I've been so lucky and gotten to work for some dream franchises. I even got to give bb!Harley Quinn a pumpkin launcher in a chapter book, y'all.

But my end goal remains: Wednesday Addams. https://twitter.com/authorjessowen/status/1385967942035120129

If you have a lit agent, make sure they know what your dream IP franchises are, y'all! My original work is contemporary mystery/thriller, but my IP work tends to be very sci-fi slanted. My agent actually asked "Do you even WRITE sci-fi?" when Jurassic World came a'calling.

Of course, I was like "DINOSAURS!!!!!" fifteen times while running around in excited circles while pretending to be a T-Rex. But he wouldn't know that immediately because I don't write original sci-fi (anymore). So it seemed like a bit of an odd pairing at first.

But sometimes what might seem like an odd pairing is a dream pairing! But your agent's gotta know so they can jump on those audition opportunities, chase others down and slip your resume to the editors who deal in licensing when they're like "Who of your clients does WFH?"

And if you're a colleague who wants to look at how I've structured my author resume, feel free to drop me a line. It can be really useful for an IP editor to have a resume on hand because they can see the range of your work/accolades/publishing since often jobs come together fast

I'd also encourage keeping a dialogue about IP with your agent if it's a part of your career you want to develop. This does mean work on the agent's part. Developing connections if they aren't there, searching out auditions, sending out feelers about certain characters, etc.

Whenever I talk about IP, I always get authors in my DM's being like "My agent isn't really into IP" and look, I get that sometimes. But what Jim and I have found by actually pursuing this side of my career is a wealth of readers who wouldn't know me from the original books.

IP as a career move is often not about immediate gratification for the author, but about bringing in readers who might not be voracious, but really love a certain fandom, so they're gonna grab that book about their fave character!

(This is also where IP is magic for kids who are reluctant readers, because the promise of raptors trying to eat people is gonna get a reluctant kid who loved Jurassic World to at least pick the book up).

So this fan who isn't a huge reader? Picks up the book. And they really like it! (which is good, because partly: I helped design it for them, the fan!). & if they really like THAT one, they might pick up other books...& they might be by the same lady who wrote the dinosaur book.

It is hugely touching to get the mail I do about how one of my IP books is the first book someone has read in a really long time. And it's just as touching to get mail about fans picking up my original IP after reading one of my franchise books. It ripple-effects in a big way.

And this is the reason I've focused a big part of my career on IP, even though I've been really lucky with my original fiction. Because it gives readers who might never discover my original books access to my work. Also, I like dinosaurs and blowing up stuff sci-fi like.

But the IP side of my career is a big joint effort between me and Jim. Because it's not about the agent waiting for the book, then editing and putting together the sub package. It's about understanding your client's strengths and pursuing work based on those strengths.

Jim and I make more money on my original books and I think this is often where agents get snagged (understandably) about IP. TECHNICALLY, if I spent all my time on original books, Jim and I would make more money if you break it down by hour. But that $$ is spread out over years.

In general, IP work is faster & therefore pays faster. & anecdotally from my experience: they still aren't splitting up the payments into 1/4ths like they are w/ many original contracts. So my IP work has become even more vital as a full time writer.

It is v. difficult to create the energy an established fandom around a franchise can generate. Even if you have a fandom form around your work, established franchise fandom has deep roots & often multi-media associations/creations you cannot generate w/out a LOT of subright sales

Working in IP & seeing how much can be created from 1 person's book/idea/movie/comic/IP has made me value my IP more & made me understand how others outside of the book world value it because you never know what book is gonna spawn a theme park and toys!