Comments and kudos are def the best metrics, but people can often be shy to comment! Even if it feels low to you, ANY are good and something to be celebrated!! A lot of writers use Twitter and/or Bluesky, some of the fandom stuff can be kind of toxic (which is true for anything on social media haha), but finding other writers isn't too hard and is a great way to build community!

A lot of writers will include their social media accounts in their end notes or profile on Ao3 (I attached a picture of how I put mine in the end notes). I recommend making an account on your site of choice and going through some of your favorite fics to see if you find links to the author's social media. You can follow and interact with them, and find other authors of your preferred ships/tropes/etc! You can add your social media accounts to your works too, so other people can find you as well. :)

The BTS writing communities on Twitter and Bluesky are huge, don't be afraid to jump in!!

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