Literary agent Colleen Lindsay was submitted a Star Trek novel. Her advice:
Do not EVER – under any circumstances – send an agent a query for a novel based on someone else’s characters or world. Just don’t.
As for this poor, ignorant person, I give them 1.5 Jareos.
For more on the subject, I refer you to several of our own professonals: Rodger McBride Allen, Karen Traviss, and Abel G. Peña. You might also want to check out Keith R.A. DeCandido’s post on the difference between profic and fanfic.
You can also follow us on 
Not a contest.
On Twitter?
Our guide to 
6 responses so far ↓
1 Bonnie // May 8, 2008 at 2:19 am
However, if you want to write for TV, writing a spec script is so similar to writing fan fiction, I don’t know why this isn’t brought up more. If you have a script for an episode for Buffy, or Stargate, or Star Trek or Doctor Who, and it’s GOOD, you could catch the eye of a producer looking for new writers.
2 Dunc // May 8, 2008 at 3:31 am
I’d guess it has something to do with TV writing generally being more collaborative than novel-writing…?
3 Bonnie // May 8, 2008 at 4:20 pm
If you read the WGA magazine, many times writers will say they got their start writing fan fiction and then put those same stories into screenwriting format as a calling card to get their feet in the doors at “The Simpsons,” “Lost,” “Heroes,” “C.S.I.” and so on.
4 Stooge // May 8, 2008 at 5:16 pm
That’s a really good point, Bonnie, never thought about it like that before. And to Star Trek’s credit, they had an open submission policy for The Next Generation — I can think of at least one episode (“Yesterday’s Enterprise”) which was done off a fan script. Obviously, some time has passed since then… but you really can’t fault Trekkies for still believing they’ve got a shot at getting their fanfic published.
5 Jax // May 8, 2008 at 9:59 pm
But what if we write the fanfic, then change all the names/places to original ones? ;)
6 Dunc // May 8, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Jax: Do I have some recs for you… ;)
Leave a Comment