What I mean by that is how hard is it to get commissioned to write for well known "universes" (ex: Marvel, DC, Forgotten Realms, Star Wars, ect.) Does someone seek out the publishers for these companies on their own and submit work or do they wait for an announcement from the company then submit the work?
Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast no longer looks at unestablished authors for those shared worlds stories. So if you want to write for Star Wars, Forgotten Realms, or their other shared-universe lines, you have to now be an established author to a certain degree and it looks like they often end up seeking out individuals they are interested in. I think Paizo has taken a similar approach with Pathfinder fiction. Best to check on each company individually. For Black Library/Warhammer they have contests periodically during which time they open up submissions from unknown authors.
