Amazon Venturing Into The World Of Fan Fiction

Fan fiction authors will soon be able to publish stories through Amazon.

The company recently unveiled Kindle Worlds, a publishing platform that will allow folks to take their love of certain characters and franchises to the next level. Not only will these tales reach a much wider audience, writers can actually earn royalties on the stories they sell.

Amazon Publishing announced Wednesday that it was teaming up with Alloy Entertainment, which is a division of Warner Bros. that produces literary tie-ins for its movies and television shows. According to Mashable, the partnership will allow authors to write fan fiction based on certain properties owned by the studio.

“Our books have generated a massive amount of fan fiction, and we see this as an evolution in publishing and a valuable way of broadening our brands and engaging fans. When working with Amazon Publishing on this scale, we know we’re in good hands and everyone will benefit,” Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein said in a statement.

Fan fiction writers are currently allowed to pen their own tales centered around such properties as Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, and Pretty Little Liars. Additional titles are expected to become available to authors in the coming months.

What’s cool about Kindle Worlds is that anyone can participate in the program. All you have to do is pen a story that’s at least 10,000 words and self-publish through Kindle. Writers who meet the guidelines will earn 35 percent of every sale. Alloy Entertainment will also get a cut of the cash.

Deadline is reporting that Amazon Publishing is also rolling out a platform that will cater to short stories and novellas. Tales that are between 5,000 and 10,000 words will earn the author 20 percent of all sales made. Kindle Worlds will kick everything off this June.

“Our goal with Kindle Worlds is to create a home for authors to build on the Worlds we license, and give readers more stories from the Worlds they enjoy. We look forward to announcing additional World licensing deals in the coming weeks,” explained Philip Patrick, the platform’s director.

Interested in taking part in Amazong Publishing’s Kindle Worlds? Submission guidelines and authorized properties can be found on the company’s official website.