#request etiquette

[pride-stars]

New request rule because oh my fuck is it annoying.

Make sure what you're requesting hasn't been done before. Otherwise I'm not going to respond to it, seeing large number in inbox make star sad: and then it turns out half of you can't use the search feature to find what you're looking for.

Starting from now. If your repeat request is currently in the inbox you're getting performative art made from emojis.

[chaithetics]

Hi! Uh, I'm the anon that sent @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction, and a few others, the age ask. I noticed you said you thought it was offensive and I was just wondering why you think so? That's the last thing I want to do. I just thought it was a fun prompt.

Hey Nonnie. So I think you totally misread my comment and I hope that's not an intentional word twist? You've that comment sound so different. I didn't call the prompt offensive or use that word at all. I said I find it disrespectful when someone sends the same prompt to multiple writers. I've posted about this before but I can't find it to link so it so this will be a long read, sorry.

Disclaimer: I am NOT speaking on behalf of other writers or the ones you sent the same prompt to. I haven't talked about this issue with them before.

Some writers don't have guidelines or don't have it mentioned on their guidelines but quite a few do. Again, I'm not speaking for how the people you requested that prompt from feel and I'm not speaking on their behalf! I don't think they're moots I've talked about it with but it's an issue a lot of my writing moots and I have talked about or experienced.

It's disheartening because people spend actual time thinking, plotting, writing, editing etc. On these prompts, some writers like myself take longer too so people spend actual time working on prompts. And these same prompts are usually sent to multiple blogs at the same time.

Writers spend time on this and it honestly feels like a discouraging waste to me to have spent that time on a fic when I could've spent it on another for someone who made one request, especially when a lot of people writing on here are disabled and time and energy are limited. It can also feel a bit like you just want fast "content" and don't actually care about that writer's specific voice or ideas as well?

I've had it happen twice with somebody sending multiple requests to me and other writers, one time I had posted the fic and then saw the other writer with the same request (I think they were one of the writers you sent that age prompt to lol) had posted their version, us posting within like 24 hours of each other? Another time the other writer had finished and posted it while I was still halfway in the writing process and it felt like a disheartening waste so I deleted it. (That one was really wild, they had sent a 2 paragraph long prompt and the asks were the exact same except they'd edited the names of fics from us they "liked").

I think it's unfair too because multiple people have spent their time, energy, thoughts on one thing and then the person who made that request has at least 2+ bespoke fics, often more if the writers haven't noticed and there's other people only getting one fic written for their request or they're having to wait longer because someone's been a bit greedy and cheeky.

Some writers have actually been accused of stealing work because of this happening! I've seen it happen, had a moot go through it and it's a fear that I had when it happened to me and something that a few of my moots have also been scared of when they've gone through this. Writers will write unique things because of their different minds but with the same prompts there will be similarities sometimes. You probably wouldn't work on a screenplay if you just saw another couple of movies come out that was pretty similar with the same premise and characters, right? You'd be more hesitant.

This has been debated before about if it's okay if a prompt is more vague rather than specific but it's just a habit I wouldn't recommend.

Just a few things to be mindful of but again, some writers might disagree with this or not have a problem with it. I and a few moots find it disrespectful for those reasons.

I know this probably became convoluted but hopefully it made enough sense to clarify and help!

[systiveboxes]

Rules and request etiquette

[rules and request etiquette]

A general list of wills/wonts, what not to request, how not to ask and the like.

Blacklisted media [n/a atm]

Whitelist includes anything we have done so far, if curious send an ask or search key words on our blog!

Wills:

- fictive, factive, songtive and other introject type userboxes

- most problematic media (usually taken on by mod nyan)

- specific sources

- generally anything starting with "this introject/(fic/fact)ive" etc

- specific term use (roles, fictroject and other alt terms, orientations etc)

- specific graphic use (icons, pngs, logos, characters, flags etc)

Wonts:

- different coloured boxes

- font change

- discourse topics (syscourse, queercourse, shipcourse or other)

How to ask:

We appreciate when people are polite, have patience with us!

Please do not

- send asks in all caps

- send asks in coloured text or changed fonts

- abbreviate source/media names

Please do

- keep box requests to a maximum of 3-5 per ask

- provide translations for typing quirks

- provide images for any request if you would like a specific picture used (ie. Noncanon characters, specific characters or logos, flags etc), if fanart please provide the artist's name and their consent for use of their work in edits! Links are fine!

Very likely to update in the future

Please be mindful of our dni and watch for when the inbox says open or closed to indicate whether or not we are currently taking requests!

[avalynlestrange]

Sorry that I have to be serious here a moment.

Just seen two blogs, that I love, reply to two different anon requests that I had seen word for word in my asks. Both of the different asks. Not going to lie I’m a little hurt by the actions of these anons.

Look I don’t believe that you shouldn’t send the same request to another writer but at least change your request slightly or better yet tell the writers you sent it to that you have sent the same request to multiple writers.

It’s really disheartening and discouraging to see the same request, and even worse word for word requests, for a writer especially those who is a small blog like me that don’t get a ton of requests. Getting requests makes my day and it takes me a while to write them. My answered request fics have been an average of 2k words each which is equivalent to a 4 page essay and I really take my time to craft my words for our enjoyment.

To both the anons, I have deleted your requests due to this and to not ruin the other writers days. I would have written them for you if you had gone about it a different way.

Anyways… I have now updated the requests info in my owlery. Please do feel free to send requests my way~

[sweeterthanthis]

DON’T SEND YOUR REQUEST/PLOT IDEA TO MULTIPLE WRITERS.

It’s so frustrating as a writer to keep seeing this happen. If you send a request or an idea to be written by somebody, please either be patient and wait for them to write it, or get back to you and tell you that they’re not feeling it so you can pass it on to someone else. 

I’m not trying to be an asshole here, but it’s happened to me multiple times lately and it’s starting to get my back up a little bit. 

Respect us enough to be patient, or simply let us know that we’re taking longer than you liked to get back to you, and we’ll happily tell you to go to another writer with it. 

Much love xoxo

[husbandograveyard]

Request etiquette

Hiya all,

Can I like... ask a few things of you guys? Not all of you, but some of you?

It's time to talks some about requesting etiquette.

Preparing an ask

Before you go in: check the following things:

Is the askbox open? With this I don't mean are you able to send asks, because most writers will leave their boxes open at all times to get interactions. Check in their bio, the text above their askbox: are they taking requests? If the answer is no, please don't try.

Do they take emergency requests? Very rarely, but sometimes a writer will take emergency requests even if their box is closed. Only then you can send one and please be specific without dumping too much possibly triggering info on a stranger. If they take such requests it'll be specified in their rules. If it's not in there, assume they don't.

Have you read their rules? But like, really read them? Every writer has their boundaries, things they will and will not write. Don't overstep, don't ask things that might spoil them, don't ask for suggestive content by a sfw writer, they might be a minor.... read the rules and follow them

Keep an idea in mind. According to the rules. Be as vague or specific as you want but keep the rules in mind. Some writers will be happy with a prompt and a character, some writers thrive on details.

Check their masterlist (if they have one). Maybe your idea is already written out or something very similar. Don't ask writers to repeat writing but catered to you specifically. It makes us feel like the initial wasn't good enough for you. Different characters in similar situations of course don't count.

Writing your ask

Be polite. Writers aren't fanfiction machines. They have lives, they do this for free. Hi and thanks are the bare minimum. The BARE minimum.

Be precise. Add all information in according to the rules. We cannot read your mind so if you have specific ideas, you're going to have to write specific requests.

Be patient. Don't say you need a request before a certain 'deadline'.

Anon or account? Be aware that if you're on anon, the writer has no way of contacting you in case of questions, you also won't be notified when your ask is answered. If you don't want a main linked, you can leave the @ of a sideblog in your ask. If you'd rather stay 100% anonymous that's fine too, just know you're leaving everything in the writer's hands then.

While waiting for your request

Don't bother the writer in PMs or asks about when your writing will come. I promise we will only get more agitated and less motivated to write.

Don't alter details. Some writers need a while to get from idea to draft to WIP to actually publishing the work. Changing simple things may be possible (but ask politely!!!) but changing prompts and such is just bad manners.

When receiving your request

Interact with the work done for you. A like is nothing, a reblog should be the bare minimum. Leave some comments in the comments, reblogs or even just the tags. Even some emojis or a keyboard smash will let us know you actually read and appreciated the work we did for you!

Shy? Leave a pm, an anonymous ask... there's heaps of possibilities and I promise: no one will be mad / weirded out / ... about you leaving feedback

Even when on anon, try to follow up in some way. Nothing more frustrating than getting a highly specific request, spending time on it only to get not a single bit of feedback because it is catered to the needs of only 1 person who doesn't even acknowledge it later on.

You don't have to interact with every work of that writer, but please do so with the ones made especially for you.

Needless to say. All of these apply to artists too!

I honestly have seen too many of my friends getting frustrated, stressed or disappointed and just switching out to semi-selective accounts or just stopping taking requests all together. If you want writers and artists to cater to you specifically, support them for what they do! ♡

[pride-stars]

Reminding everyone, because I've actually gone through and read every request now, I do NOT do radqueer terms. It is a very very firm boundary I have. No radqueer shit, no "trans-disorder" or "trans-race" bullshit. There are so many better ways to describe feelings (especially of inadequecy in a disorder your actually have or a culture you are actually part of) and "transitioning toward" whatever is not it. Do not request radqueer terms from me, I will block you immeadiately.

(check #request etiquette (link) for more)

[pride-stars]

could there be a internal rcta (race change to another) flag? there has been a whole ton of problems of rcta and im aware that u cannot change your race because its impossible but like someone who is inside connected to that race but not physically changing could u make a flag if its possible?

No. 👍

I don't coin terms. I only make flags for plural terms that already exist.

I'm especially not going to be coining an rcta term as a white person in a European country.

There is enough discourse with system race (I have complex and nuanced opinions on this and would need at least 500 words to get the point across) and I don't touch discourse on this blog.

If you find a way to word this without sounding like a radqueer, go to a POC term coiner who will understand your struggle.

If you're white and telling me your internal race doesn't match your body, just go. Just leave my blog and never return.