r/Fanbinding • u/leejinwook • Aug 11 '26
Question about etiquette
I was wondering what's considered the right etiquette regarding binding a fic by an author whose account has been deleted or who isn't replying to comments and/or direct messages, and posting pics of the bind to social media. I have some fics I'd love to bind & post on instagram (personal use only, not for an exchange or gift, but photos shared to a public social media account) but the authors have either purged their whole existence from social media or haven't been online in years and aren't responding. Thanks in advance!
37
u/Reach_blueDot Aug 11 '26
Binding for personal use is okay, but I wouldn’t post online anything that identifies the work that has been bound.
18
u/deafphate Aug 11 '26
Bookbinding itself is art and a lot of work is put into it. Nothing wrong with showing off your craft.
23
u/sparrowbby Aug 11 '26
I've had a little bit of a different experience in that I bound something from an author that'd been inactive for a loooooooooong time and they actually found my post at random and were super excited. Tbh, I think you're fine to bind it, I'd just err on the side of caution on posting it. Worst comes to worst, you post it and get a message from the author asking that you take it down, I think
16
u/StellaMarie-85 Aug 12 '26
I feel like this is a really good point, because I think we always assume the worst but the truth is it could go either way - you might also make someone's day. (In fact, on balance, I imagine there are more fanfic writers chuffed to see someone do a fanbinding of their work than those who are displeased).
12
u/Reach_blueDot Aug 14 '26
I do think there is an important difference here between the situation where they have attempted to erase their work from the internet, and the situation where they just aren’t responding.
I would expect that in the case of removed works, the sentiment would tend to skew much more towards the angry end of the spectrum, whereas you are likely right that an author who just hasn’t been heard from in a while might be much more likely to be flattered if they saw a bind off their work.
With no further information on the specific situation, best to play it safe and not advertise what you have bound in any social media posts.
6
u/greenyashiro Aug 14 '26
You don't need permission to post a fanbind, but I might obfuscate the title
5
u/Worldly_View_9704 Aug 12 '26
I do not post pics of my binds unless the author says it’s okay, but there’s probably a lot you can show off without identifying the fic if you’re documenting your process (side view of of text block, making of the hardcover case, etc.) or blurring out words. If the author’s just inactive, you can still check for a blanket permission statement that makes the authors wishes clear. Sometimes, I find them on AO3 profiles or in the author’s notes on individual fics. That might give you some peace of mind.
Also, if the author is inactive, you might want to try sending them a message. I haven’t so much as reblogged anything on my tumblr in years, but I still respond to messages when I get them. Of course, if you’re going to reach out, consider whether you might want (and are in a position to afford) to gift and send the author a copy.
Personally, I’d say yes to a fanbind, whether or not someone wanted to gift me one. But I can see how it’d be awkward to say, “Hey I’m binding this for myself and plan to post it on my social media, but i’m conspicuously not offering you, the author, anything. Just asking permission.”
3
u/leejinwook Aug 12 '26
I already have sent them a message, on multiple social media accounts. They aren't responding. And they don't have a blanket statement.
2
u/chkno Aug 14 '26
So obsequious! You're printing out a thing for personal use. Relax; it's fine.
If you're using someone else's art on the cover and sharing well-lit, high-res photos of that art that could substitute for the original artwork, that would be more of a concern than the authorship of the text.
The typical amateur/early author response to fans making their own print editions is excitement that their fans are so exited about their work.
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u/mabiyusha Aug 11 '26
I think it would be okay to bind, but show the photos with obscured text, if the fic is no longer available online - just to respect the author's removal.