#do you get notifs if someone replies to your anonymous message...? i'm not sure either way but

[skalidra]

I want to write Batships and darker stories but I'm absolutely terrified of getting hate response because on my ao3 there are only gen fics. Do you any tips or advice?

My immediate answer is just say fuck it and do it anyway, because if your readers are the kind of people to kick up a fuss and send hate just because you've started writing something they might not like, they're not readers you wanted anyway.

However, I know that's not helpful, so that bit of speech-ing put aside, here's the actual advice.

If you don't feel comfortable, for whatever reason, posting darker fic or Batships to your Ao3, you've got three main options.

A) Make a new account.

This is the most secure option. There are still plenty of invite codes floating about (I might actually still have a couple, if you need), and it shouldn't be that difficult to create a new account. That will let you create an entirely new persona to post these stories under, free from connection to your old one. Now, this does have the negative that you won't carry over any of your past readers that might be interested, but you won't carry over any hateful ones, either. Fresh, blank slate. I'd recommend this one.

B) Post under the Anonymous Collection.

There's one enormous collection on Ao3 called Anonymous, which you can use to make your story be posted as though it had an unrevealed author. It's not perfect (note the disclaimer in the description), and someone who worked hard at it could probably still link you, but it is a first level of privacy. You'll still get comment notifications and all that, and you can choose to reply as an anonymous user if you like. This has the benefit of being able to merge it into your main account later, if a time comes that you're comfortable with adding it.

C) Orphan the stories.

This is the 'cast it into the void' option. Orphaning a work places it under Ao3's orphan account. You have zero connection to the story; it functions as if Ao3 itself had posted the work, and they'll maintain it under their umbrella account. This is permanent. There is no retrieving a story from this. (Also please note, I'm not positive this will work. I don't know if a work needs to be posted before it can be orphaned, or whether you might be able to post straight into that. You might need to post it into an anonymous collection and then orphan it as a second step to ensure anonymity. I'm not sure. But, if this is the option you want to do, you can message me off anon and I'll help you figure it out.)

Good luck, and happy posting. (We of the dark works and free-shipping raise a glass to you, newcomer.)