2025 was web fiction's biggest year. More readers, more stories, more crossover with traditional publishing and other media. Here's what shaped the year.
The numbers
The global web novel market continued its growth trajectory, driven by mobile reading, audio adaptation, and the blurring line between web and traditional publishing. Fan translations, official translations, and English-language originals all expanded their audiences.
The stories
Dungeon Crawler Carl remained the genre's flagship. Super Supportive became the most-recommended story in community spaces. Beware of Chicken proved cozy fiction isn't a trend — it's a permanent genre. Pale Lights showed that literary dark fantasy thrives in the serial format.
The platforms
Royal Road continued as the center of English-language original web fiction. AO3 maintained its position as the world's largest fanfiction archive. The forum platforms (SB/SV) remained vibrant subcultures producing fiction unlike anything elsewhere.
The trends
Audio-first publishing, cross-platform reading, cozy fantasy, translation growth, and the continuing dissolution of the boundary between "web fiction" and "published fiction."
Storywatch readers tracked more stories across more platforms than any previous year. The cross-platform reader is the new normal.