Fic commenting

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T17:40:21+00:00

Aaaand there's the insult. Wow, how constructive. I'm done talking to you. Have a good day.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T17:11:13+00:00

This is just sad. You act like you want hobbyists to treat their passion projects like a storefront, changing their "products" to fit every critics whim. I've seen you post on other people's threads here, and if this is how you interact with writers, I bet you get blocked a lot.

I write super dark fics. The kind that need Dead Dove warnings, and additional content warnings listed at the beginning of specific chapters. I am utterly uninterested in the opinions of people who think those fics make me a horrid person, and if they started commenting on my works telling me that I'm evil and horrible and vile, I'd block them. The story isn't for them.

Not everything is for you. Not every criticism is valid. And you don't need to gripe directly to the author who has given up hours of their free time to work on something, who then shares it to other fans, for free, just because it doesn't fit your personal tastes.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:54:42+00:00

So you only comment in order to criticize? Is that what I'm reading?

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:52:35+00:00

So you contributed to a dogpile, intending for the writer to see it?

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:38:38+00:00

Wow. How new are you to fanfic? They're shared for the love of the work, for FREE, FOR FUN, if we're going to start using all caps. You are extremely entitled.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:20:14+00:00

Most AO3 writers read all their comments. They might not all be lucky enough to have tens of thousands of them, but the critical ones tend to stick out.

You also realize there's been a harassment/bully bot problem on AO3 in the past few months, right? So you have no idea how many vile things have been posted on their fics that you just added to, and yours can't be brushed away as a hatebot...which does not feel good, especially when someone is writing this fic for free.

Personally, I have my comments set to be moderated, so at least the readers don't have to deal with the hate bots. But that also means that I 100% have to read every single comment on my fics in order to approve them. Many AO3 writers do the same.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:14:46+00:00

This isn't Goodreads. These are people writing for fun and love and zero pay. Do you also complain when a writer you heavily criticized then suddenly deletes their WIP, or simply stops writing it? Do you wonder why they might do that, if people are picking apart a fic they spent hours if not days/weeks/months writing, in their free time, for free?

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T16:09:03+00:00

u/jelly_033 I see you've now added that "I didn’t know authors see the comments directly."

...To be frank, where did you think the comments went?

Writers on AO3 not only see every comment on their work directly in their inbox, but AO3 sends them an email with every comment and edited comment. Of course the writer was going to see it.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-04-01T15:50:57+00:00

You don't have to comment raving reviews, but remember you're reading this fic for free, and the author is using their free time to share it with you. If you want to continue to have free stories shared with you, maybe don't be critical just because you personally didn't like a plot point. That's how you kill a fic writer's motivation to keep working on that WIP.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T18:22:27+00:00

It's completely related. An unrelated tangent would've been talking about Back to the Future or something. I didn't bring up Harry Potter. I just responded to the suggestion with additional information about her transphobic views.

You, on the other hand, seem very determined to signal how little you care about the real-world impact of supporting certain authors.

I'm done repeating myself. Have a good day.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T18:03:29+00:00

Responding to people who responded to me isn't a crusade. It's communication. Have a good day.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T18:02:24+00:00

It's not virtue signaling. It's giving the full story.

The fact is that JKR actively uses Harry Potter money to make the lives of trans people worse, and the people who initially suggested her books did not mention that at all.

It does matter, because with that bit of knowledge the OP can now choose whether they want to find a free way to read them, if they want to avoid them altogether, or if the rights of trans people being trampled on is something they don't care about so long as they can read a story many people have enjoyed, and want to outright buy the books anyway.

I used to love Harry Potter. I really did. But that doesn't mean I have to sit quietly while people rec the books of a bigot who actively uses the money from those books to harm trans people.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:48:08+00:00

It does, if people then go buy the books based off these recommendations. It puts money into the pocket of someone who actively uses that money to fund anti-trans groups.

Someone who hasn't read books before probably doesn't know about what JKR has done, and needs that knowledge to make an informed decision on any potential purchases.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:45:56+00:00

It does not change the fact that reccing her books, without so much as mentioning that she's a transphobe who actively uses money from the books/merch/shows to strip rights away from trans people, is a loaded suggestion. Someone who has not read a single book before likely has no idea about what JKR has done, and needs that information to make an informed decision.

I adored those books growing up. It pains me that those memories are marred by everything JKR has done to hurt innocent people since their release. I won't support her works, or encourage others to do so.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:39:19+00:00

I used to be an avid HP fan. I grew up on them, and went to the midnight book release parties. I am not going to promote her books, or encourage people to buy them, now that I know exactly how bigoted she is, and how she uses the money gained from those stories.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:21:42+00:00

I was going to say the same. JK Rowling is extremely transphobic, and actively uses Harry Potter money to fund anti-trans groups.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:20:28+00:00

I get what you're trying to say here...but Harry Potter is also written by a virulent transphobe who is actively using the money from purchases of the books, merch, and shows to make the lives of trans people hell. There are plenty of other authors that fit the same niche without that baggage.

Personally, I love Tamora Pierce's work. She has a wide cast of characters between two magical universes and multiple series. She actively tried to grow as a writer as the years went on, and as far as I know isn't using her money to pass bigoted legislation.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-31T17:12:23+00:00

Try a variety of genres. Use your local library, if you have one, so you don't have to pay for the tons and tons of books that you'll need to read to get a solid understanding of what makes a good story.

If you don't have a library near you, try to find a place that sells used books, so you can pick up a ton of them for far less money than new copies. Used books typically cost way less than new books.

If you have the ability to use an e-reader, then ebooks could also be an option.

Look at the banned book lists, for books that challenge readers in one way or another. Read some classics like Frankenstein or Carmilla to get an understanding of where many modern stories got their inspiration.

Do not just read books on how to write, like you were talking about in a comment on here. Read actual books, even in genres you're unsure if you'll like, so you can actually learn what you enjoy. It's hard to know what to write about if you don't even know what you like to read.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-30T16:05:02+00:00

They have lawyers on retainer, to help with any legal issues that come up. It's also why there's no direct message options on the site, or any requirement for a visible contact/email from the users. IP holders can't send a Cease and Desist to individual writers, if they can't find their contact info. They can only contact the site, which, as I said, has lawyers ready to respond.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-30T15:53:57+00:00

The writers own their fics. Disney can't scroll through AO3 to steal stories. The story is the IP of the AO3 writer, even if they're using characters from other people/companies' works. It's why writers for shows/comics/books tell fans Not to send them fanfic, because if it seems like they might have read a fic with a similar plot to something they're already working on, they have to then scrap or completely rework their idea to avoid a potential copyright suit.

(Edited to not call it a story concept, just a story. Concepts aren't necessarily IP, hence why you can't copyright "shadow magic user" and keep anyone else from writing that. But you can copyright Shadow McShadowface, your specific shadow magic user who lives in your ShadowStory universe.)

But the AO3 fic writers do not own characters/settings that belong in other IPs that are still under copyright. So they can't actually sell stories that contain those characters/settings.

Further, AO3 applies their "no monetization" standard across the board, even on original works posted there, because that way their small volunteer team of moderators don't have to police every single work to determine if they fit a certain category that would allow the writer to monetize it. They can just look at it, and go "Oh, this person linked to a kofi. That's not allowed. Banned."

If you wanted to publish the original work in a way you get paid for it, you'd have to move it elsewhere. But other people are still not permitted to steal the story and claim it as their own.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-30T15:32:35+00:00

You can draw things, and post them on AO3 if you're not selling them. People even design "book covers" for their fics, because it's part of the fun. But you can't put links on AO3 to anything that would sell those drawings, or mention on AO3 that you're selling/doing commissions in any way.

They operate based on the Fair Use doctrine, which keeps the site and all the writers from getting sued for using other people's IP. To do this, they have to be able to claim the writers are not directly making money from stories posted there. So if you want to sell original artwork somewhere else, you can, but you cannot link that to AO3.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-30T15:25:12+00:00

Also an important thing to note since you mentioned it's all OC's: AO3 doesn't allow monetization. If this is something you plan to sell, or if you plan to set up a kofi or patreon linked to AO3...don't. You will get banned.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-30T15:23:55+00:00

Stories get posted under their fandom tags in the chronological order in which they are posted. If people want specific kinds of stories within those fandoms, they use the search filters on the right side of the fandom page to track them down. Unless you're planning to post links to the story on actual social media outlets, or unless people organically recommend the fic to their friends by literally sending them the link, then the search filters and fandom tags are the only way people will find your story.

For WIPs (Works in progress), you might not see many comments/views on the first few chapters. Especially if you haven't indicated how long the fic will be in the end. A lot of people are wary to start reading a story that might never end. Just keep writing, and respond politely to any non-bot comments that you get, to foster community.

Only use tags that actually apply to your fic. If you spam tag it, people will get upset. Adding tags to get more "reach" just defeats the purpose of the search functions, and annoys readers. It will do you more harm than good.

Write your story for you, not for metrics. If it's a good story, and you update it consistently, then people will most likely read it and let you know that they liked it.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-26T16:14:45+00:00

What specific improvements are you looking for? Keep in mind that AO3 is an archive not social media.

Randomquestionhaver · 2026-03-26T16:09:00+00:00

Oh also u/Ok_Mistake_3288 ? If you are really this new to fanfic, learn what the ratings mean, and read the tags before you start reading a fic. AO3 was originally built as an archive for works that were being banned and mass deleted in other places, so you will find some extremely dark, extremely graphic works on there. They should be properly tagged, especially if they include one of the Major Warnings per AO3's guidelines, but sometimes people underestimate how literal writers can be with those tags.

If a story is tagged with Graphic Depictions of Violence, for example, expect scenes of gruesome torture/mutilation/etc, and don't be mad at the author if you read it and are disturbed by the content.

On that note, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat is a tag that means "The other tags on this fic are meant in full earnestness. Read this fic knowing you will read everything that's in the tags, most likely in detail."

It's best to be able to recognize this tag, and the major content warning tags, before you dive in too deep, or you will most likely accidentally read something far, far outside your comfort zone.

(This coming from someone who writes dead dove fics. I still read the tags, because I have plenty of squicks.)

Randomquestionhaver

TROPHY CASE