EDIT (Mar 19, 19:59 PDT) Simon and Martina tweeted that they wouldn't use fics without author's permission. I'm still putting a couple of my stories on "subscribers only" as a precaution. Thank you!

So, I was recently made aware that Simon and Martina are asking viewers to send them their favorite fics, and while I like EYK just fine, I'm not entirely comfortable with my stories being sent to them. 

And now we've reached the segment in which I address some common issues with this situation!

1. But they're Simon and Martina! Why wouldn't you send them your stuff?

Because I've seen the videos they make and while I do agree that they're entertaining and it's interesting getting their opinions on things, I've seen how they handle some of their video material. Their channel pretty much thrives off of their ability to turn pretty much anything into a joke, and to be blunt, they're really not that funny, like 40% of the time. I respect Simon and Martina and I am a Nasty fan of theirs, but I really would rather not send them any of my fiction.

2. But you posted your stories on the Internet, so obviously you want them to be found and read. Sending them to EYK would get you more noticed, and isn't that what you wanted in the first place?

Yeah, I posted it on the Internet because I want to share them with people who like the same things as me and will appreciate my writing. Sending it to Simon and Martina isn't the same because they're probably going to use it in a video skit and then take advantage of the fact that lots of people have read it and they'll get lots of views and that's not the same thing. That's not what I was shooting for. I am getting noticed just fine without them.

3. But criticism is good for budding writers!

Honestly, I don't know what EYK is planning to do with those fanfics, but I have a feeling that they probably won't be "criticizing" it, at least not in the literary sense. If they do criticize it, then oh well, I'll have missed the opportunity, but I'll still be able to sleep at night without being drowned in tears of regret.

4. If you can't handle a little joking around with your fanfic but you still posted it on the Internet, then your story was probably really ty anyway.

If you think that it is okay to take something that a person worked their off to create and turn it into a joke, we are going to have some problems.

5. Gosh, what do you have against EYK? Who cares if they happen to make fun of your stories? They're just exercising their right to free speech!

I am so off-the-charts tired of people pulling the free-speech card.

For the love of God: Freedom of Speech means that you can say or print whatever you want (without infringing on the freedoms of others) and the government cannot arrest or punish you for it. Freedom of Speech does not mean that you can say whatever you want and no one is allowed to feel offended, angered, or hurt by it. Does free speech mean I can walk around and call people c*nts and n*ggers, but HEY IT'S FREE SPEECH! Duke University ran an anti-Semitic student newspaper called The Chronicle saying that the Holocaust was fantastic in the name of free speech, for crying out loud. Free speech doesn't always mean "right speech". EYK can say whatever they want in their videos and they can't get arrested for it, but that doesn't mean people always have to like what they say. 

As for what I have against EYK... absolutely nothing. Just don't send them my stories.

6. It's just a fan fic. It's just for fun.

You know, maybe to you it's just for fun. Maybe to you it's just a fan fic, a cute, silly story about your oppars. But when you're writing those characters, they're like family to you. And it's not fun. Not all the time. Writing is just as hard and intensive as building a house from the ground up with your hands: you need structure, foundation, balance, you have to outline and you have to pound away at stuff to get anything done, sometimes you mess up and you have to start all over again, and it tires you out. Writing is work, writing is hard, writing is tough. And when a person finishes building their house, they intend to live in it and not let anyone kick them out. It is just a fan fic and it is just for fun, but it's also serious business for some people. So have some respect and tell an author before you submit anything to EYK.