Gateway Fanwork
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| Synonyms: | Introductory fanwork, Introductory fic, Introduction fic |
| See also: | Gateway fandom |
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The term Gateway Fanwork may mean either the fanwork which introduced fans to or encouraged them to further explore a particular pairing or fandom, or a fanwork which brought people into reading fanfiction in the first place.
At an individual level, any fanwork can potentially be a gateway fandom and many fanfiction readers and writers have discussed which fanworks were their "gateway" into fandom. These works can be very popular works or they can be relatively obscure.
There are also fanworks which become popular, and can be considered gateway fanworks on a larger scale. For example, fanworks which breach containment are often — or subsequently become — gateway fanworks for many people, especially works which trend on social media or get recommended outside of fandom-specific circles. Sometimes, after reading the works of authors who have filed off the serial numbers from fanworks they have written for traditional publication, fans of the original work will seek out the original fanwork for comparison (or for more works by the author) and be introduced to a pairing or fanfiction more generally that way.
When a fanwork is a gateway to fanfiction in general, it can lead to some clashes over fandom etiquette and misunderstandings arising due to a lack of experience with norms or expectations in fandom circles as opposed to traditional publishing.
Gateway fanworks can also popularize relationships within fandoms that were once rarepairs.
Fan Discussions and Commentary on their Gateway Fanworks
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Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Popular or Well-known Gateway Fanworks
- Manacled by Senlinyu was a gateway fanwork for readers both for the Draco/Hermione pairing and fanfiction more generally. It became so popular that it, along with other Harry Potter fanworks, became widely sold on platforms like Etsy without the author's knowledge and consent. For more see: 2024 Harry Potter Fanbinding Controversy.
- All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 was both a gateway fanwork to the Marauders subfandom for many fans and to fanfiction more generally. It was another fanwork that was stolen and sold as part of the fanbinding controversy.
Specific Authors
- Many of Ali Hazelwood's traditionally published works started out as or were heavily influenced by Reylo fanworks she had written, and Ali Hazelwood is very open about being a fan writer on social media accounts under her name. This has led to fans of her work exploring Reylo fanfiction more generally.
Popularised Rarepairs
- Slippery Slopes by courtney-deserved-better in the Total Drama fandom was a gateway fanfic for the Alejandro/Noah pairing - formerly a rarepair, it's one of the most popular pairings in the fandom as of 2024.
- Running Blind by TheTriggeredHappy in the Team Fortress 2 fandom was a gateway fanfic for the Scout/Sniper pairing - formerly only a common pairing, it's one of the most popular pairings in the fandom as of 2024.