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I keep hearing all sorts of answers online about printing your fanfiction story into a physical book. Either it's okay or not okay to do as it is illegal and can break copyright. I can accept that it is illegal if that's the case. I'm just hoping to find another way that isn't besides DIY.

Printing it at a professional place like a book printing service, print on demand or self-publishing seems like the only way since I want to have a professional print my fanfiction story into a physical book since I have no knowledge or experience in DIY. Unless there is another kind of way to print your fanfiction story into a physical book. But at the same time, I don't want to do anything illegal.

I just want to find a possible way to have my fanfiction story become one physical book for myself without having to share it with anyone and not make money out of it. And after hearing all those answers online, I just don't know what to believe. I'm truly at a loss and all this has stressed me out. If anyone can help me figure all this out, I would appreciate it.

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You can print whatever you want for your own private use, but you cannot distribute it in any way, even if you give it away for free and only to friends.

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  • So I can print professionally at a book printing service, print on demand or self-publishing this fanfiction story for myself only? Perhaps it would be easier to contact these types of places to ensure that fanfiction is okay for them to print or not?
    – Beth
    Commented Jun 21 at 15:49
  • @Beth (1) Yes. (2) You need to ask permission of the copyright holder. (I don't know who that might be in your case.)
    – Ben
    Commented Jun 21 at 15:51
  • Copyright holder as in the original author and publisher of the original book? Or just ask the places where I want to ask for their services of printing my fanfiction?
    – Beth
    Commented Jun 21 at 16:31
  • @Beth Again, if you print this for yourself and don't want to distribute it, you don't need to ask anyone. If you want to publish it (that is, give or sell copies to someone), you need permission from the copyright holder. In the case of fanfiction, that may be the copyright holder of the fanfiction (for their work) and the copyright holder of the original work. Read here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_issues_with_fan_fiction. It is unlikely, though, that you will get that permission.
    – Ben
    Commented Jun 21 at 16:42
  • In this case, all I want to do is find a way to print my fanfiction story into a physical book for myself only, not for profit and without breaking any copyright laws and doing it legally.
    – Beth
    Commented Jun 21 at 16:49

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