AN

What Does AN Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

AN means "Author's Note."

More Observations...

The abbreviation AN is used in fanfiction to introduce a note by the author. An author's note can appear in professionally written and published books, both fiction and nonfiction, but the term would not usually be abbreviated. In novels, the purpose of an AN is to explain or add context to the author's decisions, such as how they decided what information to include, or selected sources for the story. In fanfiction, ANs usually take a more personal tone. They are usually written at the front of the book, but often appear at the back, and can be included anywhere the author wishes. In nonfiction scientific and academic journal articles, the author's note usually contains details such as the author's department and institution affiliation, acknowledgments, any financial support received, and contact information. They are almost always at the front. In fanfiction, "author's note" is often abbreviated as A/N.

Image for AN

When I write AN, I mean this:

"Author's Note"

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

AN
Definition:	Author's Note
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Example of AN Used in a Text

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