Fanfiction writers for anime and manga fandoms
Fanfiction writers on OtakuOshi share stories set in the anime, manga and games you love, written by fans for fellow fans. Read exclusive chapters and author’s notes from independent writers who post on their own timetable, or publish your own fics and earn from the readers who follow them.
What counts as fanfiction, and why otaku fandom runs on it
Fanfiction (fan fiction, fanfic, or just fic) is any new story that borrows the characters and setting of an existing work, whether that’s an anime, a manga, a game, a light novel or a film. The writer starts from whatever hooked them and keeps going: a scene the source glossed over, the ending it should have had, a relationship left unspoken, a crossover no studio would ever sign off, or a quiet afternoon in a minor character’s life.
Japan has long had a name for this sort of fan creation. Dōjinshi, works self-published by fans, are a respected art form with a whole circuit of events behind them (comics fans can head to our doujin and manga category). On the web, Wattpad, Archive of Our Own and Pixiv’s novels section host vast archives built by fandoms from every corner of the globe. Plenty of us read fic for one simple reason. It means the story doesn’t have to end when the final episode does.
Here, writers publish for a readership of their own, with exclusive chapters, ongoing series, one-shots, full-length light novels, author’s notes and peeks at their writing process. Readers either subscribe or buy a single story, and the income goes directly to the writer.
Story formats to read and post
Some take five minutes over a brew; others run for months. These are the forms you’ll see most.
Multi-chapter series
New chapters land on a regular schedule (weekly, fortnightly or monthly), and subscribers get them first. Long-form plotting lives here, with proper arcs, characters who grow, and cliffhangers that make the wait for the next update feel endless.
One-shots and short stories
Complete in a single chapter. A slow Sunday with the cast, a missing scene, an alternative ending or a moment that fell between two arcs. Just right when you fancy something you can finish in one go.
Light novels and longfic
Big, novel-sized projects with sprawling casts, detailed worldbuilding and interlocking plotlines, released in full or chapter by chapter. Ideal for anyone writing with the scope and momentum of a Japanese light novel.
Alternate universes and crossovers
Well-loved characters dropped somewhere new (AU, alternate universe): a sixth-form college, a medieval court, a starship, an ordinary open-plan office. Or casts from separate series thrown into the same plot (a crossover). Fandom’s most playful, inventive corner.
Author’s notes and process
A look behind the curtain, with the story of how the idea came about, character profiles, maps, timelines, the playlist on repeat while drafting, cut scenes and musings on the plot. Exclusive extras for subscribers who love how a story is built as much as the story itself.
Commissioned stories
Give the writer a scenario, a pairing, a prompt or a premise and they’ll craft a story around it, from a one-shot written just for you to a bonus chapter. Everything is agreed through the platform’s messaging system.
For readers: getting more from your favourite writers
Subscribing to a writer on OtakuOshi opens up the exclusive material they release for their readers. What that includes depends on the writer and your tier, but it might be chapters ahead of the public, subscriber-only stories, author’s notes, character profiles, drafts, priority for commissions and polls that let you steer plots, pairings or the direction of the story.
Every story has an info page worth checking first, covering the premise, the series it’s based on, its length, whether it’s still going or finished, and its rating and warnings. Access starts the moment you subscribe or buy.
You’ll find fics in every genre and plenty of hybrids (there’s a rundown further down). Writers tag by genre, ship, universe, tone and warnings, which makes it easy to zero in on what you want and steer clear of what you don’t. Subscriptions and payments are covered on the payouts page, and the bigger picture on the How it works page.
For fanfiction writers: publish your fics and earn from them
Whether your stories are set in anime, manga, games, light novels or anywhere else in otaku culture, OtakuOshi gives them a proper home, and gives readers who care about good writing a way to pay you for it (see the creators page for the wider picture).
Choose the format that suits you, from a lone drabble to a finished light novel. It’s up to you what’s free, so new readers can stumble across you, and what’s held back for each subscription tier.
Every story gets its own info page (more on that below), showing your update schedule and, for works in progress, an estimated chapter count. Tagging by series, genre, ship and tone puts you in front of readers with the same tastes.
You set the terms. Run monthly subscriptions across several tiers (say, a standard tier with the weekly chapter and a premium one adding early access, author’s notes and commission priority), sell individual chapters or complete stories on a pay-to-unlock basis, and take tips and custom commissions. Joining the affiliate programme is another way to widen your reach. Earnings and payment terms are explained on the payouts page.
How to write fanfiction: from spark to upload
No two writers work quite alike, but most stories go through something like this.
Fandom and premise
Pick your fandom, your characters and the idea you’re starting from. Revisit the source (timeline, personalities, relationships, lore) and settle on the kind of story it’ll be: canon-compliant, AU, crossover, what-if or a continuation. It all starts with how much you love the original.
Plot and characters
Shape the plot, from a single small scene to a long arc packed with subplots and reveals. Then go deeper into the characters than the source ever did, exploring what drives them, what they’re wrestling with, the backstory canon never gave them and how they bounce off one another. An AU also means building the new setting from the ground up.
First draft
Plotters map every chapter in advance; pantsers let the characters take the wheel. Both are after the same result, with characters who sound like themselves and a world, canon or AU, that holds up.
Redrafting and editing
Now you tidy up spelling, grammar, continuity, dialogue, description, the pace of each scene and the overall tone. Most chapters get several rounds before they’re ready.
Beta reading
Next, many writers send the draft to beta readers, people they trust to spot plot holes, suggest fixes and warn them when a character has slipped out of their usual voice (the infamous OOC). Nothing improves a story more before it goes up.
Posting
Complete the info page, decide whether the chapter is public or exclusive, add a price if you’re charging, then publish. Subscribers can read it immediately. With a series, choose an update schedule you can realistically keep and stay consistent.
Genres, subgenres and tags
Fic spans pretty much every genre imaginable. These are the ones you’ll bump into most often on OtakuOshi.
Romance — The genre most fic readers come back to, built around a relationship, with tropes such as slow burn, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers and fake dating. Adventure — Quests, fights and exploring the source world. Drama — Big emotional stakes, hard choices and characters transformed by the journey. Angst — Grief, loss and impossible situations, frequently softened by a hopeful ending (hurt/comfort). Slice of life — The cast’s everyday routines, away from the main plot.
Comedy — Jokes, ridiculous set-ups and ensemble chemistry that writes itself. Fantasy — Magic, monsters and power systems, often in an AU. Science fiction — Tech, space exploration and futures bleak or bright. Horror and mystery — Suspense, dread and puzzles that need solving. Crossover — Characters and worlds from separate series meeting in one story.
Each story carries tags for genre, subgenre, ship (the character pairing), warnings and tone, so you can find exactly what you’re in the mood for and skip anything you’d rather avoid.
Reading formats and story info pages
Here’s how stories are published and read on OtakuOshi.
Text (posted on the platform)
Writers publish straight to the site in rich text, complete with paragraphs, italics, bold, scene breaks and author’s notes. Readers open them in a browser on any device, no download needed.
PDF and EPUB
Finished works and collections can come with a download option, either a laid-out PDF or an EPUB for your e-reader. Handy for light novels, one-shot anthologies and completed fics you’d like to keep and read offline.
Metadata and tags
Every story lists its title, summary, genre, subgenre, main characters, source series, ship (where relevant), word and chapter count, status (ongoing or complete), rating, warnings and licence type.
Ratings and posting rules
Stories use the same rating levels as everything else in the catalogue, as set out in the Publishing Principles. All ages (全年齢) covers stories fit for any reader. R-15 covers intense romance, suggestive moments or mature themes that never become explicit. R-18 covers explicit sexual scenes, for over-18s only, with age checks for readers and identity verification for writers under USC 2257.
Warnings must be added whenever a story contains anything that might upset sensitive readers, such as graphic violence, major character death, explicit sex, difficult themes or other specific triggers. Giving a story the wrong rating or skipping relevant warnings is a breach of the Terms of Service.
Each writer declares whether a work is original or derivative and takes responsibility for meeting the conditions that apply. At every rating, sexualising minors or child-like characters, portraying coercion or sexual violence without a tag, and plagiarising other writers are completely off limits. The full rules are in the Ethics Policy.
Fanfic FAQs
What readers and writers most often want to know.
Yes. Anime, manga, games, light novels, films and the rest of Japanese pop culture are all fair game. Derivative stories follow the same tradition as Japan’s dōjinshi. You mark each work as original or derivative, and you’re responsible for respecting the conditions that apply.
Yes. Fan works and original writing are both welcome, provided there’s a link to otaku or Japanese culture in the themes, style or aesthetic. An original light novel, an anime-flavoured fantasy or a story with a manga feel all fit. If you draw your own illustrations too, the manga artists and fan art pages are worth a look.
Any. There’s no language restriction, so English, Japanese, Spanish, Welsh or anything else is fine. Choosing a less widely spoken language has no effect on your visibility or on how your work is handled. The community is international, and some writers publish in two or more languages to find a bigger readership.
Yes. R-15 work (intense romance, suggestive material) is published under the right rating. R-18 work (explicit sexual content, adults only) needs the writer’s identity and the reader’s age to be verified. Warnings are mandatory, and the criteria are explained in the Publishing Principles.
Yes, lots of writers accept commissions, whether that’s a one-shot starring the characters and setting of your choice, a bonus chapter, a dedicated story or another bespoke request. Get in touch through the messaging system to agree the details and the price.
A beta reader is a trusted reader who goes through your draft before publication and gives honest feedback, catching continuity slips and typos, flagging pacing issues and suggesting improvements. Plenty of fandom writers rely on one, and the difference shows.
Create a free account at fans.otakuoshi.com, turn on your creator profile, set your subscription tiers and upload chapter one. You’re signed up instantly. R-18 writing requires identity verification first. The How it works page walks you through each step.
You may not sexualise minors or child-like characters, copy other writers’ work, give content the wrong rating or leave out necessary warnings. See the Ethics Policy, the Publishing Principles and the Terms of Service for the complete rules.
If you come across plagiarism, a story with the wrong rating, inappropriate material or any other breach, submit a formal report through the complaints page. General queries go through the contact page. Safety-related complaints are dealt with first, in line with the Active Response Policy.
Fanfic glossary
Fanfiction (fanfic, fic) — Fan-written stories using the characters and settings of existing works. · One-shot — A complete story told in one chapter. · Drabble — Micro-fiction, traditionally 100 words long. · AU (Alternate Universe) — Familiar characters placed in a setting that isn’t the original one. · Canon — What officially happens in the source material. · Canon-compliant — Fic that doesn’t contradict canon. · OOC (out of character) — A character acting in a way that doesn’t ring true. · Ship — A romantic pairing, whether canon or fan-invented. · Slow burn — A romance that takes its time, often across many chapters. · Angst — Writing focused on emotional pain. · Hurt/comfort — One character is hurting and another cares for them, balancing heartache and tenderness. · Fluff — Gentle, feel-good, low-stakes stories. · Lemon — A long-standing fandom label for sexually explicit fic (R-18). · Beta reader — Someone you trust to check a draft before it goes live. · Crossover — Characters from two or more different series in one story. · Commission — A story a reader pays a writer to create for them. · Prompt — A line, idea or situation to start writing from. · WIP — Work in progress: a story that isn’t finished yet.
Related policies and documents
These are the policies OtakuOshi uses to publish and moderate stories.
Publishing Principles. How ratings work, which tags are compulsory and what qualifies for each age level. Keep it handy whenever you rate and tag a story.
Ethics Policy. Our core ethical standards, with particular focus on protecting minors, banning plagiarism and the lines that are never crossed.
Terms of Service. The overall conditions of use, covering derivative works, copyright and the consequences of breaking the rules.
Complaints and reports. How to ask for content that infringes copyright to be taken down, or report any other breach. Useful if your story has been copied or reposted without your permission.
Privacy Policy. How we collect, store and use writers’ and readers’ personal data.
Read exclusive fics or get paid for your writing
Keep up with your favourite writers one chapter at a time, or set up your own space and start earning from your stories. Signing up costs nothing.