Veronica Mars

Write that epic story about Veronica Mars helping G.I. Joe with a mysterious murder on an Army base and make it legit, thanks to a new licensing agreement between Amazon, Hasbro, and Warner Bros.

Paramount Pictures

Amazon Publishing plans to open up seven new Kindle Worlds based on Hasbro's popular G.I. Joe brand; Warner Bros. TV show (and upcoming movie) "Veronica Mars"; and Warner Bros. "Pretty Little Liars" spin-off "Ravenswood."

Kindle Worlds let any writer publish authorized stories inspired by popular "worlds" and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store. Currently, writers have a choice of more than 20 worlds, with the new ones expected to open in the next few months.

This announcement couldn't come at a better time, considering G.I. Joe celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Now fans can legally write and sell stories on Amazon starring G.I. Joe, Snake Eyes, and COBRA Commander.

"Whether exploring the secrets of the mummy's tomb, or defending freedom from the evil plots of COBRA, G.I. Joe has been there," said Michael Kelly, Hasbro's director of global publishing. "It is with equal excitement that Hasbro now enters a new segment of the business by embracing the concept of open-source storytelling, and officially unlocking the world of G.I. Joe to our fans through Amazon's Kindle Worlds."

The licensing announcement with Warner Bros. also coincides with the upcoming release of the crowdfunded film version of "Veronica Mars."

In addition to the G.I. Joe and Veronica Mars properties, licensing deals will launch worlds from best-selling authors Marcus Sakey ("The Abnorm Chronicles") and Theresa Ragan ("The Lizzy Gardner Files"), and new comics properties "Quantum and Woody" and "Eternal Warrior" from Valiant Entertainment.

"In just a few months since our launch, we've published hundreds of new stories with great customer reviews reflecting the high quality of so many of these submissions," said Nick Loeffler, general manager of Kindle Worlds. "While it's very early days, we are thrilled with the initial reception from licensors and readers and look forward to adding additional worlds soon."