This is a fascinating discussion, and something that's been on my mind too. I think I'm the same "generation" as you, fandom-wise. Hosted my fanfic in numerous places online: FF.net; various fandom message boards; my own GeoCities page that I learned HTML code for. Later, after the Great Purge, I moved everything to Ao3 and LiveJournal, then from LiveJournal to DW, and here I am.
As far as engagement goes, I am constantly confused by what does and does not get noticed. If it's for a huge fandom, like Doctor Who or Supernatural, you'd think it would be easier for your story to get lost in the mix, but honestly it just depends on so many different factors. Is it a rare pair? Is this fandom currently active? Is it an usual genre? I mostly write horror and sci-fi, and I have definitely seen that the few stories I write that are fluffy or smutty get noticed way more. Except for one story that got the lowest metrics in every category, which was smutty, and in a popular fandom, but not a popular ship. No idea what happened there.
But like, for me "noticed" means a little less than 300 kudos on Ao3. That's my most popular story. And it's for a rare pair (actually an OT3) in a non-active fandom but still popular fandom. However, the one that I still get comments about, even though it's not online anymore, but was fairly popular in a very niche fandom many years ago, is probably my *actual* most popular story. People contact me like, "Wait, did you write [Title Redacted?] I loved that one!" but it's literally nowhere except the Wayback Machine (and backed up on various thumb drives.) Does that count as "engagement?"
Honestly, the type of "engagement" I enjoyed the most was on a story I had come close to giving up on because it wasn't getting any traction at all. I tell myself I don't do it for the 'likes' but it is discouraging. BUT THEN! One person found it months after my last update, wrote these wonderful detailed comments on every chapter as they went, and that inspired me to actually go back and finish it. It only ended up with fifty-some kudos, but that felt like success, having that one person keep showing up for me like that.
As to your comments about Ko-Fi and monetizing everything--that still feels so wrong to me. I don't like the idea of monetizing hobbies to start with.
Actually--you know what it is? The cross-section of monetization and turning everything into a numbers game of "likes" and "kudos" and "clicks" and whatever else? It starts to feel like a competition. I don't like that. It shouldn't be competitive. So many people are absolutely fine reading dozens or even hundreds of stories that are very similar to each other--there's room for everyone. That's why trying to make "Number Go Up" part of it feels gross.
no subject
This is a fascinating discussion, and something that's been on my mind too. I think I'm the same "generation" as you, fandom-wise. Hosted my fanfic in numerous places online: FF.net; various fandom message boards; my own GeoCities page that I learned HTML code for. Later, after the Great Purge, I moved everything to Ao3 and LiveJournal, then from LiveJournal to DW, and here I am.
As far as engagement goes, I am constantly confused by what does and does not get noticed. If it's for a huge fandom, like Doctor Who or Supernatural, you'd think it would be easier for your story to get lost in the mix, but honestly it just depends on so many different factors. Is it a rare pair? Is this fandom currently active? Is it an usual genre? I mostly write horror and sci-fi, and I have definitely seen that the few stories I write that are fluffy or smutty get noticed way more. Except for one story that got the lowest metrics in every category, which was smutty, and in a popular fandom, but not a popular ship. No idea what happened there.
But like, for me "noticed" means a little less than 300 kudos on Ao3. That's my most popular story. And it's for a rare pair (actually an OT3) in a non-active fandom but still popular fandom. However, the one that I still get comments about, even though it's not online anymore, but was fairly popular in a very niche fandom many years ago, is probably my *actual* most popular story. People contact me like, "Wait, did you write [Title Redacted?] I loved that one!" but it's literally nowhere except the Wayback Machine (and backed up on various thumb drives.) Does that count as "engagement?"
Honestly, the type of "engagement" I enjoyed the most was on a story I had come close to giving up on because it wasn't getting any traction at all. I tell myself I don't do it for the 'likes' but it is discouraging. BUT THEN! One person found it months after my last update, wrote these wonderful detailed comments on every chapter as they went, and that inspired me to actually go back and finish it. It only ended up with fifty-some kudos, but that felt like success, having that one person keep showing up for me like that.
As to your comments about Ko-Fi and monetizing everything--that still feels so wrong to me. I don't like the idea of monetizing hobbies to start with.
Actually--you know what it is? The cross-section of monetization and turning everything into a numbers game of "likes" and "kudos" and "clicks" and whatever else? It starts to feel like a competition. I don't like that. It shouldn't be competitive. So many people are absolutely fine reading dozens or even hundreds of stories that are very similar to each other--there's room for everyone. That's why trying to make "Number Go Up" part of it feels gross.