How to put “wrote fan-fiction” on your résumé:
Leveraged an inventory of established fictional character and setting elements to generate a disruptive custom-curated narrative entertainment asset.
I worked in HR, handling applications and interviews, and if someone turned in that string of techno babble nonsense, I would have rejected them out of hand.
A resume doesn’t need to sound fancy or overly technical, it needs to tell us why we should hire you.
“Independent novelist/writer” is more than sufficient here. If you want to express the skills that fan fiction taught you, something like, “creative writing, editing, and publication,” will get you a lot further than… Whatever that just was.
A resume should be tailored to the position, if you can afford the time and energy for that. But if not, then just think about what writing got fandom taught you. How to respond to criticism, how to present a professional pubic face, how to correct punished mistakes, creative thinking, project planning, persuasion via emotional leverage, html formatting, office suite fluency.
There are a lot of actual, marketable skills that go into fan fiction.
How to put “I was in a zine” on your resume
Writer:
Published short fiction stories for anthology collection
Able to write short fiction within a designated word count for layout purposes (900-1500 words, 1500-2000, 3000-5000)
Wrote short articles for independent publication
Assisted with editing short stories for publication
Able to reduce or expand written content based on layout needs
Able to check for basic spelling, grammar and syntax
Familiar with Microsoft Office and Google docs
Able to convert text styles such as bold and italics across platforms, including rich text and HTML
Able to communicate with project members over multiple platforms such as email, twitter, Discord chat and Google docs
Artist:
Produced full-colour digital illustration for independent magazine
Able to produce digital illustrations optimized for both online and print display
Produced full-colour 2-page spread for art anthology
Published 4-page short comic in anthology collection for charity
Able to transfer traditional art to digital illustration
Illustrated the cover (always brag if you’re on the cover) of an independent art publication
Familiar with professional illustration tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Clip Studio Paint and stylus tablet
Able to communicate with project members over multiple platforms such as email, twitter, Discord chat and Google docs
Merch artist / graphic designer:
Designed 2″ clear decorative double-sided keychain charm as bonus sale item
Designed 5″ x 6″ sheet of graphic stickers included in art anthology
Able to design bold graphics that are measured for laser cutting production
Designed layouts for 65-page art and writing magazine, focusing on (art placement, text layout, etc)
Able to keep layout design simple and in accordance with the project director’s chosen theme
Created promotional art, icons and banners tailored for social media sites like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc
Familiar with professional layout and design software such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign
Able to communicate with project members over multiple platforms such as email, twitter, Discord chat and Google docs
Running a zine
Produced an independent art and writing collection for sale / for charity
Managed (10, 20, 30) independent artists and writers out of over 500 applicants to create a short-run independent magazine
Worked in online sales and social media promotion selling an independent comics anthology
If it’s really spectacular you can brag about specific numbers
Our book raised over $4,000 for charity in under six months of production
We sold over 750 copies in two weeks of online sales
Produced a digital PDF and printed version of anthology, mailing to recipients all over the world
Communicated with printers and manufacturers of plastic accessories and paper goods, assembling professional packages of our merchandise for mailing.
Built a custom digital storefront and navigated professional market and payment systems including Paypal and Tictail / Bigcartel / Wix etc
Created promotional events to boost sales, including raffles and giveaways over social media
Organized participants through mass emails and use of social media posts on tumblr and twitter
Created private Discord chat channels to keep participants up to date on production
Familiar with organizational software such as Microsoft Excel, Google spreadsheets, Trello and Discord
This is so good! The only thing I would add is, avoid passive voice and “can/able to” constructions in your bullet points. If you did the thing and are putting it on your resume as a reason to hire you, it’s safe to assume you can do the thing. What you want to show is that you’ve DONE the thing successfully, within limitations, or above and beyond expectations. Example:
“Able to keep layout design simple and in accordance with the project director’s chosen theme” could be changed to “Designed layouts in accordance with the project director’s specifications and chosen theme”.
Your bullet points should start with a verb whenever possible. Created, Managed, Organized, Edited, Designed, etc. It’s also a good idea to make the tense and person of your bullet points match as much as possible.
Have bullet points that are about meeting money goals, reducing costs, or solving problems? Put those at the very top!
Lastly, unless your resume is short and you’re looking for things to add (which is fine! we’ve all been there) I would recommend looking at each individual position you’ve listed and picking out the top 3-5 skills or triumphs for that position that are different from those demonstrated in other positions. They might build on each other, but ideally they should not be the exact same.
