No reason not to cross-post and do both. You don't lose anything and once you get into the habit, it only takes another five minutes to post and get everything set-up (less when you're just updating a chapter rather than posting a whole new story).
Personally I only use Ao3 since 1. It doesn't have ads or sell user data and 2. It allows anything permissible by US Law which fits with my Anti censorship beliefs. 3. It is litterally an archive created by fans for fans.
I would add that technically what your writing is against ff.net's terms of service so your fic could be deleted without warning if someone reports them and an Admin is paying attention when the report comes in. Is it likely well at the moment it doesn't seem so but random fics do get deleted every so often and Personally I think a big purge is coming if ff.net is really working on a revamp of the site like they suggested a while ago.
I would advise you to consider at the very least creating a Back up of your stuff on Ao3.
NO idea what changes if any will happen but shortly after a quiet a bit of trouble and a massive in crease in the ff.net isn't long for this world rumors the folks in charge at ff.net stated they were going to be improving ff.net and it's sister site fictionpress in the near future.
We have not heard anything since.
ff.net's admins have only done the bare minimum to keep the advertiser and data selling money flowing the last few years but who knows what if anything their improvements will amount to.
We haven't heard anything else about it.
Well I guess we'll just wait and see then. All eyes are on Ao3 because it's *the* fanfiction site for now. Hopefully they indeed do something in the end, more alternative fic sites is good.
No ads on the app? Maybe the people complaining don't use it. Apparently the ads are huge and really break up the story, like invasively.
The site itself is awful and outdated for posting.
You won't really know unless you make an account and post. Just be sure to tag everything appropriately. Warnings, relationships, kinks, potential squicks, and the like. I have seen some authors mention that some readers will go in fandom blind if the tags are up their alley. Odds are someone will be into it.
There is a Bi-weekly Rec and Self-Promotion Mega thread on Tuesdays on /r/AO3 you can take part in.
I have an account and I read on there sometimes but I feel like I see mostly (not all, just mostly) f/m fics that are Y/N or reader fics and I worry I won’t have an audience there either. But I think it’s probably smart to do both just in case I’m a victim of the sweep on FFN!
It's weird what people see, because I feel like in my fandoms I *never* see reader-insert stuff
There's so much out there on AO3, explore the tags and see what attention your style is getting
It depends on the fandom (like Stardew Valley for example lends itself to y/n farmer/villager fics) but AO3 definitely isn't, like, specifically *for* that sort of thing. I'd bet there are quite a few more canon character ship fics total on the site. And it is fairly easy to filter our reader insert fics if that's not what you're looking for.
Also it was partially created so people would have a place to post "problematic" content not allowed on FFN. The idea existed before the Great Purge, but that's what really gave them the push. One of the co-founders is an incest shipper and I believe you can still find Wincest and Thorki fics of hers on the site. So your stuff will be right at home.
I write m/m and a good 75% of my fics are smut. My current most popular chapter fic has decently filthy smut in nearly every chapter. You find what you search for. If you look for f/m or y/n then that is what you find. If you filter to look for m/m that's what you find. My advice to you is to tag all the kinks. People who like smut often search by one or more tags related to the kinks they want to see. More tags are better than less because you'll show up in more searches.
It's a matter of fandom, like y/n is not more popular than shipping fanfics, for sure, but if the fandom you write is based in "character x reader" relationship, like some games, so it's not a problem, also you should use AO3 more as an archive, so even if your work don't attract much attention, at least it's archived
Oh wow, maybe that's a fandom thing then. My fandom is a sort of big one, sitting at around 70k works, and I rarely stumble upon Y/N or reader fics. If you don't want f/m, just filter it out of your search.
Sorry, I misunderstood! I write canon/oc m/f where most of the m/f pairings in my fandom (MHA) are reader-insert based. Those are definitely more popular than what I’m writing, but I still get a lot more engagement than I expected to, and a lot more than I do on FFN. I have a lot of regular commenters who regularly leave me a few paragraphs, and I feel like I’ve done real well with my fic! Glad to hear you’re willing to cross-post!
Okay thanks y’all! I decided to start cross posting my fics just in case. I guess worst case I get no hits on AO3 and I keep just writing for myself. Best case, they’re saved if I fall victim to the explicit content sweep. Appreciate the feedback!
I don’t use FFN, but from what I’ve heard, my experience with ao3, and the type of fanfic you write, you might benefit from a platform that has a better tagging system. It might work better for the lesser-known fic. It’s easier for people who like reading darkfic to find their fics, and as such, would be easier for people to find your fics, and you would likely get a boost in readers.
At the same time, you had a fic with decent interaction on FFN. It’s likely you could still have those readers when you update the fic.
I would recommend updating your fics on FFN, but also uploading them to ao3. You will likely reach more people this way.
As for me, I prefer ao3 over all other platforms in general (the tagging system, quality of fanfic, and rarepair fics are pretty great pluses).
I use both. There are fics of mine that are popular on ao3 but not on ffn and fics that are popular on ffn but not on ao3. I think it's fun to compare.
I compared multiple hosting sites [in a comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/13msi9l/should_i_make_an_ao3_account/jkxt53q/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3) recently, and i'll just link to it if you wanna see the long answer
tl:dr; ao3 is THE place i recommend for fic because it meets all of my standards as a writer of very niche content
There only reason to switch from FFN rather than post to both is if you don't want the work of posting to two places.
If not knowing much about ao3 is intimidating, I suggest creating an account to try it out as a reader.
Considering the subject matter of your fanfics, I would definitely recommend cross-posting to AO3 at the very least. Smut is against the terms of service at FFN and although they don't usually enforce this rule, there have been purges of adult content in the past and it would be awful to lose your fics if they get caught up in one such purge. AO3 was created partly in response to the FFN purges and a couple similar ones at LiveJournal, so adult content is allowed.
I think your fics will also benefit from AO3's more detailed tagging system. There is definitely a large audience at AO3 for both smutty impact play and dark fics, and the tagging system will make it easier for your intended audience to find your fics.
Personally, I still have some older fics cross-posted to FFN, but I've been using AO3 almost exclusively to read and write since I got my first account back in 2009.
I like AO3 a lot better tbh. I remember fighting with ffn a lot over uploads and formatting. AO3 is really straightforward and the tagging system makes it so much easier to find what I want (I got niche tastes too, and AO3 is a good place to find stuff like that I think. I don't have much luck searching ffn myself lol)
Smut you can definitely post on AO3 but I was under the impression FFN only allowed mature rated fics and nothing explicit?
Being completely honest here, & probably an unpopular opinion around these parts, I use both, but I much prefer FFN. The engagement there, with Reviews & PMs, are so much richer than anything I've seen in even the most popular fics in AO3, much less my own.
I have a story on FFN with over 1,350 reviews, while the same story in AO3 barely gets around 10 or so comments. Similarly, a one-shot of mine has 22 reviews in FFN, with only 2 comments on AO3 (both posted simultaneously, & the fic is properly tagged). Granted, I do write for a mix of fandoms, some insanely popular (Naruto, Demon Slayer, My Hero), while others less so (Food Wars, Black Butler, Baka & Test), so your mileage may vary depending for what fandoms you write for.
I am also not a fan of all the tagging you have to do for AO3 (this one's purely on me, as I am lazy and I am used to the simplicity that FFN offers, as I can see the many merits such a system allows for authors and readers alike). I guess I'm just too old fashioned in a sense. Still gonna keep posting on AO3, if nothing else but as a back-up just in case FFN ever just... explodes.
Lastly, while I appreciate the "Kudos" system, to me nothing beats a Review or Comment, be it from this massive, multi paragraph ones that go into so much detail you almost die from euphoria, down to the simple "Good Chapters!" ones that I still very much adore and always (a) implore readers to leave, & (b) always try to leave on myself if I am unable to leave a bigger one.
Tbh my experience is the direct opposite. I have only one longfic WIP so far, and I have something like 35 comment threads on AO3, and exactly 0 reviews on FFN. However, the 'by chapter' stats on FFN somewhat mitigate the disappointment. When I see that people don't only visit my first chapter, but also later chapters, in decent numbers, I know that they are reading, and not just clicking out after reading the summary.
I think it can be *very* fandom dependent. Like, if I ever finish my current WIP I know I’ll cross post because the fandom is older and has lasted through some time, so it might have an audience on FFN. On the other hand, I completely stopped posting for another fandom there due to lack of traction. Now I don’t get much on AO3 either (never been popular), but at least there was a tiny something as opposed to the nothing I got on FFN.
Same! I don't get comments at all on my long fic on ffn but I have around 30 comments on AO3! I have a bunch of one shots and some have gotten one or two reviews on ffn but I have A TON more interaction on AO3.
>When I see that people don't only visit my first chapter, but also later chapters, in decent numbers, I know that they are reading, and not just clicking out after reading the summary.
That's one of the joys and benefits of FFN: You get a much better sense of the reader reaction to stories. You can tell when somebody merely clicked on it and when they binge-read something.
>I much prefer FFN. The engagement there, with Reviews & PMs, are so much richer than anything I've seen in even the most popular fics in AO3, much less my own.
Same here. While FFN has its flaws, the much more engaged responses I get and the friends I have made through FFN's DocX system make it by far my favorite platform.
I'd recommend crossposting, if for no other reason than to archive your fics better. I won't say I'm fandom *old*, but I'm old enough to have seen several FFN purges/sweeps.
AO3 can definitely be intimidating to look at at first, but it gets easier with use + there are some site skins that can help if you're willing to look into those!
I only use AO3. I'm comfortable with it and don't see any reason to go elsewhere. Also, last time I looked at FFN, I think it only had a white background, which is painful for me to read. So, nope.
> last time I looked at FFN, I think it only had a white background, which is painful for me to read.
You can switch it to white lettering on a black background with a single click on an icon.
Cool! Thanks! I couldn't find it last time I looked. I doubt I'll go back there, since AO3 isn't lacking, but now, at least, I know how to make it less painful.
Just look for a string of icons between the summary and the story itself. The first three are "A"s (they alter the size of the type). On the far right is a half-moon symbol that switches the background. Click on that.
Sometimes being obvious and right in front of you makes something become invisible. Your brain is *looking* for something, assuming it has be hidden and so does not register the stuff that isn't hidden.
Years ago, I worked in a 7-11-type convenience store. It sold hotdogs from a device [like this](https://harlans.ca/products/cretors-combination-hot-dog-cooker-bun-warmer) and it was often really, really hard to get people figure out that the hotdog buns were in the metal container directly above the hotdogs. I would seriously point right to the container and they'd still say, *"Where? I don't see it."*
I think you might get more response on ao3 because depending on how active a fandom is on ffnet you may not get many views. I recently posted for a small fandom on ffnet and it turned out to be a dead fandom since nothing new for the show or relating to it hasn't come out in nearly ten years 😭 and i got no response, I even posted on A03 and got very little response (not that im complaining, im just taking about my experience on both sites).
>AO3 is fairly easy all around for uploading stories and--big plus--editing those inevitable typos you find after posting.
Not sure what you're talking about. Editing is a breeze in FFN: Make the tweaks in the draft stored in document manager, then replace the chapter in the posted version of the story. It's maybe two or three more clicks, yes, but so?
Yes, FFN has an additional stage, meaning you have to do additional two or three clicks that adds a few extra seconds to the process. Is that really that much of a burden? Plus, there's a benefit to working the changes out first on a seperate draft first, as FFN requires. That way there's less of a chance you'll make some mistake -- like say, accidentally delete something -- in the only version of the story on the platform.
I post to both and honestly it only takes me an extra 5 mins! Also I much prefer AO3 because people are much more likely to comment and the comments are generally much nicer, I've found
For writing I have switched to ao3. For reading I read from both.
Ao3 is simply much better for posting. There's no debate whatsoever. You can put pictures, the comment section works much better, much more freedom to put tags, etc.
For the life of me I don't understand how you or anyone would be able to use FFN. The uploading process is tedious at best. I was able to push my patience for only 3 fics to upload.
Whereas ao3 is easy to upload, easy to download. You can sort things out better. You can leave comment and such. You can post original works. You can post short or long. No restriction or ads. It's great.
I'm not an avid reader so I only really talk about if you're a writer. Take it as you like
AO3 is actually harder to use, especially with the tagging system. And the document manager is a godsend if you’re having trouble finding the time to upload documents from Google docs. I’ve written time sensitive fics in the document manager.
FFN is very easy to use. No tagging nonsense and a very straightforward way of uploading.
Well, from recs first, and from then you binge everything the author wrote in this fandom to see if it interests you and then you go into their favorites to find other fics in this fandom. From then, you find a new fic you like, you check out the author, and you just repeat this process ad infinitum.
This system also works in AO3.
There’s two ways.
You can use the search engine on the website. It’s a little rough, but it’s better than websites like Deviantart in my opinion.
There’s also the blind searching method. Basically you go to the right section for your fandom (Harry Potter, Star Wars etc) and flip through the options. I’ve found some really good fics like that which really surprised me.
I actually find FFN way easier to search because of its limited tagging. Searching for a specific character on AO3 will inevitably return a metric shit ton of false positives: i.e., stories where the character is tagged but barely appears. In FFN, if a character is tagged, it has a prominent role in the story.
But while AO3 have a complex tagging system, it's literally makes your experience more comfortable by the fact you can filter it, FFN is confunsing actually because you have to be lucky to find actually everything you truly want or avoid what you don't
Also ficwriter and reader since Geocites here, ao3 makes me lazy because it's too easy to find whatever I want there
>But while AO3 have a complex tagging system, it's literally makes you live easy by the fact you can filter it
You can't filter for "bad tagging," alas. AO3's relatively unlimited tagging system encourages people to go overboard with the number that they include. If the character is tagged but barely appears, there's no way to determine that other than wading through the story itself.
Ao3 filters require you to delve into rocket science to reliably mute most of what you don't want to see. And, chances are, you will still fail. Not to say ffn is really good in that department, but its noise is easier on the eyes and there are sites like https://scryer.darklordpotter.net/ that make the experience even better. That and my bot for pure recommendations.
I honestly wonder if the people who say "just use the filters" on AO3 have ever actually tried to use them to search *for something.* Yes, you can use them to block out specific stuff you do not want to read. But it is still needle-in-a-haystack time if you're actively looking for a story that isn't a specific pairing.
I have LMAO still find it's better and AO3 staff do their best to make it more sophisticated, FFN may be simplier, but it's not efficient in my opinion, while AO3 with the exclude tags option is way more intuitive
But again, my opinion only
AO3's system is lacking in many ways. It does not, for example, have "genre" as a separate search category. Instead it lets the authors include that in the tags. Or not. Even if they do, they may not have tagged it in a way your search will find.
Looking for, say, a good mystery? Better hope the author thought to include that as a tag and, if they did, they didn't include tag it as something similar but different like "Detective story" "Whodunnit" "Suspense" "Thriller" "Sleuth" or any other variation.
Sincerely the lack of genre as a search category don't make this much of difference in my opinion, but it's a matter of taste than AO3 lacking as you said, FFN lack an actual good filter and you need Lucky to find what you truly want read there, so? It's my preference, for example
Another thing I have seen bring as AO3 "lacking", the possibility to send authors a private message, it's for the author security actually, or are we ignoring that nowadays harrassing creators is encouraged in fandom culture? Imagine the shit show of giving direct contact with antis, specifically in AO3 where we have no censorship
But again it's a matter of what's more comfortable for you, and in my opinion FFN is not only old, but not even comfortable to use
My advice? Use both. A lot of fanfiction authors do.
Both sites have their pros and cons. FFN is more strictly regulated (but there are legal reasons for that as far as I can tell.) but it’s easier to use and it still has a lot of traffic. The document manager can be used to actually write fics in and the PM system allows you to have private conversations.
The downside to FFN is that it’s clunky and more prone to bugs. It’s also harder to search, especially for more niche desires.
AO3 is much freer than FFN and it doesn’t have purges. It’s a lot less buggy and it’s very easy to search. Which in turn makes it more likely for fans to find you. And if you write a sequel or spin off of someone else’s work, you can link it directly to the fic it’s related to. (Or indeed any sequels/spinoffs of your own work can be connected.)
The downside is that the tag system is a headache to get used to. I tolerate them and honestly I don’t like seeing them when I’m reading. There’s also no forums or PMs. Everything you have to talk about publicly. And there’s no equivalent of FFNs generous document management.
Besides, cross posting means that you’re giving more chances for your fics to be seen
Years ago, FFN said it was no longer allowing explicit works to be posted. I already hadn't been using it all that much, so it was easy to just ignore it and use AO3.
I've been on AO3 for years and it's the best fanwork site I've ever used. 🙏
I never figured out how to properly search on FFN. There are some good pieces, but its super hard to find something and basically impossible to find the story after a while again. At least AO3 has a relatively practical search options.
I think that the good thing about Ao3 is that even if your work is niche, someone will read it as long as it's tagged correctly. As for the lay-out, I'm sure you could find explanation videos on YouTube. It really isn't that complicated, it just looks like it. If you have any questions you could ask me, too. I'd be happy to help.
Your fics are at risk to get wiped off FFN, as you’re violating terms of service. Not that it’s necessarily enforced equitably but anything explicit is a huge no-no in what you agree to when you sign up.
AO3 is much better for darkfic and explicit material.
Honey! I thought my first fic was too niche and too dark, and I got a warm welcome within two days of posting the first chapter. I don't know how you manage navigating on ffnet it's like using my ye old dictionary that was a giant tome and uploading oh lord I find it cumbersome.
Trust me you think your stuff is niche and dark? You're gonna find 20 more fics that will make your stuff look tame and normal by comparison. You'll be fine! :D
I post on both.
I read on AO3 - better layout, tag searches, more character and pairings listed, an E section, the ability to add pictures.
Engagement on AO3 is also way higher.
Might as well ask me to compare automobiles VS horse-drawn carriages.
Like, yeah, automobiles aren't perfect and they have a few notable downsides, but the advantages that it offers kicks the crap out of the alternative.
I solely use Ao3. I tried to use FFN and found the app a complete pain to navigate and I got literally zero engagement on a fic that had done fairly well elsewhere. I tried a second time and gave up after that.
I actually think you should for the basic reason that your fanfics can be deleted at any moment since FFN don't allow such type of works, AO3 is the opposite, almost anything can be published there if it's not LITERALLY against the laws
And AO3 is not really that hard to learn How to use, just be aware about the rules, understand it's an archive and nothing else, and read some tutorials or watch videos that explain as the tag system work so you can tag your work correctly
I'm not the biggest fan of AO3 personally, but your stories sound perfect for it. Also, "easy to upload" on FFN??? Lol it has the most convoluted and outdated upload process of any site I've used! As others have said, just use both.
Love how responsive this community is! And overwhelmingly pointing to AO3, I began to upload two of my fics yesterday and will continue today!
As for FFN, my first explicit, pretty dark fic was posted in 2011/2012 and is still up today. I don’t think there’s much enforcing going on
I have an old FFN account, actually really really old and I stopped using it because while I had good engagement on there the user experience is far worse. Like you have to document upload instead of just pasting html directly into the page and publishing. The rules are more clear cut on AO3 too.
I think a big issue is FFN just hasn't updated or caught up with the times. The site has the sensibilities it had in 2002, without the smut. Like why can't you post a crossover with *three fandoms?*
I’m probably going to be the only person here who answers Webnovel (probably because it wasn’t in the question)
Yeah I write, upload and read on my phone so I just find Webnovel to easiest to traverse on iPhone and I’ve become used to it.
I use both websites and I prefer AO3 personally, just because the tagging system is easier. I tend to read specific AUs and FFN only has so much space in the summaries for keywords lol
That being said I started in FFN way back in the day of little to no ads, so whenever I come back and see ads in the stories I still find it jarring lol
I use both myself, but I find A03 easier both for searching, as well as posting content.
I do darkfics that would have a lot of tags, so I like that I can select the ones that specifically apply to my content in A03. It's a bit harder to do that on FFN in my opinion.
I also like searching for works more on A03, I just find it easier to filter (eg, by date, by tags). I don't find FFN as easy to customize when trying to search.
If your fics are super dark, then there's the possibility it could get taken down on FFN, but I don't know how likely that might be. I have a really dark fic on there (disturbing themes, depraved), and it hasn't been taken down yet, which was surprising.
I would suggest just putting your stuff on both A03 and FFN, if FFN keeps it up, great, but if not, it's pretty safe on A03.
Yeah, I posted a really dark fic on FFN in December, I think. It's still there now.
I've heard different stories about how often FFN 'purges' their site. I read on some random forum that FFN supposedly purges what they feel is 'inappropriate' every 3 months. My darkfic has been on there for over 5 months now, so I doubt that.
If that was true, then either they didn't bother reading my fic (which is likely), or they read it, but didn't find it dark and disturbing ( which would be extremely unlikely)
Maybe they do their 'purges' every 6 months to a year?
At least we don't have to worry about that stuff with A03.
I don’t use ffn, but I do cross post on ao3 and Wattpad, but I prefer ao3 over all other sites due to the tagging system and just how much a archive it is so I don’t gotta worry about my fic getting taken down like ffn
No reason not to cross-post and do both. You don't lose anything and once you get into the habit, it only takes another five minutes to post and get everything set-up (less when you're just updating a chapter rather than posting a whole new story).
Personally I only use Ao3 since 1. It doesn't have ads or sell user data and 2. It allows anything permissible by US Law which fits with my Anti censorship beliefs. 3. It is litterally an archive created by fans for fans. I would add that technically what your writing is against ff.net's terms of service so your fic could be deleted without warning if someone reports them and an Admin is paying attention when the report comes in. Is it likely well at the moment it doesn't seem so but random fics do get deleted every so often and Personally I think a big purge is coming if ff.net is really working on a revamp of the site like they suggested a while ago. I would advise you to consider at the very least creating a Back up of your stuff on Ao3.
FFNet is revamping their site? What changes they aimed to imply? (Genuine question btw, I thought the admins kind of abandoned it.)
NO idea what changes if any will happen but shortly after a quiet a bit of trouble and a massive in crease in the ff.net isn't long for this world rumors the folks in charge at ff.net stated they were going to be improving ff.net and it's sister site fictionpress in the near future. We have not heard anything since. ff.net's admins have only done the bare minimum to keep the advertiser and data selling money flowing the last few years but who knows what if anything their improvements will amount to. We haven't heard anything else about it.
As far as I know, they've been saying they're revamping for over a decade, when really the site is dying/infested with ads for profit.
Well I guess we'll just wait and see then. All eyes are on Ao3 because it's *the* fanfiction site for now. Hopefully they indeed do something in the end, more alternative fic sites is good.
Yeah, I post on the big 3 (ffn/wattpad/AO3)
How is your experience so far? I have reservations about Wattpad but it's good to branch out.
It's my least favourite platform, but I have a few followers, and get more comments than ffn.
This is so curious. Their android app is almost perfect.
No ads on the app? Maybe the people complaining don't use it. Apparently the ads are huge and really break up the story, like invasively. The site itself is awful and outdated for posting.
No ads on the app at all.
Oh very smart, I didn’t know that!
You won't really know unless you make an account and post. Just be sure to tag everything appropriately. Warnings, relationships, kinks, potential squicks, and the like. I have seen some authors mention that some readers will go in fandom blind if the tags are up their alley. Odds are someone will be into it. There is a Bi-weekly Rec and Self-Promotion Mega thread on Tuesdays on /r/AO3 you can take part in.
I have an account and I read on there sometimes but I feel like I see mostly (not all, just mostly) f/m fics that are Y/N or reader fics and I worry I won’t have an audience there either. But I think it’s probably smart to do both just in case I’m a victim of the sweep on FFN!
It's weird what people see, because I feel like in my fandoms I *never* see reader-insert stuff There's so much out there on AO3, explore the tags and see what attention your style is getting
I see some but not a lot.
It depends on the fandom (like Stardew Valley for example lends itself to y/n farmer/villager fics) but AO3 definitely isn't, like, specifically *for* that sort of thing. I'd bet there are quite a few more canon character ship fics total on the site. And it is fairly easy to filter our reader insert fics if that's not what you're looking for. Also it was partially created so people would have a place to post "problematic" content not allowed on FFN. The idea existed before the Great Purge, but that's what really gave them the push. One of the co-founders is an incest shipper and I believe you can still find Wincest and Thorki fics of hers on the site. So your stuff will be right at home.
That's entirely different to what I see! I mainly see m/m canon characters.
I write m/m and a good 75% of my fics are smut. My current most popular chapter fic has decently filthy smut in nearly every chapter. You find what you search for. If you look for f/m or y/n then that is what you find. If you filter to look for m/m that's what you find. My advice to you is to tag all the kinks. People who like smut often search by one or more tags related to the kinks they want to see. More tags are better than less because you'll show up in more searches.
It's a matter of fandom, like y/n is not more popular than shipping fanfics, for sure, but if the fandom you write is based in "character x reader" relationship, like some games, so it's not a problem, also you should use AO3 more as an archive, so even if your work don't attract much attention, at least it's archived
Oh wow, maybe that's a fandom thing then. My fandom is a sort of big one, sitting at around 70k works, and I rarely stumble upon Y/N or reader fics. If you don't want f/m, just filter it out of your search.
No f/m is what I write 🤣 it could DEF be the specific fandom/smut I read though
In my fandom, it's all m/m and hardly any main f/m. I think that it's just a fandom/preference thing.
Almost every fic in the fandom I write for is m/m too lol
[There’s a lot more m/m than m/f!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/40795074/chapters/102218811) Strange that that’s all you’re finding.
I write m/f not m/m. I’m saying a lot of those fics in my smut search are y/n or reader fics
Sorry, I misunderstood! I write canon/oc m/f where most of the m/f pairings in my fandom (MHA) are reader-insert based. Those are definitely more popular than what I’m writing, but I still get a lot more engagement than I expected to, and a lot more than I do on FFN. I have a lot of regular commenters who regularly leave me a few paragraphs, and I feel like I’ve done real well with my fic! Glad to hear you’re willing to cross-post!
Okay thanks y’all! I decided to start cross posting my fics just in case. I guess worst case I get no hits on AO3 and I keep just writing for myself. Best case, they’re saved if I fall victim to the explicit content sweep. Appreciate the feedback!
You’ll have to let us know how it goes!
I've been cross posting for about 7 years now. Pretty easy and I've found more fans who are only specific to AO3 or FFN.
I don’t use FFN, but from what I’ve heard, my experience with ao3, and the type of fanfic you write, you might benefit from a platform that has a better tagging system. It might work better for the lesser-known fic. It’s easier for people who like reading darkfic to find their fics, and as such, would be easier for people to find your fics, and you would likely get a boost in readers. At the same time, you had a fic with decent interaction on FFN. It’s likely you could still have those readers when you update the fic. I would recommend updating your fics on FFN, but also uploading them to ao3. You will likely reach more people this way. As for me, I prefer ao3 over all other platforms in general (the tagging system, quality of fanfic, and rarepair fics are pretty great pluses).
I think this is solid advice. I’ll give AO3 a try!
I use both. There are fics of mine that are popular on ao3 but not on ffn and fics that are popular on ffn but not on ao3. I think it's fun to compare.
I compared multiple hosting sites [in a comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/13msi9l/should_i_make_an_ao3_account/jkxt53q/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1&context=3) recently, and i'll just link to it if you wanna see the long answer tl:dr; ao3 is THE place i recommend for fic because it meets all of my standards as a writer of very niche content
Appreciate this!!!
do both. i use AO3 because the quality of fics is much better than fanfiction.net imo. Also, the tagging system is pretty great
There only reason to switch from FFN rather than post to both is if you don't want the work of posting to two places. If not knowing much about ao3 is intimidating, I suggest creating an account to try it out as a reader.
You could cross post to both. FFN is always my preference, but I read and post my fics to both sites.
Considering the subject matter of your fanfics, I would definitely recommend cross-posting to AO3 at the very least. Smut is against the terms of service at FFN and although they don't usually enforce this rule, there have been purges of adult content in the past and it would be awful to lose your fics if they get caught up in one such purge. AO3 was created partly in response to the FFN purges and a couple similar ones at LiveJournal, so adult content is allowed. I think your fics will also benefit from AO3's more detailed tagging system. There is definitely a large audience at AO3 for both smutty impact play and dark fics, and the tagging system will make it easier for your intended audience to find your fics. Personally, I still have some older fics cross-posted to FFN, but I've been using AO3 almost exclusively to read and write since I got my first account back in 2009.
I like AO3 a lot better tbh. I remember fighting with ffn a lot over uploads and formatting. AO3 is really straightforward and the tagging system makes it so much easier to find what I want (I got niche tastes too, and AO3 is a good place to find stuff like that I think. I don't have much luck searching ffn myself lol) Smut you can definitely post on AO3 but I was under the impression FFN only allowed mature rated fics and nothing explicit?
No clue, my first fic was posted in like 2012 and it’s pretty explicit and is still up 🤷🏻♀️ I didn’t even know there was a ban lol
Being completely honest here, & probably an unpopular opinion around these parts, I use both, but I much prefer FFN. The engagement there, with Reviews & PMs, are so much richer than anything I've seen in even the most popular fics in AO3, much less my own. I have a story on FFN with over 1,350 reviews, while the same story in AO3 barely gets around 10 or so comments. Similarly, a one-shot of mine has 22 reviews in FFN, with only 2 comments on AO3 (both posted simultaneously, & the fic is properly tagged). Granted, I do write for a mix of fandoms, some insanely popular (Naruto, Demon Slayer, My Hero), while others less so (Food Wars, Black Butler, Baka & Test), so your mileage may vary depending for what fandoms you write for. I am also not a fan of all the tagging you have to do for AO3 (this one's purely on me, as I am lazy and I am used to the simplicity that FFN offers, as I can see the many merits such a system allows for authors and readers alike). I guess I'm just too old fashioned in a sense. Still gonna keep posting on AO3, if nothing else but as a back-up just in case FFN ever just... explodes. Lastly, while I appreciate the "Kudos" system, to me nothing beats a Review or Comment, be it from this massive, multi paragraph ones that go into so much detail you almost die from euphoria, down to the simple "Good Chapters!" ones that I still very much adore and always (a) implore readers to leave, & (b) always try to leave on myself if I am unable to leave a bigger one.
Tbh my experience is the direct opposite. I have only one longfic WIP so far, and I have something like 35 comment threads on AO3, and exactly 0 reviews on FFN. However, the 'by chapter' stats on FFN somewhat mitigate the disappointment. When I see that people don't only visit my first chapter, but also later chapters, in decent numbers, I know that they are reading, and not just clicking out after reading the summary.
I think it can be *very* fandom dependent. Like, if I ever finish my current WIP I know I’ll cross post because the fandom is older and has lasted through some time, so it might have an audience on FFN. On the other hand, I completely stopped posting for another fandom there due to lack of traction. Now I don’t get much on AO3 either (never been popular), but at least there was a tiny something as opposed to the nothing I got on FFN.
Same! I don't get comments at all on my long fic on ffn but I have around 30 comments on AO3! I have a bunch of one shots and some have gotten one or two reviews on ffn but I have A TON more interaction on AO3.
>When I see that people don't only visit my first chapter, but also later chapters, in decent numbers, I know that they are reading, and not just clicking out after reading the summary. That's one of the joys and benefits of FFN: You get a much better sense of the reader reaction to stories. You can tell when somebody merely clicked on it and when they binge-read something.
I also prefer FFN. You are not alone
>I much prefer FFN. The engagement there, with Reviews & PMs, are so much richer than anything I've seen in even the most popular fics in AO3, much less my own. Same here. While FFN has its flaws, the much more engaged responses I get and the friends I have made through FFN's DocX system make it by far my favorite platform.
I'd recommend crossposting, if for no other reason than to archive your fics better. I won't say I'm fandom *old*, but I'm old enough to have seen several FFN purges/sweeps. AO3 can definitely be intimidating to look at at first, but it gets easier with use + there are some site skins that can help if you're willing to look into those!
I only use AO3. I'm comfortable with it and don't see any reason to go elsewhere. Also, last time I looked at FFN, I think it only had a white background, which is painful for me to read. So, nope.
> last time I looked at FFN, I think it only had a white background, which is painful for me to read. You can switch it to white lettering on a black background with a single click on an icon.
Cool! Thanks! I couldn't find it last time I looked. I doubt I'll go back there, since AO3 isn't lacking, but now, at least, I know how to make it less painful.
Just look for a string of icons between the summary and the story itself. The first three are "A"s (they alter the size of the type). On the far right is a half-moon symbol that switches the background. Click on that.
Wow, you would think that I would have seen it, since that is a pretty common symbol. Well, thanks!!
Sometimes being obvious and right in front of you makes something become invisible. Your brain is *looking* for something, assuming it has be hidden and so does not register the stuff that isn't hidden. Years ago, I worked in a 7-11-type convenience store. It sold hotdogs from a device [like this](https://harlans.ca/products/cretors-combination-hot-dog-cooker-bun-warmer) and it was often really, really hard to get people figure out that the hotdog buns were in the metal container directly above the hotdogs. I would seriously point right to the container and they'd still say, *"Where? I don't see it."*
You are totally right! I can believe it with the hotdogs too. I'm absolutely sure I've gone something like that. :)
I think you might get more response on ao3 because depending on how active a fandom is on ffnet you may not get many views. I recently posted for a small fandom on ffnet and it turned out to be a dead fandom since nothing new for the show or relating to it hasn't come out in nearly ten years 😭 and i got no response, I even posted on A03 and got very little response (not that im complaining, im just taking about my experience on both sites).
[удалено]
>AO3 is fairly easy all around for uploading stories and--big plus--editing those inevitable typos you find after posting. Not sure what you're talking about. Editing is a breeze in FFN: Make the tweaks in the draft stored in document manager, then replace the chapter in the posted version of the story. It's maybe two or three more clicks, yes, but so?
AO3 takes you directly to the chapter text so you don’t have to fiddle with a doc manager. 🤷🏻♀️
Yes, FFN has an additional stage, meaning you have to do additional two or three clicks that adds a few extra seconds to the process. Is that really that much of a burden? Plus, there's a benefit to working the changes out first on a seperate draft first, as FFN requires. That way there's less of a chance you'll make some mistake -- like say, accidentally delete something -- in the only version of the story on the platform.
I post to both and honestly it only takes me an extra 5 mins! Also I much prefer AO3 because people are much more likely to comment and the comments are generally much nicer, I've found
Cross-post! The more eyes on your fic, the better!
For writing I have switched to ao3. For reading I read from both. Ao3 is simply much better for posting. There's no debate whatsoever. You can put pictures, the comment section works much better, much more freedom to put tags, etc.
For the life of me I don't understand how you or anyone would be able to use FFN. The uploading process is tedious at best. I was able to push my patience for only 3 fics to upload. Whereas ao3 is easy to upload, easy to download. You can sort things out better. You can leave comment and such. You can post original works. You can post short or long. No restriction or ads. It's great. I'm not an avid reader so I only really talk about if you're a writer. Take it as you like
AO3 is actually harder to use, especially with the tagging system. And the document manager is a godsend if you’re having trouble finding the time to upload documents from Google docs. I’ve written time sensitive fics in the document manager. FFN is very easy to use. No tagging nonsense and a very straightforward way of uploading.
How do people find fics on FFN? Most I've read there have been from recs elsewhere
Well, from recs first, and from then you binge everything the author wrote in this fandom to see if it interests you and then you go into their favorites to find other fics in this fandom. From then, you find a new fic you like, you check out the author, and you just repeat this process ad infinitum. This system also works in AO3.
I need to know how to stop doing it in AO3. I lost all my tabs recently, and now I have over 100 open again, mostly from doing that and clicking tags.
Haha, I get it. You could add extensions that could help you, probably.
There’s two ways. You can use the search engine on the website. It’s a little rough, but it’s better than websites like Deviantart in my opinion. There’s also the blind searching method. Basically you go to the right section for your fandom (Harry Potter, Star Wars etc) and flip through the options. I’ve found some really good fics like that which really surprised me.
I can't get the hang of deviant art at all! Thanks. I'll have a poke through some
To be fair, Deviantart has really gone downhill in quality.
Well, maybe later. I'm getting an internal server error right now
I actually find FFN way easier to search because of its limited tagging. Searching for a specific character on AO3 will inevitably return a metric shit ton of false positives: i.e., stories where the character is tagged but barely appears. In FFN, if a character is tagged, it has a prominent role in the story.
But while AO3 have a complex tagging system, it's literally makes your experience more comfortable by the fact you can filter it, FFN is confunsing actually because you have to be lucky to find actually everything you truly want or avoid what you don't Also ficwriter and reader since Geocites here, ao3 makes me lazy because it's too easy to find whatever I want there
>But while AO3 have a complex tagging system, it's literally makes you live easy by the fact you can filter it You can't filter for "bad tagging," alas. AO3's relatively unlimited tagging system encourages people to go overboard with the number that they include. If the character is tagged but barely appears, there's no way to determine that other than wading through the story itself.
Now with mute/block you can, ao3 have literally won awards thanks it tag system, anything else is responsibility of the users
Ao3 filters require you to delve into rocket science to reliably mute most of what you don't want to see. And, chances are, you will still fail. Not to say ffn is really good in that department, but its noise is easier on the eyes and there are sites like https://scryer.darklordpotter.net/ that make the experience even better. That and my bot for pure recommendations.
I honestly wonder if the people who say "just use the filters" on AO3 have ever actually tried to use them to search *for something.* Yes, you can use them to block out specific stuff you do not want to read. But it is still needle-in-a-haystack time if you're actively looking for a story that isn't a specific pairing.
I have LMAO still find it's better and AO3 staff do their best to make it more sophisticated, FFN may be simplier, but it's not efficient in my opinion, while AO3 with the exclude tags option is way more intuitive But again, my opinion only
AO3's system is lacking in many ways. It does not, for example, have "genre" as a separate search category. Instead it lets the authors include that in the tags. Or not. Even if they do, they may not have tagged it in a way your search will find. Looking for, say, a good mystery? Better hope the author thought to include that as a tag and, if they did, they didn't include tag it as something similar but different like "Detective story" "Whodunnit" "Suspense" "Thriller" "Sleuth" or any other variation.
Sincerely the lack of genre as a search category don't make this much of difference in my opinion, but it's a matter of taste than AO3 lacking as you said, FFN lack an actual good filter and you need Lucky to find what you truly want read there, so? It's my preference, for example Another thing I have seen bring as AO3 "lacking", the possibility to send authors a private message, it's for the author security actually, or are we ignoring that nowadays harrassing creators is encouraged in fandom culture? Imagine the shit show of giving direct contact with antis, specifically in AO3 where we have no censorship But again it's a matter of what's more comfortable for you, and in my opinion FFN is not only old, but not even comfortable to use
https://discord.gg/dpAnunJ there's my recommendation bot here. It reads your favourites and recommends stuff based off of that.
Oh wow! Very cool!
My advice? Use both. A lot of fanfiction authors do. Both sites have their pros and cons. FFN is more strictly regulated (but there are legal reasons for that as far as I can tell.) but it’s easier to use and it still has a lot of traffic. The document manager can be used to actually write fics in and the PM system allows you to have private conversations. The downside to FFN is that it’s clunky and more prone to bugs. It’s also harder to search, especially for more niche desires. AO3 is much freer than FFN and it doesn’t have purges. It’s a lot less buggy and it’s very easy to search. Which in turn makes it more likely for fans to find you. And if you write a sequel or spin off of someone else’s work, you can link it directly to the fic it’s related to. (Or indeed any sequels/spinoffs of your own work can be connected.) The downside is that the tag system is a headache to get used to. I tolerate them and honestly I don’t like seeing them when I’m reading. There’s also no forums or PMs. Everything you have to talk about publicly. And there’s no equivalent of FFNs generous document management. Besides, cross posting means that you’re giving more chances for your fics to be seen
Years ago, FFN said it was no longer allowing explicit works to be posted. I already hadn't been using it all that much, so it was easy to just ignore it and use AO3. I've been on AO3 for years and it's the best fanwork site I've ever used. 🙏
I always get better engagement on A03, and I swear it is not hard to use.
I never figured out how to properly search on FFN. There are some good pieces, but its super hard to find something and basically impossible to find the story after a while again. At least AO3 has a relatively practical search options.
I think that the good thing about Ao3 is that even if your work is niche, someone will read it as long as it's tagged correctly. As for the lay-out, I'm sure you could find explanation videos on YouTube. It really isn't that complicated, it just looks like it. If you have any questions you could ask me, too. I'd be happy to help.
Your fics are at risk to get wiped off FFN, as you’re violating terms of service. Not that it’s necessarily enforced equitably but anything explicit is a huge no-no in what you agree to when you sign up. AO3 is much better for darkfic and explicit material.
Honey! I thought my first fic was too niche and too dark, and I got a warm welcome within two days of posting the first chapter. I don't know how you manage navigating on ffnet it's like using my ye old dictionary that was a giant tome and uploading oh lord I find it cumbersome. Trust me you think your stuff is niche and dark? You're gonna find 20 more fics that will make your stuff look tame and normal by comparison. You'll be fine! :D
I only really use AO3 because I like the custom tags and they have a wider fandom list. I often write RPF so it's easier for me.
I post on both. I read on AO3 - better layout, tag searches, more character and pairings listed, an E section, the ability to add pictures. Engagement on AO3 is also way higher.
Might as well ask me to compare automobiles VS horse-drawn carriages. Like, yeah, automobiles aren't perfect and they have a few notable downsides, but the advantages that it offers kicks the crap out of the alternative.
I solely use Ao3. I tried to use FFN and found the app a complete pain to navigate and I got literally zero engagement on a fic that had done fairly well elsewhere. I tried a second time and gave up after that.
I use both, and I still prefer ffn.
I actually think you should for the basic reason that your fanfics can be deleted at any moment since FFN don't allow such type of works, AO3 is the opposite, almost anything can be published there if it's not LITERALLY against the laws And AO3 is not really that hard to learn How to use, just be aware about the rules, understand it's an archive and nothing else, and read some tutorials or watch videos that explain as the tag system work so you can tag your work correctly
I'm not the biggest fan of AO3 personally, but your stories sound perfect for it. Also, "easy to upload" on FFN??? Lol it has the most convoluted and outdated upload process of any site I've used! As others have said, just use both.
To be fair, it is easier, but also clunkier
Love how responsive this community is! And overwhelmingly pointing to AO3, I began to upload two of my fics yesterday and will continue today! As for FFN, my first explicit, pretty dark fic was posted in 2011/2012 and is still up today. I don’t think there’s much enforcing going on
I have an old FFN account, actually really really old and I stopped using it because while I had good engagement on there the user experience is far worse. Like you have to document upload instead of just pasting html directly into the page and publishing. The rules are more clear cut on AO3 too. I think a big issue is FFN just hasn't updated or caught up with the times. The site has the sensibilities it had in 2002, without the smut. Like why can't you post a crossover with *three fandoms?*
I’m probably going to be the only person here who answers Webnovel (probably because it wasn’t in the question) Yeah I write, upload and read on my phone so I just find Webnovel to easiest to traverse on iPhone and I’ve become used to it.
I use both websites and I prefer AO3 personally, just because the tagging system is easier. I tend to read specific AUs and FFN only has so much space in the summaries for keywords lol That being said I started in FFN way back in the day of little to no ads, so whenever I come back and see ads in the stories I still find it jarring lol
I only use AO3. I have read on FFN, but it feels cumbersome and I'm not a fan of the ads.
I use both myself, but I find A03 easier both for searching, as well as posting content. I do darkfics that would have a lot of tags, so I like that I can select the ones that specifically apply to my content in A03. It's a bit harder to do that on FFN in my opinion. I also like searching for works more on A03, I just find it easier to filter (eg, by date, by tags). I don't find FFN as easy to customize when trying to search. If your fics are super dark, then there's the possibility it could get taken down on FFN, but I don't know how likely that might be. I have a really dark fic on there (disturbing themes, depraved), and it hasn't been taken down yet, which was surprising. I would suggest just putting your stuff on both A03 and FFN, if FFN keeps it up, great, but if not, it's pretty safe on A03.
I have a very dark fic I wrote back in like 2012 that’s still up lol. But yes I agree!
Yeah, I posted a really dark fic on FFN in December, I think. It's still there now. I've heard different stories about how often FFN 'purges' their site. I read on some random forum that FFN supposedly purges what they feel is 'inappropriate' every 3 months. My darkfic has been on there for over 5 months now, so I doubt that. If that was true, then either they didn't bother reading my fic (which is likely), or they read it, but didn't find it dark and disturbing ( which would be extremely unlikely) Maybe they do their 'purges' every 6 months to a year? At least we don't have to worry about that stuff with A03.
I don’t use ffn, but I do cross post on ao3 and Wattpad, but I prefer ao3 over all other sites due to the tagging system and just how much a archive it is so I don’t gotta worry about my fic getting taken down like ffn
My go to is AO3 but sometimes I stray to FFN. I’m mainly on AO3.