I saw a multi-part story that isn't finished. Why not? When will it be done?

I can't control the actions of writers any more than you can. Usually, real life got in the way of writing. If an author's email address is posted, that is the most current contact information I have. There is nothing I can do to force them to write. And since writing was done for fun, not money, the best payment you can give that author is a friendly email telling them how much you love their writing and how you hope they will finish it someday.

Can I submit an incomplete story? 

No. The incomplete stories are from the pre-editor phase of the BBRC. Now that we have editors, who need to see an entire story in order to do their job well, you need to send complete stories.

I wrote a story I want to add to the archive. Will you accept it?

Yes!

I don't know anything about web sites and file formats and am totally clueless. I really want to send you my story. What should I do?

Read this FAQ. If you have further questions, write to me: [BBRC is in archive mode] Please put BBRC (for B&B reading chamber) in the subject line.

I read a great story on another site and think it should be here. How do I make that happen?

I will accept any fanfic or poetry, but only from the authors. (Or, if you state you have the author's permission, and can give me THEIR email addy to confirm it, you can send it along.)

I do not mind at all if submitted files are also on other web sites, though authors might wish to discuss submission to this site with other hosts of their fiction. My personal view is the more exposure the stories get, the better.

What format does the story have to be in?

Stories will be accepted in any common format: (i.e. *.html, *.txt, *.doc, *.wpd ) or can be pasted directly into the body of the email message. Please keep the formatting as simple as possible- i.e. just add your footnotes to the end of your text rather than use the footnote feature in your word processor. When in doubt... simplify! I've tried to keep these pages as clutter free as possible, and the format consistent between documents. Graphics, music, colored fonts, and the like will not be preserved, so please don't include them in your documents. :-)

The use of multiple fonts, curly quotes, page numbering, section breaks, and the like are all incompatible with html. I no longer have the time to remove all of this extra formatting. Please use plain text, and limit any modifications to italics and bolding. Double spaces between sentences are not necessary. Use a double hyphen in place of en and em dashes.

I wrote a story and don't want anyone to know I'm the author because it's really fantastic/awful/so-so/different/racy/graphic/sexy/violent/third season/classic.... Can I use a pseudonym?

Yes. You run a good chance of ME forgetting your real name, too! And since I won't remember who you are, you need not worry that anyone else will discover your true identity from talking to me. :-)

What do I need to send in addition to the story?

File name (if sent as an attachment)

Story/poetry title

Author's name as you want it to appear on the site.

Rating (as defined for this site)

Season: Classic (Catherine's Universe) or Third Season (Diana's Universe)

Story/Poem blurb: Short description (1-2 sentences) to describe the text. If a poem, please note so here.

Do you give permission for your email addy to be posted on this page, so readers can reach you with comments on your work? (There is no pressure to do this. I only ask because readers have asked!)

Where do I send the email with my story?

My email address is [BBRC is in archive mode] Please put BBRC (for B&B Reading Chamber) in the subject line.

How long will it take for my story to be uploaded?

Good question! It depends. Does it need a lot of editing? Did you include all of the information I asked for? Is the file in dire need of major reformatting (a hard return at the end of EVERY line, for example)? Is real life laughing at my feeble attempts to get some time for fandom activities? Is the moon full? Has the server crashed? Has my hard drive crashed? Do I have the flu?..........

I'll get to it as soon as I can. I will, however, guarantee that stories will be uploaded in the order in which they were received unless they lack critical information and I'm waiting to hear back from you. I won't hold other stories up because you didn't assign a rating. :-)

Why do we need editors?

You may be surprised to know that most, if not all authors use editors to help them find plot holes, spelling and/or grammar errors, and lapses of logic. If you need extensive guidance and assistance, you can find volunteers to read your story and make suggestions though the B&B discussion groups and mailing lists, as well as by approaching authors whose writing you respect. The Reading Chamber's editors are not intending to be the initial editors for your story. They are the final check in the publication process and the Reading Chamber editors and I all ask you to respect the difference.

The Reading Chamber didn't used to have editors, so why are they mandatory now?

This is just one more step forward in the overall improvement of the website. I can't think of a single way in which raising the bar on the Reading Chamber's overall quality will hurt the site, authors, or fandom in general. I can, however, think of many benefits to having editors. Remember, they are here to aid you, not grade you. :-)

 

What happens when I send a story to the Reading Chamber?

When you first submit a story and the supporting details to the Reading Chamber, the story will be forwarded to an editor for proofing. The editor will contact you within a few days and likely give you an estimate of when they will be finished with your story. Please allow extra time for longer stories! (Out of respect to differing tastes in story material, I will not forward anything to an editor until I have a season classification and a rating classification from you. Your story will just wait in queue until you get that information to me.)

The editors have volunteered their time to read the story and check it for glaring grammar errors and typos that were missed when you proofed the story. If the editor finds any obvious typos or grammatical errors, they will be corrected and the story uploaded to the archive. (If you prefer to be consulted on ALL changes, even typos, please state your wishes when first submitting the story.) If a typo cannot be decoded easily, or if an error is repeated throughout the story, it may be sent back to you for corrections.

If a story contains more errors than the editor deems reasonable (editor's discretion) then the story will be returned to you with some general suggestions. You are welcome to make revisions and send it back when it has been spell-checked and corrected. The editors are not seeking to rewrite your story, nor will they make any repairs above and beyond what has been stated here.

What if I want more feedback?

If you wish for more detailed feedback, please ask for that when you send the story. The Reading Chamber's editors have been carefully chosen for their superb writing ability as well as a willingness to help others sharpen their writing skills. Because they write, they know how hard it can be to share your work with someone else. These editors will be gentle with you when providing feedback, but they will also be honest with their opinions, if you ask for them. 

I already have a story on the archive. Can I get someone to proofread it?

Sure! Just send me an email and I'll assign it to an editor.