The rise of the fanon canon: when fan fiction influences original fiction

It was once a guilty secret: some writers honed their skills on fan fiction, sharing stories in the corners of the internet before stepping into the world of publishing. 

Now, fan fiction isn’t a detour en route to “real” literature; it’s a workshop, a movement, and a testing ground for the next generation of writers. The fanon canon, as it’s called online, is transforming how stories are written, shared, and sold.

Genre-blending that defies labels: From Romantasy to experimental fiction

What do you call a novel that blends gothic romance, dark academia, political allegory, and a magic system based on linguistic theory? 

In 2025, the answer might be: a bestseller. Genre boundaries are increasingly porous, and today’s readers are embracing the hybrid. Welcome to the era of genre-blending fiction, where labels are looser, rules more elastic, and expectations deliciously disrupted.

Is fan fiction the new slush pile? What editors are really looking for

There was a time when fan fiction lived in the shadows, tucked into forums, buried in tags, dismissed as derivative, and looked down upon. It wasn’t writing. It was adoration as typing. 

Not anymore. Now, it’s edging toward centre stage, commanding the attention of publishers, agents, and readers alike.