One of our regular commentors and occasional posters, Rob Barba, is launching his own series. A long-time fan (as in, he helps make me feel not that old), he's also been around and has given a lot of thought to issues of what fanfic, fandom, worldbuilding, etc. mean for him as an author. He's written an extensive essay on the subject – and it's one that might just shock or surprise you as he touches on a lot of areas of controversy and some past internet incidents.
So if you've got that indie series a-brewing, here's some advice . . . fix the holes