Twitter was afire yesterday with news that EL James stood up during a YA panel and….said something. Accounts varied as to what was said – can you believe that? Inconsistent reports on the INTERNETS?
I went out and spoke with some RT staffers, and some folks who were present at the session, and really, what actually happened is not that interesting or dramatic, except for the fact that James is, in fact, at RT. According to the kind sources I spoke to, who asked that I not identify them, it seems that Ms. James is here, and the RT staff had no idea it was her – she registered for RT under a different name. After she stood up and identified herself, she went to RT's staff desk and asked for a new badge. She's is now registered officially as EL James.
I asked whether James was going to be signing at the book fair, and as of right now, the answer is no. RT is hoping she'll participate, but currently, James is not part of any official panels or signings at RT and is attending as an audience member. She's turned down requests for interviews, and is here to be with Abbi Glines, with whom she's very friendly:
Just for record @e_l_james was at the NA panel for #RT13 because she was supporting me. Yeah, taking total credit 😉
— Abbi Glines (@AbbiGlines) May 2, 2013
James identified herself as the YA panel was discussing 50 Shades of Grey, self publishing and New Adult, and the correlations between them. James stood to identify herself, and corrected the suggestion that it was self published. Any reports of flouncing, pearl clutching, table throwing, ninja turtles, archery tournaments, Gallagher-esque watermelon smashing, fist fights, and wild west showdowns are false. She didn't tell people to stop talking about her book, from what my sources tell me***. She identified herself and corrected an inaccuracy.
***ETA 9:15 pm CDT:
Tonight at dinner I learned from my tablemates some important things:
1. EL James did, according to the folks I was sitting with, ask people to stop talking about her book.
2. All people present in the discussion who were in the room at the panel absolutely agreed on one thing: she mumbles.
So there's a big disparity in the information, and, as Jami Gold said in the comments, some report that she did tell people to stop talking about her book.
(In other news, we're getting 3-5″ of snow tonight, and it was 80F on Monday. That is the most baffling thing of all.)
The reaction, however, has been dramatic. I am sort of fascinated by the descriptions and reports on Twitter, and the variations of that reaction. Some are like, “Whoa, cool” or “holy shit,” and others are rancorous. I overheard one person saying, “I wish she'd leave. She's done enough damage.”
I can understand that feeling. She's the author who brought everyone's — and I mean pretty much everyone on the planet's — attention to BDSM in romance. But celebrating BDSM romance and its community of readers has been part of RT for years now. This was one of the first conventions to not only acknowledge that BDSM romance is a thing, but to intentionally try to connect BDSM romance writers with their fans.
My source in the RT organization confirmed my recollections that there have been official panels at the RT convention specifically about BDSM romance for the past two years, but that BDSM romance authors have been attending RT for more than a decade. My source recalled a panel at least nine years ago where the topic of the panel was erotic romance, but the specifics of writing BDSM romance accurately were a major part of the conversation.
This isn't news to us as readers, of course – we know BDSM romance and erotic romance have been popular for many, many years. That EL James is here at RT leads to some expressions of bitterness from authors who feel a bit overshadowed and thus grumpy.
That said, this is a huge event for RT as a convention, and they are very excited to have her here. I'm not sure if James' role or presence at the conference will change, but right now, she's here with her friends, declining interviews and hanging out with the rest of us.
Meanwhile, the reactions and jokes on Twitter are as outlandish as the actual incident was benign.
*gasp* Footage of EL James at #RT13 has been released! media.tumblr.com/a5f62049fd6569… #FakeELJamesRumors
— Blythe Harris (@blythe_harris) May 2, 2013
#RT13 RT @bookaliciouspam: EL James is like the Lindsay Lohan of publishing. Crashing into panels instead of cars. Probably not drunk.
— Laura Kreitzer (@LauraKreitzer) May 2, 2013
When EL James tells a book convention panel to stop talking about her book, I fear that Alanis' head will explode from too much irony. #rt13
— MHarvey (@mharvey816) May 1, 2013
Batman. RT @katiebabs: First Anne Rice,now EL James flounce. #rt13. It comes it three's. Who will flounce next?
— Steph and Kat(@Cuddlebuggery) May 1, 2013
LOL RT @katiebabs: If EL James is indeed at #RT13, someone must shout out, Twilight forever!
— The Book Vixen (@TheBookVixen) May 1, 2013
So EL James showed up at #RT13, donkey-punched a panelist, overturned a potted plant, and then took off from the roof in Charlie Tango?
— Andrew Shaffer (@andrewtshaffer) May 2, 2013
“Imma let you finish, but my book is the greatest book of all time” (paraphrased) EL James, the Kanye West of #rt13
— MyFictionNook (@MyFictionNook) May 2, 2013
It will be interesting to see if her presence here has any lasting effect on the buoyant enthusiasm here, or if the news will fizzle as the rest of the conference proceeds. I've long said that RT is among the most friendly and welcoming of conference communities, and that new attendees are never strangers for more than a few minutes. I hope that James experiences some of that friendliness and welcome while she's here.
The RT staff has a motivation for squashing rumors and soothing James’ ruffled feathers (if they were ruffled). An appearance by her is a boon and a signing would bring in beaucoup bucks! So, while I imagine James could have easily been misquoted on twitter, I also have to question these sources and wonder why they wouldn’t want to be named.
I think it’s interesting how no one noticed/recognized James until she spoke up. Not that I would’ve recognized her myself, had I been there. But I wonder how long she could have been incognito at RT had she not said anything….
@Sandra (#18)
I hate to break it to you, but filing the serial numbers off fanfiction has been going on since long before Twilight. I picked up an early Lisa Kleypas ebook the other day (I think it may have been one of her very first historicals) and was amused to discover that the hero was very obviously Heath Barkley from the old TV show Big Valley. Same first name, same backstory, same hair and eye color as the tv character, same everything. It was a fun nostalgia read for me, since I used to love that show.
And IIRC, Lois McMaster Bujold’s first Vorkosigan series book was originally a Star Trek zine fanfic about a Federation officer and a Klingon. She obviously altered it heavily before it was published as Shards of Honor, though. Much more than EL James changed 50SoG from its original Twific incarnation.
@Elspeth
I’m fully aware that Ms. James wasn’t the first one to file the serial numbers off a fanfiction, nor was she the last. I’m fully aware that it’s been going on as long as fanfiction has existed, but none of it so blatant as in the last two years.
I’m aware that Bridget Jones is based on P&P, the movie Clueless is based on Emma, and a whole other list of movies that reimagined existing sources.
If Lisa Kleypas wrote a book about a Heath Barkley, good for her. Perhaps she got permission, perhaps nobody cared. Was it posted as fanfic first? I haven’t read her books so I wouldn’t know.
What I strongly object to is posting a fanfic on a dedicated fanfic site, gathering bunches of followers for that fanfic and then pulling it, filing off the serial numbers and presenting it to the public as an oh-so-original novel.
And while EL James isn’t the only one, she’s definitely the most well-known P2Per out there. She and/or her publisher/publicists initially lied about the origins of her book. Her behavior while in the fandom is also objectionable, behavior of which I was a first hand witness.
Yes, she’s not the first, nor the last. Still, that doesn’t change my opinion that P2P is unethical. It may not be illegal, but I find it morally bankrupt.
*shrugs*
Well said, Sandra. Filing the serial numbers off of previously published fan fiction (available to the public for FREE), then publishing it and selling it is at the very least highly unethical. If Ms. James had changed the fic beyond changing character names, this wouldn’t be such a big deal. Instead, someone ran it through TurnItIn.com and compared it to her original fanfic, Master of the Universe, and TurnItIn found an 89% similarity between the two. That’s huge!
I have a problem with any writer who would try to make another unwelcome or uncomfortable at a professional event. Though I really don’t like James’ writing, the amount of hate being thrown at her by fellow attendees of this conference is disheartening.
I understand not liking someone’s books and wanting to have a discussion as to why the books/writing is problematic but that’s not what most of the Twitter chatter I saw was about. Much of what I read “the incident” makes me think twice about attending an event like this (who wants to go where writers tear each other down and feed off drama?) and it’s certainly making me look at which authors I buy books from in the future.
@KZoeT:
Writers are notoriously critical and callous of each others’ work and egos. Just enroll to earn your degree in creative writing at any university to experience a weekly ego whipping in the writers’ workshops.
In contrast, I was at RWA last summer and came away stunned at how darned nice romance fiction writers are to each other compared to writers in general. There isn’t a nicer group of writers, (except maybe poets. But since there is little or no money or fame in writing poetry, the ego seems less prevalent among poets).
Having one’s work critiqued (positive or negative) is a both a thrilling and unfortunate part of sharing one’s creative efforts with other people. Learning to politely ignore or, more productively, graciously listen to other people’s opinions about the work you produce demonstrates classiness.
I wasn’t at the conference (or in the session) so can’t comment directly on the events. I did imagine briefly though, since I’m the type to put my foot in my mouth on occasion, that I could have been the one who decried someone’s work only to find them sitting next to me. Horror of horrors! I’d probably be resentful too that she’d kept her identity hidden, because I would have ended up feeling like a complete ass.
My thoughts as a library employee who has read erotic romance for a long time.
FSOG have people talking about the genre of erotic romance and BDSM. Even though it is not the first and best in the market.
Customers who normally would not read romance books are reading them and liking them!
As a library employee, it has given me an opportunity to recommend other books that I personally like more.
Libraries are more open to buying more of this genre.
Readers advisory in a library is a lot more fun, awkward, embarrassing and funny.
example: A customer comes to the front desk and ask for “That sex book Forty-five Shades of Green. A friend said I should read it” She was about 70 years old and had a hearing problem. (that was the opening line, you can imagine how the rest of the conversation went.)
Any book that is in the media for any reason generates an instant request list in library land, is this a case of bad publicity is good publicity? I think most libraries just want people to read, we don’t care what they read or why.
WOW – we had LIsa Ling and Amanda Peet and Nia Vardalos and it totally sounds like your conference was WAY more exciting….Now, I am the jealous one.
I think the rumors and discrepancies on the story are fascinating…..I will say this: usually, if someone is quoted as saying something as outlandish as ‘stop talking about my book” – it is usually true b/c who makes that shit up?
On the other side of the coin – I will say this in defense of your ‘jealous’ comment, I have written and been quoted on record as saying: many women – entrepreneurs – writers are envious b/c EL did what many of them want to do. Whether one likes or hates the book, James made a phenomenon of herself. period.
Haven’t read 50 Shades. Honestly heard enough about the story it just doesn’t seem like it would be my cup of tea.
And while I don’t know her, hope no ONE dropped that kind of money to go and got ‘hated’ on. Also, feel interrupting anyone, whether a panel or conversation, is bad form.
While I’ve run into a bit of cattiness here and there, I can also say I found that when an emergency strikes, most unite in aid and support. I’ve seen numerous fundraisers helping a fellow author or blogger when tragedy has struck.
There are a lot of truly not just wonderful authors, but great people too!