Build your fan fiction website in Brave

It was previously considered unthinkable to turn oneʼs fanfic into original work for traditional publication, let alone have it be a selling point for the masses. Now, itʼs the norm. Published fanfiction is our literary future, but itʼs also long been embedded in the mediumʼs past.

Sort of! It isnʼt legal to make money off of a reimagined version of someone elseʼs copyrighted material, but many published works originated as fanfiction of copyrighted material. If the source-work has entered the public domain, then it is certainly legal to make money off of your own version of it.

Technically speaking, if the copyright holder has not granted permission to use elements of their intellectual property OR if the work is not in the public domain, then no. Fanfiction is not legal and is considered copyright infringement.

Using real people in your fictionwhether they are correctly named or notcan be legally hazardous. If an author includes enough details that a specific fictional character is identifiable as an actual person, that person could possibly pursue legal action.

Wattpad. When it comes to the best fanfiction websites, we must think of Wattpad. Wattpad is a website for both amateur and established writers to publish stories. It is probably the most well-known fanfiction website available and the most popular writing community out there.

In the early 2010s, fans were directly monetizing their own work, while today, the powerand the moneyrests in the hands of traditional publishers scouring AO3 for hits, and with the illegal binders, selling othersʼ works for their own profit.

For example, if the fanfiction is a parody, commentary, or criticism of the original work, it may be considered a fair use and may be protected under the law. Ultimately, the legality of fanfiction can be complex, and whether or not it is considered infringing depends on the specific circumstances of the case.

While regular fanfiction faces the issue of copyright, real-person fiction brings into question grounds for defamation. Beyond the realm of just fanfiction, weʼre now seeing real consequences of deep ography that uses the likeness of real public personas.