A Beginner’s Guide to Writing IP in Publishing

Back in 2021, when Mike Chen announced he was writing Star Wars: Brotherhood, I cannot even begin to tell you how my notifications lit up. Friends and colleagues in publishing were celebrating, as Mike is the wholesome cinnamon roll of the sci-fi world and adored by many, but also… some friends and colleagues (and old acquaintances on Facebook) had questions.

Namely, how did this happen? And can you get me a Star War (no Dennis you skipped my wedding) too?

Throughout my years in publishing, whether we’re talking about my time at Quirk Books ages ago, my current career in agenting, or my author life these days… IP has played a big part in my bookish life. It’s also the space I find people have the most questions. How does someone end up writing for Marvel? Working on Firefly or taking over an established series? Somehow adapting a Broadway musical? Do I have to have books out already, in order to land something like that? Does an agent need to pitch me, or can I pitch myself?

I’ve been thinking about doing a blog post like this for a while, to send to folks who ask. And well, now it’s time. Especially after four of my clients (congrats Mary Kenney, M.K. England, Mike Chen, and Olivia Chadha!) were announced in the new Star Wars anthology.

Curious about landing IP and what you need to get there? This is a long one. Pour yourself a cup of coffee.

Wait, Wait, What… What is IP?

Simply put, IP stands for “Intellectual Property.” It means that someone else owns the idea, and you’re writing it. A lot of those books you see out there tied to major media franchises, whether we’re talking about Star Wars novels or non-fiction books about the art in movies (look up Tara Bennet sometime, she does brilliant work in that space), are I.P.

But it can be more than that. Sometimes a publishing house has an idea for a standalone novel or a book series or a non-fiction project (we’ll talk about those too!), and they go out and find a writer for it. My first published book as an author was one of those.

Some IP projects I’ve been lucky enough to work on in my agent life include Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen (Random House Worlds), Murder of Crows by Kayla Ancrum (Scholastic), Firefly: What Makes Us Mighty by M.K. England (Titan), and the Player vs. Player trilogy by M.K. England (Random House Kids). Oh and hey, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel in my author life.

But there are non-fiction projects in that space too. Quite a few!

How do you get one of these non-fiction IP titles? How do you make yourself someone that’s able to be found for something like that? Let’s jump in.

IP, Platform, and Non-Fiction

Back in 2011, I had published a few essays about video games and relationships. I was running a popular local blog about geek culture (RIP: Geekadelphia), writing for numerous places, and being hyper involved in nerdy circles. One day, the publisher at my then job asked me to come up and chat. I thought I was maybe getting fired.

But nope. He had a book for me. Jason, if you’re reading this, thanks for getting me started.

And also, for not firing me.

The Geek’s Guide to Dating, my first published book, is a fun non-fiction pop-culture book that talks about relationships through the lens of comics and video games… and it’s an IP project. My publisher thought of the concept, gave me the okay, and asked me to write the book.

Now I know, hearing about a first book deal offered up to someone at a publishing house sounds like a real “it’s who you know” sort of situation, but it’s not. I pitched my colleagues an… embarrassing amount. Good lord. And it wasn’t until I had the platform and the voice, and someone in-house had an idea, that those dots connected together.

And when it comes to non-fiction and IP, this is a wildly common thing. But the trick here is, making yourself heard in that space.

I asked client Brianne Hogan (Friendship Signs, Joy in the Stars) to chime in on this:

"How I got my first IP project was really about writing what I love.
I'm a freelance writer who's been interested in astrology since I was a teenager. I noticed astrology was trending a lot in 2016 and so I started to pitch my ideas to publications. Soon I started writing about astrology for HelloGiggles, and much to my surprise, in the summer of 2018, I found an email in my SPAM folder from an editor at a publishing house who was interested in me writing an IP project for them. I didn't even know what IP was! I didn't even know editors contacting writers about books was a thing.
So I think my biggest piece of advice would be to continue writing, blogging, creating, podcasting, etc., about things you genuinely love and are passionate about. Put them out in the world however you can and see where the Universe might take you.
And, always, ALWAYS check your spam folder."

Always check your SPAM folder. Words to live by.

I also checked in with Amy Ratcliffe, who has written a lot of IP non-fiction. Some of you might know her as the EIC of Nerdist and someone who writes a lot in the Star Wars space, both book wise and blogging.

My first IP book was Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy. Lucasfilm publishing gave my name to my editor at Chronicle Books. They approached me in 2017, I believe, because of my very loud enthusiasm for Star Wars in general, but also Star Wars books, fiction and non-fiction, and because I'd written for the site and the official Star Wars magazine.
I wrote and tweeted about Star Wars a lot when I started getting into entertainment blogging around 2009, just with the intent of connecting with like-minded fans. When StarWars.com started bringing freelancer contributors on for the blog, I knew the person running it (thanks, Twitter!) and asked to contribute. At the next Star Wars Celebration, I approached the editor for Star Wars Insider magazine and talked myself up (and hated every second of it). I cohosted a couple of Star Wars podcasts too and definitely made my dream of writing a non-fiction Star Wars book known.
I definitely think being vocal about my fandom, along with writing for official sources helped me land that book. Women of the Galaxy led to another Star Wars book with the same editor at Chronicle Books. Then Lucasfilm recommended me to other publishers. Those publishers have other licenses, so building positive relationships with my editors has led to writing "art of" books for video games and also writing Marvel non-fiction. It's getting your foot in the door (easier said than done) and making an impression strong enough to be a doorstopper that keeps it open.

Here it is again, more on how if you are writing in a specific space, the IP that’s in that space will take notice. We’ll see that a bit more below, when we talk about comics.

And what about in the wellness space? Often times you hear about non-fiction writers with an established platform having editors come to them first. This happened with Sophie Saint Thomas and her first project, Finding Your Higher Self:

Being approached by a big name with an idea already set out, in my specialty, in this case, cannabis reporting, allowed me to break into the industry. I am forever grateful for that. Just like authors need publishers to share their words with the world, publishers need qualified authors to commission.
Having already established myself as a cannabis reporter through magazines, IP projects offered an accessible entry point to publishing. Now, while I'd gladly do another IP project, such works allowed me to build a reputation and pitch the books I've always wanted to write, like the current one (my sixth!) that I'm writing about reproductive rights. IP books are a win/win for everyone, and as a new author, having a map laid out for you for a book makes your life easier, and not to mention, they are so fun to write.
Thanks to IP projects, I have multiple cannabis books under my belt, and I've established myself as an expert in the space.

Notice a trend here though? Brianne was writing about astrology in numerous places, Amy was writing about Star Wars and geek culture, Sophie was writing about cannabis… and the IP projects came to them.

Being active in the spaces you want to write about, helps build your profile and helps get you seen.

Being Approached for Fiction Projects in IP

Now, it isn’t impossible to land an IP project as a new writer. There are a few routes you can take here, and we’ll talk about them… but those routes mostly consist of making yourself be seen.

One of the best ways, is establishing yourself as an expert and a fan. It works in non-fiction, and it works in fiction too.

To some extent, this what happened with Mike Chen and Amy Ratcliffe, when they were asked to be in the Star Wars Empire Strikes Back anthology. Being vocal Star Wars nerds, put them on the editor’s radar. As an editor at Nerdist and a frequent non-fiction writer in the geek space, Amy was absolutely making herself seen there. And Mike had written extensively about his love of Star Wars for outlets like The Mary Sue.

This is also something that’s common in the comics space. I would absolutely love to dig deep into all of that with you, dear blog readers, but that’s not a place I’m particularly knowledgeable in. So I’m turning to some pros there.

I asked client and pal Mary Kenney to chime in on this, who you might know from her work in video games (Marvel’s Spiderman: Miles Morales), her wonderful books (Gamer Girls), or the comics she also writes. She does… a lot. How do you get yourself noticed for these kind of things?

“You don’t have to turn into a hype man, but mentioning your hobbies & fan loves on Twitter, TikTok, Insta, wherever you hang out can catch editors’ eyes and make them seek you out for an upcoming project. This most notably worked for me on Godzilla, after I live tweeted my husband and me doing a Godzilla movie marathon.”

Stephanie Williams, another client of mine who works on DC Nubia: Queen of the Amazons comics and Marvel’s Wakanda, had some similar things to say here.

“I was approached because of the writing I’d done at SYFY FANGRRLS, which included a piece I wrote about some of the best male butts in Marvel Comics. It doesn’t get any more passionate than that. So, yes, I would definitely say being passionate about the things you like and even the things you don’t like is essential, but the X-factor there is having something more to say than “this is good, or this is bad.”
“When talking or writing about comic IPs, you should lean into giving those takes from your unique perspective. That’s what I did. It showed editors I had something to bring to their sandboxes to refurbish sandcastles or even build new ones.”

But now that you’ve gotten yourself through the door, and have an editor’s attention regarding an IP you’re passionate about, whether it’s comics or a book, what then? Mary Kenney chimed in on this too.

“Go deep on your first batch of pitches: I’ve seen a lot of people lose an editor in that murky phase between the editor discovering you and you sending your first batch of pitches. In that initial patch, make it clear you’ve done your homework. Don’t reach for the most popular themes and characters - look at the themes and characters that have often been sidelined. How can you go deeper? What can you add to the existing canon? Even if none of those pitches are picked up, it shows the editor you know the IP and are willing to dig into the research.”

The advice here, even though it’s skewed towards Steph and Marys’ experience in comics, also applies to novels. Being visible in those spaces, writing in those communities, going deep when it comes to your pitches… great advice to hold onto here.

I nudged Britny Brooks over at Running Press, who I’m lucky enough to have a whole bundle of projects with, what she looks for as an editor, when it comes to IP.

“Regardless of whether it is an in-house idea or a licensed IP project, I’m always looking for a writer who is a fan or a knowledgeable, accessible voice in the space, topic, or fandom that I’m working in. I’m constantly looking at bylines on articles that I’ve enjoyed or checking out who worked on the books I’m using as comps and then finding them on social media.”
“I also just dive into hashtags or social media threads/categories to find those passionate people out there creating and talking about whatever it is I’m interested in. Having a platform or large audience/follower numbers are nice, but often a writer with a strong voice, creativity, passion, and willingness to collaborate are what really seal the deal for me. Recommendations help too!”

Quick aside, I love this note from Britny. All too often authors think they need a massive social media following, but having a bold and unique voice is just as important.

Okay, back to the pro.

“Lately, I’ve found some great writers via writers groups on Discord where someone says, “Hey, I know someone who would be great for that project. Can I send them your way?” and the answer is always, yes! Of course, then I need a sample and sometimes a proposal.”

Friends, I cannot stress the importance of community in the bookish and writerly space. Take the time to connect with folks like Britny and the writers around you. You’ll hear when they are looking for folks far sooner.

A continued big takeaway here from this is community and showing you’re a fan of that space. I nudged Tom Hoeler about this, an editor at Random House Worlds who I’ve been lucky enough to work with on Mike Chen’s Star Wars title and the participation of a few of my clients in his anthologies:

Editors for IP tend to look for a few things. First (perhaps obviously) is an interest in the IP. Generally you want folks to come write in a world or a sandbox that they are keen on and really enjoy. And a few details about what aspects of that IP the author most enjoys is always helpful as well, to get a better image of them.
This is not to be confused with expert knowledge. Someone can be a big fan of an IP and not have an encyclopedic knowledge of it. That’s not a requirement for entry.
The next thing editors like me look for are really examples of their work, samples of their voice as an author.

I’ll chime in more on this in a minute, friends.

When we look for authors to hire, usually we’ll start with a basic story frame and some themes or goals we want to achieve. And we then try to match those to a specific author, based on their skills, their voice, and their strengths as a writer. The best way to identify and learn those things, is to read material that an author has written.
Put more simply, when I look to hire an author for a story, I’m hiring them for their story, their voice, and their perspective on the IP. And reading stories they’ve already written gives me the best impression of all of that.

And much like an editor like Britny, Tom also finds writers online.

As for the internet, that’s often a place that I make “first contact” with perspective authors, usually via them sharing their interest/joy for the IP that I work on. Sometimes in the general, and some times specific to a character, event, time period, etc. I’m less focused on just writers making wishlist tweets of writing a specific character or filling in a specific lore beat for an IP, but it’s a great way to find folks who are interested and use that as a stepping point for exploring their original work, and their perspective on the world widely.

Other Ways to Approach IP Creators

So while sometimes editors working on IP will have call outs, much like Britny does from time to time, there are also ways to reach out directly. Book packages. It’s a way to reach out directly about writing IP, when editors aren’t out there soliciting folks the way Britny sometimes does.

You can frequently find book packagers looking for specific writers and voices on social media and via their official websites. Sometimes they’re looking for writers eager to do picture books or Middle Grade novels and Young Adult series… the trick is, keeping your eyes open.

Generally, a book packager works a lot like an IP project would. You get a percentage of the royalties and the advance when the project you’ve worked together on, sells to a publishing house. Here are a few of my favorites that are doing astonishing work, and are available to send in submissions as of when this post was published:

· Cake Creative

· Dovetail Fiction / Working Partners

There are a lot more out there, and I can’t speak to all of them, so just be sure to take your time, do your research. Make sure what they are offering you is fair.

Having Your Agent Actively Pitch You for IP

Now, if you’re not writing non-fiction where your platform and expertise is a hook for having publishers approach you, and you’re not really interested in working with a book packager… maybe you’re here specifically because you want to get a Star War. And that’s fine.

Let’s talk about how those happen, outside of editors approaching writers for short stories (like in those lovely anthologies) or non-fiction projects. That bit Tom dug into up top, about seeing a creator’s work and what they want to write? This is where that often happens.

While you absolutely cannot pitch your original idea to most of these big media franchises without permission (and some of them can’t look at an original idea even with a relationship established, it has to come from inside the house), your literary agent can push to get you on their radar.

Yes, it does mean that some of these bigger IP projects aren’t quite accessible without an agent actively talking to publishers. Which sometimes means you need to have a book and an established writing career before you can scoop one up.

But I do need to stress the sometimes of it all. Again, if you’re an active, loud, passionate fan actively writing in that space, they can potentially come to you.

When I’m putting authors I work with on the radar of my editor friends, I put together a “meet the author” packet.

What do these look like? Here’s the basic rundown.

Author Bio
The Author’s Style
Specific Interests
Publications + Platform
Writing Samples

Now please, I’m begging any agented authors who are reading this… have a conversation with your agent first before sending them this blog post and demanding they do something like this. Everyone has a different process. This just happens to be mine, and it’s worked for me.

If you’re a new agent and navigating this thing, well hello there! Welcome. Here’s how I’ve made it work for my clients, and maybe it’ll work for you too!

I know some of these are self-explanatory, but some aren’t. So bear with me here.

Author Bio: Yes, okay. That’s one of the self-explanatory ones. Your bio. But don’t skimp on details here. “So and so is an author and lives in Philadelphia” isn’t interesting. Take the time to let the editor reading this really get to know you. If you land a project with them, you’ll be working together for a while.
The Author’s Style: Here’s where things get a little different. Where we spice it up a bit. Here, you dig into what your voice is like. I prefer to have my clients describe their style in their own voice, explaining what they enjoy writing about, what their background is in, what sort of characters and themes they’re drawn to, where they pull their inspiration from, you name it.
Specific Interests: This is different than rattling off what you enjoy writing about. This is where you talk about genres and categories you want to explore, and, if your agent is pitching a specific publisher, what IP you might want to tackle. Because hey, if you’re sending a packet to Marvel, you might want to list characters you adore. It absolutely cannot hurt. Just don’t toss in any original story ideas yet!
Publications + Platform: This, in my opinion, matters way more in non-fiction when it comes to those kind of IP projects. Why you are THE person to be writing this book. For example, Sophie Saint Thomas writing about cannabis and witchcraft, or Amy Ratcliffe writing about Star Wars and geek culture. A quick glimpse at their platforms and yes, they’re the pros in that space. This section showcase that yes, you are the person.

In fiction, I’d argue it doesn’t matter as much, as we’re not trying to sell expertise. But, if you’ve got a voice in the space you’re writing a story in (ie: you’re a blogger who covers DC Comics exclusively and you’re being pitched for a DC Comics project), here’s a place to dig into all that.

Writing Samples: Last but not least… some sample writing. It could be something from your most recent book, or even in some cases, some pages of a work in progress that is wildly polished. Again… don’t use this opportunity to send in your pitch for a project. It’s not time for that yet. Use something original.

Wait, Wait, What… What is IP?

IP, Platform, and Non-Fiction

Being Approached for Fiction Projects in IP

Other Ways to Approach IP Creators

Having Your Agent Actively Pitch You for IP

Further Reading and Listening