How to get noticed.

So, what does it take for a budding author to get noticed? "A passion for the Buffy TV show is not enough," says Lisa. "It's not enough for me, for the writers or the wannabe writers. You have to be able to write.

"Writers who are used to what is called work-for-hire (where someone else owns the copyright/characters) are ideal for a series like this. They are used to immersing themselves in the continuity, looking for patterns of storytelling, highlighting particular characters, and - most importantly - understanding that someone else created, owns and controls these characters. I cannot work with someone who's going to fight the notes we receive directly from the show's production offices."

Basically then, don�t mess with Joss.

"A red flag for me," Lisa adds, "is a writer who comes back and says the licenser is wrong. You can say that and you can fight it, but at the end of the day, we're going to print the book that is approved to print."

Another must when writing is to make good use of the main characters - whilst trying not to get too carried away with your own creations.

"If you have such a great story, with the most interesting new characters, and a fascinating plot, none of which hinges on Buffy, then I would suggest to that person that they should be writing their own, original fiction," says Lisa. "If Buffy is not front and centre in your story, then perhaps you aren't writing a Buffy story.

"Yes, there are exceptions - Buffy does not appear in our Spike and Dru novel, nor is she front and centre in the episode The Zeppo. But those are exceptions rather than rules, and nothing a first-time Buffy author or wannabe should attempt.