Does fan fiction spell the end of the professional novelist?

In popular genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, fan fiction based on the Wattpad model could easily disrupt the publishing industryFor a few years in the mid 2000s, I was the young librarian who got sent to schools to convince kids they really did want to read books. The truth of my experience was that the kids needed no convincing. There’s an odd belief in some parts of the book world that young people have to be made to read, or made to read “good” books. If you want a really telling piece of evidence to counter this strange notion, look no further than Wattpad.With more than 35 million users and over 100,000 stories published each day, Wattpad is staggeringly active community of readers and writers, the vast majority of whom are young adults. When I was working for libraries to engage young people with books, the idea of a website where kids could post and read stories for and by their peer group came up again and again. Wattpad is that vision made real, with the support of nearly $70m (£46m) in venture capital funding. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #book world #vast majority #young adults

Other news stories related to: "Does fan fiction spell the end of the professional novelist?"


Does fan fiction spell the end of the professional novelist?

In popular genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, fan fiction based on the Wattpad model could easily disrupt the publishing industryFor a few years in the mid 2000s, I was the young librarian who got sent to schools to convince kids they really did want to read books. The truth of my experience was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #young adults #vast majority #book world


Vernor Vinge, Innovative Science Fiction Novelist, Dies at 79

He conceived an early version of cyberspace and predicted the “technological singularity,” a tipping point at which machines would become smarter than humans. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-03-28 22:04:59 UTC ]
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McDonald’s Caters to Anime Fans by Bringing a Fictional Restaurant to Life

McDonald's is giving anime and manga fans the chance to visit fictional chain WcDonald's with a campaign kicking off Feb. 26 in more than 30 markets around the world. An obvious riff off the "Golden Arches," WcDonald's has appeared in many memorable shows from anime and... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-02-21 14:00:00 UTC ]
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The Past Is Messy and Repeats Itself: The Trap of Fairytale Victory Endings in Historical Fiction

This essay isn’t about World War II. But like any historical fiction writer publishing in 2023, it’s impossible to ignore the recent wave of WWII novels that fill bookstore shelves at the moment. As someone who reads and enjoys many of these books but has no desire to write one, I have a theory... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-10-17 08:45:05 UTC ]
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From Fan Fiction to TikTok: Long Live the Microgenre

With the rise of fan fiction publishing and TikTok, microgenres — genres that have defined and specific plots — have reached new heights. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-28 10:33:00 UTC ]
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A romance novelist came back to life. Angry fans say she faked her death

Scandal and despair hit the romance community when Susan Meachen was purportedly bullied into suicide. Was it a hoax?In 2020 the tightly knit and passionate world of self-published romance literature was shocked by the news that the novelist Susan Meachen, following bullying by other writers,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-14 10:00:06 UTC ]
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How Contemporary Novelists Are Confronting Climate Collapse in Fiction

This year marks the sixth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Agreement, an international accord that marks the first time nearly every nation on Earth promised to tackle the climate crisis. The goals set by that agreement, however, have not been met. As the climate crisis worsens, more novelists than... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-24 08:53:41 UTC ]
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A gift guide for the fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror books in your life

Anthologies like “The Big Book of Modern Fantasy” cover a lot of ground. Illustrated books like “Flyway” offer something special. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-12-07 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Will Dutch library ban on 'Black Pete' books spell end for 'racist' festive tradition?

The portrayal of Santa’s Moor servant ‘Zwarte Piet’ is widely seen as offensive. Protesters applaud the decision to remove the character from children’s books Public libraries across the Netherlands are removing from the shelves children’s books depicting a black-faced Zwarte Piet, a side-kick... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-15 10:10:52 UTC ]
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8 Science Fiction Novels by Authors of Color for the End Times

Are these the end times? Who knows! Settle into this current quasi-dystopian reality with recent books by American writers of color. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-02 10:35:59 UTC ]
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Alan Dershowitz claims a fictional lawyer defamed him. The implications for novelists are very real.

“Make Russia Great Again” and “Rodham” are two recent novels that benefit from blending fact and fiction. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-08-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Yes, Literary Fiction With Happy Endings Exists: Here are 20 Must-Read Examples

If you think lit fic endings are all sorrow or question marks, think again. Here are some happy literary fiction books that will leave you hopeful. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-05-21 10:34:27 UTC ]
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The fiction writers saw it coming: The plot of ‘The End of October’ feels all too real

Lawrence Wright’s new novel about a pandemic was meant to be speculative. The author says he’s both proud and embarrassed about what turned out to be foresight. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-04-24 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Viewfinders: 10 Y.A. Novelists Spin Fiction From Vintage Photos

The New York Times invited Asian-American authors to choose photos from our archives and write short young-adult fiction inspired by them. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-06-28 17:18:37 UTC ]
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Jonathan Stroud partners with European fan fiction project

Author Jonathan Stroud is working with Read On, a four-year project funded in part by the EU, to encourage young people across Europe to write fan fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors praise Spufford’s Narnia ‘fan fiction’

Authors have praised Francis Spufford’s novel set in the world of Narnia, with some suggesting the C S Lewis estate should allow the book to be printed but others maintaining the work is fan fiction.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six Debut Novelists Are on the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist

Two previously longlisted authors and one twice-shortlisted writer, Kamila Shamsie, are on this year's Women's Prize for Fiction longlist of 16 novels. The winner takes home £30,000 and a bronze figurine, the 'Bessie.' The post Six Debut Novelists Are on the 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Music fans mourn end of 66-year-old British magazine NME's print edition

British music magazine NME, which helped mold musical tastes for several generations, will stop publishing its weekly print edition. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2018-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fictional portrait of novelist Jean Rhys to Vintage

Vintage has acquired a "beautiful, heart-breaking" novel about the life of Jean Rhys by Booker-shortlisted novelist Caryl Phillips. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Women’s Prize for Fiction seeks new sponsor after Baileys deal ends

The Women’s Prize for Fiction is seeking a new sponsor after Baileys, which has backed the prize for the past four years, decided not to renew its support in 2018. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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