Why asking a writer's permission to repost is a good idea.

[Rowan]

Maybe. It's now 3am here and I have a feeling I'm going to re-read this tomorrow and wonder if I was high.

I could go into the whole copyright thing (just because it's free to read doesn't always mean it's free to distribute) but I've done that before and at the moment my brain's too fried to repeat it. Copyright infringement isn't usually a trigger for me when it comes to my free stories, anyway, but I *do* prefer to be asked. It's just...etiquette. Most of the time I'm really laidback with the free stuff as long as you make sure to credit me and, if possible, give me a link back. But in certain situations I'd say no for any number of reasons, and that's any writer's choice.

So below is... well it's me babbling. But it also explores one reason for getting a writer's permission to repost their stuff.

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One of the reasons it?s good to ask a writer if it?s okay to post their stories is that the site you want to post it on may be a site the writer doesn?t want to be affiliated with.

Totally ridiculous example:

Say you take a story and post it here. Only the writer is Flex?s third cousin (twice removed) AND the two have been feuding for the past two decades due to an incident that happened in Indonesia involving a catholic priest, a durian fruit, and possibly a hot Brazilian soccer player. They each blame the other for what happened and while they swore never to repeat the events of the incident, they also swore never to have contact with each other again.

So now the writer is quite upset that their story is posted here, which could have easily been avoided if you?d asked permission first.

As for why it?s okay to post a link instead:

Continuing with the above example, if you posted the story here one of two things would likely happen. (1) The writer would have to contact Flex to get the story taken down, thus breaking their oath never to speak again. (2) The writer would be OCD enough to want to know what people were saying about their story and would be forced to register in order to read those comments, thus causing undue strain on the writer?s psyche (due to the inaccurate but perceived notion that Flex has won the feud and is now the Alpha male) and utterly destroying their ability to create more stories.

Posting a link avoids both pitfalls because it sends people to a site the writer has already approved, and they can log ratings/hits/comments at their leisure. Also, if the writer sees all those hits coming from the Ev Forum, they might be enticed (but not pressured) to come this way and maybe make up with Flex, ensuring a deliriously happy ending for all.

So that?s my 3am take on it. I suppose none of this matters if you happen to not like the writer.

[Gene]

Well said!