Well, you're probably wondering what this site is about and of course, about us, the site owners. So here's a FAQ about (you guessed it!) us!
Who are you guys anyway?
We're Trek fans who really like to read and write fanfic. Consequently, we spend a lot of our waking moments scouring the web looking for good fanfic to read. There are five of us, each devoted to a different series.
How come some stories have comments and others don't? That's not playing fair.
It depends how creative we are at the moment the story goes up. Sometimes we can think of something to say, other times we can't say anything better than "Gosh darn it, I just liked it." But check back often because we're always updating!
How do you find these stories anyway?
We get a lot of recommendations from visitors, plus we lurk on ASC (alt.startrek.creative) and then sometimes we just run into some really fantastic fanfic while surfing.
How does one go about recommending a story or an author?
Have someone in mind whom you think deserves a bit of recognition? Send us an email with the following information: author name, author website and name of story(ies) that you want us to take a look at it. If the author doesn't have a website, please include an email address so we can request a copy of the story from the author. Or, if you have a copy of the story, send it on to us with your comments (no attachments please).
If you don't want to email us, you can leave us a message in the guestbook. You have the option of making your recommendation private or public, depending on how comfortable you are with either option. Not to worry - we'll get the recommendation and someone will be along shortly to check out the story.
If I nominate someone, will my nomination remain anonymous? If I'm an author on the site, can I find out who nominated me?
All nominations, with the exception of the public guestbook entries, will remain anonymous. We don't share your name with anyone except for the members of the BOTF team and even then, sometime we strip out any information regarding the nominator prior to sharing the rec with the rest of the team.
Authors have asked in the past if we could reveal who nominated them. We have not revealed this information in the past and we have no plans to do so in the future. Please note that everyone on this site has been nominated by someone and some stories/authors have been nominated numerous times.
Nominators are welcome, on their own, to share their identities with featured authors, if they so desire.
How do you tell if something's good?
After reading as much fanfic as we have, you can definitely separate the good from the bad. Mostly, we look at characterizations, spelling and grammar. Oh yeah - having a plot certainly helps.
Hey! You have a story up and I think it's terrible!
You're welcome to your opinion. As we said on the first page of this site, our opinions are simply our opinions. We liked it when we read it, so we put it up. It's that simple. We realize that not everyone is going to like every story on this site; we just thought we'd cut down the odds and make it easier to find fanfic that most everyone would like. Once we put a story up, we won't take it down unless the author specifically asks us to. So please don't ask us to remove a story from this site if you have a problem with the author.
You picked one of my stories for the site but I don't think it's one of my best efforts. Do you mind taking a second look?
We have no problem taking a second look. Keep in mind that it takes us quite a while to read every single fanfic by an author and then it takes us even longer to decide. It takes about a month to decide on a story even before we notify authors. So it's possible that we may choose another story, but chances are we will stay with the one we originally picked.
Also keep in mind that a lot of the stories we pick have been recommended by others and we really do value those opinions.
You picked a story by one author and it's not his/her most popular story. Why don't you pick that one instead?
There are reasons why stories are popular - because they are good. We do read those stories and yes, we have picked the popular stories before. But we also recognize that authors have lesser known stories that are well-written and well-characterized. So, to be honest, we tend to stray off the beaten path and look more closely at the stories that people are not raving about.
Do you guys allow NC-17 stories? How about slash?
Sure - same criteria applies to slash/NC-17 fanfic as it does to other stories on this site. Please note that slash/NC-17 fics may not necessarily have a warning page but are rather noted with red text in the "rating" section of our listings.
How many stories can an author have on this site?
One per fandom, unless the author is chosen for the monthly spotlight, in which case we will allow up to five or six stories. The reason we only choose one story in each fandom is because all of us can go on and on (and we do mean on and on forever) about our favorite authors. Limiting each author to one story allows us to have variety on the site and also prevents us from coming back to the same author over again. It also makes us pick the absolute best story by that author.
What if one of my stories has been picked for the regular archive? Does that mean I can't be a spotlight author in the future?
Not at all. We definitely reserve the right to go back and pick an author already featured on the site to be the spotlight author. Just because only one of your stories has been chosen this time doesn't mean you won't be a spotlight author in the future. A lot of times, we're trying for variety in authors and stories, so we may have you in mind for a future spotlight.
I emailed you to take a look at my story and I got back an acknowledgement but it's been a couple weeks since I've heard anything. What's going on?
Well, it does take us a while to go through fanfic. Believe it or not, real life (tm) has a way of interfering and sometimes the editor in charge of that section hasn't had the chance to take a good, close look at your story. Please don't email us for a status on the story - we'll let you know if it's been picked.
Can anyone nominate a story?
Yeah, but a nomination doesn't necessarily mean it'll get picked. We actually do argue over every story and reach a consensus before it's placed on the site.
Why do you link to stories and not store them on your own server?
We're lazy, plain and simple. Actually, most authors have already formatted their stories in the way that they want them and we respect that. On occasion, we have uploaded the stories onto our own servers, if the story is archived on a site that is not owned by the author.
Can anyone be a spotlight author?
Sure! We're looking for authors who have written at least five or six stories. The series does not matter, but the stories need to be interesting and well-written (same criteria as having a story on this site).
What about your links page? Can anyone have a link there?
We usually link to pages that feature authors who have been selected for our site. Your site needs to be outstanding and contain quality fanfic in order for us to link to it.
Do you guys look for any particular relationship in fanfic?
No, not really. We do have our biases, but we're trying to be fair and look at a wide spectrum of relationships. Of course, you may find more P/T stories simply because there are more P/T stories written than say K/7 stories. But no, the story doesn't have to have a relationship in it either. We have at least a couple stories on this site that are not 'shipper oriented.
How about an original Trek series? Would you consider those?
Sorry! Right now, we're not. We have our hands full dealing with the four series as it is. However, we might consider New Frontier fiction (if there's any out there), since it is TNG-related.
How will I know if a story of mine is chosen for this site?
You will receive an email that will let you know that we consider your story to be among the best of Trek fanfic. You then have the option of letting us link to it or not. And yes, we have been turned down before. If you agree to have your story on this site, we will send you a graphic to display on your site and we will add your link to our links page.
Can an author nominate his/her own work for this site?
Sure! Go right ahead. We do ask that you tell us that you are the author. Nominating yourself doesn't hurt your chances, but we do want honesty. And yes, we have selected stories where the author has nominated himself/herself.
This site is owned by the Best of Trek Fanfic Team. No part of it may be copied without permission. Copyright 1999-2000.