Criticism
The Fan-Journalist Tightrope
Low pay, minimal worker protections, and pushback from both publicists and fellow fans. Is covering the thing you love even worth it?
Latest
Episodes
Episode 219: Tropefest Speedrun
One hour, ten tropes. (Plus a big announcement!)
Episodes
Episode 218: The Money Question 3: Books???
Opportunists are illegally selling bound copies of popular fics. What does it mean for fandom?
Episodes
Episode 217: Fanbinding
On turning fanfic into physical books with the Renegade Bindery.
Episodes
Episode 216: Allegra Rosenberg
The fandom journalist and con organizer talks about her fannish evolution.
Special Episodes
Special Episode 32: Tropefest: Arranged Marriage
Finally investigating Flourish’s very special relationship with a very special trope.
Episodes
Episode 215: The Broken Contract
Streaming has utterly obliterated traditional television models. Where does that leave fans?
Episodes
Episode 214: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 18
Listener mail on fic tagging norms, AI and fanworks, and more.
Episodes
Episode 213: The Year in Fandom 2023
Assessing some of fan culture’s biggest stories and trends in 2023.
Episodes
Episode 212: Fandom Truthiness
We watched the four-hour YouTube plagiarism video so you don’t have to. (But you really should!)
Episodes
Episode 211: The Copyright Conundrum
EarlGreyTea68 returns to the podcast to talk about her article on fan creators and U.S. copyright law.
Criticism
How U.S. Copyright Law Fails Fan Creators
Fans know that creativity isn’t a finite resource that needs to be kept behind lock and key.