When Fanfiction Authors Get It Wrong
Normally when it comes to fanfiction, I’m on the side of the fan—the person who loves something so much that they decide to devote their time and creative energy to add to an existing universe, to continue the feelings they got from the source material and expand on them with others—fandom—in a community.
That’s why when an author comes out and says they’re anti-fanfiction, I stop supporting them. They don’t have to (and maybe SHOULDN’T) read fic for anything they’ve written (or plan to continue writing, as with series), but to at least ALLOW IT TO EXIST is letting their own work survive and thrive through transformation.
Except when some egotistical author thinks their fic is “pitch-perfect” and an “obvious sequel” to one of the world’s most detailed, established titans of fantasy. And said author HAND-DELIVERS a copy of the manuscript to the author’s grandson’s home after otherwise being ignored during prior email communications (99.9% of the time, that lack of communication is saying, quite simply, “not interested”).
Yeah, I think the Tolkien estate had it right here.
Lesson to fanfic authors: do it for the love. Share your creativity with the community, but not by self-publishing something with the intent to monetize it specifically (by publishing on Amazon, for example). Don’t make yourself out to be the Next Best Thing to Author, whether or not the Author is still alive or has an estate or licensing arrangement or anything.
Love something enough to WANT to get paid for it? Come from a place of curiosity, not assumption. Look into how an author, corporation, or estate handles licensing. There are some amazing “pro fics” out there for Disney properties, DC properties, Star Wars, Star Trek, you name it! Many authors are known for related genres (sci-fi/fantasy authors writing licensed Star Wars, for example), but plenty of others are known for their almost exclusive contributions to a specific fandom. Seek those authors out. Ask how they did it. Look into licensing arrangements. DO NOT just submit your fic and assume it’s perfect as-is and should be published as an “official” spin-off/sequel/prequel/untold story.
Look into who acts as an agent for those companies or estates. Are they requesting queries? Are they open to informational interviews? What can they say about what’s needed to become a licensed author for an established media property?
And if you get stonewalled, or the news isn’t good? The beauty of transformative works is that you can still publish your fic online. You can still be part of the community, can still contribute and collaborate and keep a fandom alive long past the last page or the final screen. You just can’t make money from it.
And you have you be okay with that.
