• Some Words From The Staff: Fan Fiction


    Pretend Dash is rolling in fanfics.

    Today I'm going to talk to you all about fan fiction. More specifically, this is directed at our fiction readers and our fiction writers that submit stuff to us. If this isn't your thing, you can skip this.

    If you're going to read it, though, please read it all the way through before commenting



    The ponies who run this blog love fan fiction. Two of its authors, myself included, started out as fiction writers before we were hired on to help run it. We love writing it, and we love reading it. If we could post fics all day, we would.

    That said, I'm not going to sugar-coat this too much. We want to only post the best fiction we can find. We don't have time for anything else- literally. To give everypony the spotlight that they deserve, we try to post these things an hour apart, along with other content. Sometimes we don't even do that. Sometimes it's faster. That is incredibly quick by most blog standards. One of the reasons that we're as selective as we are is to keep things under control.

    If you’re worried about the volume and whether or not to send a piece in to us, you shouldn’t be. Sometimes we come across a brilliant piece of work and we’ll move things to post it, because it deserves the attention. It happens all the time. We get impressed by a story and drool over it and give it a prime-time spot.

    This also does not mean that if your fic isn't brilliant and new and exciting, we don't want it. We have an army of pre-readers for a reason, and they're all committed to giving good feedback on a work. If they're giving you feedback, it means that the story they just read is worthy of being on the site, but it needs a little work or some minor revisions. In the case where a story is not appropriate for the site, because of content or otherwise, they'll tell you that too. They don't trash fics behind your back. They're authors, too. They know what this process is like, and they're all volunteers doing their best to make sure that you're writing the best stuff possible. Constructive criticism is what they strive for, and I think they do a damn good job.

    What I'm trying to say is: if your fic gets rejected, it's for a reason. And we always provide a reason. We will never just tell you 'no'. Do we like rejecting fics? Do we like telling you that what you wrote isn't ready for prime-time? Of course not. We hate it. Never assume otherwise.

    Does substandard stuff slip through from time to time? Yes. The pre-readers have more than thirty stories in review at any one time, and sometimes a sleepy review isn't the best one. This is never on purpose. Ponies make mistakes- and then they're sent to the moon. Well, no, not really.

    What it boils down to is, again, selectivity. If we posted every single fic we received, we wouldn't have time for anything else. It would be fics all the time, all day, every day. That's how much we get daily. It's a flood of letters. You ponies are full of words.

    What we maintain is a spotlight, not a library. Other sites fill this void far better than we could. What I can guarantee you is that if you write good fiction, it will get on this blog.

    Unless you're me. I had to bribe Seth to get my stories up, because they're awful.

    Remember that we love you guys. We built this site for you all. All of our content comes from you. We want to make you happy, and we try our best to do so. Sometimes that means making some decisions from time to time that not everypony agrees with. Just keep in mind we're doing this for you.

    Okay, you can comment now.

    171 comments:

    1. First? REALLY?!

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    2. >If you're going to read it, though, please read it all the way through before commenting


      Well now I feel silly

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    3. Sounds fair to me.

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    4. @Sethisto

      CMON! The one time!

      Nah but really; I should do better to keep myself from turning into one of.... 'those'

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    5. I already knew most of this stuff, but its nice to see the information made more public. Thanks, Cereal.

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    6. We, or at least I, understand.

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    7. We love you too <3

      And I couldn't read half the stuff that shows up here, but I'm almost never disappointed when I give a new fic a try. You guys have been doing a great job.

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    8. You guys are awesome.

      Don't ever change.

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    9. I like the way the site is run in this regard. I like being able to read nearly any fic posted on the site and seeing something that's very good quality. I've had very little experience with the process myself (one story that I've submitted once, received comments on, and have since re-submitted) and the pre-reader was VERY helpful. I felt my writing improved dramatically.

      I was just afraid that this post was "no more fan-fiction". Confound these ponies, they drive me and others to write amazing pieces. I hope all the pre-readers keep up the great job. I continue to be impressed with the output of the system.

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    10. Hey Seth,

      Trixie is worst pony.

      /parasprite

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    11. So if a response/review hasn't been sent, it's safe to assume that the fic in question hasn't been read yet, correct?

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    12. I don't contribute but I love what I do read so keep on rocking you guys and I think how you handle it works jus fine so ignore those neigh-sayers ^^;

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    13. I remember one time when I submitted a joke fanfic to you guys cause I was bored and was in a total Pinkie Pie mood. Now I feel like a total jerk for making you guys work harder like that ;-;

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    14. Nice to have some insight into the process. I've only read a few fics here and there, enjoyed most of them. Even Friendship is Tragic (which I read in a very depressed state...not my best move) was a great read. Now that I know the process that goes into this I may be more willing to read a few more. Keep up the great work.

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    15. I take it there was some kind of problem from scorned writers?

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    16. ffffffffffffffffff, back button made my response go away; I'll just sum up what I was about to say.

      - the reviewers are writers because they know the difference between good and great as well as knowing the necessary strings to pull to make a piece of literature from good to great.

      - 30+ fics, per reviewer, at any given time?! Hot damn, that sounds like fanfiction.net status

      - I've assumed everything that was stated in this post as much, but thanks for confirming it.

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    17. Sounds reasonable to me, I'm not surprised that you get flooded with fics, and I've yet to read a fic here I considered bad, some weren't my piece of cake, but they weren't bad.

      Speaking of which, how do I get ahold of these pre-readers and such? I've an idea and horrible writing skills so I think I could use them once I actually get around to writing.

      Which may be never, I'm a professional procrastinator.

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    18. Now I feel discouraged to continue writing.
      If your native language isn't english you are basicly scrwed, I assume. :/

      Also see this thread:
      http://www.ponychan.net/chan/chat/res/307633.html

      That's kinda the opposite of what you wrote, cereal...

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    19. What prompted this?

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    20. The only fan fictions I read are ones on here, (not all of them but the ones I do) I will be submitting fic to see if they are good enough once my proof reader is done with them

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    21. Well, I was disappointed that you rejected one of mine, but that's a small price to pay for being able to find a fanfic on this site and assume it's quality material before I read it.

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    22. This is actually what I figured was happening anyhow. That said,

      A) What is the best MLP-oriented fic site? Or is it just fanfiction.net or whatever? I honestly don't know, I don't really deal with fanfic that much. I've only gotten into it with MLP

      B) As you said, this is a spotlight and not a library. And I have no idea what the capabilities of the this site are. But it would be nice to get some sort of cross-referencing or tag-spotlight thing going on for fics. What I mean is; those fics that update in multiple chapters get spotlighted a lot more than one-shots. Which is fine. But it would be nice if you automatically displayed (somehow...) other stories by the same author as a newly posted story, or under fanfic maybe had a "Daily spotlight: tag X" that you could click and it'd give you all AppleDash fics or all Derpy fics or whatever, it wouldn't have to take up any front page space.

      C) You need more mods or something guys. You've got way too much work O.o /salute

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    23. Now I'm curious to know where all the rejected fics go. People don't post much on ff.net, and ponychan threads die off pretty quick... so are all those fics just lost to the ether of the internet?

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    24. @SilverHoof
      That sounds likely. I imagine they have a LOT of fics to go through. I wouldn't worry if they haven't responded yet. They're probably just backed-up on volume at the moment.

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    25. I'll just be over here, FLEXING MY EGO!

      Nah, completely joking. I got rejected tons of times before Imposition got in.

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    26. I read the headline, and the first thing in my head is Oh shit oh shit they hate my fanfics oh SHIT. Then I realized that's silly. They'd just send me an email telling me to go die in a fire. So I calmed down slightly and read it. And it's all good.

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    27. Suddenly my confidence level has returned to its stagnant numbers of last month. See ya'll when I finish re-working my fic again to submit and re-raise those confidence levels.

      Though keep up the good work all.

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    28. i think someone complained to you guys???

      am i right?
      if that's the case you shouldn't pay much attention to them just saying

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    29. Every morning, i visit the site and bookmark all the good looking stuff to my phone. Then throughout the day i read all my bookmarks. repeat. I have completely lost anything resembling a life so PLEASE do screen these, this is great.

      Also the new mobile version helps a lot, having 12 windows open of it no longer kills my phone.

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    30. I read it, so I'm going to comment now! :D

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    31. So...is this in reaction to a bunch of people complaining/whining (insert Rarity speech here) about how things are being run? or is this just a general reminder about how things work around here for the hundreds of newcomers we've been receiving daily?
      If it's the first, then I have to agree - cool yer jets (and quite possibly egos) bronies, and be patient and understanding with Seth's/Cereal's/Prereader's comments. Another aspect of Tolerance (from Love and Tolerance) is being able to take criticism, no matter if it's constructive OR destructive.

      ...of course, if the answer to that question was the second, then I have no further comment.

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    32. @Anonymous

      Solution:

      Make a Ponyfanfic exclusive site.

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    33. http://www.ponychan.net/chan/chat/res/307633.html

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    34. Sounds fair enough to me. One thing I like about ED is that stories are "filtered," so to speak, so Sturgeon's Law generally doesn't apply.

      It makes the whole "getting in touch with fan contributions" process much easier.

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    35. The first fic I submitted to this site got rejected, and for good reasons. When I went back and re-read it myself, while the concept was decent the execution was flawed, miserable, and a non-compelling mess to read. I had people who liked it, but it wasn't Blog-worthy material. So I went back and started a new story from scratch.

      Know what happened? I got my first story published here a 6-star story. It's all about taking your time to craft a story, making sure you put the very best of what you can into the story you make. Not every story can be the best story, but you have it inside of you to make it if that's truly what you want it to be.

      Just because your story is rejected from being showcased here doesn't mean it isn't worthy of another site, or that it was a worthless story to make. So long as you learned from that experience and strive to improve yourself it'll never be wasted. Maybe you can write another story for the moment, or you can bring it back later re-written and better with the experience you've gained from writing.

      Fanfiction is fun, but its also an art. Just like with drawing, if we posted every starting stick-figure pony then we wouldn't have time for the news or other crafts we crave as the community. The hosts here do a good job of making sure we see the best of the best, and if they don't think your story or art is there yet, then just make it better or the next thing you make even better.

      You all have brilliant, wonderful ideas! Don't let a small rejection get you down or feel like you're not worthy, because you have it inside of you to be. Just strive harder to reach a level even you didn't know you had it in you to reach! ^_^

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    36. @Pegasi

      This isn't a half bad idea.

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    37. My fanfic was denied from Eqeustria Daily. 3 times, and for some reason as the story made more sense (sorta) it got worse ratings. Well my fault for choosing a bad plot then! :S

      Anyway, now I'm working on a Warhammer 40k pony crossover! And the feedback so far has been excellent! I'm also much more of a perfectionist now on not only typos, but grammar in comparison to before the triple denial.

      And like someone else said, you guys totally need more mods/pre-readers. You guys are way over your head :S

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    38. @Pegasi

      If English isn't your primary language, that is a hurdle, I won't lie, but you aren't necessarily "screwed". Just write your flank off, and if possible hand it to somepony you trust who does have a native speaker's handle on the English language, and ask them to help clean up the wording and grammar.

      Unfortunately, Equestria Daily is a written-in-English blog serving a primarily English speaking reader base, and this makes readability in English one of the major things the pre-readers are told to be on the lookout for. That said, we've never required stories to be free of any and all technical flaws, so please don't feel that it's hopeless unless you're a master.

      The worst thing that can happen to you if you submit is that you get turned down. If you do get turned down, that usually means you should also be getting back some useful feedback you can use to improve future works (or to rework the rejected piece; we do look at reworks!)

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    39. I don't know whether to feel good that my stories were accepted or whether to feel bad because they're terrible in comparison to most stuff on here.

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    40. Great....
      So much for that.
      Guess I have no talent after all

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    41. I'm one of the people who had I rejected fan-fic, and I'm not insulted at all. He meas what he said about them giving constructive critisism, they take the time to send you an email saying that it isn't up to par and provide really, REALLY good suggestions to make your story better. They were polite and fairly apologetic. I'd like to give a nice pat on the back to them (the pre-readers and the mods) for running a really tigt ship, fan-fic wise. :D

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    42. Freaking missing the "h" when typing "Tight"... Ah well, ^"tight ship, fan-fic wise"

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    43. Can I bribe Seth like you too? I promise extra large bribes. :D

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    44. In a way, this disappoints and hurts many ponies while giving them hope and determination to get better at writing... What a concept.

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    45. It's cool, man, your blog, your rules.

      Although, it would be nice to know it didn't make the cut. Maybe even have a reason so I could tailor some content to the type you like to see.

      What I had happen to me once was I just never heard back from anybody.

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    46. @Grif
      So you want a fanfic posted on Equestria Daily? Do you happen to have any Great and Powerful Plushies lying around?

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    47. I may end up writing something eventually and send it in. Sadly I haven't the slightest clue what in Celestia's name I would even begin write...

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    48. I only read the bolded words XD

      But seriously, thanks for the info.

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    49. submit a story about an hour ago
      this post comes up
      ....
      well, this is either going to be totally reaffirming, or I just got the most high-profile let-down in the ponyverse (lol egocentrism)
      like a boss

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    50. Good summary of all the happenings, I hope it will encourage the community to write more fanfics ^^

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    51. My latest fic got rejected as well, and honestly, the feedback I got from the rejection made my story better. One of the characters within it was acting very erratically - in reality, it was because I had written different dialogue at different times, and my plans for the character had changed. I didn't see the discrepancies because I had been staring at the same words for so long that I didn't even see the problems anymore. Thankfully, the pre-readers pointed them out, and I was able to fix them.

      I think the point is this: if your fic gets rejected, but constructive criticism is given, then take that constructive criticism, look at your fic, and see if what they said had any merit. Be honest with yourself, too. I'm sure even George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling had some rejected drafts. It doesn't mean you're a bad writer. It just means that you made a mistake, like every other artist in the world.

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    52. Someone put this in the submit section, this is info new submitters need...sorta.

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    53. The army of pre-readers and the whole not-posting-every-bit-of-fic-we-receive thing is part of why I like this site, actually

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    54. When I think about, if they just let anything go and flooded the blog with spamfics, I probably never would have found any of my favorites.

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    55. Solaris90 here.

      Wowzers, 30+ fics? With a big workload like that, the pre-readers here must be totally harcore. Everypony give a round of applause to the pre-readers! *claps*

      Question though. If we don't recieve any word from the pre-readers, does that mean our fic is amazing? I only ask because when I send in new fic chapters I've only ever heard back from Seth telling me that they're in the queue.

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    56. Oh man dammit Cereal I have to work on Intertwined faster because of this post! Making it sound like it is just makes me thank all those prereaders who said "You know what, this can go on the site", even if I think it might have been during one of those "we're so tired" phases because I always think my writing sucks. Or is too short for the message I wanted to convey. Or is too plain worded. Or is just plain horrid. What I think I'm trying to say is that TF2 is the only reason why I've yet to update. That and pony talk everywhere that takes up all my nights.

      I think I lost the original message of this post, so yeah. Thanks to you awesome blogponies, thank you prereaders, thanks everypony who submits a story, even if it doesn't get posted, and thanks to everypony for everything with this community. AM I FIRST?

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    57. @Anonymous

      Good idea. Cereal, post it!

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    58. This post makes me happy because my first fanfic' ever was accepted after I lengthened it a bit.

      This post also makes me horribly depressed because that fanfic' was really, really bad.

      Here's the mantra I follow when I raid in WoW, and it'll work here too: Making a mistake doesn't make you bad. Repeating the mistake does. Take constructive criticism and use it to better yourself, as a person, player, or writer.

      My current fic' will be more than worthy...I think. It's not going to even touch an e-mail until it's completely finished and polished to a mirror shine. The difference between this fic' and my first is the difference between black and white.

      /foreshadowing

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    59. TL;DR.

      Lol, no, just kidding. Actually, knowing that you guys strive for constructive criticism actually makes me want to finish and submit this one fanfic I've been working on that I'll hopefully be able to turn into a series if I can get some help... so thanks, that's actually ENcouraging to me, rather than DIScouraging. ^_^

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    60. A serious post from Cereal?
      AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

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    61. I want to hug you so hard right now.

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    62. And a big shoutout to Sethisto, Cereal, Phoe, and all pre-readers and anypony else I've forgotten for creating the best MLP: FiM fan site ever. Amirite or amirite?

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    63. i reckon we need a more centralised fanfic archive. theres just too much stuff floating between ff.net and deviantart...isnt there?

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    64. Maybe...maybe you put up all the ones that don't make it as an example? Like, "Look at all the crap we go through to bring you the best! Now get on your knees and apologize." I'm betting once we read through the dredges, the good stuff will shine brighter.

      Haha, but I guess if you saw your story and a post of rejects that'd be pretty disheartening.

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    65. I think that, even worse than rejection, is being kept in suspense. When I don't hear anything, I don't know if it was genuinely turned down or if it simply fell through the cracks.

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    66. D'awww, we love you too, Cereal.

      I can say to all aspiring writers: keep at it! I started writing both fanfiction and original fiction when I was a freshman in high school. I wasn't very good at the time, but I kept working, and eventually all my tarnish was polished away, leaving only brightest silver. You can do it, too! You just need practice, and perhaps some help from those of us who've been there before. That's what the prereaders are there for.

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    67. How is this possible? A post from Cereal and the word Rarity isn't used once. A most egregious error that must go corrected!

      Though in all seriousness, time to stop playing around and finish my fic. It'll even come with a pic! (oh Celestia I'm nervous about submitting)

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    68. RoflLuxRay's the name

      I'm somewhat of an experienced writer (got a couple of fics running on other sites) and I must say that I like the way this blog is handled. The sole purpose was to tell us that there IS quality control into what gets posted in here, and is something ALL sites should have. I'm used to seeing insults to grammar or to common sense, so I'm happy to see that at least I'm safe from my brony side

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    69. *reads a few paragraphs... skims the rest*

      This... is nothing new to me. One of the other major places I hang out online at has a similar sort of filter. (A RP place, where you have to apply for a character) I've been rejected by that filter. Sometimes I turned around and fixed and was later passed.

      What I'm saying is that I come here mostly for the fanfiction, and I'm glad that there's a filtering system. If people have been complaining about it, they're being dorks.

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    70. For what it's worth, I used to be on another fanfiction site (several years ago) dubbed Starwing HQ. I got some stuff up on there, and I had much assistance in improving stuff I did. But after a while, updates just... did not happen anymore. It would be like, six MONTHS before you saw so much as a peep from the admin.

      So after that sort of thing, I'm grateful for a place like this, where you can submit something and expect an update within a few days. That's a Sonic Rainboom's worth of difference!

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    71. Obvious problem with the pre-reader base. Both my fics have passed through.

      OK, all kidding aside, I like the system. However, I am intrigued about the possibility of an unfiltered fanfiction community, but I like ED the way it is.

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    72. Dat tag.

      So, this is where the phantom RSS feed I got earlier today went?

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    73. I'm just amazed that there is actually a lot more fics than what gets posted. That is a ridiculous amount of reading those pre-readers must have to go through.

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    74. Well this just means I'll stick to challenges and events from now on.

      Otherwise my writing; though unique, is not going to be darn well good enough because I never improve.(Though I do wish a happy fourth of July to everyone in the next few days, I hope you will we be celebrating Evil Tyrants Day! Everyone will worship the ground Luna and Celestia walks on, but more importantly the true power behind equestria disguised as a mere stage magician. Independence? Who needs that when your part of a hidden evil empire of the Great and Powerful!)

      But that doesn't mean I'll stop dropping by the blog or including myself into the community by dropping frequently random comments. (I never go to chan boards and that really hurts my notoriety.)

      This doesn't bother me much and all the fan fictions I've read here were of good quality with barely any flaws.

      It's the good fan fiction that appear on this blog that reminds me why I like reading so much, it also reminds me that I used to love reading Foxglove and Dale shipping stories.

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    75. I for one greatly value the hard work the pre-readers and the blog ponies put in for us day in and day out. The fact that they don't just point out the best of the stuff that is out there, but are also willing to give some help to those who need it too, is simply amazing.

      The biggest hurdle in getting some sort of a fan fiction resource up, to pull together _all_ of the stories out there, is simply due to how spread out the internet is. Fanfic.net, Deviant Art, Google docs, plus dozens of smaller sites too... Different authors prefer different sites for different reasons. While the lists of stories and ratings we have here on Equestria Daily is not the be all and end of all, it works extremely well for me. I honestly can't conceive of a better solution to keep track of the constantly growing number of stories available without a monumental amount of time and ponypower.

      So, in closing, thanks again to everyone here who does their part, be they authors, pre-readers, blog ponies, and most importantly the readers themselves. Without them, a lot of us probably wouldn't be inspired enough to spend the time we do writing our stories.

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    76. I think quality control is a very important issue, so I'd like to say something regarding it, if I may.

      Back when the blog first opened, a lot of very terrible fanfiction made it on the blog, strictly because nothing else existed to put on it. Much of it is just cropped screencaps from /co/. A good percentage of them are, sad to say, total garbage. I'm really surprised they have been on the site this long to begin with. Some of them have their own authors admitting they are trashy stories in the comments, yet the stories remain on the blog, taking up space.

      I think it would be a good idea to remove those stories, if the blog is concerned with quality. Keeping fanfiction that knows it is bad for the sake of novelty, nostalgia, or otherwise, is really pointless. It also gives people the wrong idea that stories like that are acceptable on the blog when they clearly are not.

      Do the blog a favor and do some much, MUCH needed, spring cleaning.

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    77. I take it someone complained, loudly, about getting rejected? It's a good policy you have and giving constructive feedback is the best way for an author to improve, no matter how much it hurts.

      Nice to read as I'm working on one but don't know if I'll finish. Is a Luna centered one and she's a time bomb unfortunately. Season 2 will render a lot of fics about her, OOC, so hard to finish with that clock in the background.

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    78. Read the whole thing eh? Funny, that was my reaction when I had my ideas publicly ridiculed, before the entire story was even submitted. Rejected I could handle, but you make fun of me, its personal.

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    79. Don´t get so agresive, what I think they traid to say was that if your story lacks is the basics, you know like following, meaning, characters, it´s not going to make the cut but if it´s good enough or at less looks like it has pottencial they will tell you the flaws so you can fix them and work as a team to post a best that you can make...
      I encourage the people that has great ideas that write, that english is not your native lenguage do it anyway they will tell you whats wrong and is a win win situacion becuase you improve your english level and if it´s well done in the third or fourth time you will be featured in the front page
      finally remember this page is made by us, if you want a great ED do your work and thats is just try belive me you will be happier if you took 5 tries but you finally was featured than just be published and get bad reviews

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    80. I've only ever done two fics, and those have been part of a contest. I decided to read this anyway, and I have to say that it's a very good way to level with those of us who may write (I'll do something outside of a contest eventually). Yeah, this blog moves amazingly fast, and I'm surprised you guys keep it as up to date as you do and that there are pre-readers for all of this stuff.

      On a related note, I'd like to point out that artist training ground and drawfriends are only a small fraction of all the MLP art being produced out there, just to make a parallel comparison. I suppose what I'm saying is that people have to remember that this fanbase is huge and amazingly creative. It's a numbers game. The phrase "so much pony" is an understatement. I'm not a pre-reader, but you know that out of what is posted, I can't keep up with it all. Fanfics, PMVs, art. I would have to do nothing but pay attention to pony without sleep to keep up with every single thing that this community produces.

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    81. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    82. You're damn right that a huge fraction of ths website is thanks to our fanfics, so you souod be paying us, not exploit us.

      'Hired as a staff member' pfft, indeed...

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    83. Quality is essential. Some people suck. These are facts of life.

      This is why my stories will never be posted. :U

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    84. 30 fics at a time? Wow.. I was wondering why I haven't gotten a response nearly a week after submitting my first fic.
      OOC, does anyone know what percentage of submitted fics get posted? What percentage gets edited/ retooled before posting? How long on average it takes for a response from the site?
      Hope I don't sound impatient or annoying, I'm just wondering. I love this place.

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    85. @Geldon Yetichsky Amen to that. Sent in a fic a while ago and haven't heard anything regarding it besides "sent to the pre-readers." Hurry that up please?

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    86. I understand the concept. though this definitly worries me. maybe a spin-off forum for fanfics? i'm worried now that the second and third parts of my stories will never be posted... What if you already posted parts of it? do the previous parts get finished?

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    87. Why not make the fanfic page its own? Instead of flooding the front page with fanfics, why not just upload the ones the Pre-reader deem worthy to the fanfic page, and the ones that truly shine are put on the front page?

      That way, if you want to check for new fanfics, just clickety-clack that fanfic tab. And if you're in the mood for an amazing fanfic, just scroll the front page.

      ReplyDelete
    88. I'm not sure I understand why so many commenters seem to be so negative about this. I'm reading things like 'I guess I'll never submit here again,' or 'That's a bit of a deterrent to be honest...'

      This blog does not post every fanfic submitted for the simple reason that they cannot. There aren't enough hours in the day. This has been the case for several months at least, it's not new news.

      As such, fanfic submissions are rejected on a regular basis. It is my understanding that first rejections (unless the content itself is not site-appropriate) are always accompanied by suggestions for improvement, with the opportunity to resubmit later. This is far more fair than it needs to be, and I frankly don't have any idea why people are complaining.

      I've had stuff rejected too. It annoyed me a little at the time, because the piece that was rejected was one of my personal favorites, but I'm not going to throw a hissy fit about it or declare that I'll never write fanfiction again. I'm going to recognize that even if this blog wanted to it couldn't post every piece of pony fanfiction anyone writes and get on with my life (while continuing to write pony fanfics and occasionally submitting my favorites).

      ReplyDelete
    89. Wow... I sound bad for getting my first story in now. Yes, some people liked it, but it needed a LOT of work. Well, it did help me find people that could help with me, and I'm now a much better writer... Idk. Just keep doing what you guys do, because it's been working, hasn't it?

      ReplyDelete
    90. Ok I'm gonna try to post another story... I know my first one was crap. but I'm gonna fix it. That said, this story will be different.

      ReplyDelete
    91. I would like to add one thing. I submitted a fic to you, Seth, and it was rejected. I understand completely why it why rejected and I am making revisions based on the criticism I received.

      However, I found the tone of the criticism a bit rude, bordering on insulting. The quote from your pre-readers seemed more interested in coming up with creative ways to call my fic boring rather than constructively pointing out flaws that needed to be rectified.

      I'm sure that this wasn't their intention and I don't hold anything against them, but I would tell them to choose their words carefully in the future and instead give more suggestions on how to fix flaws rather than focusing on just the flaws.

      ReplyDelete
    92. Thank you, thank you, thank you! To the mods, to the pre-readers, to the rejected authors who posted such wonderful, understanding words above.

      I have read and enjoyed so many wonderful fics because of this site... and I am unbelievably picky about fiction. Thanks to the "filtering" here I can be fairly certain that if I pay attention to the tags and descriptions, I will have an enjoyable read more often than not.

      And that is... magic.

      ReplyDelete
    93. Maybe you can seperate good and bad fanfic, like a headline reading 'The crap fanfic of the day'. Zomg that wouod be so funny.

      ReplyDelete
    94. Honestly, there's nothing here that I didn't already know, but it's still nice to see it written out in full detail. (I wonder what brought it on, though.)
      As others have said, I like the filter system. Love it, actually.
      The reason I usually slip behind or don't read fanfiction at all is because on ff.net or Deviant Art I wade through dozens of half-assed shipping fics or fifteen pages of purple prose without a plot, or just a lot of simply not good work, usually going though about 20 subpar fanfics before I find one good one.
      On ED, chances are I'm going to like what I find. Not only because fanfiction is filtered, but because they're also well organized. I know what genre it is, what characters are in it, and pretty darn good idea of what I'm getting into.
      I'm very impressed with the way the site's run, I really am.

      In addition to that, it also means that when you DO get posted, there's a rather lovely feeling of satisfaction knowing that I'm not just being posted because I wrote it, but because what I've written is good, and not only that, gotten my own little spot light with a nice picture as cover art and everything.
      After mine went up on the site, I was ecstatic. Also kind of insanely flattered the pre-readers liked it.

      If there was anything I could find fault with, it's that you don't normally get pre-reader comments unless you get rejected, and me being the paranoid everything-i-do-is-awful writer I like knowing why I got through, and if there were any minor issues to take note of.
      On the other hand, I've also heard that if you ask for the pre-reader notes when you send in your work, you can get them forwarded to you.

      You guys do a fantastic job on the fanfiction front, guys. Don't change a thing.

      ReplyDelete
    95. Er, most of the fanfic published here are so poorly wrtiiten...I was under the impression you DID jus publish whatever...but wow if tyese are your 'best' fanfic, I'd hate to see the rejected ones.

      ReplyDelete
    96. I completely agree with this, and its not just because my story got accepted.

      However, I would like to point out in reading most of the comments on here. They can't just accept every single story that is thrown at them. A lot of people write a "story" and think its good to themselves (which I have done MANY times). It takes the feedback and criticism to show you your errors. You just have to realized, just because your story didn't get accepted DOESN'T mean its the end of the world.

      Every story, especially the bad ones, still have potential. No matter what, they can be re-worked into master pieces. It just takes time, patience, and lots of cake (mmmmm...). After having my story linked on here, I got a lot of feedback from people. Giving me their opinions and tips to improve. Safe to say, I have worked my story in so much better because of it. And its all thanks to you people, who read it.

      So don't fret if these guys don't accept it. Just post it some place else, get some feedback, and work on it. As the words of a wise man once said; "DON'T STOP, BELIEVING!"

      ReplyDelete
    97. I love ED's system... I got an honest comment from a pre-reader, (not to mention my readers which are awesome ponies) and had my time in the spot light... and lets face it, if you take writing seriously, you know that publishers will not even bother answering if they don't think you're up to par. On that, ED has them beat, hands down.

      The BEST thing is that I haven't found one fic here that I didn't like on some level... granted, some of them haven't been my cup of tea, but I have read some truly amazing stuff over here (even some short pieces that I am convinced should be made straight into actual episodes!)

      That consistency has made me want to write better stories, because with quality like we find here... there's no other way to compete! :D

      ReplyDelete
    98. You know, reading a lot of these comments, I'd be half tempted to start up a little fanfiction thing if I could get a bit of help! I wouldn't want to be a deterrent to people submitting to EqD and having all the amazing fics here stop getting seen, though, which I think would be the biggest problem. A lot of EqD /is/ major fics, and I love the staff here that I wouldn't want to take any business away from them. Even if it would ease up on their workload sometimes, I just couldn't see any good to come from a separation of the fics from the rest of the Daily, and allowing just any fics to get on as they please. Or even just implementing a smaller or less demanding version of their way of working things.

      Basically I think the moral of this post is I should be in bed and not thinking of or trying to counter radical ideas. That doesn't work over well.

      Popcorn, away!

      ReplyDelete
    99. I'm actually glad you posted this. I submitted a fic a while ago, and it was rejected. At the time I thought it was the shit, so I was really disappointed.
      Now that I read this and look back on it, I can see why it was rejected and it makes me want to try even harder in the future instead of just giving up which I may have done.
      Although I did have to specifically ask Seth for an explanation, but I think he was busy at the time. :P

      ReplyDelete
    100. @Anonymous haven't been to FF.net recently, have you?

      ReplyDelete
    101. I submitted a post a couple of days ago, and one of the prereaders actually met me in the Google Docs file of it and gave me some great advice (which I tried to follow), largely concerning grammar-related issues. (Kind of ironic, given that the story is itself about someone correcting someone else's grammar, and inspired by me correcting someone else's grammar in real life. Poetic justice doesn't always rhyme pleasantly. :)

      I haven't gotten any overt rejection notices yet (and I would think they'd have come pretty quickly), and it's gotten a couple of great reviews over on fanfiction.net, so I'm still hopeful it will make it through. Good things come to those who wait.

      ReplyDelete
    102. Thanks for this post. I've wanted to write a fic for a little while now... Ok I've wanted to since march... I finally came up with a solid idea (or so I think), and today I was going to begin writing it. I decided not to because I had convinced myself that I would fail... This post gave me that little bit of encouragement that I can write something decent. I'll probably get rejected a few times, but that's good. First chance I have I'm going to start this thing up. Thank you.

      ReplyDelete
    103. I guess I've been one of the lucky ones. Of the three fics that I've submitted to the site they've all been accepted, and for that I feel honored. My first fic was just straight up, but the other two have had a personal pre-reader to help me through them (thanks Laurence Brown!).

      That being said, I've always kinda assumed everything that you've posted here, Cereal, so I don't really find this news. However, several of the other pony-fic sites that I frequent have had several members complain about Eq.Daily, so I know it's out there, and it's nice to hear you level. You and the pre-readers don't rightly deserve some of the choice words that are spoken about you, and it's unfair that your desire to skim the cream off the top means you make a lot of enemies. There's only so much cream per gallon of milk. I know, I've milked cows before.

      Anyway, I add my heartfelt 'Keep up the good work' to you and the guys. I enjoy this site for what it is, and while I don't read nearly as much of the fan-fiction as some of the other guys here do, it's nice to know what goes into posting here.

      ReplyDelete
    104. As a pre-reader (and I don't really hide that fact, particularly since I have work pitched at me all the time, since I'm a writer myself), I'd like to poke my head in and say that while we DO have some standards, mostly word count or if it's reasonably legible, there are things we keep an eye out for.

      If we reject a fic, there's always a good reason. Please keep that in mind, and work on it to improve it, and it'll be approved more than likely.

      ReplyDelete
    105. Well said.
      Also, is it wrong that I heard that in Matt Smith's voice in my head?

      ReplyDelete
    106. Honestly, I like how stringent you are about fanfics here. This site seems to avoid the very worst of the worst fanfics. Thanks to all the pre-readers for their hard work.

      ReplyDelete
    107. Wow, saw this on the site earlier then it disappeared before I could read it. I was afraid you were going to ban fanfic.

      So, basically, everything you said was to explain that your processes were the best thing for the site, the authors and the readers. I totally agree!

      I know that nearly every fic I read here will be of great quality (there were a few clunkers though) and its why I have risked wasting time reading fics that I thought would be awful (Fallout: Equestria, Stargate: Equestria, Luna Vs., etc) and finding out they were some of the best written fanfics I've ever read.

      Thank you for maintaining such a high level of quality, for helping authors improve their craft and giving us all a damn good time.

      ReplyDelete
    108. Once upon a time there was a pony. The end.

      Wow - I got one past the pre-readers....

      Seriously, I am writing, but I am also exercising an iron will and not emailing it before I am damn sure that it will be worth reading.

      ReplyDelete
    109. I've been wondering how this place managed to avoid Sturgeon, now I know.

      Keep up the good work.

      ReplyDelete
    110. I have to wonder if the person on this link was just lying or if they seriously got screwed over.
      http://www.ponychan.net/chan/chat/res/307633.html

      They tell about a pre-reader who's only response was "Mmmmmnope!". If that's true that pre-reader needs to be found and kicked the hell out of the pre-reading process.

      ReplyDelete
    111. I completely understand. You guys are only human and hundreds post fics everyday. This isn't the only place to post fanfics too, there is Ponychan and FF.net as well and they provide some stories that aren't on here that are good. So ponies can also post them there too.

      I accept all criticism for my fics and if it's not good enough I want an honest review on why so I can make it better.

      After all, what we all want are good fics to read and learn from them.

      ReplyDelete
    112. I think most of us understand!

      Many thanks to you and Seth for keeping the blog at the excellent level of quality it deserves!

      :D

      ReplyDelete
    113. I won't lie, after getting my first Pony fanfic rejected it did get me down a little.

      but I was never discouraged by the rejection. An experienced writer would say "Fail well and learn from it" and I believe I did. I haven't rejected my first idea, but ever since then I've been coming up with new ideas and trying to flush them out to the best of my abilities. I've got a veteran writer friend to help me out with some details and ideas and all I could really use is more time outside of college to go into it.

      I really hope nopony got discouraged by any kind of rejection since, I'll say it again: "Fail well and learn from it" If you'll never mess up, you'll always be in the state of mind of constant success and it will bring you down at one point.

      You coming clean with us and telling us that is extremely commendable, and you have just gained even more respect points from me (and hopefully others). Even if it might seem natural for some.

      To anypony else: never give up, practice makes better! (there's no such thing as perfect.)

      ReplyDelete
    114. About the pre-readers: D'you need more? You seem to be getting pretty swamped with fics, and I happen to like reading ALOT. (I'm okay with ANY type of fic - even things like "Cupcakes")
      Email me at - Redcostar(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk - If you need more proof readings done :P

      ReplyDelete
    115. Quite frankly, I'm surprised my first fic got put up. I'm still doing the Happy Luna Dance.

      You guys are awesome. Keep up the good work.

      ReplyDelete
    116. i read you loud and clear cereal

      WE NEED MORE RARITY X PINKIE SHIPPING FICS!!!

      ReplyDelete
    117. @Anonymous

      Rarity and Pinkie?

      Are you loco in the coco?

      ReplyDelete
    118. It must be tough to do the job you all have to do as part of the fanfic team here at Equestria Daily. I mean, 30+ fics at a time....yikes! I'm glad you've decided to open up on this particular subject, Cereal.

      I'll be honest with you, when the fic I sent to EqD was rejected, I was disappointed, but then I decided not beat myself up over it and to let this rejection be a tool of improvement.

      Since then, I've sent it though a couple of fic reviewers over on Ponychan, changed a few things about it, rethought the story a bit, and vastly improved it.

      Moral of this story? Don't let one rejection get you down. Practice makes perfect after all. ^_^

      ReplyDelete
    119. Nothing new in this post really it's just covers what has been going on in the past.

      ReplyDelete
    120. So... I've a question.

      What should I do if I've submitted a fic and never gotten a reply?

      ReplyDelete
    121. Here here! This is all totally understandable and reasonable to me.

      Heck, the first draft of my Fizzypop story was rather subpar, and after it got rejected, I went and improved it big time; just look how far it's come now! So yes, I'm totally for this.

      ReplyDelete
    122. So are you all still rejecting coltcuddler fanfics?

      ReplyDelete
    123. @KidNeo

      Yes, 30 fics wow, thats like almost as hard a a models job of walking down a catwalk!

      *eyeroll*

      ReplyDelete
    124. Many have stated what I'd lake to say many things over in those comments, so I'll just sum up my thoughts.

      I love you guys. Love the dedication, the quality control, all the people who work their flank off to make this site the best they can, everything about ED really.

      Keep up the mesmerizing work.

      ReplyDelete
    125. And that's why I'm so surprised mine got accepted!

      ReplyDelete
    126. I can accept this. I appreciate all that you're doing for us. It's really nice that you have pre-readers who are willing to give feedback and help improve the stories. Thank you!

      ReplyDelete
    127. I'll just chime in with the chorus of 'thanks!'

      I'm glad ED has a fanfiction section (mostly 'cause I can't draw for crap), and I totally understand why you need pre-readers...and the ridiculous workload they probably have.

      On the one hand, reading a slush pile full of pony stories could be kind of fun- but on the other, I then think about whatever fics of dubious quality that they might have to read to get to the good stuff. Yow.

      In any case, thanks again for your hard work, and thanks for being completely reasonable about it! Brony fandom is better off without drama and schisms and other stuff that seems to pop up in just about anything else. :)

      ReplyDelete
    128. Excellent info Cereal. Really appreciate what you guys are doing here. More help would benefit the site, but again, time is always a constraint.

      Nevertheless, I hope this site never changes when it comes to choosing stories. It's what differentiates it from other sites like FF.net.

      ReplyDelete
    129. Goodie goodie!

      I like reading this Cereal. You guys definitely need to trim down the level of fanfiction hitting the site and go for the best. Now I have even more reasons to keep improving my writing style. Never stop the writing!

      Also, does this means we won't get more sequels and alternate endings to Cupcakes?

      ReplyDelete
    130. May I suggest linking this, somehow, on the submission page for people? :D

      ReplyDelete
    131. @SilverHoof

      If you have no replies and it's not been posted, it's probably not been read yet. If you're feeling ignored after a week it's probably a good idea to send a gentle inquiry.

      If it hasn't been mentioned yet, this is a good place to comment on the post, but if you want a bit more back-and-forth, get ye to ponychan where I've got an "ask a pre-reader anything" post which saw some good traffic.

      If you want help with your fics, there are several places but one of them is the writefriend training grounds (there's a similar one on fimchan).

      (current) ask thread:
      http://www.ponychan.net/chan/fic/res/23777.html

      (current) training grounds thread:
      http://www.ponychan.net/chan/fic/res/22797.html

      If you know of better, dont hesitate to hit me up.

      ReplyDelete
    132. @Pegasi

      I'm going to respond personally to this one. I read that fic and I agree with it not going up. It's not very good, I'm sorry.

      I'll comment in the thread and you can flame me there if you wish.

      ReplyDelete
    133. Wow, this looks interesting. I'll read it in a minute.

      ReplyDelete
    134. @Pegasi

      > If your native language isn't english you are basicly scrwed, I assume. :/

      Nah. Hurdles such as not being a native speaker only determine how low we start off. How high we rise is up to each of us. Besides, getting good at writing is an enormous lot of work no matter what. Non-natives like you and I but have an additional hurdle to overcome. And judging by your English in this thread, you're all but there already. Cheer up! You're doing good. Please keep writing. :)

      ReplyDelete
    135. @Pegasi
      @Daetrin
      @Anonymous
      @SilverHoof
      @chiselite
      @S.Aura Knight

      Such a site (a place for rejected fics, a centralized MLP:FiM-exclusive library) already exists. It's called the MLP:FiM Fan Fiction Archive; I founded it and run it with a couple other bronies. We're small, but getting bigger every day; you may have seen our sticky on /fic/. We would love to host your fic for you, and if anypony feels like helping out, that would be great too.

      What EqD is doing is great - the fandom needs a well-known content aggregator to keep everyone in the lopp on our culture; we just think there should also be a place for fanfics that EqD doesn't feature, where bronies can go to find more.

      ReplyDelete
    136. @RBDash47

      Hadn't heard about that site before...surprising!

      Looks like somepony already posted my Pony Psychology series up there - even more surprising!

      ReplyDelete
    137. @Saddlesoap

      ....and it seems it's an earlier, less-edited version without the most recent story changes or the Alicorns chapter.

      Unfortunate - it feels somewhat uncool to have my stuff posted without having the option of vetting or editing it.

      Or knowing about it.

      ReplyDelete
    138. @Saddlesoap

      Well, I'm not too surprised; we've been trying to get the word out that we exist through various methods (ponychan, dA, MLP News, we were in Bronyville podcast #10), but we're still pretty new and still getting off the ground. With our next update (hopefully sometime this month), the site will be more or less feature-complete; right now it's bare-bones but serviceable for the interim.

      The majority of of our stories were submitted by their authors, many of whom have joined our forum to discuss fanfic; some of them were submitted by others on their behalf. It's kind of difficult to verify that a submitter is the original author, so recently I have been trying to get in touch with authors who may not know their story is here - you're pretty far down in the alphabet, so between processing stories for addition and working on the next version of the site, I hadn't gotten to you yet! We do give credit where credit is due, and no one is trying to steal or profit from anyone else's work.

      If you (or anypony else reading this) discovers that someone else has submitted your work for you, and you don't want it included, let me know and it will be removed immediately.

      ReplyDelete
    139. @Saddlesoap

      I agree it's uncool, and understand the frustration; the next version of the site will be more similar to FF.net, where the authors have more direct control of the stories.

      I will reprocess/update your story today, if you would like it to be available here; otherwise, as I said, I will remove it immediately if you give the word.

      ReplyDelete
    140. @Saddlesoap

      Hmm, I posted a reply to this and it went missing, trying again... so if the original pops back up, sorry for the double post!

      I agree that it's not cool, and I understand the frustration. The next version of the site will offer more direct control for authors over their stories.

      For the time being, I will personally reprocess/update the PP story today, if you would still like it included. I understand if you would not; as I said, just give the word and it will be removed.

      ReplyDelete
    141. @RBDash47

      That was a prompt response!

      Loss of control over the fics was my main worry; if that's getting addressed, I am much less concerned.

      If I will be able to edit/update the stories personally (ponyally?) at some point, by all means keep them up there.

      And thanks for updating it in the mean time.


      ....please disregard the somewhat huffy email headed your way. *blush*

      ReplyDelete
    142. Tears of a valedictorianJuly 2, 2011 at 8:23 AM

      Wow, I had no idea what a huge selection and review process took place behind the fanfic on here, you guys do astonishing work.

      I have to confess to not a big fanfic reader, but I am a journalist, and being told where you need to improve is absolutely crucial. If stuff just gets accepted without comment, then you'll never get any better, but constructive criticism is incredibly helpful, even if it stings a bit at the time.

      It sounds like the pre-readers are providing a pretty necessary service to the community, by actually reading their stuff, evaluating it and providing guidance. That's usually known as a writer's workshop, and those things cost money.

      ReplyDelete
    143. @Saddlesoap
      The site, and by direct extension the happiness/satisfaction of the authors represented there and the users reading there, are very important to me.

      I have a list of fics to process this afternoon, and yours is at the top. I'll make sure to let you know when it's been updated, and also when our new version goes live so you can check in on it.

      ReplyDelete
    144. Okay, read the whole thing, not reading all the comments.

      What's this about, really? All I see is attempting to stave off butthurt. My only thoughts on fanfic on this site are that I've seen quite a few recently that were really substandard. Enjoyable, perhaps, but really in need of just a plain edit.

      EQD should be a goal, rather than a landfill. Being able to submit and have your fic put up on the blog is a really exciting time, and it should be something that needs to be worked for. For some writers, all they have to do is write. For others, they need to work and work and work, and even then that may not be enough.

      To any writers who get discouraged by this: you need feedback. You need critique. And when you're ready to submit, you need to find a good goddamn editor. If you're not getting the response you need, you need to start promoting. There are critique threads all over ponychan (though with the small number of people doing them, turnaround can be lengthy). Link to your fic whenever you can find someone willing to read it. Not every reader is going to be capable of giving deep, meaningful feedback, but there are ways of teasing it out. This is what I do, and it's working well so far.

      I forget where I was going with this. Keep writing, make sure you get critique, and EDIT.

      ReplyDelete
    145. If there are so many fanfics, what is that "No Fanciction Mode" on the top ot the page?

      ReplyDelete
    146. For all the people here for art... music... news...

      ReplyDelete
    147. My first fanfic was accepted and 5 starred quickly. The elation you get from a story that the community loves is unparallelled.

      My second one I never heard back about. I was kind of annoyed. how dare they reject ME? After re-reading it, I understand why: it wasn't that good, and wasn't worthy of ED.

      What rejection means is one thing: Try harder, or stop doing it. I've been writing my own stories for a going on two decades now, and I'm not going to stop just because a story got rejected from a blog.

      It just means I have to write better. Writing is like exercise, the more your do it, the better you get at it. So keep writing.

      ReplyDelete
    148. Wow, I never realized there was a screening process for quality. I thought it was just for inappropriate content. How in Celestia does any of my stuff make it through?

      Anyway, I suspect that the readers and admins have been getting blitzed by the discontent. The one thing I fear for EqD is burn out... That the quality of the site will degrade. Pre-readers don't seem to get any acknowledgement at all besides the occasional quote. That's hard, given the volume of submissions. So thank you pre-readers and admins.

      And for anyone who's discouraged: this is an opportunity to get better! I'm still finding my ways around these ponies. I've found stories so well crafted I was humbled and in tears, but instead of giving up I've tried twice as hard to do better! I'm actually relearning rules of comma useage and grammar in the hopes that one day Present Perfect will go, "Wow, much better, you just messed up here, here, and here..." I'm hoping that one day I can learn to write as well as Khatman. I know it sounds pathetic, but this site and this writing actually gives me a little joy. That's something I don't usually have.

      So anyway, enough gushing. Back to the literary coal mine.

      ReplyDelete
    149. This makes a lot of sense, really. I would assume their are tons of fics you all must power through, and posting every last one here on the blog just isn't realistic. That being said, I really hope my story (still not finished) will be up to par.

      ReplyDelete
    150. @Anonymous

      If you have nothing else better to do with your time, perhaps not.

      When the prereaders are all volunteers who get nothing in return for spending sometimes hours of what little free time we have going through all of those thirty fics, knowing that rejecting any of them with anything less than a full dissertation is liable to make us the pariahs of the community, I think the ante is upped slightly.

      I really hate falling back on the argument of "I'd like to see you try it," but I'm having trouble thinking of anything more appropriate to say.

      ReplyDelete
    151. I think if you have to justify your fanfic by pointing to another and saying, "You accepted that crap," then you definitely need a rewrite.

      Also I love the pre-readers. They're the only people that return me 42 pages of critique, just to drive home the point that my story sucked. XD

      ReplyDelete
    152. @Somber

      While burnout DOES happen, there's enough of us to pick up the slack to give one of the others a breather.

      We pre-read and give feedback and comments because we love this fandom, not for the prestige. Not to worry, there'll always be a few of us around to review.

      ReplyDelete
    153. Good to see you guys address it.

      I know there's quite a bit of friction about that, and it's going to be inevitable when you have quality-control in the first place - whether you're fair or not doesn't even matter.

      I still say all this can be solved with a little HTML and CSS.

      Thanks, authors! Thanks, pre-readers!

      ReplyDelete
    154. ...And another link to Fanfiction Archive for those looking.

      http://www.ponyfictionarchive.net/

      ReplyDelete
    155. @Midnight

      What should you do if it's been over a month, you've asked once or twice, assumed it got lost in the pile, resubmitted it a few more times, and still heard nothing back?

      ReplyDelete
    156. @Cogs

      er...ouch! Complain to me in my email and I'll go find it.

      ReplyDelete
    157. I'm glad to know ED filters out the bad stuff. That being said, I just submitted my first extensive pony fic to the site. I hope to hear back, and get the spotlight, because I honestly feel the work is of good quality. I'll keep my hooves crossed. :D

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    158. I'll admit, the first time I tried to throw up a fanfic on here, it got rejected and it DID hurt.

      But it was a good kinda hurt, because the pre-readers pointed out my screw-ups (especially punctuation) and I fixed up some of the grammer too.

      Second time I threw it up here, BOOM! "My Little Test Subject" hits the front page mo-fo.

      I plan on throwing up the first part of another epic story I'm writing, but for now I'm just gonna stick to Fanfiction dot net.

      Ponychan is a good place to get some feedback as well. :3

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    159. I submitted a fic a while ago, and after all this time I gave up on the idea you'd ever read/respond to it. But this article gave me new enlightenment, despite the fact this is an old article. So I doubt you guys will ever see this but if you do, I want you know I love everything you do and you help make my Facebook fanpage awesome. I'm rambling on now but I just wanted to say thanks you!

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    160. Ha! i didn't read it trough!..... i have such original jokes...

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    161. i have had a fic rejected from this site, and the response i received was polite and helpful. disheartening, but helpful. i wrote another fic, sent it in, and got MOCKED. i lost all respect for the pre-readers that day. i sent it in, all fixed up, again, and have heard NOTHING from them.

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    162. Just wondering how long it usually takes to get some kind of response from the hard working readers.

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    163. Just so you can't say I didn't warn you, my average grade in Lit. for the majority of my school career is a D. Now you have something to dread... I mean look forward to.
      -Best regards, A.P.B

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    164. I have a story finished and 2 more in the works. I may or may not send in the one story that's finished at the time of this post

      It needs some minor revisions at least, the villain could be summed up as a "wingless alicorn", which was not what I was going for.

      I was going for a unicorn that was older, studied longer, and presumably had more magic power than Twilight. So yeah, it could use some fixing up

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