Why you shouldn’t “give the fans what they want” #fandom #art

[eyesonindie]

I read an interesting book recently called Big Fiction about the impact of conglomeration on fiction in the US (I'm sure it applies in the UK, too). One of the main points of that book is that publishers want to maintain our romantic illusion of an author being the sole genius who puts a book out into the world. That's why famous author's names appear so prominently on covers. But really, its a huge group of people who actually work to put a book out into the world. Editors, publicists, agents, designers, etc. But a book appeals more (i.e. sells better) if we have this concept of a genius author working in an attic somewhere. It totally flipped my perspective around. To your point - these books (especially from corporate publishers) are commodities, but they try to TRICK us into thinking that the author is the one driving this process. My personal solution is to read a lot from nonprofit and small presses, who often have an artistic mission as their guide, rather than the bottom line!

[maryminnock]

Dead right! As a writer, I hate being told to write within a genre. My books don't fit into an easy genre but I don't care.

[Ginkgo_leaf_]

I think this is especially true for video games, especially sequels to great games where the fan base think they can expect a redo of the original and then harass the creators if it's not exactly what they expect. The back lash from tlou part 2 is the most obvious example.

[BooksRebound]

Give the fans what they dont know they want yet. Make something good enough they want more like it in the future

[Yvonne]

I want to hear the specific stories a person wants to tell, in their own way and with their own ideas. I am aware that editiors help refine parts and might also choose certain wordings, that the audience is used to - whether you like it or not - but I actually really dislike books that are too much like others. Even in genre fiction I always search for the odd ones, those that have strange settings or character developments. Art is there so we get to see all the diverse beauty of minds - consumer products are there to be used (up) and then get discarded.

[AliciaRainbow]

I think it also speaks to this idea that "fans" have that if this thing isn't completely and exactly what they wanted then it's Bad (regardless of if the thing in question is a good piece of media or not.) Fiction isn't a Build Your Own pizza. Authors don't actually owe their audience... well, anything, let alone a curated fiction experience. Not to mention, a lot of the time, what fans want would not end up being a good story.

[cosyreadingtimes]

Very true. We're fans of real things and visible artists (gives me similar vibes than the - thankfully slowly left behind - notion of invisible translators). No commodity fetishism in this household🔥❤️

[Garrison_the_Barbarian]

A little under a decade ago, I self-published a pro-wrestling/urban fantasy novella called Occupy Wrestling. Following trends and "giving the fans what they asked for" isn't something this book does particularly well, nor did I want it to. I didn't make a dime off of it nor is it rated above three stars, but to be fair about that last point, I published it too soon and the damage is already done. But Occupy Wrestling is my baby and I'd hate to see it lose its identity by chasing trends.

[sparrowhawkerdesigns]

You don't have to give them what they want, you can create whatever you want, however you want, you just have to accept that it might not sell. :-( You look cute today!

[gamewrit]

Looking and sounding fantastic today, Willow! 😍👍

[kathleenrivard]

How does this compare to something like House of Leaves? When the artists wants to make something in the painful to read realm. Is this an example of going too far in the I-write-what-I-want-to direction?

[kainejoyes]

Art has always been a commodity, guess who funded all those artists back in the day

[jstamps]

Maybe art needs to be produced in a way that the artist never needs or expects to "make a living" from it?

[tyghe_bright]

And when you do give them what they say they want, they'll almost always be disappointed. Because there's no originality or spark in that.
(This is why AI art will never be great.)

[stigheap]

What absolute rubbish the people killing the star wars franchise are not artists, the people killing marvel ain't either. These two outlets of entertainment to name just two have taken a true artists vision one that people got behind because it was good and turned it into a platform for there social and political ideas. When we say give the fans what they want we mean stick to the original artists vision and lore the thing that made that art as you call it popular in the first place changing something with an established fan base because you bought the idea from the original artist and changing to push your politics on people is wrong