Tools Tuesday - Tagging
Tools Tuesday is a biweekly part of the Finish What You Started event where I share various resources I have found to help everyone complete their WIP. Have a resource you want to share? Send it in a message and I'll take a look!
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The first Tools Tuesday of the year is all about tagging, for when you're ready to post your finished work on Archive of Our Own or any other site that uses tags! AO3, as the most popular fic posting site, will be the focus.
To begin: what are tags? And why do we use them?
Tags are keywords used to describe a fic or post. They can serve a variety of functions, but at their core they tell a viewer what to expect when they click in. On some sites (like Tumblr), they are at the bottom of the post. On AO3, they are the third thing seen, after title and author.
As seen in this handy infographic from SummerofSpock on tumblr, tags on A03 fall into 5 rough categories: Canon, Format, Tone, Relationship, Theme.
[full image ID in ALT text. Infographic titled "Tags are Tricky...a quick and dirty guide" with tag example lists in the categories of Canon, Format, Tone, Relationship, Theme. Each box is a different pink, in a gradient. End ID.]
source: https://summerofspock.tumblr.com/post/698388759652319232/mostlyinthemorning-i-kind-of-suck-at-tagging-so/amp
Not every fic might use every category, and there are certainly tags that overlap categories. There's also what I consider a 6th category, which is Author Commentary (no beta we die like xx, character needs a hug, why did i do that much research for a single paragraph, etc).
All of that aside, why should you use tags?
They help readers find and enjoy your fic! The two main uses of tags when searching is Seeking and Avoidance.
Seeking is when a reader really wants to read a particular thing, like they want fix-its only or just Modern AUs. Once they narrow it down to fandom, these are the tags they'll type into the search bar. If your work isn't properly tagged, it won't show up, even if it's the epitome of a Coffee Shop AU and that's the term they search. Generously tag so readers can find you!
Avoidance is excluding a fic from consideration due to a particular theme or topic. Maybe their pet just died, so any mention of Animal Death is out. Maybe they are really tired of a particular ship, or are narrowing down for a rarepair. On AO3, there's a section in the filter bar for excluding tags (see below, boxed in blue). Readers can eliminate what they don't want to see, which is wonderful! They can select exactly what they want; not every fic is for every reader. Generously tag, so readers can be selective!
[image ID, copied from ALT: the Archive of Our Own filter bar, with the Exclude section boxed in with blue lines. End ID.]
Still unsure how to tag your work? Or stuck on other aspects, like ratings and warnings? The Fanfic Author’s Guide to Metatext (As Used on Ao3) by Eiiri is an incredible, in-depth explanation of everything contained within the metatext (tags+warnings) block on an AO3 fic. Download it as a PDF or view in full on tumblr at these links
full text in post: https://eiirisworkshop.tumblr.com/post/649406314444980224/the-fanfic-authors-guide-to-metatext-as-used-on
Pdf download: https://eiirisworkshop.tumblr.com/post/649405048844124160/fanfic-metatext-guidepdf
Additionally, this event requires certain tags be honored and present as needed, primarily common warnings or hot topics. See the rules post for more information. These tags at least need to be present in any promo post, though tagging the fic itself is always good practice. After all, tags are like the ingredient label of a fic.
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Have a question not answered above? Is there something important I missed? Start a discussion in the replies and reblogs! Thanks for participating, and good luck with your wip!
