I'm Fuming!

[bk_forever]

Okay, how long have I been posting stuff over on Teaspoon? 31 short fics, 293 drabbles, never had anything rejected.

Until yesterday.



Yesterday I decided it was about time I started putting the rest of the Nosy-Verse stories on the site - I'd only got around to putting the first couple and the more recent ones there, four of the earlier ones still hadn't been posted and I'd gained a new reader who was asking if there were more. Seemed like the right time so I posted 'How To Live With A Neurotic Alien'.

I know the rules there, they expect an acceptable standard of writing - spelling, grammar, punctuation, all up to a reasonable standard. Well, hope I don't sound boastful, but I always considered I was above average in that respect. Sure, I'm not always entirely spot-on when it comes to punctuation, not certain of the rules regarding colons and semi-colons, and I overuse commas at times, but hey, that's not too bad, right? And at least I know how to use apostrophes. Certainly, I think I meet the 'acceptable standard' criteria - they do say they don't expect perfection. After all, these are fanfics, not great works of literature.

But my fic got rejected by a mod who apparently isn't going to accept anything that isn't 100% correct, punctuation-wise. I got called on half a dozen minor errors. Okay, yes, I had a missing quotation mark, and two others that got accidentally left in during re-writes. At least I USE quotation marks, and it should be perfectly clear that I know where they belong, considering I use them correctly throughout the entire 4026 word story apart from those three instances. And yes, I wasn't completely clear on the rules of commas versus full stops when a speech by someone is broken into sections to include their actions. Big deal. How many people can quote chapter and verse on that rule anyway? How many people even know there IS a rule for that? It's nit-picking, tiny things that 99.9% or readers would either not notice, or not even realise were wrong. I spent an hour re-editing to fit this person's perfectionist standards before re-submitting it, and if it gets rejected again, I will NOT be happy.  >=(

I feel sorry for everyone who tries to post there and is perhaps less familiar with the rules of punctuation and grammar, or isn't too good at spelling. If they get the same moderator I did, it could well put them off writing for life!

To this person, 'acceptable standards' apparently means every fic must meet their stringent personal standards and be perfect in all respects. I think they need to check their dictionary.



Rant over, feel free to ignore this post, I wrote it to make myself feel better, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

Comments

[lexxiescott]

Oh, good grief. That mod needs to chill out and realize that fan fiction is for fun, not English homework to be graded and sent back for further editing purposes.

I'll send a few of my computer ninja warriors to kick her a few times.

I do hope the story posted the second time around. Even if you shouldn't have had to do the second submission. Everyone needs to have the love that is Nosy available to them.

*hugs*

[fanbot.livejournal.com]

When I first started writing fan fic I was quite soundly rejected. Rightly so I now know. But they did not offer any clue as to where to go for help or feedback. They did not say "good story work on it." Just basically a F*** off. I forget now, but it was one of the huge Buffy sites. Someone somewhere suggested Livejournal and I never looked back and have never had my work posted there. I am glad I did not let the perfectionists get me down before I had even gotten up.

[ms-bekahrose.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

That is one of the reasons why I tend to avoid Fandom-Specific posting places. You should post over on AO3, your fic won't be rejected because of a few little typing errors and some misplaced commas.

This person really needs to re-evaluate their Mod-status if they're nit-picking and rejecting stories based on that, considering I've read fics over on Teaspoon where characters are WILDLY out of character, and the character bashing is rife - especially among the Rose, Martha, Donna, Amy fans.

[cjulina.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I too find Whofic moderation policies completely annoying (and rather inconsistent. There's one popular writer that has so many punctuation and grammar errors that it drives me crazy but the mods let the stories through anyway). And yet, I had a story in which I purposefully did not cap Cyberman (there was a reason I wanted it lower case throughout). Anyway, when I got the email saying it had gotten approved, there was a snotty paragraph informing me of my error (with a link to a site about proper punctuation and grammar) and letting me know that the moderator had made the changes to correct it. Without MY approval to alter the story.

Sorry you went through that - I understand it's a private site with specific rules but the way the various mods enforce (or outright ignore) the "acceptable standards" is ridiculous.

Keep writing though! I enjoy all your drabbles and stories - and once work slows down enough so I can have free time, I'll be diving in to catch up.

[iantojjackh.livejournal.com]

That's why I loathe sites like that. If for some reason someone doesn't like you they will nit pick everything.

[bk_forever]

No news yet on whether it's been accepted, it can take a day or more for the longer fics.

I can understand the mods being strict if there are a lot of really bad errors, and I respect that, but they are MODS, not betas, they shouldn't be seeking out every error. What next? Are they going to cite bad grammar because dialogue is written the way the characters speak instead of in grammatically correct form?

While writing standards on Teaspoon are better than on ff.net, there are still fics being let through that have a hell of a lot more - and more obvious - mistakes than mine did. It was the sheer pickiness that annoyed me, especially as its stated that they don't expect perfection.

Thanks, Ninja warriors gratefully accepted!

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

I've had a few problems like yours. When I was posting Ianto's Journey there was one mod who couldn't understand why Ianto's 'speech' (actually what he typed on his mobile phone) was in italics. So, yeah, I have 50 chapters accepted that way and now you want me to change all of them. How about no. Took some back and forth but s/he finally let it through after subjecting me her righteous 'tude.

[bk_forever]

Yeah, some sites are just too finnicky and don't give people a chance to improve, or even any guidance. i guess that's why ff.nert is so popular - it doesn't matter if you can't spell, have no idea of good grammer and don't know an apostrophe from a hole in the ground - you can still post your stories there and maybe even get some constructive criticism and help with improving.

I'm not saying Teaspoon is wrong for moderating their site - they're not - but they say they don't expect perfection, then start picking fault out of the blue with tiny mistakes. It pissed me off, but I can handle it, I'm tough. Other writers might find that extreme perfectionism daunting though, they might not handle rejection so well.

On the plus side, the mod did provide links to find the information needed to get my fic up to their exacting standards - though I did find the inclusion of a link to the proper usage of quotation marks insulting. I did substantial rewriting before I posted the fic originally on my LJ and I guess I accidentally left in a couple of quotation marks that shouldn't have been there. Considering the amount of dialogue in the fic, it should have been obvious that was an oversight, not a lack of knowledge about correct usage.

I'm glad you didn't give up =)

[bk_forever]

I do post on AO3. And LJ, dreamwidth and ff.net, lol! I have dedicated readers on all the sites, posting to them all is a juggling act but I do it because... Well, I guess because I like the thought that everyone can find and read my fics if they want to.

I can only think this must be a new moderator who doesn't understand their role. They're not there to beta every fic that comes along to within an inch of its life. They're there to check that the standard of writing is acceptable, not flawless according to their personal standards. I've read fics there littered with spelling mistakes, bad grammar and atrocious punctuation, but I get rejected for mistakes that few people would be aware of. Smacks of double standards.

On the other hand, I now know something I didn't - or at least something I's forgotten in the 36 years since I left school, lol!

Thanks! *hugs* It's a good thing I'm tough!

[bk_forever]

They need to standardise their standards and not make changes without permission, that's an atrocious breach of their privileges!

I've never had anything rejected before, in the 18 months or so since I became a member. Nor was I aware that they can change things in my fics without my express permission. They're mods, not beta readers. I'll be paying more attention to my messages from them in future, I haven't been reading them lately, just deleting them. Wonder how many times they've picked fault despite accepting my fics. They need to get over themselves, or start being more even-handed when it comes to accepting or rejecting stories based on what they see as errors.

Don't worry, I'm writing busily. One nit-picking mod won't derail me. I post to 5 sites and while I don't want to stop posting at Teaspoon, I have that option if they start overstepping and editing my stories without my permission. That's something I won't tolerate.

[bk_forever]

Can't imagine what I might have done to piss them off. Maybe they don't like fluff, lol!

I had no idea they could be so picky, especially considering some of the fics I've read there. *shrugs* They just better not start editing my fics without my permission! Certain things should be up to the writer's dicretion.

[bk_forever]

Sounds to me like some of the so-called Moderators need to grow up and learn the difference between moderating to ensure a reasonable standard of writing and trying to force their own views on how a writer should format their work. Formatting, and the choice of where to use italics or bold to denote something, should be the writer's choice. It's one thing to point out glaring errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar, but beyond that they're interfering with the writer's self-expression and that is seriously overstepping the boundaries. Writing is very personal.

Never having had a problem before - at least, not that I'm aware of, it came as a shock that they could be so finicky when they state that they don't expect perfection. they're certainly fast enough to find fault. I wonder what age range the mods fall into... And if they actually write creatively themselves.

[lilferret]

Even I, the editor, have issues here and there. We simply don't always see them as we're writing or reading through our own work. I edit for a living. That doesn't make me perfect.

While grammar and obvious sentence structure errors make me nuts, an occasional error is to be expected. I have them, other people have them. ARGH. That would just make me nuts.

[bk_forever]

I may not be a professional editor, but I've been a beta for years. I admit my punctuation isn't perfect, it's 36 years since I was at school, I've forgotten a few rules of punctuation but I'm not that bad. While the site has the right to expect a reasonable standard of writing, for their rules to say that they don't expect perfection and then to pick fault with a few commas that in their opinion should be full stops strikes me as nit-picking. Especially when I see some of what gets let through.

Besides, they're mods, not editors. Two very different things. Mods check that writing is readable and of an acceptable standard, it's not their job to correct what they see as errors, nor is it their job to go through something and point out every error or assumed they find when they've already said writing dorsn't have to be perfect, just an acceptable standard. I believe the fic I submitted was at least as 'acceptable' as anything else I've posted to the site. I still haven't heard yet whether it has been accepted this time or rejected again.

[lilferret]

Considering I've read your fluff fics, I can safely say I've never come across anything bad.

[bk_forever]

I've always thought I caught most mistakes.

I've never had a problem with the mods before either, this one just seems ultra-picky. Keep your fingers crossed that I won't have to edit that fic again.

I'm off now to re-edit today's drabble before posting it, lol!

[excentric397.livejournal.com]

You give some people a little power, and they go bananas with it. Sounds like that applies to this mod. Do you use FanFiction.net, or Ao3? Nevermind, just read the comment that says you do. :)

A question. Why are there no links to author's other posting sites on LJ? Sometimes people will mention another site, but how do you find them on it without a link?

Also, I've read a lot of fics with bad grammar, terrible punctuation, etc., but the plot and writing was so good otherwise that I would have hated to miss out on reading it because of some grammar/punctuation fanatic. Course I've read some where the grammar/punctuation/spelling was so full of egregious errors that it didn't matter how good the plot was, I could not wade through the mistakes.

[excentric397.livejournal.com]

How can anyone not love Nosy fluff?

[milady-dragon.livejournal.com]

Wow, this makes me glad I never started posting there. Although I now have the sudden urge to try to start posting Deathless there, because I know there are errors in it (and one day I might get around to correcting some of them) since it was the fourth ever story I wrote. (I'd have more fun trying to get Plain of Sorrows past, but wrong fandom. I reread that one yesterday and apparently in my first story ever I was very fond of ellipses.)

Anyway, being a beta too I know I'm not perfect, but if I'd wanted to have anything proofread I would, of course, ask my usual beta to do it for me. Not have some random mod critique it.

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

I am shocked! That YOU of all people would have a story rejected for lack of knowledge about grammar rules is simply ridiculous. Especially for a few random quotation marks, when you used them correctly throughout on actual dialogue, so it's obvious they were an oversight. Sounds like someone is taking their role way, way too seriously. I'm sorry that happened to you and I hope your revisions make the cut.

I stopped posting there years ago. The site never seemed that welcoming to me, I didn't find the interface to post very intuitive (it might have changed now) and comments were few and far between. LJ, ff.net, and AO3 have been far more enjoyable, interactive experiences.

*HUGS*

moved from where I originally posted it in the wrong place. Clearly, I don't find ANY interface very intuitive. LOL!

[bk_forever]

Why are there no links to author's other posting sites on LJ? Some people do put links, others don't. I should, but I've forgotten how to do it. I'll have to look up my instructions again, lol!

I've read some that are well written too but just not engaging. Sometimes ideas maske up for execution, other times there's just no salvaging anything readable.

Antway, my fic was approved second time, which is a relief. But the next one I have to put up on the site is twice as long and I'll have to re-edit it before I submit it. I don't want to go through that again, so I'll check it over first.

[bk_forever]

I don't know! Still, some people are just not fluffy.

[bk_forever]

Yeah, that's what irritated me. I usually self beta, but when I send someting off to a beta, that's my choice. Then I'm quite happy to accept critique because I'm asking for it. Having a stranger pick my work apart because it doesn't fit their arbitrary standards is rather insulting. I've never claimed I was perfect, especially when it comes to certain aspects of punctuation, but I've seen far worse approved without problem. Hell, I've seen NOVELS published that are full of worse mistakes than my little fanfic. They seem to be under the mistaken impression that the Teaspoon site is some kind of high-end publication that can demand excellence in writing instead of an archive for fanfiction.

Still, at least the fic got approved second try.

[bk_forever]

It's not the best place for getting reviews, but there are some people there who HAVE left reviews and for their sake, I'd like to continue posting.

The revised version was accepted, but of course I have no idea if it was by the same mod that rejected it first time around.

Yeah, I think the power has gone to this mod's head. It's fine that they're checking to make sure thev standard of writing on the site is good, but they should be consistent and make sure all the mods understand that they are NOT supposed to be picking apart everything that has been written. They're not betas. A couple of people have mentioned that not only have punctuation and grammar mistakes been targeted but also the use of italics and capitals, which surely should be up to the author. Yes, there are places where capitals SHOULD always be used, but there are others which should be the author's choice. They have no right to dictate how an author writes, the style or the layout - providing it has paragraphs. What next?

[too-beauty.livejournal.com]

OMG! if that happens to you that I have never spotted a spelling mistakes in your writings, who can the rest of us expect?
I don't read too much there but I have found fics with worse mistakes than the one on spellings .....
Let them rot !