I'll be dividing this into multiple sections for easy reading and management so you don't go tl;dr on me biggrin . If you have any problems, please don't hesitate to send me a labelled (please label it, they get answered faster) PM.
Enough with the formal stuff, lets get to it!
The Basics:
Alrighty, now, the first thing you need to know is that fanfictions must adhere to a ratings policy, this link here. please, please read this all the way through so that you know how to rate your stories appropriately. Please know that if you are posting or linking here, M rated fics and higher level are not allowed as stories posted must also adhere to Gaia's ToS, please keep it to T rated and under.
With your stories you can either post them here in a post (if its a multichapter story, put them in separate posts, it's easier on the eyes) or link them back to your fanfiction.net or other fanfiction site, link directly to the story and not to your profile so people don't have to faff around. With the story layout, i'll post a basic layout for the introductions (Title, Rating, etc.) below in the code box. Just Ctrl + C ---> Ctrl + V whats in the box, it will make it easier for me to list it.
Title:
Rating:
Pairing/s:
Disclaimer: I do not own any recognisable characters, plot or places, they belong to Square-Enix and related companies.
A/N:
Rating:
Pairing/s:
Disclaimer: I do not own any recognisable characters, plot or places, they belong to Square-Enix and related companies.
A/N:
The Title, Rating, and Disclaimer are essential, they cannot be left out or i may remove the link to your story or modify your post, you can modify the disclaimer if you wish, but it must basically say "you don't own, so don't sue". The A/N (authors notes) and the Pairing/s are optional (if you don't have pairings in the story and/or don't want it listed under a pairing). Oh! before I forget, if you have Original Characters [OC] or are going to have established characters deliberately Out of Character [OOC], please put this in your authors notes [A/N].
My only thing is that they story must be written in English, no chatspeak, it's too difficult to read, and i haven't found a good translator yet for foreign languages (Google translator is still not great and i don't speak/read/write other languages). There is a list of beta readers (We'll go into it later, don't worry) if English is not your first language or your reading and writing skills are not proficient.
Editing and Finishing:
Right, so now your story is written, now comes the editing, you can do this yourself or you can get a beta reader, there are two known ones here, myself and Grims Sakura (our lovely captain)
Beta Readers:
Haloshatterer v2
Grims Sakura PM link
Send us a PM with a beta request, just title it 'beta request' and ask nicely and we'll do our best, I'm the primary beta, I check gaia daily and I have a bit more free time than Grims, so try me first, but if i have too much on my plate i'll refer you to Grims.
What does a beta reader do?
A beta reader looks over an unpublished work and edits spelling and grammar (I stick to UK English because the spelling and grammar is what we use here in Australia, it's only minor differences to US English), beta readers also make sure the plot is not too far away from canon (if it is a canon fiction, or at least somewhat relative with crack fics), they can also make sure established characters stay in character (unless OOC [Out of Character] has been stated). Beta readers don't alter the basic plot, we can refine it if it doesn't make sense, but we don't alter the basic plot. If you have any further questions about beta readers, don't hesitate to ask, if I can answer your questions and/or allay your fears i'll do my best. I'll establish an FAQ right here as questions are asked.
FAQ:
Q: Do beta readers alter the plot?
A: No, we can refine them, but we don't alter them, we're not writing the fic for you, merely putting it through and editing screen.
Q: Can I post an M rated fic, if it's not sexual? And if not, can I link it?
A: No, sorry, you can't post it here, If you link it, the site must have age verification, especially for sexual or gory content, Gaia is for teenagers and younger crowds, so nothing over T rated, if you post it, I will remove it and give you a written warning, three warnings and you are out. We don't want this kind of thing getting to younger people if we can help it.
In a nutshell:
~ With both posting and linking, please use the 'form' in the code box above and fill it out so people know what they're reading.
~ Nothing M rated, in any form.
~ Disobedience will get you a warning, three and you are out.
~ We do have beta readers if you need or want them.
~ Please label whether you are fanfiction, fanart, or both in your thread title.
Most of all, have fun and get creative!
