MODERN-DAY PERIODICALS: FAN-FICTION AND THE PLATFORMS WHERE THEY ARE HOSTED

Abstract

Fan-fiction has a decades-long history of existence, with its debut
preceding the invention of the internet. However, nowadays, fan-fiction in the form
of writing has moved almost exclusively to designated platforms for hosting fanfiction
as well as social media, where the terms and conditions permit it. The present
paper aims to analyse the social media sites where fan-fiction creations were or are
currently hosted within their selected communities and the ways in which the
platforms are influencing the form of the text themselves. Wattpad, and AO3, as fanfiction
hosting platforms, as well LiveJournal, Tumblr, and Twitter have been used as
places to disseminate fan-fictional content, be it images or in textual form. The
analysis will include the requirements of the content creators with regards to the
platform prerequisites for publishing new content, as well as the limitations of the
platforms and the effect they have on the fan-fiction itself, from shortened tags for
ship names all the way to its structure. The paper aims to be a brief cataloguing of
aspects of each platform in itself as well as the “unspoken rules” devised by individual
fandoms for the purpose of making the content more accessible to readers and also to
abide by the requirement for content warnings and tags with respect to the matters
contained within the creation.