[ SECRET POST #6422 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #6422 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 32 secrets from Secret Submission Post #918.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I mean yeah. If we're all agreed that fanfic is a hobby just for fun, then that's also accepting that an overwhelming majority of the fanfic produced is not going to be good. It comes with the territory and setting your expectations otherwise is silly.

On the other hand it's super funny when the same people agree that like 99% of fanfic is bad or boring then wonder why their fanfic isn't getting kudos and comments. I have some bad news for them...

[(Anonymous)]

IME quality of fic doesn't really affect comments or kudos. Sometimes folks have the same itch.

[(Anonymous)]

Quality of fic definitely affects comments and kudos if you're the 1% that can write so well that you can make other people catch the itch you have.

Most people aren't though. I'm not saying I am either fwiw.

[(Anonymous)]

I mean, yeah, but also. At least 90% of fic is not good so if you're one of the people saying you don't get comments and kudos only because people have no taste, there's a 90% chance you're wrong.

[(Anonymous)]

It does affect comments and kudos, but it's not the only factor. I find sorting by kudos to be a pretty reliable way to find the best fics in a narrow category. It's just that you do need a narrow category. A fic about, say, a minor character longrunning Finnish soap opera could be the best thing ever written, and it would never reach the numbers of the current most popular ship on AO3 for obvious reasons. However, it would in all likelihood have more kudos than other fics written about the same obscure character.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, and for broader categories you often need a date range. Kudos sort on "large pairing" will bring up wips that were updating frequently when it was most popular. Kudos sort on "large pairing, complete, last updated in a specific year" will generally bring, if not the objectively "best", then at least the most broadly enjoyable to read from that time range.

[(Anonymous)]

A large number of people in fandom do think fanfic is actually mostly very good and even better than published fiction, though, that’s the annoying part. There are essays about how fanfic is so high quality and the only reasons it’s not recognized as such are that it’s made for free and largely by women, POC, and LGBTQ people. “My fanfic isn’t critically acclaimed because you’re a bigot!”

[(Anonymous)]

Timing and subject matter can also decide whether or not a fanfic gains traction. They are often a bigger factor.

Over the years, I have had fics that died on arrival, but one in particular that I was really proud of (a Zuko/Sokka fic back before it was cool, lol!) bombed especially hard. It got maybe ten views, zero comments or bookmarks, and 1- 2 kudos. Then, suddenly, years later, I started seeing the view count go up and began to receive kudos. Even some comments asked if I'm going to continue.

It was weird. I was happy to see people respond positively to my fic, but I was also like, "Where were y'all when I was spiraling and thinking I can't write good?"

🤷 Timing was everything, I guess.