Tie-in

Although increasingly also a domain of previously established novelists, tie-in writing has the disadvantages, from the writers' point of view, of modest pay, tight deadlines and no ownership in the intellectual property created.

[1] Tie-in products may also have a documentary or supplemental character, such as "making-of" books documenting the creation of a media property.

They are often written by accomplished writers based on an early draft of the film's script and on a tight deadline.

Tie-in works may also tell new stories in the form of sequels, prequels and other spin-offs, creating an expanded universe based on the original work; for example, the many books, comics and video games set in an expanded universe based initially on the first Star Wars trilogy.

Action games based on novels are less common (William Shatner's TekWar (1995), a first-person shooter).

Novel tie-ins were published less frequently after the 1990s, with developers only taking risks with stories that had already been licensed for films.

[7] Tie-ins are considered an important part of the revenue-stream for any major media release, and both planning and licensing for such works often begins at the very earliest stages of creating such a property.

[citation needed] These tie-ins can be considered as forms of "free advertising", as they create more exposure for the media property.

[8] The American fan magazine Photoplay, first published in 1911, originally presented short stories based on popular films of the era.