# One Direction Fan Fiction Writer Gets 6-Figure Deal



## Philip Overby (Dec 22, 2014)

I saw this online and thought some of you may want to add your thoughts. I can see how some writers would get upset about this for various reasons, but that's like getting upset that pop music outsells folk, blues, or jazz music. It just does. I'm increasingly becoming the type to think "Well, good for her" instead of thinking it's the death of all writing as we know it. Who knows, it might even turn out good. 

One Direction Fan Fiction Writer Becomes Published Author | Rolling Stone


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## 2WayParadox (Dec 22, 2014)

I get what you're saying. I admit to having an automatic condescending response to this kind of thing. While I do feel guys like One Direction are inherently less worthwile musicians then people like say Black Sabbath or Elbow, who craft their own music, I do respect the pop industry's ability to produce easy to listen to music. They want to appeal to the masses and they succeed in doing so. I can get annoyed about it, but in the end I largely ignore it.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 22, 2014)

> many fans are lashing out at Todd on social media, accusing the first-time novelist of using 1D’s fame to cash in.


She did. And it worked.

She's a 25-year-old who got a six-figure deal and gets to quit her day job. I'm with you, Phil. Good for her. I may think it's a cheesy story, likely 2500 pages of crap, and I don't care for the band either… but I'd be a hypocrite to hold that against the author: the person who figured out how to make good money by doing what she loves.


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## Tom (Dec 22, 2014)

This gives me hope. If a fanfic writer can get that sort of deal, I still have a chance at getting published!


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## Nimue (Dec 22, 2014)

I always kind of think that fan fiction writers are writing the same stories that they would with their own, original characters, except that using existing ones makes it easier, and more likely to be appreciated.  Probably,  this Hardin whoever isn't a stand-in for Harry Styles so much as Harry Styles was being used as a stand-in in the first place.

That being said, I don't know anything about this book in particular, and certainly wouldn't read it.


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## Ruby (Dec 22, 2014)

Hey Philip,

If you go on Wattpad and type, "One Direction stories", into the search engine you get masses of One Direction books and WIPs. (I know because I've just tried it!)

This shows you what's trending at the moment.

Btw I'm writing a story on Wattpad and now I know what I've been doing wrong: I haven't mentioned One Direction in my title. In fact, they haven't appeared even once in my book,  yet... 

Here's some free marketing advice: you could go on there and write a book called: "One Direction Meet Splatter Elf". 

On a serious note, this writer must be talented because there are so many fan fiction books about the group out there!


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## Chessie (Dec 22, 2014)

So...basically 50 Shades all over again?  But seriously, that's great! It doesn't matter how you enter this business, really. Some people get waaaay luckier than others. But it really does make you wonder about originality these days. I was on Amazon, Kobo, and Goodreads last night looking through their trending fantasy lists. A lot of the stories getting sales are ones that are remakes of either fairy tales or some other great story (Peter Pan, for example). I think, for modern readers, retelling stories is hot right now. That's all that fan fiction is: retelling someone's story. Its lame that others can't congratulate her on her hard work because she's obviously doing something right if her hits are a billion.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 22, 2014)

My six-year-old reads _Whatever After,_ which is about children who go into fairy tales and "fix" the stories. Example: the little mermaid lives. The author's latest in the series is cashing in on the success of Frozen without referencing the Disney IP—just whatever fairy tale it's based on, I guess.

I think "originality" is great, but if you take something not original and put your original twist on it, you have originality and money.

I personally can't stand looking at 1D posters in a store, I have no idea what they sound like nor the interest to find out, and I'd sooner claw my eyeballs out than read an epic romance about a boy band. But as I said before: good move for the young author who found a way to make big bucks off this.


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## Penpilot (Dec 23, 2014)

I say good for her, too. Write what you love and you never know what will happen. I think when it comes down to it if someone offered me six figures to write something, anything at all, I'd jump at the chance. I don't care if it's fan fiction or band fiction. Getting that type of money opens up opportunities.


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## Philip Overby (Dec 23, 2014)

I felt like posting this here might get more positive responses than I've seen elsewhere on the internet. I think people working in different genres aren't really taking away from people writing fantasy fiction. I mean people reading teen romances aren't necessarily going to choose between one of my ultraviolent silly fantasy yarns and something based on a One Direction member. I think if people can carve out their niche however possible, then that's great for them. Sometimes it's more about finding your angle than necessarily writing awesome books. Writing awesome books would be preferable, but like anything, sometimes luck or hitting the right chord comes into play. 

Like LS said, sometimes it's about putting your spin on something that's already out there. _Whatever After_ actually sounds pretty fun and interesting.


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## Ruby (Dec 23, 2014)

Hi Phil,

Thanks to you and this thread, I'm now reading the unedited version of the book on Wattpad. There are two sequels on there, too. It's okay. It's readable and obviously there's a massive market for this book. You might want to take a look.

Interestingly, most of the kids I know who liked One Direction last year, bought all the merchandise and went to the concerts with their mums   tell me they aren't keen on them now. However, in the USA there seems to be an enormous fan base. Teenage fantasy books are very popular and obviously lucrative, too!


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## Jabrosky (Dec 25, 2014)

So let me get this straight: these days you can not only get away with writing "erotic fan fiction" starring _real living people,_ but you can even get it published?

Why this is wonderful news indeed! Maybe I should write about having a steamy encounter with Lupita Nyong'o myself...


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## Ruby (Dec 25, 2014)

Hey Chesterama, I'll make you laugh: underneath this thread it says in Similar Threads: My Manuscript is Crap and I've Lost Direction by Chesterama in Forum Writing Questions. 

@Jabrosky, yes I thought this was interesting, too. Does it mean Harry Styles has read the book and likes it? I guess you can put real people in books. I'm reading a book by Alexander McCall Smith and he has Ian Rankin as a character in one part of it but, presumably, they are friends.


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