#and they don't actually allow original work unless it is related to fanwork in some way or part of a specific niche

[dyrewrites]

As it appears the other place I share things (cohost) might not be alive too long in a fashion that is usable, and my husband informed me that substack is of the devil (he was unclear as to why, something about their founders, but I trust his judgement).

I am considering sharing chapters of things on Ao3, which I have never done. I've read things there but never used the site beyond that (only recently got an account, actually). I know original fiction has seen a surge there as of late, which is neat, and I'm not opposed to trying new places.

So! All of you lovely creatures what know this most beloved and ancient refuge...

How I do the things?

[hanakogames]

to me they're such different things that I can only say they're valued differently.

fan art occupies a very different cultural niche! A piece of fanart can be appreciated quickly and spread quickly. Fanart gets more reblogs on tumblr than fanfic, obviously. Fanartists are allowed to monetise and promote their work - in limited ways, but ways that fanfic writers are not. Once we left the ancient times of handprinted zines being exchanged (I'm sure SOMEONE still does but it's obviously not the culture anymore) fanfic writers can't really set up booths at conventions and barely have a presence outside of a panel or workshop.

Fan artists are sometimes embraced by the official source and brought on to do Actual Licensed Work for them based entirely on their fan work, something which is almost unheard of for a fan writer (are there examples other than the Xena - Melissa Good situation?) Certainly there are official writers who also write fanfic but they generally keep those spheres strictly separate for good reasons. **I** don't link my fanfic to my business persona. Anyone who reads me knows perfectly well I do Yuletide and so on, but you have no idea who I am on AO3 and you've never read my fanwork and I'm keeping it that way.

On the other hand, for me personally, no fanartist could ever win my loyalty/following/interest in the way that a fic writer can. I do not follow fanartists. I do not wait with bated breath to see what amazing thing they do next. I do not subscribe for updates. (I do follow some tumblr artists if I like their work overall but *never* solely for 'fanart' reasons. For one thing a fanartist is probably a fan of multiple things, some of which I don't care about, and is therefore less appealing to follow than someone who posts solely original work) I cannot generally name fanartists. Unless I personally commissioned it I probably don't know or care who drew any bit of fanart I've posted/reblogged. I'm interested in the piece, not the person. And unless it's a fan *comic* which is the crossover between the two, fan artists don't come with regular related ongoing updates. There's no reason for me to stick around.

Fanfic authors, though, I attach to and stay attached to for DECADES. Obviously many I've lost track of. Some have died. Some I've donated to the funeral expenses of. Some I'm still hoping will get back to updating their story even 20 years later (it could happen, right?) I know SO MANY individual authors... I mean, I don't know them personally, but I know of them as individuals, I care about their work and their thoughts as individuals. If I love a writer's stories I'm even likely to dip my toes into some of their stories about other settings I don't know because the writing may be enough to make it attractive in a way that fanart could not be. Fanfic will live in my brain. Fanfic will inspire me. Fanfic will make me want to write my OWN fanfic (or sometimes inspire ideas in my non-fan work).

Fanfic is still the magic of oldschool fandom, something secret and shared and deeply meaningful.

But that oldschool feeling includes it being much smaller and less mainstream.

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