User blog comment:DisturbedDeaddMan/Spin-off Books Category/@comment-37434202-20190518071403

I read the comments down here and seems there is a lot of speculation about what a spin-off could be.

I myself think maybe only name it a spin-off when there is a real obvious connection, not just a mention in another book. I will give some (very lame) examples. I am very much against calling the Freshmen a spin-off from The Endless Summer (or the other way around) just because everyone went to Hartfeld. Or HSS a spin-off from the Freshmen, because James made a movie and that movie is mentioned in HSS 3. Or Red Carpet Diaries and AME, because they are all in entertainment business and sometimes the same characters pop up. Or HSS Class Act a spin-off from Red Carpet Diaries, because... etc. You know where I am getting at :) A lot of stories have a small connection with each other, (Hero, AtV, ES) but as long as it is not (yet) made clear they are really connected, or only 1 detail or person is connected, you can't call it a spin-off, imo.

Good examples are: The Royal Romance -> The Royal Heir = Mostly the same characters (I assume), plays in the same country (I assume) interaction with (most of) the old cast (I assume) (I can get on board with Rules of Engagement, but only because of Prince Leo and the King and Queen and you actually went to Cordonia.)

HSS -> HSS Class Act = A lot of same characters, plays in the same city/school, interaction with (most of) the old cast.

Rules of Engagement -> Rules of Engagement: Newlyweds = Same characters.

If you would do it according to this, TC&TF and TRR have a connection (mention of a history), but are not a spin-off, because it is too little to go on and name it that.

That's also why I'm personally not yet convinced Nightbound is a spin-off from Bloodbound, apart from the connection in the name and the connection in the mythical world (and because they said so). But BB2 only just started and we don't know yet if there will be a more obvious connection. I keep an open mind.

Well, here you have my 2 cents, I hope it is helpfull :)