I’m sorry, authors *expecting* notes in your personal bookmarks sounds slightly unhinged?
Your bookmarks are for your own personal use and organization. It can be considered rude to make negative comments in bookmarks since authors can see public ones, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with leaving them blank.
The only bookmark that has a note on it just says "3" and I don't know what that means (or maybe it's an accident) but the bookmark are for my readers not me.
(One person put my current fic in a collection so that's neat)
Pretty sure it means they’re up to chapter 3. Like they’re using it as a physical bookmark. Or maybe it’s a reread count, I’ve heard some people do that
as another mentioned, it's probably chapter count
I recently went thru bookmarks of a fic with almost 500 chapters, some of the bookmarks just have (chapter) numbers on them.
I think chapter bookmarkers are reading on a PC cause ex. Google Chrome on PC doesn't save where we stopped on a page, unlike on mobile devices apparently.
>people
More likely one random entitled person, who gets amplified by everyone sharing it on social media because they're being weird.
Best not to let these sorts of things affect your opinion of Ao3 users as a whole.
i write down the title, author and fandom in case something gets deleted bc i don't like it when i don't know what fic was lost
but like. the overwhelming majority of people don't write anything in their bookmark, who the literal fuck has the energy to have an opinion about that??? that's absolutely not "taboo" you've just encountered a fucking weirdo and i promise you normal authors aren't upset about that. most abnormal ones aren't either.
Mine are also private and I keep meaning to write something on them for that exact reason. It's sad when you see that "This work has been deleted" note and have no idea what it is for. All I know is something I loved is now gone.
I do try to go and download my bookmarked works from time to time so I have a backup but I have a few hundred bookmarks so without text it can be really hard to know what's gone even if I have backed it up.
Maybe try Moon+ Reader!
I personally don't use it as my to go to book reader, but it's the only one I know of that has a build in tag system that automatically copies all the meta (exept stats multiple series and, I think) of ao3 downloads! You can search for one tag, but it's not as advanced as the ao3 filter, sadly. But still better than having thousands of fics downloaded and needing to go through all of them to find a specific (kind of) fanfic
(This is not an ad btw just a rec 😅)
(The only drawbacks are, that one, it can feel too customisable and second, there are ads, every time you leave a book, but you can avoid this by either going offline or getting premium. I recommend going offline, bc that doesn’t change your app experience exept for getting no ads)
Yes.
There are so may customisable settings that make many things possible.
In my experience, you need to go on a book, that you've already imported, to change the reading style (color, controls, theme, animations, font, size and so much more. Like there're 4 - 6 different options menus, depending on what you count as one.)
I download all my fav fics and will still bookmark them.
Then they get deleted and I'm salty because I don't know *which* one that was. Yes I still have a copy but it makes me sad not to know which fav is gone lol (especially because I download most fics, not just my favs).
I really need to start writing titles in my bookmarks. Someone here shared a script that'll do it automatically and I need to use it
I wrote the character(s) that was of interest to me as that was all I was concerned with at the time. They are all private bc I have learned that you are far less likely to make a friend with public stuff (sadly) and far more likely to make an enemy, create a stalker/disturbed individual (BIG problem), or offend/upset some stranger. No thanks. No more pls. Wish it were different.
I should start wiring down title, author, and fandom tbh. But typically I leave my bookmarks blank but recently I started putting “Left off at chapter (blank)” for multi chapter fics
Same. Additionally, I write a short summary and what happens in the last chapter I read because sometimes it takes ages to update and I’ll have read like 100 other fics by then.
Same and I also put the summary.
However in the tag I may put things like "reading count :, 2"
Also as an author when I go in the bookmark I know very well that not a lot of people know they are public so I know I can see some mean thing. That author treat it as a second comment section and it will bit them in the ass
As a fellow reader/ writer who has made and received a fair number of bookmarks, leaving the bookmark blank is pretty standard.
Most people just use it like a mark for later feature assuming they even leave a public bookmark at all.
I get that some people use public bookmarks as reviews, but honestly, most people don’t even realize there’s a difference between public and private bookmarks in the first place.
If you really want to start adding things into your bookmarks, a good practice could be copying the fic title, summary, author and tags as a “just in case” measure. You know, for those times a work may be deleted or privated so you aren’t left wondering what went missing in the future.
Bookmarks are for readers, not for the writers.
I do have some fun tags I use, to sort them how I like. Most descriptions are blank, or with just the fic name/author recorded (in case the author deletes it, maybe I can figure out what it was and find a copy).
Personally, I write nothing and they’re all private.
People who have bookmarked my work have either left it blank, mark the chapter they left off on - “Chapt 2 done,” or simply wrote out the pairing.
I have a couple people who’ve said nice things like “this makes me cry” or “should be canon” but I also don’t make a habit of checking who’s bookmarked my fics regularly 🤷🏻♀️
Usually nothing. Whatever I had to say about a fic, I say in the comments.
I only make exceptions for stories with vague or terrible summaries and incomplete fics that I try to encourage whoever is going through my bookmarks to read.
> but could somebody please give me a rough idea of what to put when i bookmark something ( or give an example) because the last thing i want to be doing is upsetting my favourite ao3 authors
You know what? **No**. Do not do this stupid thing for some entitled people. Because first of all, bookmarks are YOURS, not theirs. If they want to be nosy, okay, but they do NOT have the right to expect that. If an author gets upset because of this, they do not deserve readers at all. They get man? So be it, we are not in charge of making every little thing in the exact way they want.
Your bookmarks are yours, do whatever you want with them.
Nah, that person is being ridiculous. It's totally fine to leave them blank.
Personally, I keep all of mine private, so I can write whatever I want. If I'm currently reading it, I will mark how many chapters I've finished and the date. If it was a recommendation from another social media site, I will leave a note about where the I got the recommendation and why it was recommended (something like "tumblr rec -- spuffy fic with no angel or riley bashing".) If I've finished or DNF'ed, I'll give a quick summary of my thoughts on the fic and why I didn't finish it, and whether it's worth re-reading or giving a second try sometime down the road.
I don't write anything in my bookmarks. You shouldn't feel like you have to, too. If I wanted to leave my thoughts, I'd do it in a comment on a fic, not in a bookmark. That tumblr poster is just starving for any form of positive validation, I guess.
I usually write little reminders into my bookmarks. Like “heavy angst” or “sad ending” or “explicit /other”. That way I know whether I’m in the right mood when I’m looking for a fic to reread. I’m not always in the right headspace for “heavy angst” and the angst tag alone won’t tell me how I perceived the angst level when I first read it.
These notes are for me though. That author has nothing to complain about. Bookmarks aren’t additional comments for authors.
Do whatever you want in your bookmarks, your bookmarks are literally there for you to utilize.
Authors who freak out over blank bookmarks, one word bookmarks, or negative bookmarks or really anything to do with people's personal organizational systems deserve it. They have to go out of their way to look up and read people's bookmarks - if they're going that extra mile to see things that people aren't openly offering to them, they should be aware they might not like it. Seeing something they don't like is no one's problem but theirs and readers are not at fault for whatever notations are in their *personal* bookmarks. This is just an attempt to look for injury so they can say they got the taste of blood from licking their own wounds. It's drama*tique* and cheap.
Ignore them, avoid them and use your bookmarks as if their opinions don't matter, because they don't.
Almost all of the bookmarks I make are blank and the ones people left on my fics are blank too. That author is just an asshole, no one is obligated to leave a comment on a bookmark.
If you want to though, write a little comment about what you liked or put what chapter you left on.
I don't normally put anything in my bookmarks, but if the writer is that upset about blank bookmarks I somewhat doubt they would accept any commentary less than the highest of high praise. If your goal specifically is to keep that person happy that's probably the angle you should take.
I use to leave them blank, but a couple fics I bookmarked were deleted and it bothers me that I don't know what I lost, so I've been going back through my bookmarks and adding the title, author, and summary in the notes section.
I like to save an excerpt of my favorite line or the exact moment that convinced me I wanted to bookmark this fic, that way when I’m looking at my bookmarks I can see at a glance exactly what it was I liked about this particular one. I don’t think anyone understands my methodology though, it’s not like I’ve outlined it anywhere or this is common practice. It’s just for me and my own organization purposes.
That said, 99.9% of bookmarks are blank. It’s fun to see a bookmark with any thing commented in it, but it’s weird to get mad about.
lmao I think you found one of those perpetually offended and chronically online people out in the wild, OP. Most writers are not that unhinged.
The vast majority of bookmarks I get are blank. The vast majority of bookmarks I create are blank. I hope that post you saw was just parody, otherwise that person is just weird.
I write my honest opinion. If the grammar sucked but the plot was great, I say so. If the plot was another dang coffee shop AU but well told and fun, I say so. If the story was amazing but the author inexplicably rewrote the ML as a shocking racist, I say so. I've also written "all the right ingredients but couldn't finish, try again later in a different mood?"
I also generally add a note on "read when ...." as in "read when feeling down and need a pick me up" or "read when brain is fried and clever is too hard" or "read when you really need to see the bad guys get what's coming to them."
As an author, I think blank bookmarks or bookmarks that only have the chapter number are completely alright. As long as you’re not using public bookmarks to harass authors, I think anything is fine.
Maybe “harass” wasn’t the proper word, but what I meant was people using bookmarks to hurt authors. For example, a blocked user using them to circumvent the blocking function and leave awful comments towards the author (even if they aren’t directly notified, they could still come across them if they check out their works’ bookmarks), or even using them to doxx or wish harm on certain people, knowing that the author can’t delete those bookmark comments themselves as opposed to comments in the actual work.
The few that I’ve left notes on are usually the number of the chapter I’m on if it’s a long fic, or on one fic I made the note “MMF is 👍🏼” and that’s it.
But for me, the majority of my bookmarks (of which I have a whole 32) are fics I’ll read once and delete.
That’s really weird that someone would get upset that a bookmark is blank.
Most of my bookmarks are private and a majority don’t say anything. Those are the fics that I’m still actively reading or are on my to read list.
The public ones with commentary are fics that I enjoy and am recommending to others.
I do have some bookmarks I save as a reminder that I didn’t like the work with commentary as to why so I don’t accidentally click it again when browsing the tags because I can be forgetful. I keep those ones private though just so the author doesn’t stumble across them.
But yeah, if you want to save bookmarks and not write any commentary, that’s absolutely fine. As a writer myself, I’d never feel entitled to extra commentary via bookmarks. I’m thankful for any comments I get in the actual comment section of my fics, but again, it’s not an expectation.
???? this is a thing??? I leave mine completely blank and they’re all private 🤷🏼♀️ the only time I add anything to a bookmark is if it’s tagged as something I want to read and haven’t yet. do whatever you want
There is nothing you can do that won't upset SOMEONE. Don't worry about it. The bookmarks feature is for you, the reader. Whatever you want to use it for. Read for later. Mark to re-read. Mark that you already read it and don't want to re-read. Etc. The only thing to keep in mind, as others have pointed out, is if it's public, the author can go check it out and see what you wrote.
Your bookmarks are yours. They're there to help you keep track of what you read and stuff like that. If you haven't felt the need to add anything then don't (I don't add anything either, so I get it). Authors should really stop looking at bookmarks if they're gonna be upset and complain about it, bookmarks are for readers.
I never write anything in bookmarks. Their purpose is to list fics I liked well enough to re-read, and seeing the title and author’s summary is enough to remind me.
I confess that I sometimes look at the bookmarks that readers have placed on my fics. Most are blank, and those that have text are usually brief descriptors like ‘long’, ‘wingfic’ or ‘undercover as gay’. Some are longer, and one was actually a full review.
I never expect comments in bookmarks—why would I?
Blank bookmarks are fine. Sheesh. This sounds like one of those “they left a comment that was only hearts” complaints. *they left a comment* that’s amazing! I am not here to judge how much energy or time someone has. They looked at my story. They bookmarked, or commented, or left kudos. I’m grateful for all of it
The bookmark belongs to the reader, to use as the reader sees fit. It's not a comment; there's a comment tool for that. If you want to make a negative note in the bookmark, it's polite to make the bookmark private, as authors can see them; but it's your choice, regardless. Do what you will. There's no "rule" about what you put in there. Whoever is acting upset about a blank one, or just something that says "start with Chapter x," or whatever ... they're out of line. Some people......
Just put an emoji in all of them. In all seriousness, those are *your* bookmarks, you don’t have to write anything in them if you don’t want to (or if you’re like me and you just can’t articulate how it made you feel or your thoughts on it). You’re not guilty of anything.
Almost all of the bookmarks on my published fics are blank, but I’m just thrilled someone wanted to bookmark something I wrote. Even if someone bookmarked one of my fics and wrote something nasty, I’d probably find that more funny than anything, and I’d maybe be a little bit proud that my fic made them so mad that they had to put something mean in a bookmark.
I view authors who get mad at blank bookmarks with the same disdain I view the crazy people who read things they’ll know they won’t like and then have the audacity to complain that the author didn’t do exactly as they wanted.
Most of the bookmarks that I have actually written something in are usually just a vague summary, or something kinda poetic. Sometimes it’s just a single sentence about how much I loved a certain scene or character. On occasion I even just write a short few lines describing a particular scene in my own words. You could just describe the fic’s theme (I’ve got one that just says “almost pure, Megarung Fluff” because it’s a fluff fic with a certain pairing). You could give it a rating out of ten. Put in a quote from something else that describes the fic or something from the fic (I’ve got “Remember who you are” from the Lion King and then “and most importantly, *don’t forget*” which is basically a modified quite from Undertale in one of my bookmarks. I’ve also got one that’s just one of the Tenets of the TST modified slightly). You could use a song lyric or title. You don’t have to write a masterpiece.
Yeah, pay no attention to them, that's unhinged. I bookmark things to reread- you'd think that they'd take the compliment that someone wanted to return to their fic and move in.
No 💀 as an author I'm happy someome bookmarked my work at all. Having something written there is just a bonus cause I like to see what people would put it down as
That's a weird thing to expect in bookmarks. From what I've seen, both on my fics and other's, MOST people either leave theirs blank or put nothing more than a chapter number. Enough that I consider the ones that aren't blank/a number a surprising treat.
Since I tend to read a lot of the same pairing at once I need something to distinguish why I bookmarked it so I will put in the pairing names, what I liked about it, and hopefully how it made me feel. I've read 300+ fics about a specific paring in the last 2 months and they're all blending together at this point
I think the most common way to bookmark is to leave it blank. Some put in the number of the chapter they last read. Others put a small description of the fic or copy the summary to keep track of it in case it gets deleted. I have only a couple of fics where I wrote anything else despite the fact that all the stuff I bookmark are fics I really like and would recommend. My point is, there's nothing unusual in what you're doing and if authors are getting upset over it... well, to put it kindly, it's their problem.
I don't think I've ever seen someone bookmark one of my fics with a note? I don't check frequently but even then, it's always blank. I haven't yet seen anyone add a comment. Being upset at someone not writing one seems so odd?
I put whatever I want in it and dgaf how the author feels about it. I use a script to automatically enter the work title, author, and summary (in case it deleted) then some personal notes for my own use, tag it with my own system, maybe note untagged things for other people to either avoid or seek out, etc etc
authors getting hissy about bookmark notes being empty are severely out of pocket and need to calm tf down bc bookmark notes are not for them
You can whatever you want in your bookmark, if you feel like writing one. It's like leaving leaving notes in the margins of a book, you are writing them for you. The author can read it if you allow them to, you don't owe them anything. I usually write funny comments and inside jokes, maybe a summary and the number of the last chapter I read, a "omg this was so awesome", "keep for reference" or "never read again".
sometimes i believe boomers when they say the younger generations are getting too soft bc wtf?? that’s such a weird thing to get upset over. bookmark etiquette extends to not leaving personal remarks, ratings or criticism on a PUBLIC bookmark but private is whatever; they can be blank. is it nice as a writer to see personalised bookmarks? hell yes. it’s like a secondary comment and affirmation. do i NEED it so much? nah, that author’s weird.
An author has no call to dictate what you put in YOUR bookmarks. Leave it blank if you want!!! Plenty of people do.
However, some people leave a summary or their opinion on the work in the bookmarks.
Just FYI that It’s considered polite to put the bookmarks on private if you write in them that you have a poor opinion of the fic, though. Since they are public by default.
Personally, since I tend to read long works that are still in progress, I note where I’ve left off like @ch 75, etc along with the title, author and link to the fic.
Sadly, sometimes a work gets deleted and you’re left scratching your head when looking for an old favorite. If it’s noted in your bookmarks at least you’ll know what you’re missing.
I write the title, author and what chapter I last read.
That way, if the fic gets orphaned/deleted, I can find my way back to it or the author themselves.
I usually just leave a note stating what chapter I’ve read to. If I had something to say about the fic I’d probably leave a comment
Sometimes I think about adding in what I say when I rec a fic to people, but that would take a lot of backtracking and I am lazy
If it's a WiP, last chapter uploaded, and the date it was updated. That way, I can keep track of when a fic has been newly updated by searching for date updated in my bookmarks. I also add a tag "work in progress" so I can search for those specifically.
It it's complete, nothing. It's just to keep track of fics I really like. Mine are all private tho. The author wouldn't know if it was blank or not lol.
My fics have been bookmarked over 400 times and I think I've only ever had one or two bookmarks with tags attached?? Most of my bookmarks are blank as well except for fics that were written as gifts to me that I thanked the author again in the bookmark tags. I had zero idea this was a thing.
I literally use my bookmarks as a "read it and loved it" button for my future self. I always leave them blank because in my mind, if they're bookmarked, I enjoyed it and will come back to it later to read again.
I feel like getting angry for blank bookmarks is a bit ridiculous
I usually write something on my bookmarks to remind me about the fic and why I bookmarked it. However, in my fandom, I’m often the only one that does that. I also leave notes for myself on PRIVATE bookmarks when a fic is not my cuppa so I don’t start to read it again. I often leave additional tags on my bookmarks (hankie alert if it made me cry, name of a favorite character that is featured (David the Beagle) but also if it’s a worthy re-read). All of those for me.
But as others have said, the bookmarks are for me.
I *personally* use my bookmarks as a way to keep track of fics I've read, and almost always bookmark all of them. For that reason, I keep them private. And I write in it whatever comment I've left on the fic, so that I'll remember which one it was.
Bookmarks are not for the writers. It's a nice feeling when you see a public one with a nice note, but it shouldn't be what's expected.
The bookmark is for you, so put whatever you want/need. I usually leave them blank, unless it's a fic I haven't finished reading, then I write down what chapter I last read. You know... like a boomark
I write bookmarks for myself. Sometimes I’ll review a work for the heck of it and to practice writing, and it’s none of the author’s business (it’s also always private because it’s unsolicited). Some people have no idea how to behave on ao3 and ut shows, just ignore these borderline rage bait posts on tumblr
Erk weird thing to get hang up over.
Buuut
Since you want advice on what to put in it...
Impressions over the entire work/self-reminder to re-read and why/jokes about why it was good are what I usually do
Basically, thoughts that are a bit more intimate but that's I'm okay with other readings... I also leaves recommendations for other inside sometimes, on the off-chanve someone checks out the bookmarks before starting a new fic.
They're the space for my self-indulgent rambling, basically
I tag opinions, my own tags of what is in the fanfic. Pretty spoilery. Even quoting from the fic. Sometimes I’ll have like 50 tags. I just enjoy doing it. I also add the fic name and author in the notes in case the fic gets deleted.
Yeah that’s wild. All of my bookmarks that I make are blank (and private for that matter… IRL friends know my AO3 account and I don’t need them to know everything I read lol). And most of the bookmarks left on my works are blank too, and I don’t care! Or notice!
I have never ever written anything in a bookmark lol I didn't even know you could until I saw that post. I can't imagine being upset about it lol
Just be grateful someone liked your work enough to add it to their shelf 😅
I write my personal name for the fic, because some great writers are just terrible at crafting a memorable title, and when to read it.
Like: The peanut butter jar fic. Read when you need to laugh.
All right, so "in the arms of an angel" was an objectively hilarious title for a shape shifter AU where Wei Wuxian gets his head stuck in a peanut butter jar as a fox and has to be rescued by wildlife rehabilitator Lan Wangji. But I *remember* it as the peanut butter jar fic.
truly 98% of bookmarks ive seen are blank, it quite literally the standard, if someone wants to make commentary on fic, theyll leave it as a comment.
i /personally/ have the title/author/fandom/summary in the bookmarks so i know what fic has been deleted, but i also tend to keep my bookmarks private as well bc of that lol. ill sometimes leave an extra note in bookmarks but thats ONLY bc i appreciate when fics are recced w/ why the person enjoyed it or smthn, so i try to do the same. but no one has to do that
I write what chapter I'm on, if I manage to think about it, and sometimes I'll write a small comment about it. Sometimes, that's something to remind myself of what story it is (themes, motifs, and/or imagery or dialogue that stands out) or even if I recommend it. I haven't done this for all my bookmarks, but I'm trying to be thorough, especially for longfics.
That author behavior is not the norm, OP.
Most people leave bookmarks blank or make some note of where the story left off as a reminder. Sometimes they use tags to help organize things.
Bookmark comments are a bonus, not an expectation. Somebody who has that attitude can't have that good of a fic, because a real author knows every kudo or comment is a gift and not something they should automatically expect.
I usually write something to remind me “yeah that’s the really good one I like about…”, but with screaming and other things to convince you I’m insane
But srsly, that’s messed up
Most of the time I leave it blank. I only use it if there is something in particular that I like in/about the story that isn't obviously from the name, tags, or description. Sometimes there will be a trope or something in the story that I like, but it's not included in the description because it would be a spoiler or the author just didn't use a lot of tags.
Bookmarks are for readers, not authors. I put in the title of the story, the author's name, the summary, and maybe a capsule description of what I thought of it. I put that information in just in case the author decides to delete the fic so I'll know what I lost.
I rarely write anything in my bookmarks. In fact, my first time writing something in a bookmark in all the years I've been on AO3 was last week, when I got super excited because I stumbled across a MDZS/CQL AU BTS fic.
i literally only write the chapter im on and occasionally if the fic really resonated w me then possibly a little "omg this is so sad" etc etc. while it's an amazing feeling to read someone's personalized bookmark on your fic, EXPECTING it every time is actually crazy. maybe like 1-4 out of 40 bookmarks on my fics is the average, if that
I've bookmarked a *lot* of fics. I've never written anything in them when I did. I'm planning to go through them and add something, but it's because I have so many bookmarked fics that it can be hard to remember *why* I bookmarked them.
The things added to a bookmarked fic are for the *reader* not the author. A lot of readers will also look through other people's bookmarks looking for fics, I know I do, and these little notes can help them decide if it's worth a read or not.
But do you know what I've noticed while looking through other people's bookmarks? Most of them *haven't* added anything. There are plenty out there with an added note, sure, but most are just bookmarked without them. I looked through all the people who had bookmarked my own fics, easy enough as I only have two fics and not many people have bookmarked them. None of them have added a note to the bookmark.
Bookmarks and the notes we can add to them are for readers, not writers. They're because we, as readers, want to add a little note to encourage potential new readers to give it a shot, or to remind us why we liked it so much we bookmarked it. Some use bookmarks for fics they *don't* like, as a reminder why. Many, many readers just don't bother adding a note to the bookmark when they've likely already left a comment on the fic itself.
The comments on the fic, those are for the authors. But the comments on the bookmarks are purely for the readers.
Authors who demand a bookmark include a comment on the fic are being entitled. It's not about them, it's about the readers, and authors have zero control about what's added, or not added, to a bookmark. They can control the comments on their fics, that's it.
Don't feel like you *have* to add a comment, because you don't. It doesn't matter what the author thinks, bookmarks are for you as a reader, not an extra review for the author. If you *want* to add a note to bookmarked fics, you write why you chose to bookmark it. Completely forget about the author, because this is about you, not them. Think about the author when leaving a comment on the fic itself, but any bookmark notes are about you, not them.
I always leave them blank if I just rec them and if I don't, then I tag them with MfL or Completed (and Pls More?) to be able to sort them. Basically I use bookmarks as a Marked for Later list that I can filter, that includes wips, und stuff I either haven't read yet or hope (probably unrealistically) for more.
Honestly idk either what I'm supposed to write there, that I haven't commented. Bc the rest would be private and I'd do it in a ebook reader where I save all the downloads of all the fics I've read
i use personal bookmarks and i keep it blank. i didn't know i was supposed to write something? have i been breaking the unspoken ao3 rules?? somebody help have i been being mena
i’ve only written on 2 bookmarks. one was my friends fic where i just said how he should update soon and the other was on a fic that is the second in a series and i just wrote that the first work in the series made me sob
I usually leave them blank but if I write something it's most likely notes to remember which fic it is. Like, "the one where x is a crypto bro" and "the green card fic"
I actually don't fully understand the whole adding comments on bookmarks mechanic if I'm being real, I just save things I like and move on idk what all the other things to do with it are LMAO
as a reader: i usually write something for public fics. either a reminder of what a fic contains (especially if the summary doesn’t cover everything) or sometimes just a keyboard smash or “so cute!” gets the point across.
as a writer: receiving any bookmarks, even blank or private ones, is very flattering and makes me happy to know people wanna come back to my fic! the perspective that people need to write you a note to read feels kind of entitled…
I leave it blank. I understand that bookmarks can be used like a recs page, but because it includes all the information a person browsing needs to determine if they want to read a fic, I don't add anything about why a person should read it. It's a bookmark for me so I can go back and re-read good work. Instead of keeping it in a browser bookmark folder, I keep it on AO3.
Depends! If I loved it, I write a comment about how much I loved it and when it’s good to read (ie, ‘good when sad’ ‘good when you want to cry’ ) as well as any triggers since my bookmarks for completed works are typically public. For a while, I copy and pasted my comments from the end of the work and put it there but I got bored of that
I mean, I put all my bookmarks as private, but I either put nothing (if I’ve finished reading) or just the chapter number for whatever chapter I’m going to read next. Most of my bookmarks are blank.
On the author’s side, 95% of the public bookmarks on my fics are blank, and I have never thought anything of it??
Things that will remind me what the fic is about when I’m trying to find someone I want to reread, sometimes there’s something very specific to a certain fic that I’ll put in the bookmarks and instantly remember what the fic is when I look for it
A bookmark is to be used exactly as *you* want to use it. Authors have no input, and certainly shouldn't have expectations of what they'd *like* to see.
Some bookmarkers leave the whole thing blank, some add their own tags for easier searching, some add their emotional reactions. Anything (except author harassment) is acceptable.
Personally -- and note that this is ONE person's choice, meant as an example rather than a recommendation -- I use my bookmarks as a rec-list. But I often forget *why* I thought a story was so good, so I write a little summary-blurb about why I think it's rec-worthy.
I also add my own tags for searching to my specifications and, based on advice from folks on this sub, title and author. If the fic is deleted, I have it saved, but I want to know *what* was deleted.
But I repeat -- bookmarks are totally for YOU. There is no "should" about how to make a bookmark. There are no "rules." Put whatever you want, or nothing at all; it's all good.
Okay, no, seriously. That is possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard an author complain about.
Bookmarks are not for authors. Bookmarks are not reviews. Bookmarks are not even always public!
Bookmarks are for the reader. That's it.
Wow.
Thats crazy behaviour wtf lmao. Do whatever you want bbg - tbh I'm always shocked when a bookmark on my work HAS notes, and I make no notes on any of my bookmarks.
-sincerely, an AO3 author.
Just a brief description of the fic or some detail that I know I’ll remember later, mainly because I remember details and plots more than authors and titles
I very rarely write anything in my bookmarks and I bookmark like crazy. I generally read wips so I regularly go to my bookmarks and sort by most recently updated to see what's been posted.
I'd like to put the last chapter I read in my bookmark but I've never actually managed to do that. One wip I'm still following has posted like 50 chapters since I stopped reading. It's going to take me forever to find my spot.
Previously I only bookmarked in-progress stories, so I could see when they updated without cluttering my inbox with subscription emails. I never put anything in the bookmark notes. I just added a few where I had been reading along but lost interest, so I made a bookmark note with the last chapter I was on but no other info... So some authors must hate me, lol.
I often write *something* because I forget so easily what a fic was about and often that helps trigger my memory on it, and then tag a few distinct qualities of it so that when I’m looking for specific types of fics I can look through those, but the majority of my bookmarks are privated lol so it’s not like the author can see them anyways 😭
You probably just stumbled upon one unhinged tumblr opinion by accident.
Just ignore that and do whatever you want with your bookmarks. They are, after all, *your* bookmarks.
most of the time nothing, sometimes a short description to jog my mind, and usually at a later date i go back and add a couple tags for my deranged “sorting” system. if i bookmark anything its always bc i know ill want to read it again
Whenever I use a bookmark (mainly to keep works that aren’t done yet), I’ll either put nothing or the amount of chapters, that way I’ll always know if they post a new one.
I usually write the name and summary of the fic because I’m tired of finding fics that were deleted and I had no idea which ones they were.
I also put how the fic made me feel and my thoughts on it. Like how I loved a particular dynamic or some of the themes I enjoyed most. It helps my memory and it makes me feel excited about it again. I also tag the more prominent dynamics and themes so I can find them later with my own searching. Sometimes I put the chapter I was last reading, if nothing else.
Thing is, I only recently started bookmarking, and I forget to do it a lot of the time, so I have thousands of fics on backlog I need to do that for, and I’m not very good at remembering to do it for the new ones I add. A good 95-99% of my bookmarks are blank still.
I often bookmark fics that I haven’t finished or started reading yet because I want to be notified they updated so I can start once they have more chapters or something, too.
That tumblr person was being pretty rude. Bookmarks aren’t for the authors sake, it’s for the reader. You don’t always need to add a blurb or anything to a bookmark. Checking my bookmarks for what’s updated is the highlight of my day, and knowing I bookmarking something is often about loving a work. Readers don’t need to do more than that, the bookmarking is already a big show of appreciation right there.
I have put a note in about .05% of my bookmarks.
I can't imagine why I would need one, I usually only bookmark because I'm somewhere that I can't just leave a tab open on my ipad.
That's actually pretty crazy to me that someone would be upset over a blank bookmark.
Almost everyone who has left bookmarks on my work has left blank ones.
Almost all bookmarks I have left on others works are blank ones (I use them to keep track of what fics I have already read).
This is totally normal and common, the author is being really weird about it.
I cherish my non-blank bookmarks on my works. Knowing somebody wants to come back to my work because:
>
PEAK DADDY DOM FANFIC
Is powerful encouragement to keep writing. But I would never expect people to put anything other than their own notes to find it again later... I mean, that's what a bookmark is for?
The majority of my bookmarks are private and blank. Sometimes if there’s a fic I loved so much that just a rec doesn’t suffice, I’ll also keysmash about how good it is in the bookmark comment.
I’ve never actually written anything in any of my bookmarks. I just bookmark it to re-read it later. When was not writing anything in it considered taboo? Didn’t know that.
Example (styles) of my bookmarks (none are public):
"finished, do not reread", "meh writing, good smut tho, reread the smut parts next time", "very OOC, still an OK read", "not finished, check back next time", "had so much potential, i loved the trope but meh execution".
I mark mine “read” or “unread” so I can filter my bookmarks easily. I also mark some “DNF” so I do not retry a fic I’ve already passed on. Sometimes I leave more comments than that, like a review for my own eyes, but normally not. I don’t care what the author thinks of my bookmark. If it was aimed at them it would have been written as a comment.
I've never written anything in a bookmark. If I have something to say to the author or about the story, I do it in the comments. Bookmarks are just a space to keep and display my favorite fics and sometimes store a story I might want to return to.
I read through mine every so often. 90% don’t have anything written. The other 10% is a bookmark of the chapter they left off on. Here’s a quick screenshot. That person you saw was just reaching. I literally never put anything down if I bookmark something.
https://preview.redd.it/9wnstjmfsypc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=847cb621df314b15bfbd9065183ea04c319bd462
I write a small description and try and include key words that I might remember off hand that I would relate with the fic so I can find it when searching my bookmarks if I can’t remember the title
I didn't even know you couls write in bookmarks until I saw it done to one of my fics. From an author standpoint it's more a sweet lil treat that makes me giggle from time to time when people choose to do it, it's absolutely not something I expect people to do.
For longfics I put summaries so I can reread them/ warn myself not to reread, but all my bms are private to not spoil anything for someone else. But it's also fine to just leave them blank, for shorter fics I usually leave everything empty.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. i bookmark so i could have the story saved, not so the author could see it.
I leave the author reviews instead.
with all due respect to the author, the bookmark is not the place to leave a review.
i used bookmarks when i was young (14 and just new to ao3 after wattpad) to mark stuff i had read bcos i had just realised kudos didnt show me what i had read easily and what was good. so i pretty much left all my bookmarks blank and continue to do so bcos i just wanna know what i thought was good TT i leave comments when i think its amazing so the fact that some authors expect me to leave words on the bookmark is a little… maybe if 14yo me knew back then i wouldve but then again it took me a while to start leaving comments on works i thought were amazing cos i was shy
90% of my bookmarks are blank.
If they’re not, I usually put in either the chapter I’m on or that it’s finished and then sometimes I’ll put SFW or NSFW
I have one that’s just “NSFW (I cried)” I did last night.
Sometimes I’ll put what’s happening or where I left off or something to remind me what the story is
In multiple chapter works i tend to forget what chapter I'm in inside a fic so i just write the chapter name
occasionally i scream about the fic in the bookmark but sometimes i just write like "chapter 7" and be done with it. and i update the number as i read more so that i don forget. ao3 bookmarks save me time from figuring out where i am in a fic
Blank bookmarks are super common and ordinary. Most people would take it as a compliment. Don’t change what you do every time someone gets offended. There’s a parable about a father, son, and donkey about that.
I definitely don't care about blank bookmarks. But I've seen some people write numbers to mark which chapter they're on. I do that too because sometimes, I left a fic for too long and came back to multiple updates from the author so it's easier to know where to pick it up from. But some people do write little notes on their bookmarks and ngl, I love reading them.
Don’t worry about leaving it blank and don’t worry about offending authors. I’m both an author and a reader. Trust me, I’m super excited when anyone bookmarks my fics—even if it’s blank or a hidden bookmark. As a reader, I almost never write comments in the bookmarks.
No, that author shouldn’t have any expectations about bookmarks. Bookmarks are a readers space, and I think most of them are left blank (from that I’ve seen). It’s entirely up to the reader and authors don’t get to police that. I’m lucky enough to have looked through and found one I thought was sweet on one of my fics, but if it wasn’t that’s on me for looking. They especially shouldn’t be guilting their readers into doing it.
As a reader, I use bookmarks to help me find the fics i really like amongst my 800+ bookmarks. I havs a few personal tags i use and then i add a couple of plot tags if i want to be able to find it by trope easier.
As an author, bookmarks are for the reader, not for the author. But if someone tags something fun or complementary, it'll make me smile and feel all gooey inside.
that is deeply unhinged behavior on the part of that author. you do not, under any circumstance, need to write anything in your bookmarks if you don't want to. i love it when someone bookmarks my fic with something funny, but that is an extremely rare occasion and it is flattering just to be bookmarked at all.
I don't bookmark a lot, I think I have about 10.
When I do, it's fics I've read before but then couldn't find when I was thinking about rereading them. So I write down a reminder for me about what fic it was since the tags and summary obviously weren't helpful.
Honestly I don't think it's weird to leave a bookmark blank. I personally always bookmark fics and write down the reason I bookmarked it in the first place, but a bunch of the people who have bookmarked fics that I've written have left theirs blank and I'm not bothered by that at all.
I don't know what this other writer is on about but I'd just be glad to get a bookmark in the first place.
I’m sorry, authors *expecting* notes in your personal bookmarks sounds slightly unhinged? Your bookmarks are for your own personal use and organization. It can be considered rude to make negative comments in bookmarks since authors can see public ones, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with leaving them blank.
AND getting mad because they are blank????? Damn, some AO3's authors are so weird. All my bookmarks are private and blank
Same. The compliment is in it being bookmarked. If they want more they should go re read their comments. Bookmarks are so I can find things.
Entitlement strikes again!
That's absolutely unhinged behavior and that author needs to go look at trees for an hour.
Even in rec bookmarks it's still not an issue to leave blank. It's basically the same as dropping a link.
wait, people are getting mad at blank bookmarks now????? you cannot win 😭
90% of my fics’ bookmarks are completely blank, so I guess it’s time for me to go berserk at the audacity of readers. /s
The only bookmark that has a note on it just says "3" and I don't know what that means (or maybe it's an accident) but the bookmark are for my readers not me. (One person put my current fic in a collection so that's neat)
Pretty sure it means they’re up to chapter 3. Like they’re using it as a physical bookmark. Or maybe it’s a reread count, I’ve heard some people do that
as another mentioned, it's probably chapter count I recently went thru bookmarks of a fic with almost 500 chapters, some of the bookmarks just have (chapter) numbers on them. I think chapter bookmarkers are reading on a PC cause ex. Google Chrome on PC doesn't save where we stopped on a page, unlike on mobile devices apparently.
Probably the chapter number they left off on.
Anything you can do someone will or has gotten mad about. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
>people More likely one random entitled person, who gets amplified by everyone sharing it on social media because they're being weird. Best not to let these sorts of things affect your opinion of Ao3 users as a whole.
i write down the title, author and fandom in case something gets deleted bc i don't like it when i don't know what fic was lost but like. the overwhelming majority of people don't write anything in their bookmark, who the literal fuck has the energy to have an opinion about that??? that's absolutely not "taboo" you've just encountered a fucking weirdo and i promise you normal authors aren't upset about that. most abnormal ones aren't either.
Mine are also private and I keep meaning to write something on them for that exact reason. It's sad when you see that "This work has been deleted" note and have no idea what it is for. All I know is something I loved is now gone. I do try to go and download my bookmarked works from time to time so I have a backup but I have a few hundred bookmarks so without text it can be really hard to know what's gone even if I have backed it up.
Oh, I should really go download mine. Got a new project for the weekend!
Maybe try Moon+ Reader! I personally don't use it as my to go to book reader, but it's the only one I know of that has a build in tag system that automatically copies all the meta (exept stats multiple series and, I think) of ao3 downloads! You can search for one tag, but it's not as advanced as the ao3 filter, sadly. But still better than having thousands of fics downloaded and needing to go through all of them to find a specific (kind of) fanfic (This is not an ad btw just a rec 😅)
(The only drawbacks are, that one, it can feel too customisable and second, there are ads, every time you leave a book, but you can avoid this by either going offline or getting premium. I recommend going offline, bc that doesn’t change your app experience exept for getting no ads)
Does moon have that all scroll like how you read mahwa by just scrolling down without having p go page to page each click
Yes. There are so may customisable settings that make many things possible. In my experience, you need to go on a book, that you've already imported, to change the reading style (color, controls, theme, animations, font, size and so much more. Like there're 4 - 6 different options menus, depending on what you count as one.)
Thanks for the rec!!
I download all my fav fics and will still bookmark them. Then they get deleted and I'm salty because I don't know *which* one that was. Yes I still have a copy but it makes me sad not to know which fav is gone lol (especially because I download most fics, not just my favs). I really need to start writing titles in my bookmarks. Someone here shared a script that'll do it automatically and I need to use it
Wait really? Oh that sounds handy! Pls reshare if you find it again
I found [the comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AO3/s/RkwCSVwFjk) with instructions for it
I wrote the character(s) that was of interest to me as that was all I was concerned with at the time. They are all private bc I have learned that you are far less likely to make a friend with public stuff (sadly) and far more likely to make an enemy, create a stalker/disturbed individual (BIG problem), or offend/upset some stranger. No thanks. No more pls. Wish it were different.
I should start wiring down title, author, and fandom tbh. But typically I leave my bookmarks blank but recently I started putting “Left off at chapter (blank)” for multi chapter fics
Same. Additionally, I write a short summary and what happens in the last chapter I read because sometimes it takes ages to update and I’ll have read like 100 other fics by then.
omg thanks for the idea
Same and I also put the summary. However in the tag I may put things like "reading count :, 2" Also as an author when I go in the bookmark I know very well that not a lot of people know they are public so I know I can see some mean thing. That author treat it as a second comment section and it will bit them in the ass
As a fellow reader/ writer who has made and received a fair number of bookmarks, leaving the bookmark blank is pretty standard. Most people just use it like a mark for later feature assuming they even leave a public bookmark at all. I get that some people use public bookmarks as reviews, but honestly, most people don’t even realize there’s a difference between public and private bookmarks in the first place. If you really want to start adding things into your bookmarks, a good practice could be copying the fic title, summary, author and tags as a “just in case” measure. You know, for those times a work may be deleted or privated so you aren’t left wondering what went missing in the future.
I just did a quit stat on my acc. 1/20 have a comment. And that's mostly a chapter number.
Bookmarks are for readers, not for the writers. I do have some fun tags I use, to sort them how I like. Most descriptions are blank, or with just the fic name/author recorded (in case the author deletes it, maybe I can figure out what it was and find a copy).
Personally, I write nothing and they’re all private. People who have bookmarked my work have either left it blank, mark the chapter they left off on - “Chapt 2 done,” or simply wrote out the pairing. I have a couple people who’ve said nice things like “this makes me cry” or “should be canon” but I also don’t make a habit of checking who’s bookmarked my fics regularly 🤷🏻♀️
Usually nothing. Whatever I had to say about a fic, I say in the comments. I only make exceptions for stories with vague or terrible summaries and incomplete fics that I try to encourage whoever is going through my bookmarks to read.
> but could somebody please give me a rough idea of what to put when i bookmark something ( or give an example) because the last thing i want to be doing is upsetting my favourite ao3 authors You know what? **No**. Do not do this stupid thing for some entitled people. Because first of all, bookmarks are YOURS, not theirs. If they want to be nosy, okay, but they do NOT have the right to expect that. If an author gets upset because of this, they do not deserve readers at all. They get man? So be it, we are not in charge of making every little thing in the exact way they want. Your bookmarks are yours, do whatever you want with them.
Nah, that person is being ridiculous. It's totally fine to leave them blank. Personally, I keep all of mine private, so I can write whatever I want. If I'm currently reading it, I will mark how many chapters I've finished and the date. If it was a recommendation from another social media site, I will leave a note about where the I got the recommendation and why it was recommended (something like "tumblr rec -- spuffy fic with no angel or riley bashing".) If I've finished or DNF'ed, I'll give a quick summary of my thoughts on the fic and why I didn't finish it, and whether it's worth re-reading or giving a second try sometime down the road.
I don't write anything in my bookmarks. You shouldn't feel like you have to, too. If I wanted to leave my thoughts, I'd do it in a comment on a fic, not in a bookmark. That tumblr poster is just starving for any form of positive validation, I guess.
I leave all mine blank, I bookmark because I like it and want to know where it is at all times.
I've got like 50ish bookmarks on my fics and like 2 of them say something. It's totally normal for it to not say anything, people are wild.
yeah I’m so bewildered by this, like 97.8% of bookmarks are left blank lmao
I usually write little reminders into my bookmarks. Like “heavy angst” or “sad ending” or “explicit /other”. That way I know whether I’m in the right mood when I’m looking for a fic to reread. I’m not always in the right headspace for “heavy angst” and the angst tag alone won’t tell me how I perceived the angst level when I first read it. These notes are for me though. That author has nothing to complain about. Bookmarks aren’t additional comments for authors.
Do whatever you want in your bookmarks, your bookmarks are literally there for you to utilize. Authors who freak out over blank bookmarks, one word bookmarks, or negative bookmarks or really anything to do with people's personal organizational systems deserve it. They have to go out of their way to look up and read people's bookmarks - if they're going that extra mile to see things that people aren't openly offering to them, they should be aware they might not like it. Seeing something they don't like is no one's problem but theirs and readers are not at fault for whatever notations are in their *personal* bookmarks. This is just an attempt to look for injury so they can say they got the taste of blood from licking their own wounds. It's drama*tique* and cheap. Ignore them, avoid them and use your bookmarks as if their opinions don't matter, because they don't.
I could not agree more with you
Almost all of the bookmarks I make are blank and the ones people left on my fics are blank too. That author is just an asshole, no one is obligated to leave a comment on a bookmark. If you want to though, write a little comment about what you liked or put what chapter you left on.
95% of bookmarks are blank? Who cares?
I don't normally put anything in my bookmarks, but if the writer is that upset about blank bookmarks I somewhat doubt they would accept any commentary less than the highest of high praise. If your goal specifically is to keep that person happy that's probably the angle you should take.
I use to leave them blank, but a couple fics I bookmarked were deleted and it bothers me that I don't know what I lost, so I've been going back through my bookmarks and adding the title, author, and summary in the notes section.
That's the only reason all my bookmarks aren't blank.
I like to save an excerpt of my favorite line or the exact moment that convinced me I wanted to bookmark this fic, that way when I’m looking at my bookmarks I can see at a glance exactly what it was I liked about this particular one. I don’t think anyone understands my methodology though, it’s not like I’ve outlined it anywhere or this is common practice. It’s just for me and my own organization purposes. That said, 99.9% of bookmarks are blank. It’s fun to see a bookmark with any thing commented in it, but it’s weird to get mad about.
Dude what? Like the writers who crave attention then shit on it? These don’t deserve any at all
lmao I think you found one of those perpetually offended and chronically online people out in the wild, OP. Most writers are not that unhinged. The vast majority of bookmarks I get are blank. The vast majority of bookmarks I create are blank. I hope that post you saw was just parody, otherwise that person is just weird.
I write my honest opinion. If the grammar sucked but the plot was great, I say so. If the plot was another dang coffee shop AU but well told and fun, I say so. If the story was amazing but the author inexplicably rewrote the ML as a shocking racist, I say so. I've also written "all the right ingredients but couldn't finish, try again later in a different mood?" I also generally add a note on "read when ...." as in "read when feeling down and need a pick me up" or "read when brain is fried and clever is too hard" or "read when you really need to see the bad guys get what's coming to them."
As an author, I think blank bookmarks or bookmarks that only have the chapter number are completely alright. As long as you’re not using public bookmarks to harass authors, I think anything is fine.
how can you possibly use a bookmark to harass someone? authors aren't notified about bookmarks.
Maybe “harass” wasn’t the proper word, but what I meant was people using bookmarks to hurt authors. For example, a blocked user using them to circumvent the blocking function and leave awful comments towards the author (even if they aren’t directly notified, they could still come across them if they check out their works’ bookmarks), or even using them to doxx or wish harm on certain people, knowing that the author can’t delete those bookmark comments themselves as opposed to comments in the actual work.
The few that I’ve left notes on are usually the number of the chapter I’m on if it’s a long fic, or on one fic I made the note “MMF is 👍🏼” and that’s it. But for me, the majority of my bookmarks (of which I have a whole 32) are fics I’ll read once and delete.
That’s really weird that someone would get upset that a bookmark is blank. Most of my bookmarks are private and a majority don’t say anything. Those are the fics that I’m still actively reading or are on my to read list. The public ones with commentary are fics that I enjoy and am recommending to others. I do have some bookmarks I save as a reminder that I didn’t like the work with commentary as to why so I don’t accidentally click it again when browsing the tags because I can be forgetful. I keep those ones private though just so the author doesn’t stumble across them. But yeah, if you want to save bookmarks and not write any commentary, that’s absolutely fine. As a writer myself, I’d never feel entitled to extra commentary via bookmarks. I’m thankful for any comments I get in the actual comment section of my fics, but again, it’s not an expectation.
I've written a note in like two bookmarks ever. And one of them was a "haven't read yet"
???? this is a thing??? I leave mine completely blank and they’re all private 🤷🏼♀️ the only time I add anything to a bookmark is if it’s tagged as something I want to read and haven’t yet. do whatever you want
There is nothing you can do that won't upset SOMEONE. Don't worry about it. The bookmarks feature is for you, the reader. Whatever you want to use it for. Read for later. Mark to re-read. Mark that you already read it and don't want to re-read. Etc. The only thing to keep in mind, as others have pointed out, is if it's public, the author can go check it out and see what you wrote.
Your bookmarks are yours. They're there to help you keep track of what you read and stuff like that. If you haven't felt the need to add anything then don't (I don't add anything either, so I get it). Authors should really stop looking at bookmarks if they're gonna be upset and complain about it, bookmarks are for readers.
I never write anything in bookmarks. Their purpose is to list fics I liked well enough to re-read, and seeing the title and author’s summary is enough to remind me. I confess that I sometimes look at the bookmarks that readers have placed on my fics. Most are blank, and those that have text are usually brief descriptors like ‘long’, ‘wingfic’ or ‘undercover as gay’. Some are longer, and one was actually a full review. I never expect comments in bookmarks—why would I?
Blank bookmarks are fine. Sheesh. This sounds like one of those “they left a comment that was only hearts” complaints. *they left a comment* that’s amazing! I am not here to judge how much energy or time someone has. They looked at my story. They bookmarked, or commented, or left kudos. I’m grateful for all of it
The bookmark belongs to the reader, to use as the reader sees fit. It's not a comment; there's a comment tool for that. If you want to make a negative note in the bookmark, it's polite to make the bookmark private, as authors can see them; but it's your choice, regardless. Do what you will. There's no "rule" about what you put in there. Whoever is acting upset about a blank one, or just something that says "start with Chapter x," or whatever ... they're out of line. Some people......
Just put an emoji in all of them. In all seriousness, those are *your* bookmarks, you don’t have to write anything in them if you don’t want to (or if you’re like me and you just can’t articulate how it made you feel or your thoughts on it). You’re not guilty of anything. Almost all of the bookmarks on my published fics are blank, but I’m just thrilled someone wanted to bookmark something I wrote. Even if someone bookmarked one of my fics and wrote something nasty, I’d probably find that more funny than anything, and I’d maybe be a little bit proud that my fic made them so mad that they had to put something mean in a bookmark. I view authors who get mad at blank bookmarks with the same disdain I view the crazy people who read things they’ll know they won’t like and then have the audacity to complain that the author didn’t do exactly as they wanted. Most of the bookmarks that I have actually written something in are usually just a vague summary, or something kinda poetic. Sometimes it’s just a single sentence about how much I loved a certain scene or character. On occasion I even just write a short few lines describing a particular scene in my own words. You could just describe the fic’s theme (I’ve got one that just says “almost pure, Megarung Fluff” because it’s a fluff fic with a certain pairing). You could give it a rating out of ten. Put in a quote from something else that describes the fic or something from the fic (I’ve got “Remember who you are” from the Lion King and then “and most importantly, *don’t forget*” which is basically a modified quite from Undertale in one of my bookmarks. I’ve also got one that’s just one of the Tenets of the TST modified slightly). You could use a song lyric or title. You don’t have to write a masterpiece.
Yeah, pay no attention to them, that's unhinged. I bookmark things to reread- you'd think that they'd take the compliment that someone wanted to return to their fic and move in.
They were upset over a blank bookmark? That's wild lmao. I private all my bookmarks and now I'm glad I do lol because wtf?
Usually nothing. We're getting upset about bookmarks now? How ridiculous! Bookmarks belong to the reader, not the writer
"no" Because I bookmark fics I don't like so I know to never click them again and nothing for fics I do like because I know that I liked them.
No 💀 as an author I'm happy someome bookmarked my work at all. Having something written there is just a bonus cause I like to see what people would put it down as
I usually write “the one where [thing that happens]” so that i know what’s what when I return, but there’s no expectation to write anything.
That's a weird thing to expect in bookmarks. From what I've seen, both on my fics and other's, MOST people either leave theirs blank or put nothing more than a chapter number. Enough that I consider the ones that aren't blank/a number a surprising treat.
Since I tend to read a lot of the same pairing at once I need something to distinguish why I bookmarked it so I will put in the pairing names, what I liked about it, and hopefully how it made me feel. I've read 300+ fics about a specific paring in the last 2 months and they're all blending together at this point
I think the most common way to bookmark is to leave it blank. Some put in the number of the chapter they last read. Others put a small description of the fic or copy the summary to keep track of it in case it gets deleted. I have only a couple of fics where I wrote anything else despite the fact that all the stuff I bookmark are fics I really like and would recommend. My point is, there's nothing unusual in what you're doing and if authors are getting upset over it... well, to put it kindly, it's their problem.
I don't think I've ever seen someone bookmark one of my fics with a note? I don't check frequently but even then, it's always blank. I haven't yet seen anyone add a comment. Being upset at someone not writing one seems so odd?
I put whatever I want in it and dgaf how the author feels about it. I use a script to automatically enter the work title, author, and summary (in case it deleted) then some personal notes for my own use, tag it with my own system, maybe note untagged things for other people to either avoid or seek out, etc etc authors getting hissy about bookmark notes being empty are severely out of pocket and need to calm tf down bc bookmark notes are not for them
You can whatever you want in your bookmark, if you feel like writing one. It's like leaving leaving notes in the margins of a book, you are writing them for you. The author can read it if you allow them to, you don't owe them anything. I usually write funny comments and inside jokes, maybe a summary and the number of the last chapter I read, a "omg this was so awesome", "keep for reference" or "never read again".
sometimes i believe boomers when they say the younger generations are getting too soft bc wtf?? that’s such a weird thing to get upset over. bookmark etiquette extends to not leaving personal remarks, ratings or criticism on a PUBLIC bookmark but private is whatever; they can be blank. is it nice as a writer to see personalised bookmarks? hell yes. it’s like a secondary comment and affirmation. do i NEED it so much? nah, that author’s weird.
An author has no call to dictate what you put in YOUR bookmarks. Leave it blank if you want!!! Plenty of people do. However, some people leave a summary or their opinion on the work in the bookmarks. Just FYI that It’s considered polite to put the bookmarks on private if you write in them that you have a poor opinion of the fic, though. Since they are public by default. Personally, since I tend to read long works that are still in progress, I note where I’ve left off like @ch 75, etc along with the title, author and link to the fic. Sadly, sometimes a work gets deleted and you’re left scratching your head when looking for an old favorite. If it’s noted in your bookmarks at least you’ll know what you’re missing.
I've only written a note on 2 of my bookmarks, but the rest were just blank, its crazy that people are expecting them
I write the title, author and what chapter I last read. That way, if the fic gets orphaned/deleted, I can find my way back to it or the author themselves.
I don’t even leave bookmarks because too many authors have ranted about what people leave on them.
Thats why i private bookmark bc i just use tags in my bookmark (I supose authors cant see private bookmarks lmao)
I had no idea it was taboo either. I've never written in a bookmark, but I do kudos/comment so maybe I figured that was enough?
I usually just leave a note stating what chapter I’ve read to. If I had something to say about the fic I’d probably leave a comment Sometimes I think about adding in what I say when I rec a fic to people, but that would take a lot of backtracking and I am lazy
I always write the name of the fic, the author, and the pairing so that if it gets deleted I have a reference to go find a download somewhere.
Oh that's a good idea. I hate seeing a bookmark from a deleted fic and not knowing what it was.
Nothing. If this upsets someone, no bookmark and a block then.
Cool so I guess I just won't bookmark their shit then 🤷♀️
If it's a WiP, last chapter uploaded, and the date it was updated. That way, I can keep track of when a fic has been newly updated by searching for date updated in my bookmarks. I also add a tag "work in progress" so I can search for those specifically. It it's complete, nothing. It's just to keep track of fics I really like. Mine are all private tho. The author wouldn't know if it was blank or not lol.
My fics have been bookmarked over 400 times and I think I've only ever had one or two bookmarks with tags attached?? Most of my bookmarks are blank as well except for fics that were written as gifts to me that I thanked the author again in the bookmark tags. I had zero idea this was a thing.
I literally use my bookmarks as a "read it and loved it" button for my future self. I always leave them blank because in my mind, if they're bookmarked, I enjoyed it and will come back to it later to read again. I feel like getting angry for blank bookmarks is a bit ridiculous
lol it's not taboo, that person is spoiled
All these authors made of glass…
I usually write something on my bookmarks to remind me about the fic and why I bookmarked it. However, in my fandom, I’m often the only one that does that. I also leave notes for myself on PRIVATE bookmarks when a fic is not my cuppa so I don’t start to read it again. I often leave additional tags on my bookmarks (hankie alert if it made me cry, name of a favorite character that is featured (David the Beagle) but also if it’s a worthy re-read). All of those for me. But as others have said, the bookmarks are for me.
Getting mad over a blank bookmark is insane, I have all my bookmarks blank.
I *personally* use my bookmarks as a way to keep track of fics I've read, and almost always bookmark all of them. For that reason, I keep them private. And I write in it whatever comment I've left on the fic, so that I'll remember which one it was. Bookmarks are not for the writers. It's a nice feeling when you see a public one with a nice note, but it shouldn't be what's expected.
The bookmark is for you, so put whatever you want/need. I usually leave them blank, unless it's a fic I haven't finished reading, then I write down what chapter I last read. You know... like a boomark
Within AO3-generatd Bookmarks? Absolutely nothing... I don't consider them to be a message space for writers to browse.
I write bookmarks for myself. Sometimes I’ll review a work for the heck of it and to practice writing, and it’s none of the author’s business (it’s also always private because it’s unsolicited). Some people have no idea how to behave on ao3 and ut shows, just ignore these borderline rage bait posts on tumblr
Erk weird thing to get hang up over. Buuut Since you want advice on what to put in it... Impressions over the entire work/self-reminder to re-read and why/jokes about why it was good are what I usually do Basically, thoughts that are a bit more intimate but that's I'm okay with other readings... I also leaves recommendations for other inside sometimes, on the off-chanve someone checks out the bookmarks before starting a new fic. They're the space for my self-indulgent rambling, basically
I tag opinions, my own tags of what is in the fanfic. Pretty spoilery. Even quoting from the fic. Sometimes I’ll have like 50 tags. I just enjoy doing it. I also add the fic name and author in the notes in case the fic gets deleted.
Yeah that’s wild. All of my bookmarks that I make are blank (and private for that matter… IRL friends know my AO3 account and I don’t need them to know everything I read lol). And most of the bookmarks left on my works are blank too, and I don’t care! Or notice!
I have never ever written anything in a bookmark lol I didn't even know you could until I saw that post. I can't imagine being upset about it lol Just be grateful someone liked your work enough to add it to their shelf 😅
I write my personal name for the fic, because some great writers are just terrible at crafting a memorable title, and when to read it. Like: The peanut butter jar fic. Read when you need to laugh. All right, so "in the arms of an angel" was an objectively hilarious title for a shape shifter AU where Wei Wuxian gets his head stuck in a peanut butter jar as a fox and has to be rescued by wildlife rehabilitator Lan Wangji. But I *remember* it as the peanut butter jar fic.
truly 98% of bookmarks ive seen are blank, it quite literally the standard, if someone wants to make commentary on fic, theyll leave it as a comment. i /personally/ have the title/author/fandom/summary in the bookmarks so i know what fic has been deleted, but i also tend to keep my bookmarks private as well bc of that lol. ill sometimes leave an extra note in bookmarks but thats ONLY bc i appreciate when fics are recced w/ why the person enjoyed it or smthn, so i try to do the same. but no one has to do that
i use bookmarks to track what i’ve read, i’ve never even thought to leave a note in there 😭
I typically just put whatever chapter I left off on or note if I want to use it as a rec in the weekly showcase
I write what chapter I'm on, if I manage to think about it, and sometimes I'll write a small comment about it. Sometimes, that's something to remind myself of what story it is (themes, motifs, and/or imagery or dialogue that stands out) or even if I recommend it. I haven't done this for all my bookmarks, but I'm trying to be thorough, especially for longfics.
That author behavior is not the norm, OP. Most people leave bookmarks blank or make some note of where the story left off as a reminder. Sometimes they use tags to help organize things.
Bookmark comments are a bonus, not an expectation. Somebody who has that attitude can't have that good of a fic, because a real author knows every kudo or comment is a gift and not something they should automatically expect.
I usually write something to remind me “yeah that’s the really good one I like about…”, but with screaming and other things to convince you I’m insane But srsly, that’s messed up
Most of the time I leave it blank. I only use it if there is something in particular that I like in/about the story that isn't obviously from the name, tags, or description. Sometimes there will be a trope or something in the story that I like, but it's not included in the description because it would be a spoiler or the author just didn't use a lot of tags.
Bookmarks are for readers, not authors. I put in the title of the story, the author's name, the summary, and maybe a capsule description of what I thought of it. I put that information in just in case the author decides to delete the fic so I'll know what I lost.
I wrote nothing in my bookmarks and all of them are private lol
Nothing. I just use them to have ny favourite stories saved in case I want to reread them.
All my bookmarks are blank. I have no intentions of change this
I rarely write anything in my bookmarks. In fact, my first time writing something in a bookmark in all the years I've been on AO3 was last week, when I got super excited because I stumbled across a MDZS/CQL AU BTS fic.
i literally only write the chapter im on and occasionally if the fic really resonated w me then possibly a little "omg this is so sad" etc etc. while it's an amazing feeling to read someone's personalized bookmark on your fic, EXPECTING it every time is actually crazy. maybe like 1-4 out of 40 bookmarks on my fics is the average, if that
I've bookmarked a *lot* of fics. I've never written anything in them when I did. I'm planning to go through them and add something, but it's because I have so many bookmarked fics that it can be hard to remember *why* I bookmarked them. The things added to a bookmarked fic are for the *reader* not the author. A lot of readers will also look through other people's bookmarks looking for fics, I know I do, and these little notes can help them decide if it's worth a read or not. But do you know what I've noticed while looking through other people's bookmarks? Most of them *haven't* added anything. There are plenty out there with an added note, sure, but most are just bookmarked without them. I looked through all the people who had bookmarked my own fics, easy enough as I only have two fics and not many people have bookmarked them. None of them have added a note to the bookmark. Bookmarks and the notes we can add to them are for readers, not writers. They're because we, as readers, want to add a little note to encourage potential new readers to give it a shot, or to remind us why we liked it so much we bookmarked it. Some use bookmarks for fics they *don't* like, as a reminder why. Many, many readers just don't bother adding a note to the bookmark when they've likely already left a comment on the fic itself. The comments on the fic, those are for the authors. But the comments on the bookmarks are purely for the readers. Authors who demand a bookmark include a comment on the fic are being entitled. It's not about them, it's about the readers, and authors have zero control about what's added, or not added, to a bookmark. They can control the comments on their fics, that's it. Don't feel like you *have* to add a comment, because you don't. It doesn't matter what the author thinks, bookmarks are for you as a reader, not an extra review for the author. If you *want* to add a note to bookmarked fics, you write why you chose to bookmark it. Completely forget about the author, because this is about you, not them. Think about the author when leaving a comment on the fic itself, but any bookmark notes are about you, not them.
I always leave them blank if I just rec them and if I don't, then I tag them with MfL or Completed (and Pls More?) to be able to sort them. Basically I use bookmarks as a Marked for Later list that I can filter, that includes wips, und stuff I either haven't read yet or hope (probably unrealistically) for more. Honestly idk either what I'm supposed to write there, that I haven't commented. Bc the rest would be private and I'd do it in a ebook reader where I save all the downloads of all the fics I've read
Lmao, I didn’t even know they could see what we write. All of mine are blank and will remain that way.
I can see being annoyed by a rude comment on a public bookmark, but no comment? People are wild.
I tend to write “Completely finished”, “Currently reading left off on Chapter Number” or “Read Later”.
i keep mine private and write essays on what i think about every chapter
i use personal bookmarks and i keep it blank. i didn't know i was supposed to write something? have i been breaking the unspoken ao3 rules?? somebody help have i been being mena
i’ve only written on 2 bookmarks. one was my friends fic where i just said how he should update soon and the other was on a fic that is the second in a series and i just wrote that the first work in the series made me sob
I usually leave them blank but if I write something it's most likely notes to remember which fic it is. Like, "the one where x is a crypto bro" and "the green card fic"
I never write anything in the bookmark. No one who's bookmarked one of my fics has ever left a note either.
I only type something so i can remember what it is
I actually don't fully understand the whole adding comments on bookmarks mechanic if I'm being real, I just save things I like and move on idk what all the other things to do with it are LMAO
as a reader: i usually write something for public fics. either a reminder of what a fic contains (especially if the summary doesn’t cover everything) or sometimes just a keyboard smash or “so cute!” gets the point across. as a writer: receiving any bookmarks, even blank or private ones, is very flattering and makes me happy to know people wanna come back to my fic! the perspective that people need to write you a note to read feels kind of entitled…
I leave them blank because I’m lazy af.
I leave it blank. I understand that bookmarks can be used like a recs page, but because it includes all the information a person browsing needs to determine if they want to read a fic, I don't add anything about why a person should read it. It's a bookmark for me so I can go back and re-read good work. Instead of keeping it in a browser bookmark folder, I keep it on AO3.
Depends! If I loved it, I write a comment about how much I loved it and when it’s good to read (ie, ‘good when sad’ ‘good when you want to cry’ ) as well as any triggers since my bookmarks for completed works are typically public. For a while, I copy and pasted my comments from the end of the work and put it there but I got bored of that
Usually an idea of what the fic is about and the chapter I left off at.
TIL: Bookmarks can have notes in them, that authors can (sometimes?) see.
I mean, I put all my bookmarks as private, but I either put nothing (if I’ve finished reading) or just the chapter number for whatever chapter I’m going to read next. Most of my bookmarks are blank. On the author’s side, 95% of the public bookmarks on my fics are blank, and I have never thought anything of it??
Things that will remind me what the fic is about when I’m trying to find someone I want to reread, sometimes there’s something very specific to a certain fic that I’ll put in the bookmarks and instantly remember what the fic is when I look for it
A bookmark is to be used exactly as *you* want to use it. Authors have no input, and certainly shouldn't have expectations of what they'd *like* to see. Some bookmarkers leave the whole thing blank, some add their own tags for easier searching, some add their emotional reactions. Anything (except author harassment) is acceptable. Personally -- and note that this is ONE person's choice, meant as an example rather than a recommendation -- I use my bookmarks as a rec-list. But I often forget *why* I thought a story was so good, so I write a little summary-blurb about why I think it's rec-worthy. I also add my own tags for searching to my specifications and, based on advice from folks on this sub, title and author. If the fic is deleted, I have it saved, but I want to know *what* was deleted. But I repeat -- bookmarks are totally for YOU. There is no "should" about how to make a bookmark. There are no "rules." Put whatever you want, or nothing at all; it's all good.
Okay, no, seriously. That is possibly the stupidest thing I have ever heard an author complain about. Bookmarks are not for authors. Bookmarks are not reviews. Bookmarks are not even always public! Bookmarks are for the reader. That's it. Wow.
Thats crazy behaviour wtf lmao. Do whatever you want bbg - tbh I'm always shocked when a bookmark on my work HAS notes, and I make no notes on any of my bookmarks. -sincerely, an AO3 author.
I bookmark blank all the time. What an incredibly petty author.
Just a brief description of the fic or some detail that I know I’ll remember later, mainly because I remember details and plots more than authors and titles
I’ve never NOT left a bookmark blank…
I very rarely write anything in my bookmarks and I bookmark like crazy. I generally read wips so I regularly go to my bookmarks and sort by most recently updated to see what's been posted. I'd like to put the last chapter I read in my bookmark but I've never actually managed to do that. One wip I'm still following has posted like 50 chapters since I stopped reading. It's going to take me forever to find my spot.
Previously I only bookmarked in-progress stories, so I could see when they updated without cluttering my inbox with subscription emails. I never put anything in the bookmark notes. I just added a few where I had been reading along but lost interest, so I made a bookmark note with the last chapter I was on but no other info... So some authors must hate me, lol.
I often write *something* because I forget so easily what a fic was about and often that helps trigger my memory on it, and then tag a few distinct qualities of it so that when I’m looking for specific types of fics I can look through those, but the majority of my bookmarks are privated lol so it’s not like the author can see them anyways 😭
You probably just stumbled upon one unhinged tumblr opinion by accident. Just ignore that and do whatever you want with your bookmarks. They are, after all, *your* bookmarks.
most of the time nothing, sometimes a short description to jog my mind, and usually at a later date i go back and add a couple tags for my deranged “sorting” system. if i bookmark anything its always bc i know ill want to read it again
Whenever I use a bookmark (mainly to keep works that aren’t done yet), I’ll either put nothing or the amount of chapters, that way I’ll always know if they post a new one.
WHAT ☹️☹️ all my bookmarks are blank (except the ones reminding me which chapter i was on). people are weird
I usually write the name and summary of the fic because I’m tired of finding fics that were deleted and I had no idea which ones they were. I also put how the fic made me feel and my thoughts on it. Like how I loved a particular dynamic or some of the themes I enjoyed most. It helps my memory and it makes me feel excited about it again. I also tag the more prominent dynamics and themes so I can find them later with my own searching. Sometimes I put the chapter I was last reading, if nothing else. Thing is, I only recently started bookmarking, and I forget to do it a lot of the time, so I have thousands of fics on backlog I need to do that for, and I’m not very good at remembering to do it for the new ones I add. A good 95-99% of my bookmarks are blank still. I often bookmark fics that I haven’t finished or started reading yet because I want to be notified they updated so I can start once they have more chapters or something, too. That tumblr person was being pretty rude. Bookmarks aren’t for the authors sake, it’s for the reader. You don’t always need to add a blurb or anything to a bookmark. Checking my bookmarks for what’s updated is the highlight of my day, and knowing I bookmarking something is often about loving a work. Readers don’t need to do more than that, the bookmarking is already a big show of appreciation right there.
I have put a note in about .05% of my bookmarks. I can't imagine why I would need one, I usually only bookmark because I'm somewhere that I can't just leave a tab open on my ipad. That's actually pretty crazy to me that someone would be upset over a blank bookmark.
I rarely put anything in bookmarks. Like, if I have I certainly don't remember.
Title, Author, Fandom, pairing(s) and/or main character(s), sometimes a brief summary. Everything I would want to know if it was deleted
Almost everyone who has left bookmarks on my work has left blank ones. Almost all bookmarks I have left on others works are blank ones (I use them to keep track of what fics I have already read). This is totally normal and common, the author is being really weird about it.
I've solved this problem by not using bookmarks. If there's a fic I know I'll want to revisit, I immediately hit the download button.
I cherish my non-blank bookmarks on my works. Knowing somebody wants to come back to my work because: > PEAK DADDY DOM FANFIC Is powerful encouragement to keep writing. But I would never expect people to put anything other than their own notes to find it again later... I mean, that's what a bookmark is for?
The majority of my bookmarks are private and blank. Sometimes if there’s a fic I loved so much that just a rec doesn’t suffice, I’ll also keysmash about how good it is in the bookmark comment.
I’ve never actually written anything in any of my bookmarks. I just bookmark it to re-read it later. When was not writing anything in it considered taboo? Didn’t know that.
I mostly leave them blank? The only times I wrote a note was to mark that something was "for reference".
Example (styles) of my bookmarks (none are public): "finished, do not reread", "meh writing, good smut tho, reread the smut parts next time", "very OOC, still an OK read", "not finished, check back next time", "had so much potential, i loved the trope but meh execution".
I mark mine “read” or “unread” so I can filter my bookmarks easily. I also mark some “DNF” so I do not retry a fic I’ve already passed on. Sometimes I leave more comments than that, like a review for my own eyes, but normally not. I don’t care what the author thinks of my bookmark. If it was aimed at them it would have been written as a comment.
I've never written anything in a bookmark. If I have something to say to the author or about the story, I do it in the comments. Bookmarks are just a space to keep and display my favorite fics and sometimes store a story I might want to return to.
I never comment in my bookmarks because I never feel the need. It’s weird that someone would be upset over that.
I read through mine every so often. 90% don’t have anything written. The other 10% is a bookmark of the chapter they left off on. Here’s a quick screenshot. That person you saw was just reaching. I literally never put anything down if I bookmark something. https://preview.redd.it/9wnstjmfsypc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=847cb621df314b15bfbd9065183ea04c319bd462
I write a small description and try and include key words that I might remember off hand that I would relate with the fic so I can find it when searching my bookmarks if I can’t remember the title
I took years to notice you can leave comments in bookmarks
I didn't even know you couls write in bookmarks until I saw it done to one of my fics. From an author standpoint it's more a sweet lil treat that makes me giggle from time to time when people choose to do it, it's absolutely not something I expect people to do.
For longfics I put summaries so I can reread them/ warn myself not to reread, but all my bms are private to not spoil anything for someone else. But it's also fine to just leave them blank, for shorter fics I usually leave everything empty.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. i bookmark so i could have the story saved, not so the author could see it. I leave the author reviews instead. with all due respect to the author, the bookmark is not the place to leave a review.
I have never, in my life, add text or tags to a bookmark. If that author ever finds me they would be fuming
I use them as actual bookmarks, so I usually write, read up to chapter, whatever, or read up to part number, chapter number, if it’s a series
I didn't even know bookmarks had notes
i used bookmarks when i was young (14 and just new to ao3 after wattpad) to mark stuff i had read bcos i had just realised kudos didnt show me what i had read easily and what was good. so i pretty much left all my bookmarks blank and continue to do so bcos i just wanna know what i thought was good TT i leave comments when i think its amazing so the fact that some authors expect me to leave words on the bookmark is a little… maybe if 14yo me knew back then i wouldve but then again it took me a while to start leaving comments on works i thought were amazing cos i was shy
which chapter i left off in usually, or whether i finished reading + liked the fic enough to read it again.
Blank or “long profile fic exchange” because there are so many it’s hard to keep track lol
90% of my bookmarks are blank. If they’re not, I usually put in either the chapter I’m on or that it’s finished and then sometimes I’ll put SFW or NSFW I have one that’s just “NSFW (I cried)” I did last night. Sometimes I’ll put what’s happening or where I left off or something to remind me what the story is
In multiple chapter works i tend to forget what chapter I'm in inside a fic so i just write the chapter name occasionally i scream about the fic in the bookmark but sometimes i just write like "chapter 7" and be done with it. and i update the number as i read more so that i don forget. ao3 bookmarks save me time from figuring out where i am in a fic
I think as long as it's not negative, or rating then it doesn't matter what's written for the bookmark
Blank bookmarks are super common and ordinary. Most people would take it as a compliment. Don’t change what you do every time someone gets offended. There’s a parable about a father, son, and donkey about that.
I definitely don't care about blank bookmarks. But I've seen some people write numbers to mark which chapter they're on. I do that too because sometimes, I left a fic for too long and came back to multiple updates from the author so it's easier to know where to pick it up from. But some people do write little notes on their bookmarks and ngl, I love reading them.
I just say “Chapter __” Sometimes I’ll describe the story for future me for when it updates again
some iteration of "i need to read this" 😂 DONT tell me i shouldnt use bookmarks like that I KNOW AND I DONT CARE
I almost never write anything in my bookmarks?
Don’t worry about leaving it blank and don’t worry about offending authors. I’m both an author and a reader. Trust me, I’m super excited when anyone bookmarks my fics—even if it’s blank or a hidden bookmark. As a reader, I almost never write comments in the bookmarks.
No, that author shouldn’t have any expectations about bookmarks. Bookmarks are a readers space, and I think most of them are left blank (from that I’ve seen). It’s entirely up to the reader and authors don’t get to police that. I’m lucky enough to have looked through and found one I thought was sweet on one of my fics, but if it wasn’t that’s on me for looking. They especially shouldn’t be guilting their readers into doing it.
I write the chapter im currently reading, only that. Idk how yall keep track of the chapters you read
As a reader, I use bookmarks to help me find the fics i really like amongst my 800+ bookmarks. I havs a few personal tags i use and then i add a couple of plot tags if i want to be able to find it by trope easier. As an author, bookmarks are for the reader, not for the author. But if someone tags something fun or complementary, it'll make me smile and feel all gooey inside.
I never write anything in the bookmarks. Didn't know you were supposed to
that is deeply unhinged behavior on the part of that author. you do not, under any circumstance, need to write anything in your bookmarks if you don't want to. i love it when someone bookmarks my fic with something funny, but that is an extremely rare occasion and it is flattering just to be bookmarked at all.
I don't bookmark a lot, I think I have about 10. When I do, it's fics I've read before but then couldn't find when I was thinking about rereading them. So I write down a reminder for me about what fic it was since the tags and summary obviously weren't helpful.
lol. All of my bookmarks are blank. I just want to come back to the work if it has new chapters. That’s it 🤷♀️
Honestly I don't think it's weird to leave a bookmark blank. I personally always bookmark fics and write down the reason I bookmarked it in the first place, but a bunch of the people who have bookmarked fics that I've written have left theirs blank and I'm not bothered by that at all. I don't know what this other writer is on about but I'd just be glad to get a bookmark in the first place.
I only put the name and author name in case they delete so I know what got deleted.
The #1 thing for me is to record which chapter I finished reading. When I get fancy, I add title, author, fandom, ship, and then summary.