Originally posted by: asmaanixx
Note
There are some things that I wish to address regarding the future of my stories. Before I do that though, I would like to take a quick moment to thank everyone has been expressing their wishes for me to return, for me to keep writing, or has provided their general support in whichever direction I wish to go. The love truly is greatly appreciated.
In regards to me writing, I haven't stopped. In the past eleven days, I have been working on projects, I just haven't published anything for one simple reason: I don't know where to publish anymore. Prior to the whole incident, my primary location to put all my stories was on IF. It was a very simple affair. I write, and I publish. I didn't have to worry about things like my work being stolen because I trusted my readers to be reasonable and respectful. Now, I feel like a headless chicken who is having to put up her stories everywhere just so that something like this doesn't happen again. It's tedious, redundant, and a chore that I wish I didn't have to do. Writing was always supposed to be an activity that I engaged in because it gave me pleasure and I found it fun. It was never supposed to be something that gave me stress.
That being said, I have three options before me: IF, AO3, and Wattpad. I have provided a breakdown of how I feel about these three platforms down below.
IF
Like I mentioned above, it has been my primary location for posting my stories on ITV shows. It has also been the one platform that has given me a huge audience for my stories on IMMJ2. The readership, the engagement, the love - it has all been from here. For that I am thankful and I also hold a lot of sentimental value. The way I interact with the readers here is not the same as on AO3 or Wattpad.
However, it does have its downsides.
First and foremost is the lack of protection authors have for their writing. I have mentioned this many times before, but the Copyright tags don't mean much on here. My stories have been stolen whether I have used this tag or not. When I have taken this issue to the Mods or Admin, they have all cited that they can't do much because the stories that they got stolen to are a third party website. In other words, if my stories got stolen, then it's tough luck. If I want to pursue matters by taking action, then I'm on my own since they can't do much about it.
The second downside is the content limitation. People may have noticed that there has been a huge difference in my writing from the first story that I published to the last. It's not because that I initially didn't know how to write explicit content. Rather, it's because I didn't want to get reported to the Mods. As of late, I have been writing explicit material, but it's always been at a great risk. I don't wish to be limited when it comes to my writing because it'll end up being detrimental not just to the story, but to me as a writer as well.
AO3
AO3 is the one site that I am most comfortable with. I have been using this site for close to ten years now and have never had an issue with plagiarism before. The greatest benefit to this website is that there is absolutely no limitations when it comes to the content. The language can be as explicit as one wants, and the content can be as graphic/dark as well. The writer truly has all the freedom that they could possibly ask for.
The one downside that I find to this website is that there isn't an accessible messaging system. For the particular stories, you can leave behind kudos (likes) either as a member or as a guest, and it will be applicable to the entire piece. So it doesn't matter that the story has one chapter or more than a hundred. The kudos (like) will only be counted once. Other than that, you can leave behind comments on individual chapters, and that will be the only mode of communication you will have with me. You can't send me private messages.
Also, thus far, the site has only been used by international fandoms. Fandoms for ITV is quite small, making the readership even smaller.
Wattpad
This is a new site for me, and the only reason why I'm using it is to prevent my stories from being stolen and posted on there again.
In terms of functionality, it seems to be okay. I wish there was a better way for me to sift through the comments since all the comments, likes, new followers etc. seem to get looped under the notifications category. I also wish there were more options to format the story. I feel limited in terms of how I can present my works.
Other than the functionality, the site has left a bad taste in my mouth. Not only was my story stolen and published onto this site, but someone had the audacity to claim that one of my stories was similar to theirs. Bas yehi din dekhne ko rahe ga tha. To be accused of plagiarizing/stealing someone else's work. 😤😤😤
While I am thankful for the appreciation that I have gotten thus far, I just wish I didn't have this heavy cloud hanging around it.
_________________________
So what's the plan?
To be honest, I'm not sure.
I feel lost.
My stories feel displaced.
And I no longer feel the same love and appreciation that I used to get.
The last part isn't your (the readers') fault. Your feelings may be genuine and sincere, but given everything that happened, and the constant migration of my stories, I feel scattered.
When I do publish, it will be on AO3 (my preferred site) and Wattpad (don't want my works to be stolen again). I just don't know if I will do it on IF because of the copyright issue and the content limitation. But I also don't want to penalize the readers on here.
So if people are still interested in me posting my works on IF specifically, then go to this poll and vote. It will inform my decision.
For those who wish to catch me on other platforms, such as AO3, Wattpad, Instagram, Tumblr, or Twitter, then my username is the same: asmaanixx.
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
