Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do I have to register separately for the site and for the forums?
   The forums are a completely separate system from the rest of the site. They are run through Invision Power Board, which is software specifically designed for forums. Our site proper uses different software, so two registrations are, unfortunately, necessary. Registering for the site proper gives you access to some of our more popular services, such as e-mail updates when your favorite stories are updated.

2. What are Mods, Keepers, Beaters and Wizards?
   Much as we Founders love working on the site, the Real World does rear its ugly head, and we can't always do everything. Consequently, we've appointed other folks to help us out with forum moderation, administration, and site design.
   
   Mods are the folks in the forums who make certain that the rules are followed and everyone plays nicely with each other.
   
   Keepers are our assistant administrators.
   
   Beaters are another level of assistant administrators, who have even more responsibilities on-site.
   
   Wizards are our technical folks, who make our new site work and are responsible to fix that which is broken.
   
   Any communication you receive from any of these folks should be treated as though it were from the Founders themselves.

3. Something's not working right. What do I do?
   Send an email to wizards@phoenixsong.net, and be sure to include the page that is not working, as well as what Operating System and Web Browser you are using. There is a link at the bottom of each story page that will send an email directly to our wizards.
   
   Also, be sure to put a subject line on your email that lets our staff know what you're writing about -- we get so much spam mail that legitimate questions are easily lost in the mess!
   

4. I'm having difficulty with the forum, The Perch. Who should I contact?
   You can contact us at Perch.
   
   Please be sure to put a subject line on your email that lets our staff know what you're writing about -- we get so much spam mail that legitimate questions are easily lost in the mess!
   

5. What are the rules for participating in the chat room, Cacophony?
   

   Rules for participating in Cacophony are the same as for participation in the Perch:

   • No badmouthing, no being rude, no being crass, no being impolite. Harassment issues should be brought to the attention of Keepers, Mods, Beaters or Admins.
   • Keep Internet shorthand to a minimum.  "LOL" is fine; typing "u" instead of "you" is not.  Use the language properly.  Also, no L33t, etc.
   • Any conversation you see that you have a problem with, please contact one of the Keepers, Mods, Beaters or Admins through the Perch.

6. I need to contact someone on staff -- who do I contact?
   You can reach us by sending us email at Flock.
   
   Please be sure to put a subject line on your email that lets our staff know what you're writing about -- we get so much spam mail that legitimate questions are easily lost in the mess!
   

7. Why can't I read Mature-rated fics?
   To read Mature-rated fics, you must be a registered user, and have filled in the "Mature Access Form" in Flock. We require this to make sure you are old enough to read content that may have some violence or sexual situations.

8. I've just written a fic! What do I need to do to get it submitted?
   Make sure it fits our submission guidelines. If it does, you can submit your fic during our next open submission period. For more information about our submission periods, please check out FAQ #9 entitled "Why are submissions only open once a month?"

9. How do I register for Mature-rated access?
   Register for the site or, if you're already registered, sign in. You'll see a navigation box that appears in the Flock menu that says, "Mature-Rated Access." This will take you to the disclaimer.

10. Why are submissions only open periodically?
    We open submissions on approximately a bi-monthly basis (depending upon contests, holidays, etc., as well), because it helps to make things easier on our betas and on our admins. It helps the betas manage their author load; it helps admins make sure everyone gets assigned their betas in a timely manner; and it helps make certain that uploads of betaed fics happen in an equally timely manner. Moving stories from submission to upload takes time, and we want to expedite that as well as we can.
    
    Keep an eye on our home page for announcements regarding open submissions.

11. Why does my fic have to be betaed?
    We at Phoenix Song want to help every author's fic be the best it can be, while keeping high standards for the stories we post. Consequently, we do require that our authors have a beta assigned to them. This is true for EVERY author, including our Founders, Keepers, and the betas themselves.

12. If I already have a beta from another site, do I have to have a PS beta as well?
    Yes. Every author has a beta affiliated with Phoenix Song. If your story has been betaed well enough, your PS beta may do nothing more than read through it and post it, but we require that you have one.

13. What can I do to improve my chances of my fic being accepted?
    There are several pointers we can give you.
    
    1. Check out the writing forum at http://www.phoenixsong.net/perch/ and get a pre-beta to help you before you submit. Pre-betas can help you with plotting, pacing, grammar, punctuation, and some of the other things that we look for when looking at which fics to accept.
    
    2. Run spell-check. You'd be amazed how many things spell-check can catch.
    
    3. Make sure you read our submission guidelines before you submit. This can save a lot of heartbreak, preventing you from submitting fics that do not fit our requirements.
    
    4. To make certain your work fits with canon, we strongly suggest you use the Harry Potter Lexicon. It's an absolute necessity, and makes research on specifics SO much easier.

14. What are "ships"?
    The term "ship" in fandoms refers to "relationships." Many people in the HP fandom prefer certain pairings over others. Ships are often referred to by the initials of the characters in question. For example, R/Hr means Ron/Hermione; H/G means Harry/Ginny; N/L means Neville/Luna, and so forth.
    
    Phoenix Song is an archive specifically for Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione stories, but we'll accept other ships which don't conflict with those two.

15. If I have a Harry/Hermione fic, can I post it here?
    No. We do not accept any stories which include Harry or Ginny in any long-term relationship except with each other, or Ron or Hermione in any long-term relationship except with each other. Past relationships, or relationships that are ending, with other characters are fine, so long as the characters end up with our preferred partner for them.
    
    Other characters from the Harry Potter series may be paired with other partners, as long as the pairings are in keeping with our submissions requirements.

16. Do you accept Mature-rated fics?
    Mature-rated fictions will be accepted if the following qualifications are met:
    
    1. The profanity and/or sex must fit with the characterizations, rather than being gratuitous. Ron might be expected to use profanity, especially if he was in some sort of soldier or Auror position; Hermione would likely never swear in her life. Try to stick with canon characterizations as much as possible. If what you want is sex for sex's sake, please take it to another board.
    
    2. If you have a Young Teen or Teen story with a single scene or chapter that could be rated Mature, we'd more than likely accept it (assuming all other qualifications are met), but that chapter would be rated Mature and inaccessible to those who are not able to access Mature-rated fics.
    
    3. If the Mature rating is for sexual activity, please be aware that it should be LIGHT or MINOR. Fictions that are Mature-rated but consist almost entirely of sex will not be archived on Phoenix Song.
    
    If you still have questions, check out The Nest for submission guidelines.

17. Do you accept Adult Only submissions?
    No, PhoenixSong does not archive Adult Only submissions. There are many other websites that do, however, including The Broom Cupboard.

18. What scripts run on PhoenixSong.net, and where can I download them?
    PhoenixSong.net runs a custom-designed and -built series of scripts, written in PHP with a MySQL back end. The code is not currently available, although if you have any questions, please email wizards@phoenisong.net
    

19. What browsers does this site support?
    This site has been built around MSIE 5.5+ and Gecko-based browser v1.4+ (Galeon, Mozilla, Firefox) on windows and Linux.
    Unfortunately, we have no access to Apple Macs, so cannot guarantee that it will work on those platforms - however, as the code is standards compliant, it should either work, or degrade nicely.
    

20. Do the Founders of Phoenix Song correspond to the Founders of Hogwarts?
    Not directly--we can't say any one person is Rowena Ravenclaw, for example--but IS true that Aibhinn is the only one of us who owns a sword. And Musings has a wand: Ebony, 15 inches, rumored to have a core of Phoenix Talon. Beware: neither of these ladies are afraid to use them!
    
    Sherylyn is the nice one of us. She is a mum, though, so you might be careful if she starts using your middle name.

21. The font size is too small; how do I change it?
    If you are a registered user, go to "Flock," then "Your Site Skin."  This will allow you to change your font size, as well as change your site color scheme.
    
    If you are not a registered user - register!