Several popular shops, which clearly violated Etsy's terms of use and IP laws, were deleted after 404 Media reached out for comment.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/7150449

Fanfiction Community Rocked By Etsy Sellers Turning Their Work Into Bound Books

Etsy sellers are turning free fanfiction into printed and bound physical books, and listing them for sale on online marketplaces for more than $100 per book. It’s a problem that’s rattling the authors of those fanfics, as well as their fans and readers.

Several sellers, easily found on Etsy and very popular, each with hundreds of five-star reviews, are selling copies of fanfiction taken from sites like Archive of Our Own (Ao3) and reselling them as bound books. The average price of these bound copies is around $149. Some sellers claim that they’re simply covering the cost of materials, while others just sell the books, usually with the fanfiction writers’ Ao3 username on the cover.

  • besbin@lemmy.ml
    4·
    9 months ago

    I kinda understand the pain of those fanfic writers who sent time to write those stories. But book printing and binding for small numbers of print is really expensive. And I’m sure a lot of book lovers would love to have physical versions of their favorite works. So I am sure the situation will continue until things change in the publishing industry.