Is fanfiction literature? (Discussion)

That's right, today I am going to share with you what I think about fanfiction.

I hadn't really read much fanfiction before around 2 months. Frankly, it's not what I typically read but something I just do from time to time. It started with some Divergent fanfiction and I had never imagined there were so many people invested in developing stories for their favourite characters. These stories sometimes feel as if they should have been part of the book. In fact, this is what the point of this genre, if I can call it like that, is.

I get it when people say fanfiction is not real literature because it's someone else's idea. They have a point but are not 100% correct. Yes, ideas might be taken from another place but it is the way the story is developed that matters. As a matter of fact, many fanfictions have surpassed their origin story. And maybe the problem comes from here. Every now and then some aspiring authors actually develop  the story in a much better way than the original one. But this act can also hurt the person who wrote the thing first.

This might somewhat hypocritical, but I son't agree fanfiction should be classified as original work. When publishers accept a manuscript like that they should publish it in fanfiction and say what it is based off. The original author needs to have some sort of credit for the story.

In short, I agree fanfiction is literature but has to be what it is - fanfiction. If publishing houses are to publish more and more of those, they need to promote them as ones, not as original stories.

So what do you guys think? Do you agree fanfiction is literature? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below and I look forward to reading your opinions.