3. Filing off the Serial Numbers :
Fanfiction and its Adaptation to the
Book Market
Bettina Soller
Abstract
The novel series Fifty Shades of Grey and The Mortal Instruments originated
as fanfiction adaptations of the Twilight and Harry Potter series. E.L. James
and Cassandra Clare published in fanfiction archives first, before they
deleted their online writing, edited and rewrote their work, and removed
traces of fandom so that the narratives could be adapted to the print
market. This process is called “filing off the serial numbers” or “pulled
to publish” by fans. Beyond the adapted texts, and writing strategies that
transitioned from the fan community to the commercial book market,
established practices of fan authorship have been adapted as well. The
article investigates these consecutive and simultaneous processes of
transposition and appropriation as “layered forms of adaptation.”
Key words: Fanfiction; Harry Potter; Twilight; pulled to publish; adaptation
Introduction
After the Fifty Shades of Grey book series had sold more than 125 million
copies worldwide, fans eagerly awaited the release of the movie adaptation in
February of 2015. Building on the books’ success, the opening weekend of the
movie alone grossed $248 million. 1 The production and pre-production of the
film was accompanied by media reports and PR announcements of the ways
1 See Ben Child, “Fifty Shades of Grey Beats Avatar with $248m Opening Weekend Box Office,”
Guardian, Feb. 16, 2015.
Fehrle, J. and W. Schäfke, Adaptation in the Age of Media Convergence, Amsterdam University
Press, 2019
doi 10.5117/9789462983663_ch03
Fanfiction and its Adaptation to the
Book Market
Bettina Soller
Abstract
The novel series Fifty Shades of Grey and The Mortal Instruments originated
as fanfiction adaptations of the Twilight and Harry Potter series. E.L. James
and Cassandra Clare published in fanfiction archives first, before they
deleted their online writing, edited and rewrote their work, and removed
traces of fandom so that the narratives could be adapted to the print
market. This process is called “filing off the serial numbers” or “pulled
to publish” by fans. Beyond the adapted texts, and writing strategies that
transitioned from the fan community to the commercial book market,
established practices of fan authorship have been adapted as well. The
article investigates these consecutive and simultaneous processes of
transposition and appropriation as “layered forms of adaptation.”
Key words: Fanfiction; Harry Potter; Twilight; pulled to publish; adaptation
Introduction
After the Fifty Shades of Grey book series had sold more than 125 million
copies worldwide, fans eagerly awaited the release of the movie adaptation in
February of 2015. Building on the books’ success, the opening weekend of the
movie alone grossed $248 million. 1 The production and pre-production of the
film was accompanied by media reports and PR announcements of the ways
1 See Ben Child, “Fifty Shades of Grey Beats Avatar with $248m Opening Weekend Box Office,”
Guardian, Feb. 16, 2015.
Fehrle, J. and W. Schäfke, Adaptation in the Age of Media Convergence, Amsterdam University
Press, 2019
doi 10.5117/9789462983663_ch03