AO3 Guide - Switching and Crossposting

Tags

This is probably the most important chapter of this guide in my opinion. As a basis for this chapter, I used the chart on the top. Mind you, it is a rather incomplete guide, but a start.

First of all, you do not need to censor tags! Not only is AO3 not a site that censors shit, censoring tags may render them unusable.

Only few things are banned on AO3 (I.e child pornography and content submitted by under 13 old users), so tags do not need to be censored.

They are used so that people can find the stuff they are interested in, but also to avoid stuff. No need to censor anything, really!

In the same vein to the summary chapter, this also isn't the place for AN's and author mumblings.

Now to the tags.

While AO3 does not require specific ratings* (not age ratings, these are required), the poster needs to convey the choice not to use Warnings.

when you create a new work, the first option you're facing is the age rating. E does not mean for everyone, E is explicit and is stronger than mature. One difference is that Explicit could be full on porn while Mature only has sexual undertones and few short scenes. "Not rated" is considered adult content.

Next are the archive warnings:
- *Choose not to use Archive Warnings
- Graphic depictions of Violence
- Major Character Death (as in Major to the fic, NOT Major to canon)
- no archive warnings apply (I.e most of my stuff)
- rape/non-con
- underage

The first one, read that one on your own risk. The author is in their right not to warn you. I personally use it to avoid spoilers, I.e when I want to avoid Major Character Death.

Then, choose the fandom or fandoms if it is a crossover. Make sure you click the right fandom (either similar titles or Star Wars being like twelve fandoms under a trenchcoat, albeit umbrella fandoms "all media types" does exist) and if it doesn't pop up in the list, well, hope it gets added. Fandoms of fan games often have that issue.

They use the tag of the original game and use an additional tag for their fan game.

The following are categories, these are covering the relationships. Of course, straight, gay, lesbian, multi (multiple types of relationships or poly relationships) and other relationships are present. But also gen. Gen means that no romantic or sexual relationship is the focus. Tick the field or fields your work fulfills.

Following that, another relationship section. Write down the relationships between the characters. Remember: / indicates sexual and romantic relationships while & means platonic and familial one's. Please do not mistake these!

Then you get a section for characters. Only note down the important characters. Genderbend!characters get pointed out under additional tags, which is the last tag section. 

AO3 tags are vast, so just type something and see what tags pop up, maybe read works in your fandom and see what tags are used. Only tag what your fic really contains. So many AU tags!

Tags I recommend:
- Podfic welcome
- crossposted on Wattpad
- One Shot
- Long one Shot
- Fandoms like Miraculous have salt fics that just shit on the show, tag that

Then comes the preface section. As you can see, as characters, AU's and relationships are already tagged, the title just needs to be the title.