Banning Fanworks: The Phone Calls Have Come From Both Inside and Outside The House*
“Some archives have out-and-out banned certain kinds of fanworks.
Other fanworks have been discouraged and disparaged (with varying degrees of strength and success), depending upon the climate of the time.
Examples of Fanwork Content Actively Banned
- fanfiction in specific author’s universes (Anne Rice, Terry Goodkind, Robin Hobb…). See Fanfiction.net [1]
- explicit sex of any sort. See Cascade Library [2] See Fanfiction.net [3]
- specific pairings. See archive-specific pairings
- slash, femslash, same sex fiction, regardless of its explicitness. See Harry Potter FanFic Archive [4] See Fanfiction.net [5] See Cascade Library [6]
- rape, dubcon, noncon. See The Athenaeum [7]
- fiction that is too short. See Fanfiction.net [8]
- Mpreg. See Harry Potter FanFic Archive [9]
- PWPs. See The Athenaeum [10]
- RPF. See Fanfiction.net [11]. see Gossamer [12]. see 852 Prospect [13] See The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Fan Fiction Archive [14]. see Me and Thee Archive
- songfic. See Fanfiction.net [15]
- chat/script format and keyboard dialogue based entries. See Fanfiction.net [16]
- non-fiction. See Gossamer [17] FanDomination.Net [18]
- underage
- domestic discipline. See Cascade Library [19]
- bonding fic. See Cascade Library [20]
- forms of interactive entries: choose your adventures, second person/you based, Q&As, and etc.
- MSTs. See Fanfiction.net [21][22]
- stories that criticize other stories. See Gossamer [23], FanDomination.Net, [24], Fanfiction.net [25]
- fiction of poor quality. See see FanDomination.Net [27], see Fanfiction.net [28], see Harry Potter FanFic Archive [29]
Examples of Fanwork Content That is Commonly or Has Been Historically Discouraged, Disparaged
The examples below very often include content actively banned as well. See Examples of Fanwork Content Actively Banned.
- Mary Sue fiction
- WIPs
- deathfic
- darkfic
- curtainfic
- self-insertion
- furry
- unauthorized sequels
- BDSM
- fiction written in the first person [30]
- fiction written in the present tense
- fiction which has men acting “girly”
- fiction which “bashes” other characters, female and otherwise
- fanworks which are perceived as racist
- fanworks that have been sold for profit
- fanworks that are perceived to be of poor quality
- poetry
Source. Links go to Fanlore, the fan run wiki about the history of media fandom.