Agree with eidheann and gracerene that calling it "Favorite Drarry Fics of 2015" makes it much clearer that this is a subjective list. "The Best" does suggest to me that either some sort of objective criteria was used and this is a list of objectively the best stories or that the reccer is in some sort of especially authoritative position in fandom to be able to make that kind of claim, or is speaking for some larger body (like the H/D Bookshelves, though even those didn't make any claims about featuring the best fics, and that's with ~680 voters for the 2009 one). "The Best" just doesn't leave a lot of room for assuming subjectivity and I'll admit (because I don't think I'm unique in this) that I'd be more hurt/miffed to be left off a list called "The Best" than a list called "My Favorite." Partly because it stings in a different way to be publicly excluded from "the best" than from someone's personal favorites that have to do with their own taste. But partly because of what I think it would suggest to audiences. I can easily imagine fandom newbies going "oh, okay, these authors and fics are the best, this must be common knowledge/truth if someone is saying this so definitively," and that disadvantages authors and stories who get left off and gives newcomers to fandom an inaccurate picture of things.
Refreshed and saw your response to eidheann, and, questioning the search logic. When I search "best drarry fics" (https://www.google.com/search?q=best+drarry+fics) only 2 of the top 10 results make an authorative claim about being a list of the best. My "my top ten drarry fics" is also in the top ten results, as are others that don't use "best." In fact, in the top 20 the only lists other than yours that uses "best" are crowd-sourced on goodreads and reddit, which is a pretty different thing imo. Pretty much the same results when I search "best draco harry fic" (https://www.google.com/search?q=best+draco+harry+fic) - most of what comes up is much more subjectively titled. 17/20 top results don't use "best." So it's absolutely possibly to write rec lists that are more subjectively titled - "my favorite" or "x rec list" - and still gain a wide audience. I don't think, from my own experience with reccing, that people will be less likely to reblog "My Favorite Drarry Fics of 2016." People like and link to and reblog and comment on things that are concise and definitive, but they can be concise, definitive, and own their subjectivity, too.
Though, I'll mea culpa and say that my take on the search results might be biased because, yeah, I don't find the logic very sympathetic. There's a pretty strong fandom norm of saying "these are my favorites" and there are a fair number of reccers around who take that approach. Calling your list "The Best," and calling it that in order to get more hits/the way you describe the process does sound like an intentional strategy to try and make your opinion more widely seen and more authoritative, and to make your opinion on what is or isn't good seem more objective. I understand wanting more hits after the time and energy it takes to make a rec list, but doing that by implying a level of objectivity that isn't/can't be there rubs me the wrong way.
Of course it's ultimately your choice, but if it's something that's giving you anxiety enough to post about it, maybe it's worth reconsidering? It may have been what you went with in the past, but you're the one writing the title. If it's not something that you feel still works for you, or if it gives you pause for whatever reasons, you do have the ability to change it.
no subject
Refreshed and saw your response to eidheann, and, questioning the search logic. When I search "best drarry fics" (https://www.google.com/search?q=best+drarry+fics) only 2 of the top 10 results make an authorative claim about being a list of the best. My "my top ten drarry fics" is also in the top ten results, as are others that don't use "best." In fact, in the top 20 the only lists other than yours that uses "best" are crowd-sourced on goodreads and reddit, which is a pretty different thing imo. Pretty much the same results when I search "best draco harry fic" (https://www.google.com/search?q=best+draco+harry+fic) - most of what comes up is much more subjectively titled. 17/20 top results don't use "best." So it's absolutely possibly to write rec lists that are more subjectively titled - "my favorite" or "x rec list" - and still gain a wide audience. I don't think, from my own experience with reccing, that people will be less likely to reblog "My Favorite Drarry Fics of 2016." People like and link to and reblog and comment on things that are concise and definitive, but they can be concise, definitive, and own their subjectivity, too.
Though, I'll mea culpa and say that my take on the search results might be biased because, yeah, I don't find the logic very sympathetic. There's a pretty strong fandom norm of saying "these are my favorites" and there are a fair number of reccers around who take that approach. Calling your list "The Best," and calling it that in order to get more hits/the way you describe the process does sound like an intentional strategy to try and make your opinion more widely seen and more authoritative, and to make your opinion on what is or isn't good seem more objective. I understand wanting more hits after the time and energy it takes to make a rec list, but doing that by implying a level of objectivity that isn't/can't be there rubs me the wrong way.
Of course it's ultimately your choice, but if it's something that's giving you anxiety enough to post about it, maybe it's worth reconsidering? It may have been what you went with in the past, but you're the one writing the title. If it's not something that you feel still works for you, or if it gives you pause for whatever reasons, you do have the ability to change it.