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Over decades, fan fiction has become a widely acknowledged (and beloved) genre, providing an opportunity for fans to connect with their favourite fictional universes and likeminded people. From the writing perspective, this term was used to distinguish ‘amateurs’ from ‘professional writers’; and while some stories were read by millions of people, community recognition didn’t translate into any further opportunities for authors.
That’s changed. Thanks to unwavering support of readers and growing interest from attentive publishers, what used to be a purely passion-driven hobby is now a real path into a published author career.
In this article, we’re covering four bestselling authors, whose success in the publishing world started with writing fan fiction.

E.L. James | Fifty Shades of Grey

Whether you love it or hate it, Fifty Shades of Grey is a global publishing phenomenon, with well over 100 million copies sold. Before it became one of the bestselling book series of all time, it was posted on Twilighted.net as — you guessed that right! — a Twilight fanfiction.
The author eventually removed all references to the popular vampire saga, which enabled her to self-publish the story as an ebook and print-on-demand paperback. Shortly after, 50 Shades of Grey was acquired by Penguin Random House for a major re-release.

Cassandra Clare | The Mortal Instruments

Before Cassandra Clare became a household name as a young adult fantasy author, she spent early 2000s writing Harry Potter fanfics that amassed millions of readers online.
In fact, The Mortal Instruments — one the biggest YA fantasy franchises ever — started as a fanfic focused on Ron and Ginny Weasley. Cassandra Clare’s years of writing experience and loyal readership led to massive success of her original work.

Anna Todd | After

Who would have thought that a One Direction fanfic can launch a major writing career? That’s exactly what happened to Anna Todd, whose story After got over a billion views on Wattpad in 2013.
After the book went viral, she renamed the lead character and got a 6-figure publishing deal. The film rights sold to Paramount Pictures, and in 2019, a former fanfic became a film franchise.

SenLinYu | Alchemised

One of the most well-known examples, SenLinYu’s Alchemised started as Manacled — a 900-page Harry Potter fanfic with elements from The Handmaid’s tale. After going viral on Archives of Our Own in 2018, it got re-released as original fiction in 2025, allowing the author to finally copyright and monetize her viral work.
And yes, it became an instant number one bestseller.

The bigger picture

What connects these four authors is that they wrote for their favorite fandoms, mastering their craft and building an audience while simply doing what they love. Ultimately, it was their original voice and style, more so than famous characters, that readers loved and wanted to see in bookstores worldwide.
Today, tools like Written.app allow fan fiction authors to directly distribute and monetize their work by accepting donations, unlike traditional fan fiction platforms. This enables writers to participate in the creator economy, no matter if they see fanfics as a temporary step or the final goal of their journey.

Start publishing on authors.written.app