Fan Fiction Policy
It’s (almost always) a compliment when someone wants to write a fan-story based on something I’ve written. And you can write fan fiction based on the Koscuisko novels and other things I’ve written, under the following circumstances:
You have to license your work as derivative, non-commercial fiction under the Creative Commons umbrella.
You can’t make any money off fanlit you’ve written in the Jurisdiction story-line/universe.
You have to post an attribution identifying the source material, together with a statement that that I own the source material (grin). An example of the required attribution? “The source material for this story, including the universe in which it is set and the characters whomever, whomever, and whomever, is copyright by Susan R. Matthews. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, non-commercial fiction.”
In doing so, you waive any rights to your fanlit, which means that you can’t sue me if I write something that you think looks altogether too much like your fan-story in the future and accidentally make a million dollars (I should be so lucky). I’m not going to be out there looking for ideas to steal; I have enough of my own, honest. This protects me against accidental cross-pollination, and serves as your acknowledgement that Great Minds Think Alike — we may come up with the same idea independently of one another, because that’s the way it is.
I’m not going to read your fanlit (or if I do, I’m not going to admit having done so). I won’t comment on your fanlit in any case. Don’t post about your fanlit to my blog; don’t contact me about your fanlit. It’s not because I don’t love you or appreciate your investment in my novels/characters; it’s because I’m just not going to get into that. I’m saving all my energy for my own original content. You can share your fan-story with other people in appropriate forums, just not in this one (grin).
And bless you for loving my work enough to want to write more about it, even though I will never know.
