How does the scam work?
Angel: Just admit it: you think you're gonna ride in, save the day, and sweep Buffy off her--Spike: Like you're not thinking the same thing. Angel: I'm already seeing somebody. Spike: What, dog girl?
'The Girl in Question'
The Great Write Way, Chapter Two: Twice upon a time...
A place for Buffistas to discuss, beta and otherwise deal and dish on their non-fan fiction projects.
§ ita § - Jul 20, 2006 8:22:40 am PDT #7860 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Ouise - Jul 20, 2006 8:28:33 am PDT #7861 of 10001
Socks are a running theme throughout the series. They are used as symbols of freedom, redemption and love.
Everyone wins, and they encourage you to buy the book - why not a copy for each of your relatives?
victor infante - Jul 20, 2006 8:33:08 am PDT #7862 of 10001
To understand what happened at the diner, we shall use Mr. Papaya! This is upsetting because he's the friendliest of fruits.
Everyone wins, and they encourage you to buy the book - why not a copy for each of your relatives?
More or less. And then they "automatically enter" you in in contests with bigger and bigger prizes, which you keep winning, and they keep selling you more and more expensive books.
§ ita § - Jul 20, 2006 8:33:35 am PDT #7863 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
How much does everyone win?
victor infante - Jul 20, 2006 8:35:17 am PDT #7864 of 10001
To understand what happened at the diner, we shall use Mr. Papaya! This is upsetting because he's the friendliest of fruits.
How much does everyone win?
Oh, they really give out the prize to someone. That's why they've not been shut down yet. But you get to be a "runner up" or somesuch (they change it around a lot) and no matter what, you have to buy the book.
They have an horrendous reputation. A lot of people, myself included, see them as nothing but scavangers.
§ ita § - Jul 20, 2006 8:37:53 am PDT #7865 of 10001
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
and no matter what, you have to buy the book
Huh. They say you can't con an honest mark, but that's just semantics. You can sure fool honest people into giving you money for nothing.
victor infante - Jul 20, 2006 8:44:51 am PDT #7866 of 10001
To understand what happened at the diner, we shall use Mr. Papaya! This is upsetting because he's the friendliest of fruits.
You can sure fool honest people into giving you money for nothing.
Yep. They prey on people who have dreams of publishing, who've invested a lot of theirselves into writing that (frankly) isn't usually very good and will get rejected anywhere legitimate. So the writer feels validated and the publisher makes a mint of people willing to shell out $75 repeatedly for thick books with a zillion poems in tiny type.
erikaj - Jul 20, 2006 8:58:45 am PDT #7867 of 10001
Always Anti-fascist!
I did it when I was fifteen. But I didn't buy any books. Felt like a sucker after, though.
Strix - Jul 20, 2006 11:24:15 am PDT #7868 of 10001
A dress should be tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to flee from zombies. — Ginger
So it's like the Who's Who in American High School Students of poetry?
Yarg. Students bring me similar mailings all the time; they're all "Look Ms. G! Look, I won something for being a decent student!" -- and then I get the fun job of telling them -- and their often thrilled, I-will-pay-even-though-I-make-$2 perhour-cleaning-houses parents -- that's it's a scam.
It's not a fun part of my day.
erikaj - Jul 20, 2006 11:34:27 am PDT #7869 of 10001
Always Anti-fascist!
Sounds like it, Erin. We missed most of the mailings afterward cause I moved, iirc.