Is there a difference between...

Parody is done with irony and distance. Fanfiction is dead serious, even when they're trying to be funny.

There is no "market" for fanfic. Fanfic by its own definition consists of short stories and novels based on work currently owned by someone else produced without permission (implied or actual) of the owner.

Media tie-in work consists of licensed short stories and novels based on work owned by someone else (whether an individual or a corporation). There is a thriving market for tie-in work.

As a media tie-in writer, I do not write fanfic.

Everything I write is edited.
Everything I write is vetted through the licensor and they have full authority to recommend (read: insist) on changes to ensure the license is held up to a certain standard.
Everything I write comes with a contract and I get advances/royalties on my work.
Everything I write appears in a bookstore via a legitimate publisher (Pocket Books, Berekley, Putnam-Penguin).

I am not a big-time author (yet - God willing), but I've written Star Trek, Doctor Who, Gauntlet Dark Fantasy, the Incredible Hulk and am working on a Stargate SG-1 novel.

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Now, in answer to your question regarding parody, the answer is . . . it depends.

Obviously there have been a number of parody books out there (Bored of the Rings and Star Wreck both come to mind . . . very funny books and I bought both at bookstores). Hell, Weird Al has made a career lampooning other people's stuff.

Ben Bella makes a living doing "unauthorized" books, but they do a pretty good job of minimizing anything "actionable" in their books. The Firefly and Battlestar Galactica books they did are pretty darn good. Also,the current trend of "The Philosophy of X" books are doing well and they are unauthorized as well.

The question becomes is a publisher willing to take a chance on some bean counter at Paramount or Viacom getting their underwear in a twist over what you've done?

If a story is strong enough that they think they can make enough money to cover any potential lawsuit, then yes, it is a marketable piece of work.

I thought doing a parody was legal. It's not the same as just making fanfic or trying to copy someone else's work.

I remember hearing some legal thing that said parody and satire weren't grounds for legal action.

Shadow_Ferret said:

...parody and fanfic?

And is there a market for either?

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Parody is marketable. Musically, just as "Weird" Al. Cinematically, check out Galaxy Quest. It just has to be really really good to make it.

Fanfic is not.

Fanfic is fiction written by fans.

Writing a Media tie-in work for a TV show like "Monk" is really no different than writing a script for an episode of the TV series . . . just a different medium. It just allows the owners of the property to maximize profits by increasing visibility of their product (not unlike making action figures/lunch boxes/etc.)

You wouldn't say someone who writes a script for a continuing series is a fanfic writer, so why would you say the same about a licensed novelization?

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Regarding your question though about parody, I think I answered it the best I can a couple of posts ago.

callalily61 said:

Those authors have been contracted by the rights holder to write said novels. AW's Ann Crispin, for one.

There's no legal market for fanfic. Just ask Gillhoughly.

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Unless you're doing fanfic for an author who's been dead long enough. Lotsa published Jane Austen fanfic these days.

As for differences:

Parody pokes fun at its model and often changes names to protect the innocent original characters/settings (but not really.) Sometimes the pokes are gentle and loving, sometimes nasty.

Fanfic keeps names, settings, situations. It's based on admiration of the original, though it can express dissatisfactions with the model by changing it in certain ways, from adding new characters to constructing whole alternate histories.

Writing licensed novels, etc., isn't technically fanfic, as noted above. Though I imagine that it might "spiritually" be fanfic, if the author himself is a fan.

A huge segment of fanfic is devoted to "ships" and "slashing." I don't see much crossover of these obsessions into licensed products, probably because prestige points are handed out to those who come up with the pairings that would be most unlikely in the model. Harry/Snape, anyone?

And I apologize if I seemed to come across much like my avatar does.

The Media Tie-in world is tough enough to work in sometimes, so I do tend to get a bit defensive. I've been told by long-term SFWA members that I'm not really a SF/F writer because I do tie-in work.

Course, that might be why I belong to the IAMTW (International Association of Media Tie-in Writers) as well as SFWA.

RG570 said:

Parody is done with irony and distance. Fanfiction is dead serious, even when they're trying to be funny.

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Nope -- fanfic can be funny and ironic, and some parody is quite serious in its intent.

RG570 said:

Parody is done with irony and distance. Fanfiction is dead serious, even when they're trying to be funny.

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And not to mention, parody is legal, while fanfiction is not (it's copyright infringement).

Parody is something like Spaceballs or Galaxy Quest. It's very clear what they're imitating, and it's legit -- you don't even need permission to do satire or parody.

Fan fic, on the other hand, is "serious" -- fans' own version or extension of the world and characters of published material. It could be funny, yes, but almost never done to "make fun" of the source.