishing. Again, I appreciate the request but the answer must be 'no' if I want to publish in a print medium – which I do, most definitely.
Thank you for understanding this. I did not like taking Dancing off the net, and I thought long and hard about it before making the decision. It was not only a major hassle, but also heartbreaking; of all my stories, I think it was one of my best fanfics to date. A lot of people were very unhappy about my decision, and I can only apologize once again and explain my reasons.
Hopefully some day, if you see a book by that title on the shelf, you'll be able to whisper to other GW fans that you read me when. And then you'll just smile at any agents or publishers at a book signing and refuse to say just how it is that you know Spark and her family.
Thanks.
