Here’s a roundup of pro intersections with fandom stories that might be of interest to fans:
- While publishers have been putting out professional fanworks as long as commercial publishing has existed, they used to do all they could to separate themselves from the amateur version. Not anymore, apparently. Two recent examples occurred when Marie Claire excused a photoshopped cover of a non-consenting royal model as “fan art” and when Titan Books decided to promote a Supernatural tie-in novel as “fan fiction.” This came in the same month as the actor who played The Punisher decided to make his own “fan film” as “a love letter to Frank Castle & his fans.”
- Historically, the movement from fan to pro generally went the other way with many an author going from fanfic to commercially published work. This is even more common now when they can go it alone and self-publish. One writer who stopped submitting to publishers said “‘It’s entirely possible that I gave up too soon…But after hearing other writers’ experiences, I thought well, geez, I’m nearly 40 years old. Do I want to spend the next five to seven years pushing others to do the job for me when I could do it myself in the span of a month?'”
- Indeed fanfic writers have various possibilities open to them, even if they do throw in their lot with a publishing house. For example, they could try publishing fanfic of previously published fanfic or simply making sure their canon is part of the public domain. “Total E-Bound has brought out an adaptation of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle tale in which his celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes embarks on a gay relationship with his sidekick Dr Watson. The new version of Bronte’s Jane Eyre includes a graphic sex scene between Jane and Mr Rochester.” The Clandestine Classics label will also “include Dracula, Treasure Island, Wuthering Heights, The Three Musketeers and Phantom Of The Opera.”
Have you gone pro? Do you have stories about those who have? Pop them into Fanlore which will always remain a fan-made, fan-run resource.
We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup at transformativeworks.org. Links are welcome in all languages! Submitting a link doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.