Abstract of Paper to be Presented at Accio 2005

From Online to Paperback: The Making of The Plot Thickens: Harry Potter Investigated by Fans for Fans

S. P. Sipal

In the Spring of 2004, Wizarding World Press proposed to publish a collection of Harry Potter analysis essays similar to those that were being brilliantly discussed online through the fan forums of New Clues and Chamber of Secrets, both of Mugglenet.com. Writers were selected from these forums based on their proposals for original, insightful essays of characters, plot, and hidden clues within the HP series. Such an undertaking had never been published before, at least as far as Wizarding World Press could ascertain, and so new processes had to be determined, and possible obstacles investigated and overcome. Through this workshop, a representative of Wizarding World Press will outline some of the items to be considered in publishing a fanbook:

reason for publishing such a book
reaction and concerns from the online community
the selection process
financial and legal matters
time frame
publicity (both positive and negative)
coordinating the large numbers of people involved in this project
the editing process
marketing
how opposing viewpoints were fairly represented
what impact on online status did being chosen or being overlooked have on group members privacy concerns

There will also follow a question and answer session at the end of the program.