The details · Readers
Fan fiction isn't one audience.
AO3 and Wattpad agreed on the order of the same three books, but not on the size of the gap.
- From
- Case study · CS-001 · September 28, 2026
Heated Rivalry against The Deal: 316 times on AO3, about 7 times on Wattpad
Fan works (AO3) and tagged stories (Wattpad) per 1,000 Goodreads ratings, September 28, 2026. Each panel has its own scale.
- The Deal, 0.31, 0.10
- Red, White & Royal Blue, 10.3, 0.12
- Heated Rivalry, 97.9, 0.74
Sources (7)
Source: CS1-17 CS1-18 CS1-19 CS1-125 CS1-14 CS1-15 CS1-16
See the numbers
| Book | AO3 | Wattpad |
|---|---|---|
| The Deal | 0.31 | 0.10 |
| Red, White & Royal Blue | 10.3 | 0.12 |
| Heated Rivalry | 97.9 | 0.74 |
What I found
Both sites put the books in the same order. But on September 28, 2026, Heated Rivalry's lead over The Deal was 316 times on AO3 and about 7 times on Wattpad. Part of the reason "may be" the tags: on AO3, volunteers link writers' tags to one shared couple tag. On Wattpad, a tag stays exactly as typed.
So do this
Publishing isn't one world, and neither is fandom. Don't judge a fandom, or yours, by one site.
Keep in mind
Part of the gap "may be" how each site's tags work.
Source: AO3 vs WattpadCS1-124CS1-125
Read the full case studyLast on Goodreads, first on AO3 for its size: what fan fiction saw in Heated RivalryThree adapted romances, two ways of counting readers, and a theory about books that leave room.Case study · CS-001 · 9 min read · 5 posts come from it