The critics of fanfic will always focus purely on the 'bad,' because it's cringe / easy to crtically destroy. (Finds another 94 reasons....) They're too lazy to actually find something they couldn't possibly admit is good, because then that upsets those earning a crust in writing and publishing.
Totally! There are so many fics I've read throughout the years that I genuinely believe to be better than published original fiction, but that's not talked about at all in the mainstream. The gatekeepers don't want to be seen late to the party 🤣
What I write, I write for myself, and publish on Ao3.... I never expect to be picked up either, not because I think my work is bad (I have readers saying this is their best ever fic!), but because the content I write is in a tiny fandom and original, with very dubious subject material.
That's one of my favorite parts about fic and fandom, honestly. Regardless of good or bad, popular or not, a lot of us are just writing for ourselves. (And maybe our five fandom friends that read our work 😆)
Even more rad is when we're writing for rare pairs, or tiny fandoms, or old fandoms that haven't gotten a new episode or book or movie in years. Like! That is love.