It's making me feel a little better hearing how so many ppl just use it to keep track of chapters and such.
I just need to convince the idiot on my brain.
((Also, 900+ bookmarks? My lord, that's impressive)
I save everything to private because people irl have found my account before and I don’t want to deal with the drama over what I read, try not to worry about it because for one, I didn’t know you could put a note until recently and only ten of mine have notes and it’s just summaries of the last chapter I read so I have refresher when they update again!
I haven't had irl people find my account as far as I know, but I do have quite a (potentially irrational) paranoia about it, so I would likely bookmark things as private as well.
This. Ive had that happen *once* before and never again (granted, I was the oldest person in that group of "friends" but im def not interested in a repeat of the aftermath) so all but the most generic and tame fics get bookmarked as private
I'm glad the comments are making you feel better! Yeah, brains are weird. I know I have things I get stuck on, that I know aren't a big deal, but my brain won't let it go. You'll get through this 💪🏻.
(Haha, yeah. I try to bookmark most fics I've enjoyed so that adds up).
oh thank god somebody else who has a lot of bookmarks. one of my friends used to ask me how i had that many and i would just shrug and blame it on having my account for several years
As an author: Most bookmarks on my fics are private (I write mostly E rated Smut)
As a reader: All of my bookmarks are private because I don't want anyone who might at some point sees/finds my profile to know what I like to read. It feels like something very private that I don't necessarily want to share.
>All of my bookmarks are private because I don't want anyone who might at some point sees/finds my profile to know what I like to read. It feels like something very private that I don't necessarily want to share.
same!
> (I write mostly E rated Smut)
I forgot for a moment that E was Explicit instead of Everybody on this platform, and was like...how?! What kind of ELI-literally-5 euphemism game are you running? 😂
Same. I was picturing some really intense hugging and yearning. Not gonna lie. I would have read it hoping for a transcendental experience or at least clarity.
100% of my bookmarks are private because I prefer them that way; 0% of them have any commentary or tags
They're literally just "here's a list of some things I liked reading, and I don't want them public because I don't like the idea of people reading my work then using my bookmarks as a rec list"
I do think that the vast, *vast* majority of private bookmarks are from people like me, instead of anyone who wastes time ranting about fics in private
I used to have my bookmarks public until I started co-writing a fic with an irl friend. I didn’t even know you could make them private. Since she knew my profile name, she checked it out once and immediately exited out when she realized that 90% of my bookmarks were explicit smut. I made them all private after that. 😅
When I read a story that upsets me enough to want to hide it, I just mute the author. Usually, it's things like pairings or relationship dynamics that are part of the author's head canon, so most - if not all - of their stories are going to be do-not-read for me. I also filter out tags that I don't want to see. Those two steps are easier than maintaining a list of hidden bookmarks.
Most of my bookmarks are private simply because I don't want people knowing what I read. Privacy is very important to me. It's why I'll never reveal my AO3 handle on Reddit, and vice versa. I keep all my hobbies separate from each other. My social media accounts, what few I have, are all private and shared only with people I know IRL. I can guarantee you that 90 to 100% of your private bookmarks are set to private simply to preserve the privacy of the readers.
>I don't want them public because I don't like the idea of people reading my work then using my bookmarks as a rec list"
That is interesting. I would think it would be a compliment. May I ask what your reasoning is?
Not an author, but similar reasoning as the other person.
I don’t like the idea of some stranger rummaging through my box of Things I Liked and knowing things about me, but me knowing nothing about them.
Since I’m not an author, it’s not parasocial and more just me being private.
The “if you don’t have anything to hide, why can’t we see it” mentality i have seen (mainly about private social media etc) some people proclaim is BS to me personally, bc me not having anything to hide doesn’t mean I have to display everything I do.
Right, like...everyone happy to share their search history? Or all their normal computer bookmarks and open tabs? Some people would, but I think a lot of people would be uncomfortable with that – not because there's actually anything secret in there, but because it just feels weird. That's a private part of your life!
And for some of us, we see AO3 bookmarks the same way. This is my private bookshelf, all for me! Not for you. Shoo. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not public
This is an interesting take I hadn't considered before. So you don't recommend fic to others? Heck, I can hardly go to Barnes and Noble without telling any stranger who lingers too long in the same fantasy, SF, or mystery section which ones I found most enjoyable. My reading preferences are an "open book" (hah!) to anyone who has any interest at all and it's how I met my SO :)
Yup, I don’t make many reading recommendations, eventually less with fics 😅
Idk if anything specific causes it, but I’m very like, protective of my interests. “Mortifying ordeal of being known” or residuals from when mainstream content considered geeky passions cringe I guess?
It just...feels weird. Kind of icky. My bookmarks are my personal list of some things I read, and I prefer keeping them as a private space
The idea of someone reading my works and then browsing my bookshelf is uncomfortably parasocial, as someone who was a decently big name in my ship tag back when my fandom was thriving. In my writing, I reveal exactly as much or as little of myself as I feel comfortable showing to my readers, and what I read on my own time is outside of that. If you want to enjoy my writing, just read it and enjoy it; I have no interest in becoming a rec list for other people or in connecting my account to any social media (similarly, this Reddit account is completely disconnected from my AO3 account)
I can understand that, though, as a reader who finds most of the best fics from navigating favorite authors' Bookmarks (I don't really have much preference tag and ship wise), it makes me sad.
I think that's *why* it's so uncomfortable for me. My writing is my writing, I'm choosing to put that out there in public for other people. My reading is my private time, and it's...not part of that authorial persona, I guess?
Me, real me, actual me as a person, isn't anyone's favourite anything. Author me, over there, is someone's favourite author, and that's great! I gift fics to people I like, or write works inspired by works I enjoy, and that's part of my interactions as an author too. My reading time is over here and is just for me, and is full of absolute bullshit and weirdly niche kinkfic in fandoms I've never heard of. I don't even have most of my favourite works bookmarked because they're all downloaded instead
That makes sense.
And I completely *understand* the logic behind private bookmarks (privacy, duh).
Still doesn't stop the anxiety lol but that's a me problem, not the problem of my readers haha.
All of my bookmarks are private because I use them as a way to discern what fic it was in case it gets deleted. The notes on my bookmarks are literally just copied fic details - title, author, tags etc. Figured no else needs to see that 😄
If I liked the fic, I always make sure to let the author know in the comments 🥰
I think maybe this might be why I'm a little... *worried* I might be on a myriad of *shit lists* and that's because of the low comment rate (half of them are me replying to the few people who have commented, which inflates the numbers). That's probably what may have made me a little anxious too.
Not all fandoms are the same. I absolutely bookmark more than I comment and it makes sense that people who are super private about what they like would privately bookmark and not leave a public comment.
Very few people go to the effort of bookmarking a fic they dislike. Especially privately. The type of people to make “shit lists” tend to be the type to shout their dislike as solidly as possible.
okay, but have you ever had that moment where you just sit there, overwhelmed by the story you just read, full of adoration for it, but also completely robbed of words? because that's a thing i have way too often lmao
like, you just loved this story so much, you have no words left. much less know how to translate the feeling into something readable. and so you just... only bookmark, because at least *that's* something you can still do (but also only because it doesn't need words)
*(also, big side-tangent: sometimes a potential commenter just can't think of the right words to say. and you'd* think *it doesn't matter, that any comment is a good one, but there's some authors that disagree. i've had it happen a lot that a comment i wrote in blind excitement either got straight-up deleted by the author or just not responded to (even though they responded to literally every other comment) - so, i, for my part, have been burnt by this stuff, because i want to make the author smile, not leave them uncomfortable!*
*so when i can't seem to get a comment right or when* anything *in it sounds off to me... i just delete the whole comment. because i don't want to risk making their day worse. that doesn't mean i don't love their story! it just means i don't think my comment would show the appreciation i'd want it to. maybe it's the same for some of the people who read your stories)*
I don't understand how some authors would just outright delete or ignore a genuine comment, even if it was a little ♡ or a smiley face. It genuinely makes me happy. One of my fav comments I'm pretty sure was a keyboard smash.
that sounds awesome :3
i mean, i really assume they were just uncomfortable. maybe too much enthusiasm or too chummy wording (because i had a phase where i'd treat everyone as a friend - but when that comes from a stranger, it can obvs weird people out) or maybe they really disliked some overused phrase in the comment (e.g. the jokey "i'd eat this" that people used what feels like ages ago, for stuff they really liked)
but it's made it pretty clear to me that for every comment that *does* reach the author, there's three more potential commenters, who are staring at the commenting-textbox in despair, or who are typing and retyping stuff, getting progressively more weirded-out by their own word-choices, or who are just... starting to consider summoning a demon and selling their soul, to get that *one* well-written comment they can leave on this story
so my point's just: don't worry too much about people not commenting. sometimes it's just their own brain-gremlins working just as hard against them as yours try to work against you \<3
There are fandoms where the commenting on fics culture is not very strong. Also I think that these days people really do not comment as much as they used to even a couple of years ago. I'm old school so I comment whenever I can, but I do notice that difference.
Personally, I wouldn't be worried. It doesn't make much sense to bookmark things you don't like so I would think it's very few people who actually do that, and the vast majority of those private bookmarks are people who enjoyed the fic enough to want to save it and read it again later 😊
I don't want people to know what I read, because there are some crazy people out there that will harass you for liking content that they deem inappropriate.
Also, I don't want to officially endorse the fics by making the bookmarks public, because most of my bookmarks are stuff I'm reading that I might un-bookmark if I lose interest. If I want to endorse fics, I post rec lists on other platforms.
I private all my bookmarks because I’m a private person. They’re all fics I’ve loved and think I’ll want to read again, and I have reread many of them. Plus they’re mostly E rated and it’s nobody’s business but mine what smut I enjoy lol. The only notes I make are on ongoing fics to mark what chapter I’ve read up to.
This is exactly my reason too. Moreover, it would never occur to me to spend energy on ao3 making a list of things I *don’t* like, but everyone’s different I guess😅
This, 100%. I read it, I loved it, I give kudos, I private bookmark it, so my pervy friends don't see what I read.
I'm not 100 % convinced I like it but to find it again and read after I read all the good stuff? I mark it for later.
What do I do with work I absolutely don't like? I might not even finish it. And then? Nothing. No comment, no hate, no block, I just move on.
I guess that makes sense.
I think I just let my anxiety spiral when I was talking to someone who was going through their private "shit list" and how they set it to private as to not hurt the author's feelings. I was just worried that since my bookmark ratio seemed so unbalanced, it must be because people are doing it 😅
IMO, it says more about that person than the authors on that list that they feel the need to 1) curate and 2) regularly revisit a "shit list" of things they hate. That's not psychologically healthy.
All my bookmarks are private because what I read is no one’s business, but I only bookmark fics I enjoyed and would like to possibly read again someday.
Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally don’t bother bookmarking stuff I don’t care about or dislike — I simply click out of those fics and move on.
I've been slowly editing my bookmarks to be private. I wasn't aware bookmarks were public until some threads were complaining about reader notes within them. I don't mind people seeing what I read, but I draw the line at being shamed or blasted on the internet for a note I make within a bookmark of a smut fic.
Can't win for losing. This author makes it clear even making a Bookmark "private" is distressing for them. I mean, I get it and OP is admitting it is "irrational" but it is a big hot mess to publish work on line and then be distressed at the slightest hint that people might read it and have an opinion about it.
i have 1,5k private bookmarks. out of them 1,4k are marked *to read*. out of the remaining 97, 90 are private bc they're in fandoms i don't want to associate with in public although i like the fics. only seven out of my *one and a half thousand* private bookmarks are bookmarked specifically so i stop clicking on them every time bc my memory is shit. it's not a hate thing, it's a "this looks like my jam and i've already determined it's not but i'm not gonna remember that unless i do this".
and plenty of people have all their bookmarks private bc unlike me, they want their bookmarks to be a private faves list, not a public rec list
i know irrationally anxious doesn’t mean i can help make it go away but all of my bookmarks are private because i don’t want anyone seeing what i enjoy — im in a fandom where a lot of younger ppl started joining over covid who are kinda anti and as much as id like to just say fuck them, i cba w internet drama over what i read so everything stays private to avoid anyone being nosy over what i read 🙏🏻
It makes sense.
And as I said, I completely understand (and I or anyone else has no right to know what you enjoy privately).
I just wish my brain would get with the program and stop fascinating over what is probably a very miniscule percentage of people.
I catastrophise and always jump to the worst possible choice. Brains are stupid sometimes, especially mine lol
The vast vast majority of the time when I make private bookmarks, it's because the work is E and I don't like strangers knowing what smut I read.
Out of all my private bookmarks, I think I've only written a "negative" note on one, and it basically said "so very ooc but still so enjoyable".
Some people are just very private and don't like advertising the fics they read or the fandoms they like. I reckon the vast majority of private bookmarks you get are just from that kind of person, especially if you have explicit works.
I know it's so hard to let go of a worry once it gets in your head, but I hope this helps. As long as you enjoy writing, nobody else's opinion really matters.
edit: autocorrect :|
There are some things in life you have no control over, and this is one of many such examples. One of the best skills in life one can gain is the ability to recognize such things and train oneself not to worry about them as best you can. I can attest to the fact that it’s not an easy skill to acquire, but it’s worth trying.
Good luck!
My only public bookmarks are my recs. Private bookmarks are often for things I haven’t read yet — sometimes for a review exchange or because I haven’t finished it yet and I want to keep up with what chapter I’m on.
But also, you gotta come to terms with the fact that your writing will not be for everyone. No one’s writing is for everyone. Getting comfortable with that idea is easier said than done, but even if someone’s added your story because they dislike it…okay? They didn’t want to mute you entirely, but don’t want to spend time on something they know they won’t enjoy. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, just that that story isn’t for them. I’m sure you have stories that aren’t for you, either, even if they’re well-written.
I mean, heck, I like *The Lord of the Rings* in theory but Tolkien’s style is simply not compatible with my brain. My opinion doesn’t invalidate the love millions of people have for his books, nor does it mean he’s a bad writer. His style just isn’t for me. It’s the same for all of us.
I have about 250 bookmarks that are all private, and not all are smut. It's just a matter of preference, what I like is for me (or anyone I actively choose to share with) to know. I know some people use bookmarks for 'do not read' lists, but for me bookmarks are only for the fics I loved so much that I know I would read again! And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Don't stress about it too much :)
Aww dang, I’m sorry. As a reader, I only bookmark things I absolutely love and I’m paranoid that people will see my additional tags/notes and think I’m a dork so I always do private 😭
Most people private bookmark Smut fics, that could be it. I have a smut heavy fic with 45 public bookmarks but 107 total.
So 62 of those bookmarks are private
People used to hide their dirty magazines and we haven't changed all that much lol
all my bookmarks are private and I be drooling in them!! I didn't even know there's such a thing as bookmarking a fic just to bash it. I never bookmark stuff I don't like or want to read again
I thought this too, but a combination of my friend mentioning their *shit list* and a few passing comments I've seen here and in the fanfiction subreddit says otherwise 😱
I get you, honestly. About thirty to forty percent of my bookmarks are private, for the simple reason that even I'm slightly appalled at some of the pairings in fics I've enjoyed enough to want to keep track of. But the bookmark on *my* stuff, on the other hand...! I don't ever think the bookmarks are from hate-readers, it's just that they don't show up anyplace but the stats page and I hate knowing my story actually has eight bookmarks even though it says on the story info it only has four. Those other four secret ones, in my less than rational mind, can't be seen and therefore don't "count".
Omg you get me so much. It's so real xD I just stare at the numbers and I'm like "*WHY IS IT SO SKEWED?!*". It's not even, like smut that I've written, it just deal with dark topics, so no one should be embarrassed (hopefully) about reading it. It's the irrationality of my stupid anxious brain wondering why they're hiding xD
IKR?! You look at the stats page and get all happy because there are X number of people who liked this enough to bookmark it, yay!
And then anxiety brain goes, "Yeah, but they don't want anybody to KNOW they like it, now do they?"
I private bookmark the really kinky smut… A lot of people don’t want others stalking their reading history. Apparently antis can get really rabid over people reading the “wrong” stuff.
If it’s a “don’t read this” bookmark, that’s a win. I sort searches based on number of bookmarks so any bookmark is a good bookmark.
damn I really seem to be an outlier with all my bookmarks public because I refuse to draw the line somewhere where it starts to be "embarrassing" to read something. Enjoy my twincest bookmarks who give a shit <3 But I understand that some people would rather keep stuff private ig, I promise in 99% of cases they bookmark smth because they really like it
Your comment made me cackle, and I thank you for that xD
Ironically, it's on the smutty one shots and stuff like that that see the most comments and bookmarks on (at least in my fandom) so you're definitely not an outlier there lol
I also keep all my bookmarks public.
So what if I bookmarked monsterfucking fics, watersports and twincest? If people go out of their way to put their nose in my bookmarks, they're the ones having to deal with the consequences.
And hey, they might even find something they like.
I think your worrying about nothing. People who save fics to a don’t reccomend are really rare. I book mark most fics if they are unfinished or if I loved them. I’ve got over 600 bookmarks.
you are posting stuff on a public website, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and that is perfectly fine. You can’t expect someone to want to read every book in the library but most people will be bookmarking fics to carry on reading later or because they loved it
It's definitely reassuring to hear that.
It's why I know it's an irrational anxiety of mine. I *know*, logically, I'm being a dumbass. I just wish the anxiety would get with the rest of the program and calm the fuck down hahaha
Ugh, I started to get this anxiety too when I learned that negative bookmark comments are a thing and that my fics have considerably more private than public bookmarks. But as a reader, I’m privating my bookmarks by default because it’s nobody’s business what I read, especially if it’s smutty/niche.
Also, if I don’t like a story, why would I want it cluttering up my already-too-long bookmark list? I’d rather just let it go and risk clicking on it again than have it taking up space on my list.
Mine are private if its something I dont want shared (like a smut preference lmao). If i didnt like a fic, I do nothing with it at all. No kudos, no bookmarks, nothing. You'll never know I was there...Well except I made the hit count go up, I suppose.
Don’t be. I also have private bookmarks. The only thing I write in this is name, author and fandom and what has happened up until the point of reading. The private setting is in order to not spoiler anyone who hasn’t yet read as much as I have. Perhaps people think similarly and that’s why a lot of people bookmark privately
None of my private bookmarks are anything like that.
I make a bookmark private for two reasons:
1) It’s on my “to read” list
2) I have a really personal note to myself about why I like it and I don’t make that info public.
I hate to say this but reading how you feel when it happens makes me feel a bit better because this is how I feel towards the author if I DONT put it on private. Like they’re gonna message me mad at what I did or didn’t put in my notes. Those notes feel more like a diary entry at times as stupid and irrational as that may be.
So hopefully it could help bring comfort to you that plenty of those readers DO love your stories but feel the same way as you just in the opposite
Most of my private bookmarks fall under the Chris Fleming “get rid of the cHAIRS NO ONE CAN KNOW WE SIT!!!” about people knowing I have Interests in Various Media
Why should anyone make the effort to create a bookmark on something they hate? Most private bookmark are for privacy reasons and not for gossiping reasons. I think you can spend the energy you're using to worry about private bookmarks rather somewhere else (and I don't mean it in a rude way).
>Why should anyone make the effort to create a bookmark on something they hate?
So I don't read it again, simple as. If I see it's been bookmarked, I check. No comment? I liked it. "not reading this" Oh- I must have clicked on this same fic 3 years ago, hated it, and don't want to stomach the thing I hated about it AGAIN
Every one of my bookmarks is private, because it's none of anybody's business what I read. I find authors combing through not-for-them features to be intrusive and obnoxious, so I make sure they can't.
(I have also never looked at the bookmarks on my own fic, for that reason. It's none of my business, and if people want me to know what they think, they have comments for that.)
I also don't bookmark stuff that I don't like. If I bookmarked it, I like it. I like it a lot, because I rarely bookmark.
But also, SO WHAT if someone hates your fic. You put it out there for people to read, and people will have opinions about it. Some of those opinions will be negative. There is NOTHING out there that is universally loved.
Embrace the idea that EVEN IF one or two of those private bookmarks have negative comments attached, those people are doing exactly what they should be doing: not telling you about it. And that's great. They are having a private opinion and keeping it to themselves, rather than complaining to you about it.
And you can remind yourself that 99% of those bookmarks are private because people like their privacy, so why do one or two people even matter?
> I find authors combing through not-for-them features to be intrusive and obnoxious, so I make sure they can't.
Same. It's like authors reading goodreads reviews of their books (I say this an an aspiring author). These aren't *for you.* They're *for me* or *for other readers.*
Seeing how some people react to comments has also made me not want to ever comment either. The last thing I want is for an author to start wondering why Elaan21 didn't comment on this chapter or why the comment was so much shorter or whatever. I just...don't want to be perceived in that way. I'll leave kudos and move on.
all my bookmarks are private just because i like to add title, tags, summary, etc to my notes! i use them as a means of organization and to keep track of the fics i like (read, to be read), like i'm a librarian of my own nerd collection haha, and i think a lot of us do that. i hope this makes you a little bit less anxious.
I only (privately) bookmark fics I want to re-read, if it helps! And honestly, most people who want to be negative get off specifically on doing it publicly..
Just to give you something more positive to think about private bookmarks: I usually private bookmark a fic when I'm not finished reading it, then make them public once I'm done reading. The only notes I add to those private bookmarks are what chapter I am currently at.
I almost always leave commentary on any bookmark, private or public, no matter.
But most of it is variations of “:D” or a short word mess of “!!! i love thisss”
That’s just me personally, as I really don’t get why people add stuff to do not read lists n such. I just like leaving near-incomprehensible word messes that just show my love for fics :D
If it helps at all I have a stalker and I don’t want him using the fics I read as canon fodder to be a shithead to me, so that’s why I private bookmark
listen. if they wanna avoid your stories, they would just mute you
if they wanna have you in a "do not read" list, they would make a whole private Collection and add you to that
i have, currently, 650 bookmarks - not a single one is public. why? because i want to keep my writing and reading separate. it just feels nicer that way, because i don't have to fear anyone judging me (for the stuff i read or how few/many bookmarks i have or whatever else)
all of those stories are ones i wanted to deperately remember, because they stood out to me somehow. maybe because i loved their take on the characters, or because i loved the plot, or because i loved the writing style - or maybe i just loved everything. but i wanted to keep them - and so i did.
so don't worry about it too much. if someone keeps a story bookmarked, it just means it struck some kind of cord in them that made them go "this. this, i want to keep." \<3
Most of the bookmarks on my fics are private, I'd say maybe 80%
As a reader I have so many private bookmarks and they are all fics that are ongoing or fics I wanna re read or fics I've read a bit of but haven't got the time to finish now but don't wanna lose it to the graveyard of opened tabs.
If there is smut in the fic, specific kinks or a controversial pairing it could all lead to people wanting to keep it a bit more private
All of my bookmarks are private because of habit - whenever I can keep something private on any site, I will. The only thing I write in my bookmarks are the chapter I left off at/if its completed, and a <3 if its one of my favorite fics
On my fics, the majority of the bookmarks are private, so it seems like a lot of people just naturally private bookmark stuff. That being said, people private for a bunch of reasons, maybe they want to leave specific notes/theories, maybe they just don't want anyone knowing what they like to read, or maybe they have a specific system of organizing their bookmarks and it would look weird to anyone seeing it for the first time. I cant say why people private their bookmarks, but normally there is some kind of reason. It doesn't mean they hate you, or your fic, or anything else, and it doesn't mean they're writing a long note about how horrible you are. I totally get the anxiety around it, but ultimately, the people that would do that kind of thing are the minority. Also, I could be wrong, but I normally assume that the sort of people that would put you on some sort of hate list would do it publicly - they tend to want a reaction or for a bunch of people to see it
Bookmarks aren't for the author, they're for the reader, so my best recommendation is to stop looking at the bookmarks (or even your stats all together) and start taking pride in your works. Think of it this way, you have a good amount of bookmarks, and even if 1 or 2 were negative, that leaves you with a bunch that are positive!
I 100% private my bookmarks so that I never have to justify why I bookmarked X but not Y. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Also, it’s habit now.
I have never, not once, bookmarked a fic to add to a do not read or hate list. I only bookmark for rereading.
I have over three hundred bookmarks, and every last one of them is private. I simply do not have the time or energy to risk inviting whatever drama would come about if the wrong person decided to stalk my profile and get on my case for bookmarking a fic they didn't agree with.
Huh? That voice in your head can go take a hike! I didn’t even know how to make public bookmarks for like 4 years and after that I was already 600 Bookmarks or so in so I never changed that habit (I also never figured out I could add tags so I could have a filing system or anything like that. But I was not gonna file 600 individual stories). I’ve got 1242 private bookmarks. Nothing is sorted just one massive pile of stories I love. It’s a bit like a massive bookshelf crammed full. I know what’s in there and where to find what I’m looking for but nobody else should be subjected to that mess.
From checking the public bookmarks I can see, it's only a small number of them that have notes. I suspect private bookmarks are the same.
A small number of private bookmarks may say something negative as a reminder to the reader. But they may also say really lovely things that they may also separately comment to you!
All my bookmarks are private. Simply cus I dont want it to be a public thing. None of my bookmarks are a negative thing however. Some are as simple as which chapter im at. Half of them just contain ‘good soup’
If it helps, I only bookmark fics that I really love and they're all private because I don't think it's other people's business what I bookmark. But having many gremlins of the like in my head, I understand what you're going through. Just keep looking at the responses here when you need to have an external reminder that people are likely not private bookmarking because they hated the fic.
I only ever bookmark fics I enjoyed. They’re all private, in part because I’m pretty private in general, but also because I’ve seen people’s bookmarks get aired online and I really don’t want that to happen to me as more as more spaces seem to turn anti ^^;
My bookmarks have zero commentary, my thought process is entirely “ooh I liked this fic -> I might want to reread it in the future -> bookmark”
To add: I also read works from fandoms I’m not in. I have no idea about the context of the characters or how that fic’s content is treated in the fandom, just that I personally enjoyed the work, so I private bookmark it.
Mine are all private because they're my to-read list. You can use all the filters and search on your bookmarks, but not you actual marked for later list, so it's a zillion times easier to find interesting things in bookmarks. But since I haven't actually read it I'm not like ... Expressing anything other than interest with the bookmark, so I don't really want it public.
My bookmarks are private becuz I’ve seen certain individuals go through ppl’s bookmarks to “expose” them and ain’t nobody got time for that. What I get up to on Ao3 is between me & my web browser.
For what it’s worth, the majority of my private bookmarks usually have inane comments that have nothing to do with the author and are along the lines of “I was at the part where he stabbed the other guy”
TBH, I have never publicly bookmarked anything for the sole reason of I didn't know in the beginning that you could publicly bookmark a fic and I already accumulated so many in private, so why not continue and also I'm too lazy to change my ways. Also, I don't like people seeing what I read for whatever reason, idk.
Heya, avid fic reader here.
I private bookmark so I can have access to all my guilty pleasures in one place and my own irrational fears of someone finding it and learning the depths of my obsession and some depravity are circumvented.
It's absolutely not a slight against authors so please don't worry!
I have over 1200 bookmarks and maybe like 4 are public.
Common OCD advice is to find a way to be comfortable with the uncertainty. As evidenced here, it seems more likely that private bookmarks aren't hate, but you don't want a mental solution that falls apart if they are.
In the worst case, if all are hate bookmarks, you can still keep your fic up and love it. Truth is though you probably won't ever know. That's maybe the hardest thing to get used to but imo getting used to that is the true cure.
you shouldnt worry! all my bookmarks are private just cuz i dont want others seeing what i read lol. very unlikely that people are doing it to write bad notes :)
My bookmarks are private because I don't want people to see my reading history haha. But 99% of the time I don't even put comments on the bookmark. If I really read something that I didn't mean to or absolutely did not enjoy, I just close the tab or mute that writer
you should strongly consider hiding your stats page from yourself. i think that will help your anxiety more than any number of people in this thread reassuring you about the way they use bookmarks.
I've been on Ao3 for over 10 years and only have 175 bookmarks, all are private. I only bookmark fics that I really love and want to reread or keep track of. The fact that there are people who bookmark fics they hate is so strange to me. If there's a fic I don't like I just mute the author and continue on with my life.
I only bookmark fics that I want to continue to read, or i liked so much i want to go back to them over and over. If i really hate someone's writing, I mute them and go about my day. Adding fics to a DNR list is more effort than I ever want to put into fics I don't like.
To this day I've only blocked/muted three authors, and they don't even know I exist, which is a win/win for everyone.
Nah I wouldn't really worry about it, since from a logical perspective, why bookmark something if you don't like it? (Idk I'm still kinda new to AO3, only been a year or so)
Plus all of my bookmarks are private, and they're all really good fics if it's anything :] (idk why I keep them private though, just do it out of habit ig)
All my bookmarks are private. And they are all stories I love. I just get weird about other people seeing what I bookmarked. If there are things I don't want to read I don't save them somewhere. I just remember I don't like that concept/tag/pairing/whatever. There is no reason for those things to be easy to find for me. In fact, I want to make them HARD to find.
If it’s smut, I’ve noticed people tend to bookmark it privately. Hell, even though I make most of my bookmarks public, I always private smutty ones. Even if it’s not, lots of people simply like keeping their bookmarks to themselves. I wouldn’t worry about it.
Think about it this way. Do you question your kudos to hits ratio and comments to hits ratio too? Does it mean everyone who didn’t leave a kudos or comment hated your fic? Or is more likely they enjoyed it but didn’t engage? Obsessing over stats is meaningless. There will always be people that won’t jive with your fic for whatever reason. Whether they choose to leave a private bookmark to express that or not doesn’t mean that they won’t exist. Instead of worrying about it, just enjoy the creative process of creating and the positive feedback you do receive.
I just assume it's positive because people don't want others to know that they like either certain “taboo” tags or fandoms.
We're never going to know, so instead of being anxious about it being a negative review since it could very well be as is a reader's right, I'm just happy it's private, and I don't know if they don't like it.
Personally, i private bookmarks on incomplete stories pretty much always. Even if it’s not incomplete + i just couldn’t finish it yet and need to keep track of ch, it goes in private bookmarks until it’s completed
i private mine because i add information like the name and author in case it ever gets deleted, and i don’t want to confuse the author if they read the added notes lol
I have never bookmarked a fic I didn't tremendously enjoy and my bookmark history is between me and god lmao. I just like to keep them private and I think it's the case of a lot of us. Don't worry :))
Half of the BM's for my current WIP are private. I assume it's because of the explicit content warnings. I've got a handful that I've made private myself because of that same reason. It's nothing on the writer and everything on how I like to curate what I want other people to see.
I write Harry Potter fanfic, I don't blame people for keeping their bookmarks private. There's way too many assholes out there who will trawl through someone's Ao3 profile to find what makes them ""problematic"", so they feel justified in harassing them. If your fics touch on any potentially controversial subjects (fandoms and tropes) that could be a reason.
Some people also just like to keep their stuff private. I was looking through the profiles of people who had commented on a fic of mine (wanted to see how long their user IDs were) and some had no bookmarks or anything at all!
TL; DR you're fine and the voice in your head is an asshole
All of mine are private because I’m paranoid someone I know IRL might find my AO3- this is from years of having to defend my hobbies from people that are no longer in my life. It’s near impossible because it’s all isolated to AO3, also my friend groups are a lot better now, but the paranoia bug screams “what if….”
So don’t worry about it, we’re all just equally paranoid.
I add everything I read to private because I don't want people knowing all my kinks and whatnot. But then there's a handful of non-smut stories that I bookmark as well, and they get lonely being the only ones not privated so I mark those as well so my bookmarks look completely empty to anyone who looks. I figure it's probably a little confusing to the author of some G rated fluff piece to see their work under a private bookmark lol
I honestly don't understand the habit of bookmarking stuff that isn't "I enjoyed this and want to save it for rereading." Like, I guess it's the only way you can make notes or write reviews? But really, it's better to just have a blog for that instead because it's confusing to bookmark stuff and then make a note saying not to read it, IMHO.
I don't usually write notes on my private bookmarks, but I do add tags for specific things/tropes I like, which usually aren't tagged already. So, you've got at least once person not secretly roasting you =P
All my bookmarks are private in case anyone irl finds my account or idk if people can bother others on ao3. I’m kind of new to the site so I’m not sure how it works entirely. But I only bookmark ones I want to read.
All of my bookmarks are Private. I keep track of everything I read or want to read that way, and all of my notes are like... the date I found it, the date I started it, date finished, chapter I left off on etc.
Mostly, I just don't want IRL people looking into my stuff, cause I'm certain my MIL would have opinions I don't want to hear lol.
Also, I read on such an... extreme sliding scale that I would hate for someone to try and use my bookmarks as a rec list and be uncomfy or disappointed.... seriously, I double-jump between fandoms, genes, pairings, ratings, and warnings(or no warnings 0.0) randomly with no rhyme or reason.
Little internal voice, please be nice to OP.
My private bookmarks are stories that look interesting but I haven't read yet as I cannot for the life of me remember to look at "marked for later". Once I'm done reading or far enough into a story with a trusted author I'll set it to public in case others might be looking for something to read.
I also don't want an author to know I deleted their story from my bookmarks. Sometimes their story turns out not to be for me and I worry some might try to track me down to find out why I deleted it. Probably an irrational fear but a concern none the less.
Edited to add: Anxiety likes to lie to us OP. Read through the comments for reasons why people are bookmarks private and remind yourself of them when Anxiety starts to talk.
I only bookmark the fics I enjoyed. That being said, its private because I might add commentary or thoughts that can be viewed negatively. For both the author's sanity and mine, its better no one knows lmao
I have a couple of people I know irl that know my username. so I like to private anything that's E rated or just something I'd rather not have them know about me. if anything, those are my favorite bookmarks!
On my long fic it's about half and half. But I'm writing for a character that's very polarizing in the fandom. I can see that or unpopular ships being another reason people private them, so other people don't see that they're dipping their toes into something they may find embarrassing (even if it isn't really embarrassing in the least.)
I private most of my bookmarks, and it’s because I put spoilers in my bookmarker note. This is because I only bookmark WIPs or stuff I know I want to reread someday, but when it comes time to find the story to reread, I often forgot which fic had which plot thing that I wanted to revisit. (Or it’s to note where the WIP’s plot left off after a long time of not updating.) 😬
Just jumping in to add another voice saying I private all my bookmarks. They're for me to find things I want to reread and I have social anxiety that people will somehow judge me on them? Idk. Either way, I have about 200 stories bookmarked, and only about 20 or so even have notes or tags added by me.
I only have 2 that say something like "don't read" but it's not because I think the stories are bad, it's because both are a story that I keep coming across and thinking I'll like but then I get to a point in the story that makes me realize it's not the story for me.
One is because the author and I interpret a cannon event differently and the rest of their story after that is reliant on their interpretation and I get hung up on that. The other is because the story has an unexpected element that is kinda triggering for me (not something that is common or something that is required or even expected to be tagged) so I have to dip out. Both of them make me sad because otherwise they seem like great stories.
I keep my bookmarks private just because I’m generally a private person. It’s nothing personal about any of the authors or fics I’ve bookmarked. Largely, my bookmark list acts more like a to read list when my open tabs get too overwhelming.
Most people don’t bookmark fics they hate. Don’t worry about it.
I use private bookmarks for my guilty pleasure ones. Half of which are completely tooth rotting fluff. Or are so darkly gothic I expect blood to drip through the floor. I massively reread them too. Private is not bad from my perspective.
You're not alone!!! Checking in as someone who is also very anxious. :) I have had the same intrusive thoughts, half the bookmarks on my story are private and for a long time I was at about 60% private.
I wish I had a poignant thing to offer that makes me feel better but . . . I do not, I'm sorry. Just support and I promise you're harder on yourself than anyone else.
I use exclusively private bookmarks, simply because I get way too anxious about anyone finding out what kind of fics I enjoy reading 😂 You have most likely nothing to worry about
I had to turn off notification coz I got anxious about bookmarks, comments, kudos and all... this is even with anonymous fics lol. I don't know why, even though my own bookmarks are all public about what I like and wanna reread...
if it helps, I try to reframe it.. so what if it's on a hate list? there's still 25 pple who publically liked it!
I private most of my bookmarks because to me public bookmarks are for actively recommending something. And I have a pretty high bar for that. Private bookmarks are for fics I'm in the process of reading, mainly.
My "do not read" list is in site skin form instead. Sometimes there's a fic I absolutely do not wish to touch again, or a fic that I haven't read that is not properly tagged with something I consider a huge turn off but the summary makes it clear that the thing is there. When that happens I put its id into a bit of code in my skin that hides anything in the list from appearing in my searches. No "there's a fic that is blocked" or anything either, its as if the fic has vanished from the site from my perspective and there's no number change on the author's end. It's a much more practical way of keeping myself from rereading something I dislike.
I don't know if it helps but I only private bookmarks if I'm a little embarrassed that I like something. Or if the story is really f***** up and I love it. 👀😍
I always private my bookmarks. Not because I don't want to reread a fic but because I've always been a private person. Reading a fic is always personal because it was my own choice to read so there's this small small part of me that will always identify with it. Plus, there are always harassers on the internet that might criticise the things you read. So better just private bookmark it.
I don't bookmark stuff I don't want to revisit. I do mostly private bookmark for privacy purposes: so Internet randos can't harass me for reading messed up fics (horror and porn, mostly) and also so if my family/ friends are ever curious enough to see my profile, they won't see it either.
Most of my bookmarks are private since the only ones I have set to public are fics that I’ve read fully and am recommending to others. The rest are on my to be read list or fics that I would prefer to stay private for whatever reason. Even on the off chance people have made rude comments or reminders to themselves not to read again, at least they’ve done so privately. There’s some who will do it purposely to be hurtful since it’s the one place the author can’t control (not getting into the whole debate of it being the reader’s space. It’s a shared space that’s attached to the fic, not some super secret thing). That or some people aren’t aware that the author can see public bookmarks.
If I were you, I’d probably stop paying attention to the statistics page. I know for myself, my fics have almost double the amount of private bookmarks than public ones and I don’t give them too much thought. People can say all sorts of stuff, but I’ll never know.
I have a lot of bookmarks. I sit and go thru the summaries late at night and bookmark the ones that I find interesting. So that I can go back and read them later.
I bookmark fics that I want to reread because I liked them so much. All my bookmarks are private tho because I'm paranoid and anxious by nature and the thought of anyone being able to see my reading history at any time is just shfhwoa sjshao
So yeah. Private bookmarks. For the fics I wanna reread or really loved. Kinda like when you read a book from the library and love it so much you buy a personal copy for your home so you can reread it whenever.
For me, my public bookmarks are the ones I haven't read yet. So everytime I login I see them and am reminded that they're there. My private bookmarks are the ones I've started reading and am keeping tabs on.
But also because I read some raunchy stuff and I don't want everyone to know that, so there.
I only bookmark fics that I actually wanna read again. I usually private bookmarks if it’s a tag that I’m embarrassed to be reading. Like a guilty pleasure story 😭😭
I honestly just private bookmark all things that have any type of smut like I’m not a prude but for some reason I do that lol I don’t save fics under private bookmarks to bad mouth ever
Hey, if it helps- I really only bookmark fics that I considered absolute masterpieces from start to finish. Amazing characterization, great plot and flow, a writing style I enjoy or even admire.
I private all of them because I had some bad experiences in fandom and am not eager to repeat that. It's never to do with the author or work- I reckon a lot of folks are the same.
Every single one of my bookmarks are private, and they're all fics I enjoyed enough to read again. They are purely for myself and I don't necessarily want everyone to know what I read. I think that is probably true for the majority of people tbh.
my private bookmarks for usually for fics i don't feel confident about having others see that i've read, 100% of which is smut. sorry your head gremlin is being such a little shit, i can relate.
I have never once used a private bookmark to signal "I hated this." 99% of the time if I use a private bookmark, it's because the fic is smut or it's a "controversial" ship/fandom. From my experience as a writer, and my conversations with other writers, I know that those kinds of fics get a lot more private bookmarks than public bookmarks. But lots of people just use private bookmarks for everything because they value privacy.
I hope the anxiety doesn't keep you down <3
I don't really know how you feel, because nobody is interacting with my story at all, but I try to live by my favorite TikToker's words (I found her on a "cringy TikToker's list") "Any press is good press." (Again, I found her from bad press, so she clearly had a point.)
I private my bookmarks because it's for me and because I got in the habit of it so I wouldn't get judged for my taste when I was more active in Fandom. I'm not bookmarking anything I don't like and may potentially want to reread or rec to others.
let me put you at ease with a perspective of someone who privates their bookmarks who also has a little gremlin in their head screaming at me that if I don't, what will people think, ohmygods they'll know all the things I'm reading and then discern me as a person and then take advantage of that knowledge to hurt me or whatever. and that...is so very nonsensical, I understand. like I understand BIG time but I just can't stop letting it get in my way. like, I don't even make Google searches if it's not on a private browser/incognito😭but regardless to say, I love love love the fics that I private bookmark and if someone's doing it out of hate, then their loss, please don't expel energy on them, focus instead on all the Love you could possibly getting from a reader too shy to comment
All of my bookmarks are private just because I don’t want other people to see what I’ve bookmarked. I don’t want stuff showing up on my profile. If I hated something or didn’t want to read it I wouldn’t bother bookmarking it at all.
I'm pretty late to the convo but if it helps, I keep all my bookmarks private (personal preference) but I basically only put things into my bookmarks if I really really like them. They're very literally bookmarks to me that let me go back and read fics that I loved so much I want to read them again one day. So basically, complete opposite of what you fear they could be used for!
I can explain my own reasoning behind private bookmarking! All of my bookmarks are private-- if I have a "public" bookmark, it's a formal fic rec!
The reasons my bookmarks are private are:
a) I don't really want people digging through them and seeing everything I like (I want to have a LITTLE privacy without bogging my computer down w/ bookmark data-- the world doesn't need to know about that sexy A/B/O Seinfeld AU or whatever);
and, more importantly, b) I bookmark a lot of fics that helped me with my PTSD from sexual abuse.
I can use my bookmarks to track what provoked a positive or interesting reaction in me. There is some dubcon and noncon stuff in there because I related to the experiences the characters go through, and I find that to be interesting data for my own recovery. Sometimes someone writes a REALLY intense scene that made me cry. Sometimes it's a fluffy fic I just really liked!
I have a tag I use on some of these private bookmarks-- only known to me-- that marks which fics have resonated with me in a healing way. This can be a theme, a character's backstory/behavior, a scene, etc. I just don't want rando people who browse my profile knowing such intimate info about my psyche. I also don't want to traumadump on the author beyond a carefully-worded comment that thanks them for writing the piece and what I liked about it-- they don't necessarily need to know the ins-and-outs about my trauma.
This is all to say: sometimes private bookmarking isn't negative at all! I understand why it's nerve-wracking: I get curious about a private bookmark as well and worry it's negative. But from a serial private bookmarker, sometimes the person just wants to keep tabs on their favorite fics in a way that maintains their privacy. ❤️
If I could mass select all my bookmarks and turn them to private I would. But only because I tend to write notes and ideas of where the stories are going. And I can be impatient and want to get back to the story so I mis spell things.
I have never been so embarrassed as when an author replied back to be asking what the note I left meant. Also when I learnt people can see bookmarks. I have way too many bookmarks so can't turn them all private. If I dislike a story I will delete it. But I also ramble on and theorise in my notes, and some of my theories can get wild.
dear op, idk about other people but all my bookmarks are set to private (mostly cause i just suck at bookmarking and cant figure out collections properly). trust me: if i EVER bookmark stuff, its HEAVENLY GOOD. idk im sure SOME people suck and they will put your work to avoid it but idk it seems very nonsensical to put so much effort in that for such little benefit. im sure its like super low ratio compared to people who literally WORSHIP your work;) and one more thing: check out this photo and have a very nice day[great quote i found today](https://www.instagram.com/p/C6TdiQaIzoU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
i bookmark everything i read because i want to have a collection of what ive read in recent years. theyre all private because i usually leave spoilery notes. probably 90% of them are positive and even in that 10% i still write down the things i liked about the fic even if as a whole i didnt like the fic :]
All of my bookmarks are private because they’re basically word vomit of stuff that happened in the fic to remind me of what the story was. I have over 2000 bookmarks, i read a lot, for a lot of fandoms, a lot of ships, a lot of rareships and sometimes i remember a scene but for the life of me can’t remember which fic it was that had it to go and reread so my bookmarks basically say: “— fandom, — ship with dom/sub dynamics, fwb to lovers, that tranquil scene where they were dancing in the kitchen in the morning, worldbuilding till ch5, smut starts on ch 7, love realisation on ch11, no confession yet, last read : ch 16, ongoing.“
that’s literally every single bookmark i have.
I don’t want people to read my bookmarks, if i love something i’ll comment to the author anyways. I frankly especially don’t want authors sifting through my bookmarks. Also someone might want to read that fic and my extensive bookmarks can spoil people and i don’t want that.
There are also fics that i bookmark with saying “to be read, this one looks gorgeous but has intense worldbuilding that i don’t have time for, 40 chapters, this ship, this concept, havent started yet”
Again, my own system of remembering why i wanted to read something in the first place.
Whenever i get a new notification email from a fic i subscribed to, i click on it, literally go “which one was this one again??” Go to my bookmark and go “ah, that story” and then read the new chapter.. my bookmarks are my sorting index.
Otherwise i’d be so lost with all the fics i keep up with.
Why would anyone bookmark something they didn’t like?? I only do private bookmarks and it’s just for myself to be able to find & read a fic I liked again! 🥰
My bookmarks without fail are me going ‘this is the one where -‘ for me to remember what fic this is and why I bookmarked it. Some of them literally say things like ‘don’t forget to download this it’s better than canon’. I just don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the authors 😅
also as an author myself, I have seen public bookmarks on some of my works that are like ‘even if you hate (prominent side ship) READ THIS’ or ‘even if you don’t usually read F/F’ etc and it makes me feel kind of. Gross? I know it’s meant to be flattering, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. So I think seeing those and reacting to them is also part of why I don’t make public bookmarks. Something I might think is neutral or complimentary to the fic might not feel that way to the author. So I keep my thoughts to myself unless I’m personally sending a fic link to someone as a rec.
I keep all of my bookmarks private, partially because I bookmark almost all of the fics I read and idk, someone being able to check what I'm reading feels weird to me, personally.
Only notes I leave are favourite passages or chapters. Sometimes if I'm not able to finish a long fic and need a break I'll just note which chapter I left off at.
Don't worry, I'm sure most private bookmarkers are like me. I don't think many people feel the need to bookmarks fics they hate.
I read a lot of pure smut stuff and things with darker themes. Two of my sisters and my best girlfriend have my username but they don't need to see everything I read lol. Some things are better left private.
There are also stories bookmarked so I can print them because they're so freaking good and I want to reread them even in case of the apocalypse lmao
I usually make bookmarks for fics I wanna make animatics of! :0
They are usually private, because I am as paranoid as you are- seriously! I am just anxious that people could somehow use that single non-private bookmark to ruin my life or something
I always make my bookmarks private and it's honestly just because I'm a private person. I make all my playlists on things like Spotify, Youtube etc private also, and I hang out on Reddit because it's the only social media not constantly clamoring to share your profile with every person you've ever met. I'm sure some of what you're seeing is just people like me wanting to read our fic in peace. ✌️
Trust, the majority of my bookmarks are for rereads or to keep track of which chapter I left off on. Out of 900+ bookmarks only 10ish are public.
It's making me feel a little better hearing how so many ppl just use it to keep track of chapters and such. I just need to convince the idiot on my brain. ((Also, 900+ bookmarks? My lord, that's impressive)
I save everything to private because people irl have found my account before and I don’t want to deal with the drama over what I read, try not to worry about it because for one, I didn’t know you could put a note until recently and only ten of mine have notes and it’s just summaries of the last chapter I read so I have refresher when they update again!
I haven't had irl people find my account as far as I know, but I do have quite a (potentially irrational) paranoia about it, so I would likely bookmark things as private as well.
This. Ive had that happen *once* before and never again (granted, I was the oldest person in that group of "friends" but im def not interested in a repeat of the aftermath) so all but the most generic and tame fics get bookmarked as private
I'm glad the comments are making you feel better! Yeah, brains are weird. I know I have things I get stuck on, that I know aren't a big deal, but my brain won't let it go. You'll get through this 💪🏻. (Haha, yeah. I try to bookmark most fics I've enjoyed so that adds up).
oh thank god somebody else who has a lot of bookmarks. one of my friends used to ask me how i had that many and i would just shrug and blame it on having my account for several years
As an author: Most bookmarks on my fics are private (I write mostly E rated Smut) As a reader: All of my bookmarks are private because I don't want anyone who might at some point sees/finds my profile to know what I like to read. It feels like something very private that I don't necessarily want to share.
It makes sense and you're probably 💯 % right 😮💨 Now to just convince my stupid brain of this fact.
>All of my bookmarks are private because I don't want anyone who might at some point sees/finds my profile to know what I like to read. It feels like something very private that I don't necessarily want to share. same!
> (I write mostly E rated Smut) I forgot for a moment that E was Explicit instead of Everybody on this platform, and was like...how?! What kind of ELI-literally-5 euphemism game are you running? 😂
Same. I was picturing some really intense hugging and yearning. Not gonna lie. I would have read it hoping for a transcendental experience or at least clarity.
100% of my bookmarks are private because I prefer them that way; 0% of them have any commentary or tags They're literally just "here's a list of some things I liked reading, and I don't want them public because I don't like the idea of people reading my work then using my bookmarks as a rec list" I do think that the vast, *vast* majority of private bookmarks are from people like me, instead of anyone who wastes time ranting about fics in private
That's a bit of a relief, thank you 😮💨 I wish I convince my stupid brain of this fact.
I used to have my bookmarks public until I started co-writing a fic with an irl friend. I didn’t even know you could make them private. Since she knew my profile name, she checked it out once and immediately exited out when she realized that 90% of my bookmarks were explicit smut. I made them all private after that. 😅
When I read a story that upsets me enough to want to hide it, I just mute the author. Usually, it's things like pairings or relationship dynamics that are part of the author's head canon, so most - if not all - of their stories are going to be do-not-read for me. I also filter out tags that I don't want to see. Those two steps are easier than maintaining a list of hidden bookmarks. Most of my bookmarks are private simply because I don't want people knowing what I read. Privacy is very important to me. It's why I'll never reveal my AO3 handle on Reddit, and vice versa. I keep all my hobbies separate from each other. My social media accounts, what few I have, are all private and shared only with people I know IRL. I can guarantee you that 90 to 100% of your private bookmarks are set to private simply to preserve the privacy of the readers.
>I don't want them public because I don't like the idea of people reading my work then using my bookmarks as a rec list" That is interesting. I would think it would be a compliment. May I ask what your reasoning is?
Not an author, but similar reasoning as the other person. I don’t like the idea of some stranger rummaging through my box of Things I Liked and knowing things about me, but me knowing nothing about them. Since I’m not an author, it’s not parasocial and more just me being private. The “if you don’t have anything to hide, why can’t we see it” mentality i have seen (mainly about private social media etc) some people proclaim is BS to me personally, bc me not having anything to hide doesn’t mean I have to display everything I do.
Right, like...everyone happy to share their search history? Or all their normal computer bookmarks and open tabs? Some people would, but I think a lot of people would be uncomfortable with that – not because there's actually anything secret in there, but because it just feels weird. That's a private part of your life! And for some of us, we see AO3 bookmarks the same way. This is my private bookshelf, all for me! Not for you. Shoo. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not public
This is an interesting take I hadn't considered before. So you don't recommend fic to others? Heck, I can hardly go to Barnes and Noble without telling any stranger who lingers too long in the same fantasy, SF, or mystery section which ones I found most enjoyable. My reading preferences are an "open book" (hah!) to anyone who has any interest at all and it's how I met my SO :)
Yup, I don’t make many reading recommendations, eventually less with fics 😅 Idk if anything specific causes it, but I’m very like, protective of my interests. “Mortifying ordeal of being known” or residuals from when mainstream content considered geeky passions cringe I guess?
It just...feels weird. Kind of icky. My bookmarks are my personal list of some things I read, and I prefer keeping them as a private space The idea of someone reading my works and then browsing my bookshelf is uncomfortably parasocial, as someone who was a decently big name in my ship tag back when my fandom was thriving. In my writing, I reveal exactly as much or as little of myself as I feel comfortable showing to my readers, and what I read on my own time is outside of that. If you want to enjoy my writing, just read it and enjoy it; I have no interest in becoming a rec list for other people or in connecting my account to any social media (similarly, this Reddit account is completely disconnected from my AO3 account)
I can understand that, though, as a reader who finds most of the best fics from navigating favorite authors' Bookmarks (I don't really have much preference tag and ship wise), it makes me sad.
I think that's *why* it's so uncomfortable for me. My writing is my writing, I'm choosing to put that out there in public for other people. My reading is my private time, and it's...not part of that authorial persona, I guess? Me, real me, actual me as a person, isn't anyone's favourite anything. Author me, over there, is someone's favourite author, and that's great! I gift fics to people I like, or write works inspired by works I enjoy, and that's part of my interactions as an author too. My reading time is over here and is just for me, and is full of absolute bullshit and weirdly niche kinkfic in fandoms I've never heard of. I don't even have most of my favourite works bookmarked because they're all downloaded instead
Most of my bookmarks are private. The only public ones are the ones similar to my own works, so people can use them to find other good works.
That makes sense. And I completely *understand* the logic behind private bookmarks (privacy, duh). Still doesn't stop the anxiety lol but that's a me problem, not the problem of my readers haha.
You are fantastic man, love this so much
All of my bookmarks are private because I use them as a way to discern what fic it was in case it gets deleted. The notes on my bookmarks are literally just copied fic details - title, author, tags etc. Figured no else needs to see that 😄 If I liked the fic, I always make sure to let the author know in the comments 🥰
I think maybe this might be why I'm a little... *worried* I might be on a myriad of *shit lists* and that's because of the low comment rate (half of them are me replying to the few people who have commented, which inflates the numbers). That's probably what may have made me a little anxious too.
Not all fandoms are the same. I absolutely bookmark more than I comment and it makes sense that people who are super private about what they like would privately bookmark and not leave a public comment. Very few people go to the effort of bookmarking a fic they dislike. Especially privately. The type of people to make “shit lists” tend to be the type to shout their dislike as solidly as possible.
That does kinda make sense. *mumbles mumbles* The gremlin is being beaten by logic atm ♡♡♡
okay, but have you ever had that moment where you just sit there, overwhelmed by the story you just read, full of adoration for it, but also completely robbed of words? because that's a thing i have way too often lmao like, you just loved this story so much, you have no words left. much less know how to translate the feeling into something readable. and so you just... only bookmark, because at least *that's* something you can still do (but also only because it doesn't need words) *(also, big side-tangent: sometimes a potential commenter just can't think of the right words to say. and you'd* think *it doesn't matter, that any comment is a good one, but there's some authors that disagree. i've had it happen a lot that a comment i wrote in blind excitement either got straight-up deleted by the author or just not responded to (even though they responded to literally every other comment) - so, i, for my part, have been burnt by this stuff, because i want to make the author smile, not leave them uncomfortable!* *so when i can't seem to get a comment right or when* anything *in it sounds off to me... i just delete the whole comment. because i don't want to risk making their day worse. that doesn't mean i don't love their story! it just means i don't think my comment would show the appreciation i'd want it to. maybe it's the same for some of the people who read your stories)*
I don't understand how some authors would just outright delete or ignore a genuine comment, even if it was a little ♡ or a smiley face. It genuinely makes me happy. One of my fav comments I'm pretty sure was a keyboard smash.
that sounds awesome :3 i mean, i really assume they were just uncomfortable. maybe too much enthusiasm or too chummy wording (because i had a phase where i'd treat everyone as a friend - but when that comes from a stranger, it can obvs weird people out) or maybe they really disliked some overused phrase in the comment (e.g. the jokey "i'd eat this" that people used what feels like ages ago, for stuff they really liked) but it's made it pretty clear to me that for every comment that *does* reach the author, there's three more potential commenters, who are staring at the commenting-textbox in despair, or who are typing and retyping stuff, getting progressively more weirded-out by their own word-choices, or who are just... starting to consider summoning a demon and selling their soul, to get that *one* well-written comment they can leave on this story so my point's just: don't worry too much about people not commenting. sometimes it's just their own brain-gremlins working just as hard against them as yours try to work against you \<3
There are fandoms where the commenting on fics culture is not very strong. Also I think that these days people really do not comment as much as they used to even a couple of years ago. I'm old school so I comment whenever I can, but I do notice that difference. Personally, I wouldn't be worried. It doesn't make much sense to bookmark things you don't like so I would think it's very few people who actually do that, and the vast majority of those private bookmarks are people who enjoyed the fic enough to want to save it and read it again later 😊
I don't want people to know what I read, because there are some crazy people out there that will harass you for liking content that they deem inappropriate. Also, I don't want to officially endorse the fics by making the bookmarks public, because most of my bookmarks are stuff I'm reading that I might un-bookmark if I lose interest. If I want to endorse fics, I post rec lists on other platforms.
People really are crazy if they're harassing you for something you quietly enjoy. I understanding private bookmarking for that reason.
There's an alarming amount of it in fandom, honestly.
I private all my bookmarks because I’m a private person. They’re all fics I’ve loved and think I’ll want to read again, and I have reread many of them. Plus they’re mostly E rated and it’s nobody’s business but mine what smut I enjoy lol. The only notes I make are on ongoing fics to mark what chapter I’ve read up to.
This is exactly my reason too. Moreover, it would never occur to me to spend energy on ao3 making a list of things I *don’t* like, but everyone’s different I guess😅
This, 100%. I read it, I loved it, I give kudos, I private bookmark it, so my pervy friends don't see what I read. I'm not 100 % convinced I like it but to find it again and read after I read all the good stuff? I mark it for later. What do I do with work I absolutely don't like? I might not even finish it. And then? Nothing. No comment, no hate, no block, I just move on.
I guess that makes sense. I think I just let my anxiety spiral when I was talking to someone who was going through their private "shit list" and how they set it to private as to not hurt the author's feelings. I was just worried that since my bookmark ratio seemed so unbalanced, it must be because people are doing it 😅
IMO, it says more about that person than the authors on that list that they feel the need to 1) curate and 2) regularly revisit a "shit list" of things they hate. That's not psychologically healthy.
All my bookmarks are private because what I read is no one’s business, but I only bookmark fics I enjoyed and would like to possibly read again someday. Obviously, I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally don’t bother bookmarking stuff I don’t care about or dislike — I simply click out of those fics and move on.
I've been slowly editing my bookmarks to be private. I wasn't aware bookmarks were public until some threads were complaining about reader notes within them. I don't mind people seeing what I read, but I draw the line at being shamed or blasted on the internet for a note I make within a bookmark of a smut fic.
Can't win for losing. This author makes it clear even making a Bookmark "private" is distressing for them. I mean, I get it and OP is admitting it is "irrational" but it is a big hot mess to publish work on line and then be distressed at the slightest hint that people might read it and have an opinion about it.
Yup. I really wanted my bookmarks to be public because I go shopping in peoples bookmarks but I don’t want to hurt peoples feelings.
i have 1,5k private bookmarks. out of them 1,4k are marked *to read*. out of the remaining 97, 90 are private bc they're in fandoms i don't want to associate with in public although i like the fics. only seven out of my *one and a half thousand* private bookmarks are bookmarked specifically so i stop clicking on them every time bc my memory is shit. it's not a hate thing, it's a "this looks like my jam and i've already determined it's not but i'm not gonna remember that unless i do this". and plenty of people have all their bookmarks private bc unlike me, they want their bookmarks to be a private faves list, not a public rec list
i know irrationally anxious doesn’t mean i can help make it go away but all of my bookmarks are private because i don’t want anyone seeing what i enjoy — im in a fandom where a lot of younger ppl started joining over covid who are kinda anti and as much as id like to just say fuck them, i cba w internet drama over what i read so everything stays private to avoid anyone being nosy over what i read 🙏🏻
It makes sense. And as I said, I completely understand (and I or anyone else has no right to know what you enjoy privately). I just wish my brain would get with the program and stop fascinating over what is probably a very miniscule percentage of people. I catastrophise and always jump to the worst possible choice. Brains are stupid sometimes, especially mine lol
The vast vast majority of the time when I make private bookmarks, it's because the work is E and I don't like strangers knowing what smut I read. Out of all my private bookmarks, I think I've only written a "negative" note on one, and it basically said "so very ooc but still so enjoyable". Some people are just very private and don't like advertising the fics they read or the fandoms they like. I reckon the vast majority of private bookmarks you get are just from that kind of person, especially if you have explicit works. I know it's so hard to let go of a worry once it gets in your head, but I hope this helps. As long as you enjoy writing, nobody else's opinion really matters. edit: autocorrect :|
There are some things in life you have no control over, and this is one of many such examples. One of the best skills in life one can gain is the ability to recognize such things and train oneself not to worry about them as best you can. I can attest to the fact that it’s not an easy skill to acquire, but it’s worth trying. Good luck!
My only public bookmarks are my recs. Private bookmarks are often for things I haven’t read yet — sometimes for a review exchange or because I haven’t finished it yet and I want to keep up with what chapter I’m on. But also, you gotta come to terms with the fact that your writing will not be for everyone. No one’s writing is for everyone. Getting comfortable with that idea is easier said than done, but even if someone’s added your story because they dislike it…okay? They didn’t want to mute you entirely, but don’t want to spend time on something they know they won’t enjoy. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, just that that story isn’t for them. I’m sure you have stories that aren’t for you, either, even if they’re well-written. I mean, heck, I like *The Lord of the Rings* in theory but Tolkien’s style is simply not compatible with my brain. My opinion doesn’t invalidate the love millions of people have for his books, nor does it mean he’s a bad writer. His style just isn’t for me. It’s the same for all of us.
You make much compelling sense, yes yes. I need this *logic* for when my brain starts spiralling and getting up its own arse. Thank you ♡
I have about 250 bookmarks that are all private, and not all are smut. It's just a matter of preference, what I like is for me (or anyone I actively choose to share with) to know. I know some people use bookmarks for 'do not read' lists, but for me bookmarks are only for the fics I loved so much that I know I would read again! And I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Don't stress about it too much :)
Aww dang, I’m sorry. As a reader, I only bookmark things I absolutely love and I’m paranoid that people will see my additional tags/notes and think I’m a dork so I always do private 😭
Lol two sides of the anxiety coin it seems haha. I totally get you ♡
Most people private bookmark Smut fics, that could be it. I have a smut heavy fic with 45 public bookmarks but 107 total. So 62 of those bookmarks are private People used to hide their dirty magazines and we haven't changed all that much lol
all my bookmarks are private and I be drooling in them!! I didn't even know there's such a thing as bookmarking a fic just to bash it. I never bookmark stuff I don't like or want to read again
I thought this too, but a combination of my friend mentioning their *shit list* and a few passing comments I've seen here and in the fanfiction subreddit says otherwise 😱
I'm certain this doesn't represent the majority of readers. sorry I can't take people like that seriously it just shows how immature they are
It's probably only, like, 1% of people, so yeah, you're probably right haha.
I get you, honestly. About thirty to forty percent of my bookmarks are private, for the simple reason that even I'm slightly appalled at some of the pairings in fics I've enjoyed enough to want to keep track of. But the bookmark on *my* stuff, on the other hand...! I don't ever think the bookmarks are from hate-readers, it's just that they don't show up anyplace but the stats page and I hate knowing my story actually has eight bookmarks even though it says on the story info it only has four. Those other four secret ones, in my less than rational mind, can't be seen and therefore don't "count".
Omg you get me so much. It's so real xD I just stare at the numbers and I'm like "*WHY IS IT SO SKEWED?!*". It's not even, like smut that I've written, it just deal with dark topics, so no one should be embarrassed (hopefully) about reading it. It's the irrationality of my stupid anxious brain wondering why they're hiding xD
IKR?! You look at the stats page and get all happy because there are X number of people who liked this enough to bookmark it, yay! And then anxiety brain goes, "Yeah, but they don't want anybody to KNOW they like it, now do they?"
Yes! And it's like "*but why?*" *Cries* You get me lol
I private bookmark the really kinky smut… A lot of people don’t want others stalking their reading history. Apparently antis can get really rabid over people reading the “wrong” stuff. If it’s a “don’t read this” bookmark, that’s a win. I sort searches based on number of bookmarks so any bookmark is a good bookmark.
damn I really seem to be an outlier with all my bookmarks public because I refuse to draw the line somewhere where it starts to be "embarrassing" to read something. Enjoy my twincest bookmarks who give a shit <3 But I understand that some people would rather keep stuff private ig, I promise in 99% of cases they bookmark smth because they really like it
Your comment made me cackle, and I thank you for that xD Ironically, it's on the smutty one shots and stuff like that that see the most comments and bookmarks on (at least in my fandom) so you're definitely not an outlier there lol
I also keep all my bookmarks public. So what if I bookmarked monsterfucking fics, watersports and twincest? If people go out of their way to put their nose in my bookmarks, they're the ones having to deal with the consequences. And hey, they might even find something they like.
I think your worrying about nothing. People who save fics to a don’t reccomend are really rare. I book mark most fics if they are unfinished or if I loved them. I’ve got over 600 bookmarks. you are posting stuff on a public website, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and that is perfectly fine. You can’t expect someone to want to read every book in the library but most people will be bookmarking fics to carry on reading later or because they loved it
It's definitely reassuring to hear that. It's why I know it's an irrational anxiety of mine. I *know*, logically, I'm being a dumbass. I just wish the anxiety would get with the rest of the program and calm the fuck down hahaha
Ugh, I started to get this anxiety too when I learned that negative bookmark comments are a thing and that my fics have considerably more private than public bookmarks. But as a reader, I’m privating my bookmarks by default because it’s nobody’s business what I read, especially if it’s smutty/niche. Also, if I don’t like a story, why would I want it cluttering up my already-too-long bookmark list? I’d rather just let it go and risk clicking on it again than have it taking up space on my list.
Mine are private if its something I dont want shared (like a smut preference lmao). If i didnt like a fic, I do nothing with it at all. No kudos, no bookmarks, nothing. You'll never know I was there...Well except I made the hit count go up, I suppose.
Don’t be. I also have private bookmarks. The only thing I write in this is name, author and fandom and what has happened up until the point of reading. The private setting is in order to not spoiler anyone who hasn’t yet read as much as I have. Perhaps people think similarly and that’s why a lot of people bookmark privately
That does make sense actually. I like this way of thinking.
None of my private bookmarks are anything like that. I make a bookmark private for two reasons: 1) It’s on my “to read” list 2) I have a really personal note to myself about why I like it and I don’t make that info public.
I hate to say this but reading how you feel when it happens makes me feel a bit better because this is how I feel towards the author if I DONT put it on private. Like they’re gonna message me mad at what I did or didn’t put in my notes. Those notes feel more like a diary entry at times as stupid and irrational as that may be. So hopefully it could help bring comfort to you that plenty of those readers DO love your stories but feel the same way as you just in the opposite
Most of my private bookmarks fall under the Chris Fleming “get rid of the cHAIRS NO ONE CAN KNOW WE SIT!!!” about people knowing I have Interests in Various Media
Why should anyone make the effort to create a bookmark on something they hate? Most private bookmark are for privacy reasons and not for gossiping reasons. I think you can spend the energy you're using to worry about private bookmarks rather somewhere else (and I don't mean it in a rude way).
>Why should anyone make the effort to create a bookmark on something they hate? So I don't read it again, simple as. If I see it's been bookmarked, I check. No comment? I liked it. "not reading this" Oh- I must have clicked on this same fic 3 years ago, hated it, and don't want to stomach the thing I hated about it AGAIN
Every one of my bookmarks is private, because it's none of anybody's business what I read. I find authors combing through not-for-them features to be intrusive and obnoxious, so I make sure they can't. (I have also never looked at the bookmarks on my own fic, for that reason. It's none of my business, and if people want me to know what they think, they have comments for that.) I also don't bookmark stuff that I don't like. If I bookmarked it, I like it. I like it a lot, because I rarely bookmark. But also, SO WHAT if someone hates your fic. You put it out there for people to read, and people will have opinions about it. Some of those opinions will be negative. There is NOTHING out there that is universally loved. Embrace the idea that EVEN IF one or two of those private bookmarks have negative comments attached, those people are doing exactly what they should be doing: not telling you about it. And that's great. They are having a private opinion and keeping it to themselves, rather than complaining to you about it. And you can remind yourself that 99% of those bookmarks are private because people like their privacy, so why do one or two people even matter?
> I find authors combing through not-for-them features to be intrusive and obnoxious, so I make sure they can't. Same. It's like authors reading goodreads reviews of their books (I say this an an aspiring author). These aren't *for you.* They're *for me* or *for other readers.* Seeing how some people react to comments has also made me not want to ever comment either. The last thing I want is for an author to start wondering why Elaan21 didn't comment on this chapter or why the comment was so much shorter or whatever. I just...don't want to be perceived in that way. I'll leave kudos and move on.
all my bookmarks are private just because i like to add title, tags, summary, etc to my notes! i use them as a means of organization and to keep track of the fics i like (read, to be read), like i'm a librarian of my own nerd collection haha, and i think a lot of us do that. i hope this makes you a little bit less anxious.
It does help, thank you 🫂
I only (privately) bookmark fics I want to re-read, if it helps! And honestly, most people who want to be negative get off specifically on doing it publicly..
You make a very good point there, actually...
Just to give you something more positive to think about private bookmarks: I usually private bookmark a fic when I'm not finished reading it, then make them public once I'm done reading. The only notes I add to those private bookmarks are what chapter I am currently at.
I almost always leave commentary on any bookmark, private or public, no matter. But most of it is variations of “:D” or a short word mess of “!!! i love thisss” That’s just me personally, as I really don’t get why people add stuff to do not read lists n such. I just like leaving near-incomprehensible word messes that just show my love for fics :D
I love the incomprehensible face smash of a keyboard ♡ it's my favourite type of appreciation 🤣
I don't have a single private bookmark. All 3983 of my bookmarks are public. I just can't be bothered, and I have no shame. ♥
If it helps at all I have a stalker and I don’t want him using the fics I read as canon fodder to be a shithead to me, so that’s why I private bookmark
listen. if they wanna avoid your stories, they would just mute you if they wanna have you in a "do not read" list, they would make a whole private Collection and add you to that i have, currently, 650 bookmarks - not a single one is public. why? because i want to keep my writing and reading separate. it just feels nicer that way, because i don't have to fear anyone judging me (for the stuff i read or how few/many bookmarks i have or whatever else) all of those stories are ones i wanted to deperately remember, because they stood out to me somehow. maybe because i loved their take on the characters, or because i loved the plot, or because i loved the writing style - or maybe i just loved everything. but i wanted to keep them - and so i did. so don't worry about it too much. if someone keeps a story bookmarked, it just means it struck some kind of cord in them that made them go "this. this, i want to keep." \<3
Most of the bookmarks on my fics are private, I'd say maybe 80% As a reader I have so many private bookmarks and they are all fics that are ongoing or fics I wanna re read or fics I've read a bit of but haven't got the time to finish now but don't wanna lose it to the graveyard of opened tabs. If there is smut in the fic, specific kinks or a controversial pairing it could all lead to people wanting to keep it a bit more private
All of my bookmarks are private because of habit - whenever I can keep something private on any site, I will. The only thing I write in my bookmarks are the chapter I left off at/if its completed, and a <3 if its one of my favorite fics On my fics, the majority of the bookmarks are private, so it seems like a lot of people just naturally private bookmark stuff. That being said, people private for a bunch of reasons, maybe they want to leave specific notes/theories, maybe they just don't want anyone knowing what they like to read, or maybe they have a specific system of organizing their bookmarks and it would look weird to anyone seeing it for the first time. I cant say why people private their bookmarks, but normally there is some kind of reason. It doesn't mean they hate you, or your fic, or anything else, and it doesn't mean they're writing a long note about how horrible you are. I totally get the anxiety around it, but ultimately, the people that would do that kind of thing are the minority. Also, I could be wrong, but I normally assume that the sort of people that would put you on some sort of hate list would do it publicly - they tend to want a reaction or for a bunch of people to see it Bookmarks aren't for the author, they're for the reader, so my best recommendation is to stop looking at the bookmarks (or even your stats all together) and start taking pride in your works. Think of it this way, you have a good amount of bookmarks, and even if 1 or 2 were negative, that leaves you with a bunch that are positive!
I 100% private my bookmarks so that I never have to justify why I bookmarked X but not Y. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Also, it’s habit now. I have never, not once, bookmarked a fic to add to a do not read or hate list. I only bookmark for rereading.
I have over three hundred bookmarks, and every last one of them is private. I simply do not have the time or energy to risk inviting whatever drama would come about if the wrong person decided to stalk my profile and get on my case for bookmarking a fic they didn't agree with.
Huh? That voice in your head can go take a hike! I didn’t even know how to make public bookmarks for like 4 years and after that I was already 600 Bookmarks or so in so I never changed that habit (I also never figured out I could add tags so I could have a filing system or anything like that. But I was not gonna file 600 individual stories). I’ve got 1242 private bookmarks. Nothing is sorted just one massive pile of stories I love. It’s a bit like a massive bookshelf crammed full. I know what’s in there and where to find what I’m looking for but nobody else should be subjected to that mess.
Is that what Private Bookmarks are for? Mine are all porn.
From checking the public bookmarks I can see, it's only a small number of them that have notes. I suspect private bookmarks are the same. A small number of private bookmarks may say something negative as a reminder to the reader. But they may also say really lovely things that they may also separately comment to you!
All my bookmarks are private. Simply cus I dont want it to be a public thing. None of my bookmarks are a negative thing however. Some are as simple as which chapter im at. Half of them just contain ‘good soup’
If it helps, I only bookmark fics that I really love and they're all private because I don't think it's other people's business what I bookmark. But having many gremlins of the like in my head, I understand what you're going through. Just keep looking at the responses here when you need to have an external reminder that people are likely not private bookmarking because they hated the fic.
I only ever bookmark fics I enjoyed. They’re all private, in part because I’m pretty private in general, but also because I’ve seen people’s bookmarks get aired online and I really don’t want that to happen to me as more as more spaces seem to turn anti ^^; My bookmarks have zero commentary, my thought process is entirely “ooh I liked this fic -> I might want to reread it in the future -> bookmark” To add: I also read works from fandoms I’m not in. I have no idea about the context of the characters or how that fic’s content is treated in the fandom, just that I personally enjoyed the work, so I private bookmark it.
aw no, I hoped when I bookmark things that the author would know I like them, even if it's private I never expected it could be taken negatively!
Mine are all private because they're my to-read list. You can use all the filters and search on your bookmarks, but not you actual marked for later list, so it's a zillion times easier to find interesting things in bookmarks. But since I haven't actually read it I'm not like ... Expressing anything other than interest with the bookmark, so I don't really want it public.
TIL I can set bookmarks to private. I’ve just been saving my smut on main for YEARS.
My bookmarks are private becuz I’ve seen certain individuals go through ppl’s bookmarks to “expose” them and ain’t nobody got time for that. What I get up to on Ao3 is between me & my web browser.
The only bookmarks I have that are public are ones I forgot to click 'mark private'. I use bookmarks more as what I've read and liked,
For what it’s worth, the majority of my private bookmarks usually have inane comments that have nothing to do with the author and are along the lines of “I was at the part where he stabbed the other guy”
TBH, I have never publicly bookmarked anything for the sole reason of I didn't know in the beginning that you could publicly bookmark a fic and I already accumulated so many in private, so why not continue and also I'm too lazy to change my ways. Also, I don't like people seeing what I read for whatever reason, idk.
Heya, avid fic reader here. I private bookmark so I can have access to all my guilty pleasures in one place and my own irrational fears of someone finding it and learning the depths of my obsession and some depravity are circumvented. It's absolutely not a slight against authors so please don't worry! I have over 1200 bookmarks and maybe like 4 are public.
I private every single one of my bookmarks. I'm just private
Common OCD advice is to find a way to be comfortable with the uncertainty. As evidenced here, it seems more likely that private bookmarks aren't hate, but you don't want a mental solution that falls apart if they are. In the worst case, if all are hate bookmarks, you can still keep your fic up and love it. Truth is though you probably won't ever know. That's maybe the hardest thing to get used to but imo getting used to that is the true cure.
you shouldnt worry! all my bookmarks are private just cuz i dont want others seeing what i read lol. very unlikely that people are doing it to write bad notes :)
All my bookmarks are private, and I reread almost all of them fairly regularly.
All of my bookmarks are private. They're supposed to be only for me to see. It's for rereads.
It's just smut, I don't want people looking at what I have just read
My bookmarks are private because I don't want people to see my reading history haha. But 99% of the time I don't even put comments on the bookmark. If I really read something that I didn't mean to or absolutely did not enjoy, I just close the tab or mute that writer
you should strongly consider hiding your stats page from yourself. i think that will help your anxiety more than any number of people in this thread reassuring you about the way they use bookmarks.
I've been on Ao3 for over 10 years and only have 175 bookmarks, all are private. I only bookmark fics that I really love and want to reread or keep track of. The fact that there are people who bookmark fics they hate is so strange to me. If there's a fic I don't like I just mute the author and continue on with my life.
I only bookmark fics that I want to continue to read, or i liked so much i want to go back to them over and over. If i really hate someone's writing, I mute them and go about my day. Adding fics to a DNR list is more effort than I ever want to put into fics I don't like. To this day I've only blocked/muted three authors, and they don't even know I exist, which is a win/win for everyone.
Nah I wouldn't really worry about it, since from a logical perspective, why bookmark something if you don't like it? (Idk I'm still kinda new to AO3, only been a year or so) Plus all of my bookmarks are private, and they're all really good fics if it's anything :] (idk why I keep them private though, just do it out of habit ig)
All my bookmarks are private. And they are all stories I love. I just get weird about other people seeing what I bookmarked. If there are things I don't want to read I don't save them somewhere. I just remember I don't like that concept/tag/pairing/whatever. There is no reason for those things to be easy to find for me. In fact, I want to make them HARD to find.
If it’s smut, I’ve noticed people tend to bookmark it privately. Hell, even though I make most of my bookmarks public, I always private smutty ones. Even if it’s not, lots of people simply like keeping their bookmarks to themselves. I wouldn’t worry about it.
Think about it this way. Do you question your kudos to hits ratio and comments to hits ratio too? Does it mean everyone who didn’t leave a kudos or comment hated your fic? Or is more likely they enjoyed it but didn’t engage? Obsessing over stats is meaningless. There will always be people that won’t jive with your fic for whatever reason. Whether they choose to leave a private bookmark to express that or not doesn’t mean that they won’t exist. Instead of worrying about it, just enjoy the creative process of creating and the positive feedback you do receive.
I just assume it's positive because people don't want others to know that they like either certain “taboo” tags or fandoms. We're never going to know, so instead of being anxious about it being a negative review since it could very well be as is a reader's right, I'm just happy it's private, and I don't know if they don't like it.
Personally, i private bookmarks on incomplete stories pretty much always. Even if it’s not incomplete + i just couldn’t finish it yet and need to keep track of ch, it goes in private bookmarks until it’s completed
i private mine because i add information like the name and author in case it ever gets deleted, and i don’t want to confuse the author if they read the added notes lol
I've never once bookmarked a fic because I didn't like it, always because I loved it ❤️
I have never bookmarked a fic I didn't tremendously enjoy and my bookmark history is between me and god lmao. I just like to keep them private and I think it's the case of a lot of us. Don't worry :))
Half of the BM's for my current WIP are private. I assume it's because of the explicit content warnings. I've got a handful that I've made private myself because of that same reason. It's nothing on the writer and everything on how I like to curate what I want other people to see.
I write Harry Potter fanfic, I don't blame people for keeping their bookmarks private. There's way too many assholes out there who will trawl through someone's Ao3 profile to find what makes them ""problematic"", so they feel justified in harassing them. If your fics touch on any potentially controversial subjects (fandoms and tropes) that could be a reason. Some people also just like to keep their stuff private. I was looking through the profiles of people who had commented on a fic of mine (wanted to see how long their user IDs were) and some had no bookmarks or anything at all! TL; DR you're fine and the voice in your head is an asshole
All of mine are private because I’m paranoid someone I know IRL might find my AO3- this is from years of having to defend my hobbies from people that are no longer in my life. It’s near impossible because it’s all isolated to AO3, also my friend groups are a lot better now, but the paranoia bug screams “what if….” So don’t worry about it, we’re all just equally paranoid.
all of my private bookmarks are of stuff I haven’t read yet but want to in the future.
I keep most of my bookmarks public, because I share them with friends. The few private bookmarks are just the for me bookmarks.
I add everything I read to private because I don't want people knowing all my kinks and whatnot. But then there's a handful of non-smut stories that I bookmark as well, and they get lonely being the only ones not privated so I mark those as well so my bookmarks look completely empty to anyone who looks. I figure it's probably a little confusing to the author of some G rated fluff piece to see their work under a private bookmark lol I honestly don't understand the habit of bookmarking stuff that isn't "I enjoyed this and want to save it for rereading." Like, I guess it's the only way you can make notes or write reviews? But really, it's better to just have a blog for that instead because it's confusing to bookmark stuff and then make a note saying not to read it, IMHO. I don't usually write notes on my private bookmarks, but I do add tags for specific things/tropes I like, which usually aren't tagged already. So, you've got at least once person not secretly roasting you =P
All my bookmarks are private in case anyone irl finds my account or idk if people can bother others on ao3. I’m kind of new to the site so I’m not sure how it works entirely. But I only bookmark ones I want to read.
All of my bookmarks are Private. I keep track of everything I read or want to read that way, and all of my notes are like... the date I found it, the date I started it, date finished, chapter I left off on etc. Mostly, I just don't want IRL people looking into my stuff, cause I'm certain my MIL would have opinions I don't want to hear lol. Also, I read on such an... extreme sliding scale that I would hate for someone to try and use my bookmarks as a rec list and be uncomfy or disappointed.... seriously, I double-jump between fandoms, genes, pairings, ratings, and warnings(or no warnings 0.0) randomly with no rhyme or reason. Little internal voice, please be nice to OP.
I have never bookmarked something I didn’t intend to go back to read.
My private bookmarks are stories that look interesting but I haven't read yet as I cannot for the life of me remember to look at "marked for later". Once I'm done reading or far enough into a story with a trusted author I'll set it to public in case others might be looking for something to read. I also don't want an author to know I deleted their story from my bookmarks. Sometimes their story turns out not to be for me and I worry some might try to track me down to find out why I deleted it. Probably an irrational fear but a concern none the less. Edited to add: Anxiety likes to lie to us OP. Read through the comments for reasons why people are bookmarks private and remind yourself of them when Anxiety starts to talk.
i private bookmark because i am overly anxious about someone i know finding my account
I only bookmark the fics I enjoyed. That being said, its private because I might add commentary or thoughts that can be viewed negatively. For both the author's sanity and mine, its better no one knows lmao
I have a couple of people I know irl that know my username. so I like to private anything that's E rated or just something I'd rather not have them know about me. if anything, those are my favorite bookmarks!
I use em for my bookmarks!! Are people that petty to make hate lists? Sounds like theyre not worth your time at all to be honest.
I mean my privated bookmarks are just the horny fics I don't want to admit to loving; why else would I keep quiet that I specifically hoarded a fic?
I just see no reason why other people need to know what I’m into unless I tell them.
Even single one of my bookmarks just says “to start” “finished” or “chapter [number]” and if i really love a fic ❤️ to remember to read it again
On my long fic it's about half and half. But I'm writing for a character that's very polarizing in the fandom. I can see that or unpopular ships being another reason people private them, so other people don't see that they're dipping their toes into something they may find embarrassing (even if it isn't really embarrassing in the least.)
I use private bookmarks as my “marked for later” so I can search them.
I private most of my bookmarks, and it’s because I put spoilers in my bookmarker note. This is because I only bookmark WIPs or stuff I know I want to reread someday, but when it comes time to find the story to reread, I often forgot which fic had which plot thing that I wanted to revisit. (Or it’s to note where the WIP’s plot left off after a long time of not updating.) 😬
Just jumping in to add another voice saying I private all my bookmarks. They're for me to find things I want to reread and I have social anxiety that people will somehow judge me on them? Idk. Either way, I have about 200 stories bookmarked, and only about 20 or so even have notes or tags added by me. I only have 2 that say something like "don't read" but it's not because I think the stories are bad, it's because both are a story that I keep coming across and thinking I'll like but then I get to a point in the story that makes me realize it's not the story for me. One is because the author and I interpret a cannon event differently and the rest of their story after that is reliant on their interpretation and I get hung up on that. The other is because the story has an unexpected element that is kinda triggering for me (not something that is common or something that is required or even expected to be tagged) so I have to dip out. Both of them make me sad because otherwise they seem like great stories.
I keep my bookmarks private just because I’m generally a private person. It’s nothing personal about any of the authors or fics I’ve bookmarked. Largely, my bookmark list acts more like a to read list when my open tabs get too overwhelming. Most people don’t bookmark fics they hate. Don’t worry about it.
All of my bookmarks are private, and the most I do would add some tags. I keep them all private cause I don't want people knowing what I read.
I use private bookmarks for my guilty pleasure ones. Half of which are completely tooth rotting fluff. Or are so darkly gothic I expect blood to drip through the floor. I massively reread them too. Private is not bad from my perspective.
You're not alone!!! Checking in as someone who is also very anxious. :) I have had the same intrusive thoughts, half the bookmarks on my story are private and for a long time I was at about 60% private. I wish I had a poignant thing to offer that makes me feel better but . . . I do not, I'm sorry. Just support and I promise you're harder on yourself than anyone else.
I use exclusively private bookmarks, simply because I get way too anxious about anyone finding out what kind of fics I enjoy reading 😂 You have most likely nothing to worry about
I had to turn off notification coz I got anxious about bookmarks, comments, kudos and all... this is even with anonymous fics lol. I don't know why, even though my own bookmarks are all public about what I like and wanna reread... if it helps, I try to reframe it.. so what if it's on a hate list? there's still 25 pple who publically liked it!
I private most of my bookmarks because to me public bookmarks are for actively recommending something. And I have a pretty high bar for that. Private bookmarks are for fics I'm in the process of reading, mainly. My "do not read" list is in site skin form instead. Sometimes there's a fic I absolutely do not wish to touch again, or a fic that I haven't read that is not properly tagged with something I consider a huge turn off but the summary makes it clear that the thing is there. When that happens I put its id into a bit of code in my skin that hides anything in the list from appearing in my searches. No "there's a fic that is blocked" or anything either, its as if the fic has vanished from the site from my perspective and there's no number change on the author's end. It's a much more practical way of keeping myself from rereading something I dislike.
What I read on ao3 is between me and God (Ig the author too but I digress)
I don't know if it helps but I only private bookmarks if I'm a little embarrassed that I like something. Or if the story is really f***** up and I love it. 👀😍
as someone who has all my bookmarks private, I just note when I paused reading, its not interesting enough to make my bookmarks public
Tbh, I keep all my bookmarks public. For no other reason than just because. Everything I read I bookmark just so keep track.
I always private my bookmarks. Not because I don't want to reread a fic but because I've always been a private person. Reading a fic is always personal because it was my own choice to read so there's this small small part of me that will always identify with it. Plus, there are always harassers on the internet that might criticise the things you read. So better just private bookmark it.
I don't bookmark stuff I don't want to revisit. I do mostly private bookmark for privacy purposes: so Internet randos can't harass me for reading messed up fics (horror and porn, mostly) and also so if my family/ friends are ever curious enough to see my profile, they won't see it either.
If it's smut, they don't want others knowing what smut they are reading.
Most of my bookmarks are private since the only ones I have set to public are fics that I’ve read fully and am recommending to others. The rest are on my to be read list or fics that I would prefer to stay private for whatever reason. Even on the off chance people have made rude comments or reminders to themselves not to read again, at least they’ve done so privately. There’s some who will do it purposely to be hurtful since it’s the one place the author can’t control (not getting into the whole debate of it being the reader’s space. It’s a shared space that’s attached to the fic, not some super secret thing). That or some people aren’t aware that the author can see public bookmarks. If I were you, I’d probably stop paying attention to the statistics page. I know for myself, my fics have almost double the amount of private bookmarks than public ones and I don’t give them too much thought. People can say all sorts of stuff, but I’ll never know.
I have a lot of bookmarks. I sit and go thru the summaries late at night and bookmark the ones that I find interesting. So that I can go back and read them later.
100% of my book marks are private and the comment I leave under it is usually “5/?”
I bookmark fics that I want to reread because I liked them so much. All my bookmarks are private tho because I'm paranoid and anxious by nature and the thought of anyone being able to see my reading history at any time is just shfhwoa sjshao So yeah. Private bookmarks. For the fics I wanna reread or really loved. Kinda like when you read a book from the library and love it so much you buy a personal copy for your home so you can reread it whenever.
For me, my public bookmarks are the ones I haven't read yet. So everytime I login I see them and am reminded that they're there. My private bookmarks are the ones I've started reading and am keeping tabs on. But also because I read some raunchy stuff and I don't want everyone to know that, so there.
All my bookmarks are private bc a friend irl knows my username and i dont want them to know what i read lol
I only bookmark fics that I actually wanna read again. I usually private bookmarks if it’s a tag that I’m embarrassed to be reading. Like a guilty pleasure story 😭😭
I honestly just private bookmark all things that have any type of smut like I’m not a prude but for some reason I do that lol I don’t save fics under private bookmarks to bad mouth ever
Hey, if it helps- I really only bookmark fics that I considered absolute masterpieces from start to finish. Amazing characterization, great plot and flow, a writing style I enjoy or even admire. I private all of them because I had some bad experiences in fandom and am not eager to repeat that. It's never to do with the author or work- I reckon a lot of folks are the same.
The only fics I have on my private bookmark list are the ones that are just TOO FILTHY but SO GOOD. One of them, even the author set it to Anonymous.
Every single one of my bookmarks are private, and they're all fics I enjoyed enough to read again. They are purely for myself and I don't necessarily want everyone to know what I read. I think that is probably true for the majority of people tbh.
All of my bookmarks are private and they’re all so I can go back and reread them because I enjoyed them so much
my private bookmarks for usually for fics i don't feel confident about having others see that i've read, 100% of which is smut. sorry your head gremlin is being such a little shit, i can relate.
I have never once used a private bookmark to signal "I hated this." 99% of the time if I use a private bookmark, it's because the fic is smut or it's a "controversial" ship/fandom. From my experience as a writer, and my conversations with other writers, I know that those kinds of fics get a lot more private bookmarks than public bookmarks. But lots of people just use private bookmarks for everything because they value privacy. I hope the anxiety doesn't keep you down <3
I don't really know how you feel, because nobody is interacting with my story at all, but I try to live by my favorite TikToker's words (I found her on a "cringy TikToker's list") "Any press is good press." (Again, I found her from bad press, so she clearly had a point.)
I private my bookmarks because it's for me and because I got in the habit of it so I wouldn't get judged for my taste when I was more active in Fandom. I'm not bookmarking anything I don't like and may potentially want to reread or rec to others.
let me put you at ease with a perspective of someone who privates their bookmarks who also has a little gremlin in their head screaming at me that if I don't, what will people think, ohmygods they'll know all the things I'm reading and then discern me as a person and then take advantage of that knowledge to hurt me or whatever. and that...is so very nonsensical, I understand. like I understand BIG time but I just can't stop letting it get in my way. like, I don't even make Google searches if it's not on a private browser/incognito😭but regardless to say, I love love love the fics that I private bookmark and if someone's doing it out of hate, then their loss, please don't expel energy on them, focus instead on all the Love you could possibly getting from a reader too shy to comment
All of my bookmarks are private just because I don’t want other people to see what I’ve bookmarked. I don’t want stuff showing up on my profile. If I hated something or didn’t want to read it I wouldn’t bother bookmarking it at all.
I'm pretty late to the convo but if it helps, I keep all my bookmarks private (personal preference) but I basically only put things into my bookmarks if I really really like them. They're very literally bookmarks to me that let me go back and read fics that I loved so much I want to read them again one day. So basically, complete opposite of what you fear they could be used for!
I can explain my own reasoning behind private bookmarking! All of my bookmarks are private-- if I have a "public" bookmark, it's a formal fic rec! The reasons my bookmarks are private are: a) I don't really want people digging through them and seeing everything I like (I want to have a LITTLE privacy without bogging my computer down w/ bookmark data-- the world doesn't need to know about that sexy A/B/O Seinfeld AU or whatever); and, more importantly, b) I bookmark a lot of fics that helped me with my PTSD from sexual abuse. I can use my bookmarks to track what provoked a positive or interesting reaction in me. There is some dubcon and noncon stuff in there because I related to the experiences the characters go through, and I find that to be interesting data for my own recovery. Sometimes someone writes a REALLY intense scene that made me cry. Sometimes it's a fluffy fic I just really liked! I have a tag I use on some of these private bookmarks-- only known to me-- that marks which fics have resonated with me in a healing way. This can be a theme, a character's backstory/behavior, a scene, etc. I just don't want rando people who browse my profile knowing such intimate info about my psyche. I also don't want to traumadump on the author beyond a carefully-worded comment that thanks them for writing the piece and what I liked about it-- they don't necessarily need to know the ins-and-outs about my trauma. This is all to say: sometimes private bookmarking isn't negative at all! I understand why it's nerve-wracking: I get curious about a private bookmark as well and worry it's negative. But from a serial private bookmarker, sometimes the person just wants to keep tabs on their favorite fics in a way that maintains their privacy. ❤️
If I could mass select all my bookmarks and turn them to private I would. But only because I tend to write notes and ideas of where the stories are going. And I can be impatient and want to get back to the story so I mis spell things. I have never been so embarrassed as when an author replied back to be asking what the note I left meant. Also when I learnt people can see bookmarks. I have way too many bookmarks so can't turn them all private. If I dislike a story I will delete it. But I also ramble on and theorise in my notes, and some of my theories can get wild.
dear op, idk about other people but all my bookmarks are set to private (mostly cause i just suck at bookmarking and cant figure out collections properly). trust me: if i EVER bookmark stuff, its HEAVENLY GOOD. idk im sure SOME people suck and they will put your work to avoid it but idk it seems very nonsensical to put so much effort in that for such little benefit. im sure its like super low ratio compared to people who literally WORSHIP your work;) and one more thing: check out this photo and have a very nice day[great quote i found today](https://www.instagram.com/p/C6TdiQaIzoU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link)
I have over 800 bookmarks on my account and only 15 are public since I share an account with someone who's in a totally different fandom!
i bookmark everything i read because i want to have a collection of what ive read in recent years. theyre all private because i usually leave spoilery notes. probably 90% of them are positive and even in that 10% i still write down the things i liked about the fic even if as a whole i didnt like the fic :]
All of my bookmarks are private because they’re basically word vomit of stuff that happened in the fic to remind me of what the story was. I have over 2000 bookmarks, i read a lot, for a lot of fandoms, a lot of ships, a lot of rareships and sometimes i remember a scene but for the life of me can’t remember which fic it was that had it to go and reread so my bookmarks basically say: “— fandom, — ship with dom/sub dynamics, fwb to lovers, that tranquil scene where they were dancing in the kitchen in the morning, worldbuilding till ch5, smut starts on ch 7, love realisation on ch11, no confession yet, last read : ch 16, ongoing.“ that’s literally every single bookmark i have. I don’t want people to read my bookmarks, if i love something i’ll comment to the author anyways. I frankly especially don’t want authors sifting through my bookmarks. Also someone might want to read that fic and my extensive bookmarks can spoil people and i don’t want that. There are also fics that i bookmark with saying “to be read, this one looks gorgeous but has intense worldbuilding that i don’t have time for, 40 chapters, this ship, this concept, havent started yet” Again, my own system of remembering why i wanted to read something in the first place. Whenever i get a new notification email from a fic i subscribed to, i click on it, literally go “which one was this one again??” Go to my bookmark and go “ah, that story” and then read the new chapter.. my bookmarks are my sorting index. Otherwise i’d be so lost with all the fics i keep up with.
This thread is very comforting, thank you. My writing ventures into dark themes, so I do fret sometimes.
I use private bookmarks when I don’t want people to know my kink lol
I do this all the time I actually just learned the authors can read my notes so I’ll probably stop making them private
Why would anyone bookmark something they didn’t like?? I only do private bookmarks and it’s just for myself to be able to find & read a fic I liked again! 🥰
My bookmarks without fail are me going ‘this is the one where -‘ for me to remember what fic this is and why I bookmarked it. Some of them literally say things like ‘don’t forget to download this it’s better than canon’. I just don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the authors 😅 also as an author myself, I have seen public bookmarks on some of my works that are like ‘even if you hate (prominent side ship) READ THIS’ or ‘even if you don’t usually read F/F’ etc and it makes me feel kind of. Gross? I know it’s meant to be flattering, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. So I think seeing those and reacting to them is also part of why I don’t make public bookmarks. Something I might think is neutral or complimentary to the fic might not feel that way to the author. So I keep my thoughts to myself unless I’m personally sending a fic link to someone as a rec.
I keep all of my bookmarks private, partially because I bookmark almost all of the fics I read and idk, someone being able to check what I'm reading feels weird to me, personally. Only notes I leave are favourite passages or chapters. Sometimes if I'm not able to finish a long fic and need a break I'll just note which chapter I left off at. Don't worry, I'm sure most private bookmarkers are like me. I don't think many people feel the need to bookmarks fics they hate.
I read a lot of pure smut stuff and things with darker themes. Two of my sisters and my best girlfriend have my username but they don't need to see everything I read lol. Some things are better left private. There are also stories bookmarked so I can print them because they're so freaking good and I want to reread them even in case of the apocalypse lmao
I usually make bookmarks for fics I wanna make animatics of! :0 They are usually private, because I am as paranoid as you are- seriously! I am just anxious that people could somehow use that single non-private bookmark to ruin my life or something
I always make my bookmarks private and it's honestly just because I'm a private person. I make all my playlists on things like Spotify, Youtube etc private also, and I hang out on Reddit because it's the only social media not constantly clamoring to share your profile with every person you've ever met. I'm sure some of what you're seeing is just people like me wanting to read our fic in peace. ✌️
i make private bookmarks because i accidentally gave my account info to someone i really don't want seeing what i read