#using ao3

Based on both decent and not so decent replies, I have made some changes to my original post below.

It would seem a whole new kind of AO3 reader/writer is emerging and it is becoming clear not everyone quite understands how the website community works. Here is some basic guidance on how most people expect you to go about using AO3 to keep this a fun community archive that funtions correctly:

As well as likes, kudos is for when the story was interesting enough to make you finish reading. If it sucked or was badly written, you probably left. If you finished it, you liked it - so kudos.

If you really liked it, you should try to comment. It can be long and detailed or a literal keysmash. Writers don't care, we just love comments.

No critisism unless the author has specifically asked or agreed to hear it (so use your notes to say if you want some constructive feedback). Even constructive critisism is a no-no unless an author note tells you it's okay. No, posting it online is not an open invitation for that. Many people write as a fun hobby or a way to cope with, among other things, insecurity and just want to share. Don't ruin that for them. I've seen so many authors just stop writing coz they can't handle the negative emotions the critism brings, and it's only meant to be a fun thing shared for free (pointing out tagging errors is not included in this).

Do not comment to ask the author to write/update something else. It's tacky and off-putting and will probably have the opposite effect than the one you want.

There is no algorithm, it's an archive. Use the search and filter function to add/remove the pairings/characters/tropes etc. you want to read about and it will find you the fics that fit the bill.

For this to work, writers must tag and rate stories. This avoids readers finding the wrong things and missing the stuff they want. I don't care how cringy that trope is in your eyes - it gets tagged.

The tag exception is if you don't want to tag a million things or spoil your story, you can rate it as "chose not to use warnings," and maybe tag the bare minimum.

Don't censor tags. How can someone exclude a tag if the word isn't typed out correctly? There are no content bans for terms so don't censor them.

If the tags are mostly content/trigger warnings, especially if they are things considered very fucked up or graphic, you might want to use "dead dove - do not eat" to ensure people know that you're not messing around with tags and what they get is exactly what you've warned them about.

Character A/Character B means a ROMANTIC or SEXUAL relationship of some kind. Character A&Character B is PLATONIC, like friendship or family.

Nothing is banned. This is an rule because banning one thing is a slipperly slope to banning another and another, until nothing is allowed anymore. Do not expect anyone to censor for you. Because of the tags system, you are responsible for your own reading experience.

People can create new chapters and sequels/fic series any time after they "complete" a story. So it's considered perfectly normal to subscribe, even to a finished story. You can even subscribe to the author instead just to cover your bases.

Do not repost stories or change the publishing date without an extremely good reason (like a complete top to bottom rewrite or an exchange youve written for going public). It's an archive, not social media. No one cares what's the most recent, only what fits their tag needs.

Instead of deleting a story you wrote if you hate it - consider making it anonymous or orphaning it so others can still enjoy it, without it being connected to your name anymore. If you still want to delete it, fair enough.

It's come to my attention that metaworks ARE allowed on AO3, which is something I wasn't aware of. So if you do post an essay or theory, please tag it as such so others can choose to search for it or exclude it. Art is also allowed.

The only reason this archive works is because NON ONE PROFITS. Do not link to your ko-fi or patreon or mention monetary gain in any way or you violate the terms and risk having your account removed. If anyone does link, it leaves the archive open to people claiming it's for profit and having the whole thing removed.

I KNOW there's plenty more I missed but I'm trying to cover most of the basics that people seem to be struggling with.

The "inspired by" function allows writers to display fanfics that inspired their own fanfic neatly in the "notes" section via a link. It is used to credit inspiration, for archival purposes, and also for translations, remixes, and podfics.

It is a very fun function because it encourages community, and even gives your readers something else to read while they wait for your own fic to update. It can help people who really like a certain trope or writing idea easily find another fic just like it. And, if you use the function, the writer you are inspired by can choose to link it back to their own fic. So, at the end of their fic it will say, "works inspired by this one," and list yours.

"How can I tell if I should use the "inspired by" function or not?"

You should use the inspired by function if you are directly inspired by another fic. I have done this twice, and it is splendid. One of my besties and I have fics that are attached by this function. It's like they're holding hands via "inspired by" links :' )

If you read a fic, and at the end you're like, "Wow, this was totally radical, and now my gears are turning with an idea just like this one, but I'm gonna add my own spin to it." That would be a moment that calls for the "inspired by" function.

A situation that doesn't call for the inspired by function is two fics that are similar in trope, but the second one was not inspired by the first. For example; let's say person A writes a coffee shop AU fic, which is a very common trope, and person B also writes one, but without having ever read person A's fic, or without directly getting the idea directly from person A. Person B was not inspired by person A.

Let's say person B did read the fic, then also eventually decided to write a coffee shop AU that was completely different, and had very little in common with A's fic. That would not be a moment where the "inspired by" function would be necessary. B could use their own judgement to gauge how inspired they were by A's fic.

But, let's say person B really, really loved person A's fic, and wanted to show everyone another coffee shop AU. Person B very well could still use the "inspired by" function just to have the link. Or, they could just link the fic in their "Notes" section, but i personally think the inspired by function is a little easier than creating a "notes" link on ao3 LOL.

However, I have seen some people just list a fic they are inspired by in the notes section without any issues, but I encourage people to use the inspired by function. If you're unsure, maybe ask the author that you're inspired by if they care. If you ever don't use the "inspired by" function, and step on another writer's toes, just simply talk it out and credit.

"But, Mermaid, if I use the "inspired by" function, won't it look like my fic belongs to the original person?"

No?? I am including this because I've seen a surprising amount of people say this and it bugs me. If you use the "inspired by" function, it links the fic you were inspired by in the "notes" section in first chapter. That's it. It doesn't say, "this fic belongs to this other writer," lol. It says, "Inspired by (insert fic) by (insert author)," one single time. After that, it will not be listed in future chapters. Your name will always be on it, and it will only be listed on your account like usual.

Hi anon,

I mean what's most important to me is people using AO3 in a way that's most comfortable for them. Subscriptions and bookmarks are for the readers first, not for authors. That's why authors can't see the subscription count (on the story page) or private bookmarks (at all).

That being said, I don't track subscribers of stories at all. I will occasionally, once or twice a year, look at broad author subscriptions, but they don't really mean much to me. (Partly because people will subscribe to a single chapter already marked as complete, you kind of never know what's going on sdlkfjas). I almost never look at story subscriptions (partly because I have to scroll through a bunch of stuff and I find 'private bookmarks' more entertaining because the more taboo smut there is the more private bookmarks there are and that just amuses me).

I do like public bookmarks when folks use them to post nice things about the story / use their public bookmarks to rec stories to someone else. I don't like them when they're used to be like 'this was shit and I hated it.' (Again, it doesn't matter, because how people use bookmarks is up to them). My least favourite way of using bookmarks is that one person who constantly posts spoilers in the bookmark, so any new readers who find my fics and don't want to be spoiled just...be careful lmao.

In terms of which one I pay more attention to, it's bookmarks. But I know that a lot of people use bookmarks either a) to mark what they're up to reading and not necessarily as an endorsement and b) not to actually recommend fics, so I take it all with a grain of salt.

Original characters are a fanfiction trope - just like a particular kink, or a specific alternate universe scenario, using this tag on your fics is a way to get people who like those stories to find them easily.

If all I want to read on a given day is Star Trek AU, then I can go to AO3 and search on that tag within a given fandom and binge-read to my heart's content.

And here's where this is important - tagging your original character's NAME is less likely to attract new readers!!

I might LOVE Jane Q Original as soon as I meet her - but I, Random Reader #235, haven't met her yet, and thus, I don't know to search for her name. What I'm looking for is Original Female Character - but you didn't use that tag, so I never see your fic in the list of my search results and Jane remains unknown to me.

While you might want or need to tag your character's name for organization purposes within your own fics, your DEFAULT should be to use the Original Female or Original Male Character tag, since this is how people who've NEVER read your story will find it.

The same advice holds true for relationship tags. If I want to see all the Fred Weasley/OFC fic in the Harry Potter fandom tag, then that is what I am going to look for - and I won't find your story if it's tagged with Fred Weasley/Jane Q Original.

- character starring in AU or a catch all tag to add alongside regular Alternate Universe tags . For those AU where’s it’s a completely different setting. Nothing wrong with them it’s just I like the AU to still be heavily based on the canon setting. Like ‘Javik mermaid au’ could either be Runeterra has mermaids or Jayce is an explorer trying to find the Northwest Passage and meets arctic merman Viktor. Or ‘royalty au’ in Star Wars could mean Luke is a the prince of a planet (which i want to read) or he’s a prince of some generic fantasy kingdom.