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How Fan Fiction Transformed into Bestselling Books
Michael Adams
Fanfictions are not something new. Did you know they gained popularity in the 1960s primarily because of “Star Trek?” Yes! This is how old fanfics are. But because of the lack of internet, people used to share these stories with friends or relatives or largely kept them to themselves. However, after the internet and the advent of sites like Archive of Our Own, Wattpad, and Fanfiction.net, people started turning their opinions and ideas into stories and publishing them. This began as a niche form of creative expression but later blossomed into a cultural force capable of launching authors into literary stardom.
Soon, fanfiction practically became its own industry, which is celebrated all over the world because it allows fans to become co-creators with their favorite writers. Lately, we have been witnessing a huge rise in fanfics being published, becoming best sellers, and even being turned into web series and movies.
So, how did this drastic change happen? Well, let’s find out.
Key Takeaways
- Fanfiction is not something new; it gained popularity in the 1960s, particularly due to the “Star Trek” fandom.
- Websites like Archive of Our Own, Wattpad, and Fanfiction.net have transformed fanfiction into a widely accessible and collaborative form of creative expression.
- What are fan stories? It is basically when writers create stories by using existing characters and settings, allowing for exploration and reinterpretation of their favorite narratives.
- Writers can reimagine plots, create new character pairings, and explore alternative endings, providing fans with new experiences within familiar universes.
- Fanfictions are not limited to books. People can write fanfic about their favorite celebrities, movies, TV shows, video games, etc.
- Some fanfic stories have transitioned into bestselling novels. This blog discusses the six most popular fan-created content that have achieved huge mainstream success.
- Affordable Amazon ebook publishing services have empowered fanfiction writers to easily share and monetize their stories, allowing them to reach a global audience.
- While fanfiction celebrates original works, it operates in a legal gray area concerning copyright, raising ongoing debates about intellectual property rights.
What are Fanfictions?
“The whole point of fanfiction is that you get to play inside somebody else’s universe. Rewrite the rules. Or bend them. The story doesn’t have to end. You can stay in this world, this world you love, as long as you want, as long as you keep thinking of new stories.” — Rainbow Rowell
Fanfiction is basically stories that fans write or create based on existing characters or stories. It’s like this: Have you ever wished you could change the ending of a novel or movie? In the past, you might have only imagined it, but now, through fanfiction, you can actually make those changes. Fans of various fandoms are encouraged to explore, modify, and dream up possibilities that go beyond what the original movie, show, book, or game has presented.
For example, through fanfiction, people can make Hermoine Granger fall in love with Draco Malfoy, Will Traynor from Me Before You Never got into an accident and met Louisa at her bakery, or in Twilight fanfiction make Edward a human so he could have a normal life with Bella – see with fanfictions, the possibilities are endless.
These stories vary from being short and sweet to long, rivaling, and complicated, matching the original works in depth. For many fans, writing these stories is an expression of love. It is the way they connect with the fandoms while adding their own twists and perspectives.
Why Fanfiction Strongly Resonate with Readers
As mentioned above, the entire craze of fanfiction is the endless possibilities that lie within an established universe. What people absolutely love is how fanfic writers can expand and reimagine a story or perhaps pair two characters that were not originally paired.
For example, the 2010 fanfic, “A Politician’s Wife” by pir8fancier, is a Harry Potter fan-written story where the main couple is Draco and Hermoine (can you see this happening in the Harry Potter series? Especially after the smacking punch Hermoine gave Draco and Prisoner of Azkaban? Of course not.) This is why people love writing fanfiction; it allows them to use characters as they want.
Connection to Beloved Characters and Universes
Fanfiction is based on well-known worlds and characters. It gives readers a chance to keep exploring the stories they love, whether it’s Hogwarts or 221B Baker Street. In fan fiction, favorite characters can go on new adventures, travel to different times, or even enter surprising relationships.
This new storytelling helps strengthen the emotional bond and keeps the excitement going even after the original story is over.
Relatable Themes, Emotions, Tropes and Relationships
Fanfiction is all about passion and creativity. It often explores themes and relationships that are meaningful to readers. Whether it’s a slow-building romance, facing challenges, or strong friendships, fan fiction adds emotional depth.
Writers use familiar characters and put them in situations or tropes, for example, enemy to lovers, romantasy, or marriage of convenience, that make the story interesting and fresh.
There is Something for Everyone
These stories are written by fans, for fans, which makes them refreshing. So, let’s say people who are die-hard fans of Edward and Bella would get into discussions with fellow “Twilighters” on Reddit, Tumblr, or Instagram about how the story could have changed. Writers can use these discussions to write Twilight fanfiction that aligns with what the fandom wants.
The best part is that the age distribution on websites like Archive of Our Own shows that 46.18% of users are between 18 and 24, while 23.66% are aged 25 to 34. This diversity in age means that the writing tone, style, topics, and skill levels vary widely. As a result, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a teenager looking for a relatable story, an adult exploring “what if” scenarios, or a fan seeking comforting reads, fan fiction truly welcomes readers from all walks of life.
Are Fanfictions Written Only on Books?
Not at all!
While many fanfictions are inspired by books, they extend far beyond written literature. Fan-written stories are also written on:
Movies and TV Shows: Popular franchises like Star Wars, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Supernatural have thriving fan fiction communities. The writers write spin-off stories, alternate timelines, and even explore their favorite characters.
Video Games: Universes like The Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy inspire fanfiction that builds upon their worlds and characters.
Music and Celebrities: Some writers even use celebrities and boy bands, such as One Direction, to write fanfic. They basically imagine fictionalized versions of their lives.
Anime and Manga: Shows like Naruto and Attack on Titan inspire fans to create their own stories. Fans often add to character backgrounds, come up with new adventures, or write different endings.
It is safe to say that fanfiction is not restricted to any single medium.
Fun Fact
How long do you think fan fiction is? Many people guess they typically range from around 10,000 to a maximum of 15,000 words. However, you might be surprised to learn that some fan fiction can reach up to 400,000 words, and that’s perfectly acceptable. For comparison, notable books like “Twilight” have approximately 118,975 words in the first book and about 192,196 words in the final installment, “Breaking Dawn.” Additionally, the fifth book in the Harry Potter series contains around 250,000 words.
But when you ask what the longest fan fiction has ever been written, it is “The Loud House: Revamped” on Fanfiction.net, which has a whopping word count of 16,777,215 (Yes, almost 17 Million!)
This fanfic’s impressive length is not just a fun fact; it demonstrates that fans can fully immerse themselves in the worlds they love. Many are inspired to create books and novels that explore these worlds freely, without the constraints of traditional publishing.
Some Of Your Best-Selling Favorites Are Fanfiction Products!
The shift from fan fiction to popular bestselling books started when some stories gained a large online audience. Writers noticed that their fan-made stories could attract readers outside their original fan groups, usually with a few changes to make them independent stories.
With the rise of affordable Amazon print-on-demand services and the best Kindle Amazon publishing services, fan fiction writers now have accessible tools to share their reimagined stories with the world. Some of these fanfics are so good that they have been reworked and published as original stories.
1. Fifty Shades of Grey
The most famous and widely loved trilogy that has sold over 165 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a major feature film series, Fifty Shades of Grey is perhaps the most successful fanfiction published book today.
The book revolves around the raunchy relationship between a charismatic business tycoon, Christian Grey, and a sweet, innocent Ana, who is a literature student. This book is known for bringing erotic literature back into the mainstream, and it became the bestselling book because of how different relationship dynamics were shown in it. The dark, problematic side of Mr. Grey, when he met the angst, lust, and yearning for Ana, made people go crazy over it.
The surprise here is that this book was started as a Twilight fanfiction. Not many people know this, but a story called “Master of the Universe” was uploaded to FanFiction.net in 2009 by James under the handle “Snowqueens Icedragon.”
Now, if you think about it – it will make sense how similar Christian Ana and Edward Bella were.
For example, Edward/Christian’s predatory nature and Ana/Bella’s innocence.
2. The Mortal Instruments
Next on the list, we have The Mortal Instruments, a very popular YA fantasy series that has been turned into a TV show called “Shadowhunters” This is a six-book series that tells the story of Clary Fairchild, whose world turned upside down at her 18th birthday when she discovered that she is a Shadowhunter. In the quest to find the truth and adjust to the new reality, she meets Jace, a hot blond Shadowhunter who helps her embrace and settle into the shadow world.
This brilliantly written book was a Harry Potter fanfic that had Draco and Ginny. Uploaded to FanFiction.net as “The Draco Trilogy,” this story was a classic enemy-to-lover story.
3. After Series
The After series is written by Anna Todd and tells us the story of a girl, Tessa, who is a freshman in college and falls in love with Hardin (a typical bad boy with a troubled family and a dark past). This attraction leads Tessa to make bad choices but end up with Hardin. The yearning, clever responses, and attitude of both characters make this story so attractive.
Many people know this book and movie as “Harry Styles Fanfic.” This is because this story was started as a One Direction fanfiction, which was uploaded to Wattpad. In the fanfiction, the girl Tessa falls in love with Harry Styles. The writer also made other members of the 1D team appear in the story.
4. For Love and Bylines
Set in New York City instead of outer space, this “Star Wars”-inspired story follows young reporter Ava Johnson as she goes undercover at a private school in Manhattan. While acting as a student, she quickly forms a connection with the moody English teacher, Nico Adams, and finds herself torn between her career and love.
This was originally published as a fanfiction named “The Second Time Around” in 2019. The plot of this fanfic is not only Star Wars inspired, but the writer took inspiration from various other sources, such as the 1999 film “Never Been Kissed.” Revised for publication in 2022, the book features subtle references to “Reylo,” the ship name for Kylo Ren and Rey from the “Star Wars” films, while largely updating the storyline.
5. A Study in Emerald
Neil Gaiman is a British author who started writing fan fiction when he was a child. He is now a best-selling author and has won awards for fan stories based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft.
One of the notable fanfiction written by Gaiman is “A Study in Emerald,” which beautifully mixes the worlds of Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft, creating a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery with a supernatural element. In 2004, the World Science Fiction Convention named “A Study in Emerald” the best short story of the year.
6. The Idea of You
Well, it is not fanfiction per se, but the novel “The Idea of You” is heavily inspired by One Direction member Harry Styles. The author Robinne Lee said,“I spent a good hour or so Googling and trying to figure out who this kid [Styles] was, and in doing so, I discovered that he often dated older women, and so the seed was planted.”
She then took the characters and personality of Harry Styles and created the character of “Hayes Campbell,” who falls in love with a 40-year-old divorced mother, Solene. She also made Hayes a singer in the book with a boyband named “August Moon.”
These examples highlight how fanfiction writers are not just taking their inspirations—they’re transforming those inspirations into wholly original stories that strike a chord with readers worldwide.
Blurred Lines: Do Fanfiction Stories Cross into Copyright Territory?
Now that we have discussed the positive aspects of fanfiction let’s examine the criticisms surrounding it. Many people argue that these fanfictions raise copyright issues.
By definition, if you ask what fan stories are, they are pieces that utilize characters and settings created by someone else. However, one might wonder: in the literature, has any story ever been completely original? For example, the most celebrated writer, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, was heavily inspired by earlier Italian tales, such as Luigi da Porto’s Giulietta e Romeo. Similarly, Hamlet was influenced by the legend of Amleth from Danish folklore. Even the famous American writer and humorist Mark Twain also wrote in his biography that “there is no such thing as a new idea.”
Even though fanfiction is not meant to overshadow the original content, it is made to celebrate it. We simply can not ignore the fact that these operate in a legal gray area, largely because it involves creating new works using copyrighted characters, settings, or plots from existing works.
Rainbow Rowell brilliantly raises this question in her novel Fangirl. The book has a protagonist, Cath, who is a fanfiction writer and earned a strong following by writing “fic” for the fictional Simon Snow series. In her stories, she creates two different characters and brings them together in a love story. She invents their pasts, fights, personality traits, and even the places where the story happens. When Cath hands in a story for her writing class, she feels proud of what she’s done. She’s shocked when her teacher gives her a failing grade for copying someone else’s work. “These are not your characters,” the teacher tells her. But at this point, Cath feels like they belong to her.
I think a similar thing happens in real life as well. Many renowned authors like JK Rowling and Cassandra Clare actively encourage people to write fanfiction to expand their fandom, but there are authors like Anna Rice who are quite protective of their work and take down any fanfic that involves her characters. At the same time, it’s true that creative person takes ideas from the creative people before them. However, fanfiction writers openly use characters, settings, and ideas from popular works, which makes it harder to tell the difference between copying and creating something new.
While the debate is still ongoing, those writers who really want to publish their fanfic must partner up with expert book writing and editing services to heavily revise their work. By removing direct references to copyrighted material, the writer can make their book unique and avoid copyright issues.
Conclusion
With Archive of Our Own and Wattpad getting 258.1M and 97.3M monthly visits – it is quite clear that fanfiction is no longer just a niche form of storytelling—it’s a thriving, creative community and an integral part of modern literature.
Fanfiction is more than just fun to read; it’s a great way for people to express their creativity, improve their writing abilities, and meet others who have similar interests. Even while dealing with issues like copyright and representation, the fanfiction community is dedicated to respecting and celebrating the original stories that inspire them.
FAQs
Are there specific genres within fanfiction?
Absolutely, fanfiction covers a broad spectrum of genres, such as romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and beyond. Writers frequently blend different genres and themes to cater to the diverse tastes of their readers.
How do I handle criticism as a fanfiction writer?
Writing on already existing work that has a huge loyal fanbase is a challenge because you might receive a lot of criticism. However, it is important to remember that receiving criticism is part of the writing process. It’s essential to approach feedback with an open mind, focusing on constructive criticism to improve your skills.
Is fanfiction considered legitimate writing?
Many people see fanfiction as a real way to write and be creative. It gives writers a chance to tell stories and practice their writing skills, which can help them get better at it.
Can fanfiction Be Monetized?
Yes, you can. And don’t worry; you do not have to be stuck in the complicated process of traditional publishing. You can publish your work through affordable Amazon ebook publishing. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allow writers to publish their works in ebook format.
What are the legal implications of writing fanfiction?
Writing fanfiction is usually seen as a way for fans to express themselves, but it’s important to understand copyright rules. Always give credit to the original creators, and don’t sell your fanfiction without their permission because this can cause legal problems.
About Author
Hi My name is Micheal Adams, When I am not watching horror movies and helping my kids with homework or reading my favorite fantasy/supernatural novels – I’m writing to guide aspiring authors. I focus on exploring and simplifying both the technical aspects and the often-overlooked details of book writing and publishing so I can empower new writers to climb the Amazon bestseller list and connect with more readers.
