Archive of Our Own

The Archive of Our Own (AO3) is a non-commercial, non-profit, and open-source repository for fanfiction and other transformative fanworks, such as fanart, fan videos, and podfic. Founded in 2007 by the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW)—with notable co-founders including author Naomi Novik (known in fandom as astolat)—the site was created as a response to the commercialization and censorship of fanworks on other platforms. AO3 is celebrated for its sophisticated, volunteer-managed “tagging” system, which allows users to filter stories with extreme precision by fandom, character, relationship, and specific tropes. In a landmark moment for the legitimacy of fan-created content, the Archive won the Hugo Award for Best Related Work in 2019, recognizing the platform itself as a significant contribution to the science fiction and fantasy community.