The evolving role of fan fiction and independent publishing

A core aspect of literature — from the newest young adult, romance or crime thriller novel release to screenplays and award-winning films — is trope. Tropes can be defined by unique, recurring motifs that often speak to the writing’s theme. Popular literary tropes include enemies-to-lovers, found family and love triangles, to name a few. 

A place where tropes have always thrived are fan fiction platforms, particularly Wattpad and Archive of Our Own. In the past decade alone, the number of fan fiction uploads and fan fiction engagement has increased exponentially. In 2014, AO3 hit one million published works. In 2018, the platform was home to over four million works. As of early 2026, the site reports hosting over 17 million fanfics. 

However, for active engagers in fan fiction communities, it’s undeniable that these fandoms feel less active than they did five years ago. This can be attributed to a wide range of reasons — fandom engagement, the rise of “niche” communities and a new approach to appreciating fan fiction stories — particularly the tendency to hyperfocus on tropes.

New readers make a habit of moving quickly from piece to piece, consuming only to leave “kudos,” the AO3 equivalent of likes, while barely leaving comments or actually reading the entire story. 

As popular as this community is, especially in the digital age, fan fiction is seldom spoken about in literary circles. Some claim systemic propagation plays a role in this. Fan fiction is often associated with secrecy as it lends itself to mockery, especially since it is a female-dominated medium. 

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