The Frequently-Asked-Question Guide to the SWAT Kat Fan Fiction Archive
1. When do you update the Archive?
Roughly once a month or once we receive at least four stories, whichever comes first.
2. Why don't you update more often?
Usually, a lack of updates means that there have been no or very few submissions. This does not mean that we will be giving up and closing the Archive. The Archive will continue to accept submissions as long as people will send them in. However, updates may be a bit more sporadic as we wait for at least three or four fanfics to accumulate to post together.
3. Is there any way to get my stuff on the archive faster? What if there's a specific timely theme to my story?
Not really. Though if your story isn't posted with an update or listed as one we've received but not edited/read yet, you should probably mail us and make sure we received it.
Stories with themes, such as holiday ones, should be submitted at least a week
to two weeks before the date you need it up by. We'll try to post notice for
things like the Christmas season in December as the Archive tends to get a few
holiday fanfics.
4. Can I submit something rated higher than M?
No. DJ Clawson's Guidelines For the Archive (though updated and added to) outline the policy she left us on ratings. We may/may not make some alterations in the future (if DJ is amenable to them), but we will not accept higher than an M rating. This is not censorship as we are not a law-making body. We cannot and are not telling you what you can and can't post on the Internet. We are simply telling you what we will not be responsible for on the site left in our care.
5. If copying large chunks of movies and stuff isn't allowed, why are there stories on the Archive that do that?
Firstly, because it's only in the last few years that the current Archive hosts have decided to crack down on this practice. Any stories received prior to that decision will remain on the site. Further, things do, unfortunately, still slip through. If we have no knowledge of the movie/series an author is copying and no hints as to its name, even if certain elements in the story raise warning flags, we can't act without concrete proof.
6. I can't understand this story!
We tried! Unfortunately, we neither have the time nor feel it our place to re-write fanfics that may be confusing. We do spellcheck every fanfic and make an effort to correct grammar and formatting problems that make the story difficult or impossible to read.
7. Is it okay to kinda cheat on grammar-type stuff? I mean, it's just fan fiction! It's not a book or anything!
Just because it isn't being submitted to your English teacher doesn't mean it doesn't have to be readable. All of the rules for grammar, syntax, and spelling count here just as much as they do anywhere else. No matter how good your story is, you will probably turn your reader off within a few lines if it is unclear. The same goes for the spellings of the character's names. There is a short list posted on the Guidelines page and you can visit The SK Zone and read the names of characters, gadgets and vehicles straight from the original model sheets and a promotional booklet created by Hanna-Barbera.
We will post stories that are not perfect, obviously, but we would prefer if you made them as readable as possible. The main points that are both highly annoying and confusing are:
Yes, these are the sorts of things we edit in stories. We do so to clarify them. We do not do so because we love to do it. It grows tiring quickly. Please at least try not to repeat these errors. A fanfic that is no more than a blob of text with no separations for dialogue or even scene cuts is nearly impossible to read.
8.Is it okay to put myself in my stories?
Yes, though we'd prefer it if you wouldn't make yourself or any new character
of yours a hopeless Mary Sue. What's a "Mary Sue?" See here.
This is an extremely well-written page containing the Mary Sue Litmus Test that will help you determine if your character is a Mary Sue.
The Archive's stance on the issue is that author insertion stories are fine,
as are new characters. They can be tasteful, believable, and well-written.
However, we are really tired of stories that run like this:
A new character comes to MegaKat City and finds their way to the Salvage
Yard where Jake and Chance instantly accept them and take them in, practically
begging them to become a new SWAT Kat. The newcomer either proves to be super-SWAT
Kat and/or falls instantly and madly in love with Chance or Jake.
Before introducing yourself or your new character to the SWAT Kats, ask yourself
how you have met people and how you greet new people. Do you immediately tell
people your deepest secrets after five minutes of small talk? If an action doesn't
sound like something you could ever imagine yourself doing, it will probably
sound equally crazy to your readers when Chance and Jake do it.
9. Do you accept crossovers?
Yes, crossovers are fine in most cases, provided some character(s) from SWAT Kats plays a major role in the story. We will not accept massive, multi-series crossovers where the SWAT Kats appear in the good guy cast listing but only have about two lines apiece and are only present for about three paragraphs.
10. Why aren't I getting tons of email about my absolutely wonderful story? Is no one reading it?
Unfortunately, people tend to be reluctant to e-mail authors and tell them how much they liked a fanfic even if they truly loved it. And, we don't have an instant review system like Fanfiction.net to simplify the process and hopefully tempt more readers to respond. (Yes, this possibility has been explored but the sort of programming it would require to create a separate review file for each author is beyond our capabilities at the moment.)
And too, ask yourself this: "How many times do I rush to see the new stuff?" and then the all-important: "How often do I actually rush to write the author and tell them how much I loved their stories?" The numerical answer to the second question is probably the number of emails you are going to recieve concerning your story. If you don't get email, it doesn't mean no one's reading your stuff, it just means no one's responding for whatever their reasons are.
11. Is there any way to tell if anyone is reading my story? Do you know?
We can only track the number of people that visit the main page of the Archive where there is a counter and the number of people who open your story via the domain's raw access logs. We have no way to know how many actually read, let alone finish reading, the stories.
12. Do you know who the best/most popular authors are?
We really don't know. If you want some suggestions for good reads from others, post a message to one of the public SWAT Kat message boards/clubs.
13. Do you know when this or that author will finish their series/story? Or when this or that author will write a new story?
In most cases, no. We do talk to some of the authors and may know if they're working on another or are so busy they haven't written anything in months. But, that's a very small percentage that we happen to know as personal friends/acquaintances. If you want to know when an author will finish a series/story or write a new one, e-mail the author. Most authors like e-mail. It's the only way they can get feedback from this site. Of course, it is a sad fact that some fine authors have disappeared from the SWAT Kats fandom without ever finishing their series, and the works are so old and their interest so flagging they never will. But, for some of them, a friendly and polite e-mail might be something of a nudge to get them started on the project again... or at least convince them to consider continuing it or offering to tell you their planned ending.
14. I don't like the description you put for my story. Can I change it?
Sure. Mail us. We'll post the new summary with the next update. Usually, if we've written the summary, it means you didn't provide one. We'll post the summary you want... unless it is a "I can't write summaries" note or what should be the author's greeting at the start of the fic. Those aren't summaries.
15.I feel that my story was misrepresented on the archive. Who should I complain to?
Us. We're open to all suggestions, comments, and questions. The only thing we may be a little inflexible about is ratings. We put ratings and warnings where they seem necessary. SWAT Kats was originally rated for children seven and up. It stands to reason that we might want to make note when a story drastically crosses out of that age range. Ratings don't kill readership and they keep those nasty letters from readers who weren't warned away from your emailbox.
16. Gee, I just finished reading this and I feel insulted/shied away from submitting/like you're strict/like you're evil.
We don't bite! Snarl a little on Mondays sometimes maybe... Please don't be afraid to submit! Your story is not terrible, but you'll never know that until you give us a chance to read it and tell you it's not.
--The Management (Contains portions from DJ Clawson's original FAQ)