Fanfiction today: An analysis of publishing trends on Archive of Our Own

Abstract

Fan spaces offer a unique opportunity for fans to come together and interact with people who share their interests. Today, you can find fandoms for almost every piece of media, person, or group (Ewens, 2020). These can be rich communities that produce both digital and physical works related to their interest. The physical works that predated the digital have included things like fan-published zines which were often shared at a convention. While these are still popular, the last few decades have seen more and more digital spaces emerging. Artists are selling works on sites like Etsy, Redbubble, and Gumroad. Digital art is shared on all social media platforms. There are even specific sites dedicated to written fanworks, including Live Journal, FanFiction.net, and Archive of Our Own (AO3). AO3 was formed and is run by the non-profit, The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), and depends on hundreds of volunteers and donations. The purpose of this study is to observe notable patterns in fanfiction production among fandoms of different sizes on the website Archive of Our Own.