Guest Blogger T.M. Hobbs – Can Fan Fiction Writers Make It In The Real World?

A big friendly welcome to T.M. Hobbs!  She agreed to be a guest blogger for me and is writing about her transition from Fan Fiction Writer or Published Author.  There is a stigma against those of us who have (or still are) participating in various fandoms.  T.M. gives us a little insight on what it’s like to move out of the safety of fanfic and into the big bad world of publishing!

T.M. Hobbs lives in a small town in Northeast Texas with her husband and son. She has always enjoyed reading love stories filled with romance and adventure and now she has discovered her own voice through writing fiction.

The debate is an interesting one, and I can see both sides of the argument.  Is it possible for a person to survive in the professional writing world if they dabble in fan fiction or have in the past? I would hope that it is possible and would like to see the trend of publishers considering the hours of dedicated writing an author has put into their favorite fandom, as not an act of riding someone else’s apron strings, but as a form of using one’s artistic license to be creative. 

I can see a fledgling author feeling less than confident about jumping into the publishing world without getting their feet wet first.  As an author who found her voice through writing fan fiction, I know this from firsthand experience.

The publisher should not see the author’s writing portfolio as a mockery of the creative process, but instead should look at the following the author has created and consider their experimentations as rehearsal for a greater purpose, one that will bring the author the recognition they richly deserve when they do find the words to create their own original manuscripts.

This being said, in many cases writing fan fiction, creating your own scenarios, and even adding in your own original characters,  is not a heinous crime, but a way for the beginning author to overcome and conquer their lack of self-confidence and realize their true writing potential.

I have been told by those in the marketing area, who have been to the writing and marketing workshops that the trends are changing.  If an author already has an established fan base through fan fiction, and their readers already enjoy their writing style and creative process, then why not move onto their own original works sharing their new ideas with the people they already know.

Having been involved with fan fiction for several years now, I do know there are others who do not feel as comfortable introducing their original work into these established circles to the point of deleting all of their fan fiction and disappearing from that world, leaving behind wonderful connections that have already been formed.

I myself had great difficulty embracing this idea wholly, until I realized that it only made sense to keep the people you have gotten to know informed of your work.  I will know in time if it has made a difference, but I do believe it is important to share your achievements with your fans.

 

It was through fan fiction that I was first introduced to The Writer’s Coffee Shop Library.  Through their site, I learned of The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, a new publisher with great potential, and introducing some of my original work to them.  This led to my first novel, Wings of Fate, being published with them on March 31, 2011.

I have also worked closely with Books To Go Now, an up and coming e-publisher, who knows of the influence fan fiction has on today’s writing, and have been fortunate to have two short stories published by them.  My first, Crystal Tears Forever, was published on November 10, 2010, and th
e second, Born Free, was published on April 15, 2011.

I am grateful for the opportunities I have had so far and would like to offer encouragement to those who love writing and sharing their work with others.  It is possible to achieve the goal of having your work published if you pursue the right avenues without giving up and believe in yourself and your abilities.

Thank you Pav for allowing me to share my thoughts with others.   

Please stop by the blog I have created, http://tmhobbs.blogspot.com/, so I can let everyone know about my up and coming projects and where to locate those that have been published.  Your comments and support would be welcomed and appreciated.