If you like to scour websites such as Archive of our Own for cute stories of your favorite fictional pairing that was absolutely meant to be, you might have read one (or several) stories that made you think that some fanfiction writers are better than many bonafide, published writers. As it turns out, fanfiction readers and enthusiasts aren’t the only ones to think this; publishers are starting to catch on to the craze.

Most publishers shy away from the fanfiction writer label, but Bing Bang Press specializes in recruiting popular and talented fanfic writers, to push them to publish original works. While fanfic are seen as a sort of taboo in some parts of the publishing world, Big Bang is taking a step away from that mentality. It’s also a step in the right direction for publishing as a whole.

The fandom world is a huge resource for publishers. Some fanfic writers have hundreds of thousands of followers. If one of those popular writers wrote an original novel, it would already have a potential audience out of their fans, as opposed to a typical first novel, which would be for the most part marketing only to people who have never heard of that author before.

Other publishers could learn a good lesson from Big Bang: the fandom universe includes plenty of talent and possible consumers. Stores such as Fye and Newbury Comics market to fans of major series such as “Doctor Who” or “Harry Potter.” YouTube offers popular users, including those who play video games and add commentary, money to sponsor the site. Why shouldn’t publishers be tapping the potential in the large world of fanfic? While some see a stigma attached to fandoms, Big Bang’s plan is working so far: in November 2013, they started a Kickstarter campaign, which ended up raising $13,890 more than their original goal. They ended up with a total of $53,890. I personally can’t wait to see what kind of unique fiction will come out of this plan.