Update on the Fic Submission Queue Bypass Process

FictionAlley is thrilled to finally launch our Submission Queue Bypass Option, for authors who have successfully submitted at least ten stories and/or chapters to FictionAlley.

Here's how you can apply:

Send an email to [strike]queue.bypass@fictionalley.org[/strike] [email]help@fictionalley.org[/email] including the following information:

Your FA Username
The FA url at which your fics are located (probably [url]www.fictionalley.org/authors/___________[/url])

Within three days, you will either be added to the Queue Bypass list or we will end an email explaining why we either need additional information, or how many more fics and/or chapters you need to submit to qualify.

(Edited to add: If you do not hear back within 3 days, please either post here or send an owl to me (SwissMiss). Or any other mod with admin status who you know is currently active.)

Everyone whose last ten submissions have been posted on FictionAlley without having been returned to the author because of spelling, grammar or NC-17 content issues will be added to the Queue Bypass List.

If you are on the Queue Bypass List, you will still be able to ask the Intake Team to look at any particular chapter or story that you submit. There is a box on the submission page that you can toggle if you want the chapter or story you are submitting to be looked over by the Intake Team.

But, you ask, what's the catch?

There really is no catch. However, if your fic bypasses the queue and we then learn either (a) that it has too many "Unforgivable Errors" or (b) that you've rated it lower than the Intake Team believes is necessary, you will be removed from the Queue Bypass List, and to get back on it, you'll have to go through the application process anew. As of July 1, 2010, this has happened only twice.

If the fic or essay doesn't meet the other requirements, but has been uploaded as part of the Queue Bypass process, we will ask you to edit it once it's on-site.

Questions? Please, ask us here!

Downtime Update

We're as frustrated as you are.

We had a new server installed less than a month ago, and it looks to all the experts like one of the drives on the server has failed or is failing. Luckily, we have a backup - at least to about two weeks ago - of everything on that server, so it's possible that we will lose some content, but not very much, if we have to do an install from nothing. And we are working to recover as much of the content off the drive as possible.

However, it's possible that the drive is fine, and that the issue has something to do with unsecured cabling, a BIOS issue or even heat. Techies on the ground at Dragon.com will look at it again today, and test all those possibilities out.

Anyhow, the non-techie explanation of all this is, we're working on it, and trying to get everything resolved as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience, and feel free to use this LJ post for discussions that would otherwise be in the park, as well as for questions (or to let us know if you've got server maintenance experience and can volunteer some time for FA in the next week or three).

Also, please add our twitter status feed thingy so you can keep up to date on server issues and the recovery process.

List of Fics to be Resubmitted

The final list of chapters and/or stories that need to be resubmitted to FictionAlley (see our previous post for details) has been compiled; you can review the list here. If you're an author on FictionAlley and submitted anything to the site between 11 July and 5 August, please read the list. If your name appears on it, resubmit the chapters and/or stories in question ASAP.

Continuing Server Issues

We're currently experiencing server issues that are preventing us from processing new fic submissions. Don't worry - everything through last weekend is fully backed up, but it may take some time to get things completely up and running again. You can continue to submit new fics, but we cannot guarantee they'll be uploaded to the site before July 20.

If you have further questions, or if you're an expert in PHP with time to volunteer, please contact help @ fictionalley.org.

Server Maintenance

The House Elves have constructed wards around FictionAlley to allow them to perform server maintenance. We appreciate your patience while they work and will restore access to all FictionAlley sites (including FictionAlley Park and Schnoogle.com) as soon as we can.

Cool Stuff from WB

Their FAQ is here, and the winner will have his or her video featured on the front page of YouTube later this summer. Cool toy to play with!