Fic popularity musings
I'm slightly stymied on writing just at the moment, so I decided to take a look at my AO3 hits, going down to stories with 500+. There were more than I expected.
[ETA: I have no idea why there's the huge white space between this and the table, in my browser anyhow. Sorry.]
Hit CountTitleCoauthorFandomRatingCharacters or PairingWord CountGenreOther remarks
3672Quill-ItHarry PotterExplicitHarry, many others39,090Slash, gen, het, poly, drama, romance, humor, angst; a little bit of everythingDrabbles, ficlets, short fics; some kinks; still in progress
3665Notches on a BroomstickHarry PotterExplicitHarry/many others11,002Slash, het, poly, PWPVarious kinks
3261Three Men
cruisedirectorHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Remus/Severus54,250Slash, poly, PWP, romanceVarious kinks, varying POVs
2829Better Than RevengeHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Draco175,441Slash, romanceAlternate to DH; first time; alternating overlapping POVs
2437Heart of the MatterStar Trek XIExplicitKirk/McCoy86,056Slash, romanceAlternating POVs
2181Admittance
cruisedirectorHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Severus134,026Slash, poly, romanceVarious kinks, varying POVs
2006Harry Potter Drabbles - AdultHarry PotterExplicitMany and varied4,903Slash, het, polyVarious kinks; ongoing
1981Harry Potter Drabbles - SlashHarry PotterTeenMany and varied18,815Slash, romance, drama, humorOngoing
1043Three Is a Magic NumberHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Hermione (various permutations)23,571Poly, het, slash, romanceBDSM and other kinks
798He Plays at HazardHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Severus21,499Slash, angst, romanceUnfinished
708Jane Austen DrabblesJane AustenTeenVarious of JA's works and characters1,100Het, slash, gen, romance, character studiesOngoing
707Wildest DreamsHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry4,900Slash, PWPVarious kinks
703Saving the Best for LastThe Breakfast ClubExplicitBrian Johnson/John Bender4,224SlashFor Florahart
701OptionsHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Hermione(/Harry)4,859Het, polyFor Inell
698Pure LustHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry329Slash, PWPFor EmmaGrant01
628ExpectationsJane AustenTeenElizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy426Het, romanceHints of slash; for CruiseDirector
602Harry Potter Drabbles - HetHarry PotterTeenMany and varied4,203Het, romance, drama, angst, humorOngoing
598Now and ThenHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Severus1,253Slash, PWPSome kink
570Fifth MarauderHarry PotterExplicitJames/Lily/Remus/Severus (various permutations)3,086Poly, het, slash, PWPVarious kinks; for SnegurochkaLee
569ConsistencyStar Trek XIExplicitMcCoy/Spock377SlashFor RealPestilence
567Photographic InspirationHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Ron2,240Poly, slash, PWPFor Mindabbles
553Mr Box 334Harry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Severus4,691Poly, slash, PWPSome kink
546Narnia Drabbles - SlashNarniaTeenVarious, mostly Caspian/Edmund1,502Slash, romance, drama, angstOngoing
538Tell Me a TaleNarniaGeneralCaspian/Edmund391Slash, romanceFor AngelaSnape
530The Three of UsHarry PotterTeenHarry/Hermione/Ron (various permutations)425Het, slash, poly, romanceKicked off a series of ficlets
519Third Time's a CharmHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Neville (various permutations)10,570Slash, poly, PWPFor Mijan
515The Love of FamilyHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Scorpius14,731Slash, dramaIncest and some other kinks; for ElfFlame
501How to Love Each OtherNarniaExplicitCaspian/Edmund1,085Slash, romanceFirst time; for Emiime
501Better the InstructionemiimeHarry PotterExplicitTeddy/Remus, Remus/OC, Teddy/OC186,620Slash, romance, drama, angstIncest, first time, various other kinks
Generally speaking, my longest fics are the ones with the most hits (the exception being a fic with father-son incest - not a big surprise). Likewise, porn sells, as does romance. Interestingly, five items on the list are not stories proper, but rather collections of mostly unrelated drabbles and ficlets. I'm rather pleased to see five different fandoms represented, too, although my earliest fandoms (Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean) and stories don't make this list.
I shan't claim that there's any particular meaning to any of the above, nor do I have any idea (or much care) whether the hit counts are high or low relative to anyone else out there; this was simply interesting to look at, for me.
[ETA: I have no idea why there's the huge white space between this and the table, in my browser anyhow. Sorry.]
Hit CountTitleCoauthorFandomRatingCharacters or PairingWord CountGenreOther remarks
3672Quill-ItHarry PotterExplicitHarry, many others39,090Slash, gen, het, poly, drama, romance, humor, angst; a little bit of everythingDrabbles, ficlets, short fics; some kinks; still in progress
3665Notches on a BroomstickHarry PotterExplicitHarry/many others11,002Slash, het, poly, PWPVarious kinks
3261Three Men
cruisedirectorHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Remus/Severus54,250Slash, poly, PWP, romanceVarious kinks, varying POVs
2829Better Than RevengeHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Draco175,441Slash, romanceAlternate to DH; first time; alternating overlapping POVs
2437Heart of the MatterStar Trek XIExplicitKirk/McCoy86,056Slash, romanceAlternating POVs
2181Admittance
cruisedirectorHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Severus134,026Slash, poly, romanceVarious kinks, varying POVs
2006Harry Potter Drabbles - AdultHarry PotterExplicitMany and varied4,903Slash, het, polyVarious kinks; ongoing
1981Harry Potter Drabbles - SlashHarry PotterTeenMany and varied18,815Slash, romance, drama, humorOngoing
1043Three Is a Magic NumberHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Hermione (various permutations)23,571Poly, het, slash, romanceBDSM and other kinks
798He Plays at HazardHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Severus21,499Slash, angst, romanceUnfinished
708Jane Austen DrabblesJane AustenTeenVarious of JA's works and characters1,100Het, slash, gen, romance, character studiesOngoing
707Wildest DreamsHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry4,900Slash, PWPVarious kinks
703Saving the Best for LastThe Breakfast ClubExplicitBrian Johnson/John Bender4,224SlashFor Florahart
701OptionsHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Hermione(/Harry)4,859Het, polyFor Inell
698Pure LustHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry329Slash, PWPFor EmmaGrant01
628ExpectationsJane AustenTeenElizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy426Het, romanceHints of slash; for CruiseDirector
602Harry Potter Drabbles - HetHarry PotterTeenMany and varied4,203Het, romance, drama, angst, humorOngoing
598Now and ThenHarry PotterExplicitHarry/Severus1,253Slash, PWPSome kink
570Fifth MarauderHarry PotterExplicitJames/Lily/Remus/Severus (various permutations)3,086Poly, het, slash, PWPVarious kinks; for SnegurochkaLee
569ConsistencyStar Trek XIExplicitMcCoy/Spock377SlashFor RealPestilence
567Photographic InspirationHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Ron2,240Poly, slash, PWPFor Mindabbles
553Mr Box 334Harry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Severus4,691Poly, slash, PWPSome kink
546Narnia Drabbles - SlashNarniaTeenVarious, mostly Caspian/Edmund1,502Slash, romance, drama, angstOngoing
538Tell Me a TaleNarniaGeneralCaspian/Edmund391Slash, romanceFor AngelaSnape
530The Three of UsHarry PotterTeenHarry/Hermione/Ron (various permutations)425Het, slash, poly, romanceKicked off a series of ficlets
519Third Time's a CharmHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Harry/Neville (various permutations)10,570Slash, poly, PWPFor Mijan
515The Love of FamilyHarry PotterExplicitDraco/Scorpius14,731Slash, dramaIncest and some other kinks; for ElfFlame
501How to Love Each OtherNarniaExplicitCaspian/Edmund1,085Slash, romanceFirst time; for Emiime
501Better the InstructionemiimeHarry PotterExplicitTeddy/Remus, Remus/OC, Teddy/OC186,620Slash, romance, drama, angstIncest, first time, various other kinks
Generally speaking, my longest fics are the ones with the most hits (the exception being a fic with father-son incest - not a big surprise). Likewise, porn sells, as does romance. Interestingly, five items on the list are not stories proper, but rather collections of mostly unrelated drabbles and ficlets. I'm rather pleased to see five different fandoms represented, too, although my earliest fandoms (Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean) and stories don't make this list.
I shan't claim that there's any particular meaning to any of the above, nor do I have any idea (or much care) whether the hit counts are high or low relative to anyone else out there; this was simply interesting to look at, for me.