Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Posts: 312
Location: USA
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One of the wonderful things about the Harry Potter fandom is all of the different archives. Other fandoms I’ve been involved with had only one place (or maybe I just got stuck in one place and never ventured out), so the plethora of choices in the Harry Potter fandom tickles me pink. There are great places to post your work based on a bunch of different criteria – genera, moderation, community spirit, and a bunch of other things.
Not every archive will suite you, and frankly, you might not suite every archive.
My suggestion is to wander around, get to know the people who run (or in the case of ffnet let the animals run free) the archive and to read what is posted there before you decide what to do. Don’t be upset or offended if the archive doesn’t particularly want you or your writing style. This is the nature of the online beast.
Ten times out of seven, it honestly isn’t even about you. So, don’t get your gander up if your not treated in the way you think you should be (we’ve all got expectations, however most of the time those expectations are unrealistic). Always, and I cannot stress this enough, always try to handle disputes in a discreet manner (discretion might not always be possible, but it is always appreciated).
Shop around. Honestly do. But don’t judge every archive, and most especially do not compare them to one another. Each archive has its own strengths and weaknesses. It may seem like a frustrating process, finding some place to post your work, but it will happen. An archive that works for a friend may not work for you – and vise versa.
Be courteous. I cannot stress this one enough. Archives are run by people who are kind enough to take the time to provide the writer and the reader a place to one-stop-shop. Most do this because they are readers/ writers themselves and they wanted a place that conforms to their vision of fandom. Their vision probably isn’t going to be the same as yours, but they are flexible. Flexibility only goes so far though, so don’t be stupid or demanding. If issues with the server or a volunteer administrator come up, send a respectful reply through their email system.
If the issue isn’t resolved, try not to air your dirty laundry in public. I’ll admit, I find these temper bursts amusing – and I’m sure I’m not the only one – but in the end it makes both parties look stupid. No one wants that. It puts both the writer and the archive in a defensive mode, and feelings do get hurt. If you must post a rant, be nice and post lock it, that way people know you’re just bitching because you’re angry and not trying to make a public statement.
Finally, remember that this is supposed to be fun. Fun for everyone. Sometimes you just have to let things go. If it means leaving an archive, then leave – we all out grow things, including archives. |
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Celis~~~
And they say we're crazy
http://www.livejournal.com/users/celisnebula/
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