Fanfiction Site Review: "Archive Of Our Own"

Archive of Our Own: Cool Features

Other Things to Like About AO3

• The site is stable and fast.
• The story/chapter editor is EASY to use. Plaintext or HTML. Toggle between rich text editing (like a word processor) or code. Then just preview...post...done!
• Horizontal rules, links, and IMAGES are allowed.
• View an entire work or chapter by chapter.
• Search/browse fanfic by fandoms, characters, pairings, tags, ratings, authors... use filters to fine-tune your results.
• The characters list is where AO3 really shines. Even minor characters are listed. There's a separate Pairing field which includes obscure fandom ships, not just the biggies. You can add one if they've missed it! The advantage of using the pre-set Characters and Pairings is to ensure all stories on the same ship or character turn up in a search.
• Even though the archive is in beta, there are already hundreds -- in some cases, thousands -- of fanworks posted for many fandoms.
• Ratings system: General, Teen and up, Mature (non-explicit, but past the PG-13 stage), Explicit. That's it. An additional adult content warning helps parental / nanny software, and the archive requires members to be 13 and up.
• Tags: Choose your own tags, however weird or obscure you like. Or use common tags like "Alternate Universe" or "First Time" or the ever-popular ANGST. Here's the tag cloud of commonly-used tags.
• The Series feature lets designate a batch of your stories to be part of the same series.
• AO3 is integrated with Livejournal, Dreamwidth, and Insane Journal. In particular, there are: (1) Community-based tags like Community: sprinkink (2) Giftfic options: You can designate someone as a fic's recipient (3) Fic exchange options that let all gifts be exchanged (and recipients notified by email) on the "due" date, and (4) Collections which allow fics posted for challenges or communities to be archived together.
• Anonymous or member comments are allowed.
• Import from another URL! They're still getting the bugs out of this, but it's gonna be handy. (Note that people claiming work not their own get banned/blocked.)
• If you delete a work, AO3 emails you a copy for your files, Just To Make Sure.
• There's a ton more features -- see the Archive FAQ.