[ eureka! ]

[winterlive]

Hi, everybody!!

That poll I put up - over 50 volunteers. You guys are incredible. (I almost used a cuss word right there, but saved it just in time.) I am totally over the moon. The best part is the name. Y'all ready?

The No Stairway Anthology - nostairway

I love the name. I ain't even gonna front. :)

The first post in that community is our guidelines and overview, so please give those a read if you're interested. As I said before, things have changed a lot since we started talking. Even now they're pretty rough draft - it's only been two days - but we've got a pretty good idea of how things are going to go. If you have any questions, maygra and I have open posts. (Hers is here.)

As a side note, I'm aware that there are folks who maybe aren't the biggest fans of this idea, and that's a shame. But hopefully the guidelines will clear things up for them, because I'm definitely seeing a lot of misconceptions on those posts. In fact, why don't I go ahead and touch on some of the highlights?

As I see it, the benefits are twofold; for readers and for writers.

Each issue of the Anthology will hold a number of stories that have been screened for basic typos and grammar, and then passed by at least three editors. Those editors look for originality, innovation, use of language and pacing, anything that'd make a story grip a reader's attention. They look for stories that challenge and move us, stories that twist us up; their goal is to fill the Anthology, not pare it down. We'd like to showcase as many stories as possible. Each story is archived at a website - those of you who boycott LJ can still play - and a reader's guaranteed to be able to browse these stories whenever they want, in a format that's readable and clear. The editorial oversight board and administrators make sure that each issue has a range of stories, something to appeal to any taste.

And for the writers, first and foremost is that each story is assessed purely on its merits - all identifying information is stripped away before the editors even see it. Doesn't matter what your name is, you've got the same shot as anybody else. If your story is published to the Anthology, that'll mean exposure for not just your single story but all your works, because there's a link to your LJ or your IJ or your website, whatever you want.

The last benefit for writers is something we sort of snuck under the radar. Every single author who sends in a story has the option of recieving comments from the editors. Doesn't matter if you get published or not. Three objective editors will tell you what they think is good about what you wrote, and where you might be able to improve. It's not a line edit or a beta process - we have day jobs to think of! - but it's a quick summary that we hope will be helpful. You don't have to take it, of course, but I sure plan to. People with editing guidelines are going to look at my stuff and give me their honest opinion. I know nobody's going to tell me what I want to hear, and I also know nobody's going to be mean or catty about it. Dude. Awesome.

So that's us! Have a look over those preliminary guidelines, ask any questions you want. When things are finalized and ready to go, we'll have a big going-live party and you're all invited.

Comments

[lavenderfrost.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I'm kind of wary and hanging back to wait and see on this. I like recs comms, but standards are such a subjective thing that I'm a bit nervous.

But still - I honestly do wish you luck with it. :)

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Frostie. Goodwill can only help out. And by all means, give it some time and see if you like what you get. If not, no harm - if so, come on in. :D

[lavenderfrost.livejournal.com]

Hee - k. And I do want in on the going-live bash, anyway. Parties FTW! \o/

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

WOO! you got it. :D

[jamesinboots.livejournal.com]

You don't have to take it, of course, but I sure plan to.

I think that's a great idea - writers being able to choose whether they want to receive comments or not. *thumbs up* :D

And, this is quoted from the guidelines, but:

Our opinion on what we read is no better than anyone else's, and in this case, that opinion isn't just one person saying, this is the best in all of fandom. Instead, it's a group of people who share common baselines and a wide variety of interests who are all saying, we think these are a few good stories. Not all the good ones, just some.

And that is, in a nutshell, why I'm all WOO and excited about this project. I can't wait until it goes live! [/trying so very hard to be patient]

<333

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

HAH. oh, jim! you make me happiest. :*

[jamesinboots.livejournal.com]

*draws hearts around you*

[robanybody.livejournal.com]

It's nice to be excited about fandom again. I'm enjoying the whole "woo, good fic!" aspect of this.

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

or even just WOO, FIC.

to be honest, it's been a while since i was excited about reading something new in supernatural fandom. i kind of hope i fall in love with the show all over again. :)

[robanybody.livejournal.com]

I would be really happy if I fell in love with anything involving SPN after all the fandom bullshit. This comm is giving me hope, which is a good feeling for me.

[lemmealone.livejournal.com]

...Huh. I'll admit the initial idea made me quite wary. This makes me... rather less wary. 'Issues of an anthology' has a much better ring to it than 'quality archive that only some people can be published in'.

This comes across more zinelike. Interesting. *g*

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

y'know, it is EXACTLY that idea of cliquey only-the-cool-kids crap that we're trying to get rid of with this project. there's a lot of noise out there about how fandom is all-inclusive and anybody can play, but in practice, that's not how it plays out - people rec stuff off their flist, and if you're lucky enough to get in on that circle, good for you. but if you're not, you're screwed. there's no place that you can go and say, hey, would you mind giving this a read and telling me what you think? and maybe reccing it if you like it?

or there hasn't been, until now.

i'm really hopeful for this project. i'm hopeful that it'll point me to stuff i haven't seen before, stuff that's maybe not the stuff i'd see on the usual go-rounds. stairway to heaven is a great song, but now and then you want something else, y'know? :)

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Each issue of the Anthology will hold a number of stories that have been screened for basic typos and grammar, and then passed by at least three editors. Those editors look for originality, innovation, use of language and pacing, anything that'd make a story grip a reader's attention.

Just for further clarification, when you use the word "editor" here, you're not meaning "someone who will make changes to the submitted stories to bring them into line with the Anthology's requirements?" You mean "someone who will judge the story to determine if it meets the requirements as-is."

[winterlive.livejournal.com]

for the time being, yes. as the anthology is accepting work that's already been published, we imagine the first flush of stories will be pre-published material, and people tend to be loath to make anything more than cosmetic changes to stuff that's already posted. (there are screeners who change minor things like typos and grammar errors, that's universal.)

all editors will compile comments for an author on their story, which the author can choose to take or not - if they do choose to take them, they can revise the story and resubmit it, if they want to. everything is very optional. :D