Fan Literature, or FanLit, is a genre of writing that can take many forms, often an extension of popular books or series. FanLit can be sexually explicit and is recognized as “slash fiction.” Avon Romance held a writing contest in 2006, and FanLit has become more widespread with the internet. Other writing contests have been modeled after FanLit, including a Teen FanLit at Harper Collins. FanLit is an excellent way for unknown authors to come forward and for fans to collaborate on a fun and engaging project.
Fan Literature, sometimes called Fan Lit or FanLit, is a genre of writing. FanLit can take many forms. Often FanLit is an extension of a popular book or series written by fans who want more information about the story. FanLit is sometimes sexually explicit, and is identified as “slash fiction” in this case, in reference to the character/character involved in the story. FanLit also refers to a writing contest held by Avon Romance in 2006 where fans teamed up to write a romance novel.
With the advent of the Internet, FanLit has become much more widespread. Numerous organizations including the American Library Association have recognized the contributions FanLit has made to literature. Fans of books ranging from the Harry Potter series to the Lord of the Rings trilogy can log in and write FanLit at a variety of websites. Members of FanLit communities tend to form a close network of supportive individuals who provide constructive criticism and other assistance.
Beginning August 23, 2006, Avon Romance partnered with Harper Collins and Fox Television to sponsor FanLit, a contest in which romance fans would write a novel online one chapter at a time. Prizes were awarded to fans who wrote successful chapters, as well as random entrants. FanLit was designed to be highly competitive, with Avon Romance emphasizing that authors would need to sell themselves and their chapters to win. This reflects the competitive world of professional romance writing, which requires a great deal of effort on the part of individual authors to sell their work.
The contest began with voting to select a story concept. Story ideas were provided by professional romance authors and editors, and early entrants chose the premise they found most interesting. Later, a storyline was developed to help guide the contestants. A chapter synopsis was released each week. FanLit contestants were required to cover all material suggested in the synopsis for their submissions to count. Other contestants and readers voted on the chapters, accepting the chapter that won the most votes.
On October 27, the contest closed and the book was deemed complete. The randomly selected grand prize winner was able to spend a day at Avon publishing house, learning about how books are published and promoted. A winner selected by the judging team received a development deal with Fox Television. The book, Wicked Games, was released as an e-book which included the six winning chapters along with author profiles.
Several other writing contests have been modeled after FanLit, including a Teen FanLit at Harper Collins. The contest was seen as a successful promotion by the authors and publisher, and the company’s stock rose significantly as the contest progressed. FanLit is an excellent way for unknown authors to come forward and for fans to collaborate on a fun and engaging project.
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