Adaptations, reboots and relaunches, Intellectual property (IP), working in a "shared universe"—all terms you hear about in the writing world but what does it all mean? And more importantly, how does somebody break into these "hot" markets?

Follow the career of an author already accomplished in many genres of fiction as he details step by step, year by year, the exact path he took to work with franchises such as Alien, Conan, Doctor Who, Dragonlance, Grimm, Halloween, Kingsman, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the Pearl Trilogy, Resident Evil, Stargate SG-1, Supernatural, Terrifier, Transformers, xXx, and more.

This one-of-a-kind resource provides everything needed on your journey to become a professional author of media tie-ins, including:

—sample pitches, outlines and chapters

—advice on honing your "shared world" writing skills

—real world examples of IP assignments

—strategies for finding IP work

—tips for completing jobs quickly

Additional resources are included to ensure that no matter what stage of writing career an author has achieved, they can move into IP work with an advantage. Furthermore, for readers interested in different fandoms—or the pop culture influence on fiction in general—this guide peels back the curtain and provides unique insight into the process that brings your favorite media characters to life on the page.

From the creator of the popular, award-winning Writing in the Dark series on the art and business of writing comes Just Add Writer for anyone wishing to upgrade their imagination and career.