I first heard about young adult author Stephenie Meyer in Barnes and Noble; admittedly the classy photographed covers drew my attention. Then I noticed the gold seal, describing the upcoming movie “Twilight.” Admittedly, I don’t typically like a lot of romance with my vampires or overinflated female stereotypes but, as a fan of Angel and Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, I can understand the appeal and its nice to see another female author enjoying success.

With a little bit of internet research, I watched as this Mormon-turned-paranormal romance author embraced her online fans, asking them to squelch spoilers before they start. Then read about how sections of the new book, Midnight Sun, were leaked on the internet before the book was published. How did I find out about this? Twitter. Someone had posted a link to Stephenie Meyer’s letter and their fan response.

Since that letter was posted, Stephenie feels so betrayed she is unable to finish Midnight Sun, much to the disappointment and criticism of her rabid fanbase.

A Lesson in Internet Marketing

Whether or not you agree with Stephenie’s decision to pull the plug, I certainly throw my support for the article from Techdirt, “On Second Thought, Perhaps Stephenie Meyer Doesn’t Get Online Fans.”

Her true fans will still buy the completed work, should it ever come out. They want the official version and the leaked version. Why do you think so many music fans rush to get “leaked” copies of demo tapes of bands they love? People like to see how these things evolve and change over time, as it gives them an even closer connection to the work itself.

Trying to reign in the internet is like trying to put your finger in the crack of a damn before it breaks. There’s always going to be another “crack” or in this case “leak.” So instead of trying to fight it — why not take Hollywood’s lead and embrace it? Let people post so-called spoilers, YouTube videos, etc. Utilize marketing teases to build hype for the book because by the time the book is released, as Techdirt pointed out, the fans will scoop up everything, regardless.

The flip side to the “leaks” are challenges with copyright. Though I’ve seen lots and lots of people freak out about copyright without actually knowing what it is, or what it does. Yes, if people were making money off of Stephenie Meyer’s work then absolutely she needs to address that. Is posting a spoiler off a blog — maybe connected to an affiliate link to sell more of her books — wrong? No, not necessarily, but remember that owning a copyright isn’t enough, you have to defend it in order to keep it. A tough decision for any successful author or IP owner, I’d like to hear what an internet lawyer has to say about whether or not an “unofficial” spoiler falls under the definition of “fan fiction.”

EDIT: I received an email this morning that pointed out an error in my above paragraph. You DO retain copyright, even if you don’t protect it. Trademark, on the other hand, is the one that you have to protect or you lose your trademark.

While internet marketing, SEO and promotion is still pretty new to a lot of writers, in some ways taking a “hands on/hands off” approach like Stephenie did can bring an unhappy ending to internet bliss. Several sites have criticized Meyer for overreacting and it’s clear that fans are disappointed as well. Not only was this scrapped book eagerly anticipated, it was the last in the series. Can you imagine if J.K. Rowling would have canceled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

Right now, the fan tide has turned to disappointment and pleading. Here’s hoping Stephenie Meyer will reconsider her decision before the release of the movie, so that she can revitalize that rabid fanbase before they get angry.