For those who have always harboured a deep passion for the written word – and perhaps aspired to write themselves – the world of fan fiction is hardly new territory. Both emerging and established authors have cut their teeth in the sandboxes offered by some of the most popular fandoms.

At the 2024 RUSSH Literary Showcase presentation, Tongan-Australian author Winnie Dunn spoke of one of her first forays into writing. Stolen moments tucked away in her childhood bedroom drafting fan fiction. The admission was met with a knowing smile by the other emerging authors in the room. Some of them later even divulged to me the particular fandoms they used to experiment with.

Reading and writing fan stories was once an activity kept strictly to LiveJournal and remote internet forums. It's undeniable that what used to be a clandestine guilty pleasure, a haven for hardcore fan culture, has evolved into something accepted by the mainstream.

It's undeniable that what used to be a clandestine guilty pleasure, a haven for hardcore fan culture, has evolved into something accepted by the mainstream.

And when one of these stories becomes so beloved that it extends beyond the borders it was written for, it can truly turn a new page for the creator behind the craft.

In the last 10 to 15 years, some fan works have found a path to formal publication. It’s a well-known fact that the 50 Shades of Grey book and movie series began life as a Twilight fan fiction. The undeniably popular After franchise originally lived on Wattpad as a Harry Styles fan fiction. Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway recently starred in The Idea of You – another former Harry Styles fan fiction. The Mortal Instruments series was inspired by a Draco-centric Harry Potter fan fiction.

But was once a slow trickle through the fan-writer-to-published-author pipeline, is now a surge.

 

While the fan-writer-to-published-author pipeline was once a slow trickle through, in 2025, it's a surge. Literary spaces are now openly embracing fandoms, and more and more writers are able to make the leap from self-published fan writer to bonafide published author.

An investigative story on Sherwood News delves into the new behaviours of publishers who actively scour fan archives like AO3 and Wattpad for the next big thing. Some of the biggest publishing houses are mining fanfic and self-publishing sites for new voices; and stories with an existing fan base.

"It's definitely a growing trend," says Christine Ebbs, publisher from Penguin Random House. In fact, Penguin Random House is the international publisher behind Alchemised, one of the latest novels to be adapted from a fan work. The story is so popular that its movie rights actually sold before the adapted novel hit the shelves.

Ebbs explains that she's seeing more and more fan writers and self-published writers transition to published authors on the merit of their fan works. Without missing a beat, she rattled-off a list of authors like Julie Soto, Brigitte Knightley and Lauren Jackson who began as fan writers and have gone on to have books published in the last few years.

Indeed, publishers have their eyes keenly on sites like Wattpad and AO3 seeking out new voices. But they're receiving active submissions, too. "It's not just us seeking it out. It's also literary agents sending fan fictions to us too," she said.

There was a time when writers like Mortal Instruments-author Cassandra Clare had to remove fan works from the internet to pursue a career as a published author. But distancing oneself from fandom beginnings is no longer a requisite for legitimacy. Fan works are no longer being maligned by their origins.

Distancing oneself from fandom beginnings is no longer a requisite for legitimacy. Fan works are no longer being maligned by their origins.

"Attitudes are definitely changing. We're talking about it very openly at work. And recognising these writers are people that have a lot of experience," she said.

Fan fictions have long committed the so-called crime of attracting a predominantly woman fan base – the key ingredient needed to delegitimise aything under a patriarchal framework; from popular music to soft drinks. But as more corporations understand the strength of a woman fan base, these art forms are shedding their frivolous reputation. "With the record-breaking success of Barbie and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, the economic power of women as fans is being stamped on the global entertainment industries," wrote Emily Baulch a researcher who holds a PhD in Publishing Studies in an article on The Conversation.

"We are very interested in just looking at the market and seeing what readers want. What readers are talking about on TikTok and Instagram and other places on the internet. We want to publish books that readers want to read," says Ebbs.

Instead of being invalidated, the writers who create these stories are now being offered opportunities they may have ordinarily not found. Traditional publishing has an important role. Publishing houses come with a team of experts who can turn manuscripts into polished products. This renewed thirst and recognition is giving fan writers the support they need to turn their works into standalone products.

Ebbs also explains that as a publisher there are inherent advantages to seeking out fan fiction writers when looking for debut novelists. In a way, having a portfolio of fan stories to your name acts as nouveau curriculum vitae – clear evidence that a writer can in fact write, and commit to the process involved in publishing a book.

In a way, having a portfolio of fan stories to your name acts as nouveau curriculum vitae – clear evidence that a writer can in fact write, and commit to the process involved in publishing a book.

"Fan fiction writers are used to getting edited. Most of them have beta readers, they also are used to receiving really immediate feedback," she explains. "They're good at making sure every chapter has an idea and ends on a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, because you have to make people keep coming back. They're good at keeping the pace."

But of course, possibly the most attractive reasons for publishing a fan fiction writer or adapting a fan work; it comes with a built-in audience. It's no secret that publishers are looking for authors that come with some kind of existing fan base they can sell their books to. Whether that's because they're a celebrity, they have a very popular substack, or because they have a viral fan fiction on AO3.

This doesn't mean that virality is the only ingredient needed for success or that every popular story on Wattpad could make it onto printed paper. Ebbs says that when she's looking for fan content, it needs to stand on its own. "I would want it to have some kind of story power beyond just having its own audience," she says. "But my eyes are peeled. I'm keen, and I'm looking for them."