A Guide for Fandom Newbies.

[cruiscin_lan]

A Guide for Fandom Newbies.

Might as well get this out there right off the bat: I have a bleeding heart for fandom newbies.

I don't know why. Maybe it's because my initiation into fandom came with much kindness, acceptance, and handholding - all from one particular lovely stranger on the internet, who saw my plea for help on the TWoP forums, and gently led me over to LJ and introduced me to communities and users who inspired and encouraged me (aurilly, you're still the best). Never in my fandom experience have I been made to feel bad for what I like to do, even though my taste and interests can seem admittedly questionable. Never in my fandom experience do I feel as though I've been unfairly attacked or flamed. And always in my fandom experience I've felt as though there are others around I can approach for advice or encouragement or answers, and I really wish that others could have the same kind of fun, exciting, and welcoming experiences I have.

At any rate, I get irrationally upset when I see newbies slighted or insulted or mocked because they're still getting used to the social mores of either fandom in general, or because they don't fully understand the rules (explicitly stated or unspoken) of the communities or forums they participate in. I wish everyone could be a little more tolerant; when someone makes a mistake, point it out and suggest how to correct the error, instead of getting capslock-happy and running them down without offering a solution or encouragement.

Still, if you post spoilers without cutting them, or double-post to news comms, or pull another similar stunt that indicates that you are still cutting your fandom baby-teeth, then it's your own responsibility to find out what you did wrong and correct the error.

So this post, newbies, is for you. Here is all the advice I can think of that might help you navigate your way through fandom, whether you're new to fandom in general or getting into fandoms that are new to you:

Make friends. They're fun to have. I've never met any of my fandom friends IRL, but they're still some of the people I consider nearest and dearest to me. There are lots of different ways to go about friending people, such as friending memes or finding people whose creative fanworks you appreciate and enjoy, but there's a variety of different ways to make friends (see point below). And don't be afraid to engage anyone in comments or via PM, no matter how much of a no-name you may feel next to them. We're all human, after all (except me - I'm actually a really sophisticated spambot, given how many times I've failed captcha lately). Most people would love to have a discussion with you - that's why they're in fandom, after all.

Participate. Sign up for exchanges. Dally on prompt memes. Read and comment on what other people write or draw or post. This is a great way to make friends.

Your kink/ship/genre/character interpretation/favorite color is not mine, but that's okay! It's great to have preferences. We all have certain preferences. But that doesn't mean we all have the same preferences, nor should we. Great discussions and meta can arise from the areas in which we disagree, but let's not get carried away with everything to the extent that we hurt others or allow ourselves to be hurt. There is no One True Way in fandom. (This could easily apply to many fandom oldbies as well).

Don't spam. Be wary of cross-posting the same information to several different communities. Users who follow the same communities will be annoyed because you'll effectively overwhelm their flists and bury other interesting posts.

If you're posting to a community, make sure your post is relevant to that community. Check the rules before posting so you do it right. Communities are not your personal journal, so you can't post whatever you want to them. If you're not sure whether your post is relevant, lurk more. See if it's already been posted, or see if it fits in with the other sorts of posts to that comm.

Cut any possible spoilery material, and learn the appropriate way to warn for spoilers. What counts as a spoiler? For the most part, anything that pertains to material that hasn't been aired or released could be considered spoilery. Videos of promos that have aired on television may or may not be considered spoilers, but I would suggest playing it safe and cutting those (videos are big anyway, and not everyone likes them popping up on their flist without a cut). When does a spoiler expire? Again, play it safe. If the episode aired last night or a few days ago, cut it and warn. How do I warn for spoilers? Be specific not about the spoiler itself, but about the canon material that it pertains to. "Spoilers up to Season 1, Episode 16," is a good example. "Spoilers for the third book in the series" is another. "If you know that Sylar and Quinn Fabray eloped at the end of The Deathly Hallows, then you're good" is not a good example.

Please, for the love of all things you may consider holy - spelling and grammar count for something. It's not that big of a deal, really, but it does affect how people perceive you, so be mindful of that. On the same note, read your comments out loud for tone, because sometimes words can convey meaning that's less explicit, and it's possible to cause offense without meaning to.

from scornedsaint: never be scared to ask for help. LJ (and html) can be scary--I've been here 6 years and I'm still trying to figure it all out. Either ask someone your friends with or PM the mod of a community and hopefully they will be kind enough to help. The same goes for fic--finding a someone to read over a fic is helpful because things can always slip by once you've read it so many times to yourself.

from aurilly: try to blend in... Newbies should use comments on other people's fic to get their personalities across, not fic headers.

from zinnydark: Don't shove your opinions down someone else's throat, but don't be afraid of them either. Throw you ideas out there and see what comes back to you. Jump in the fray; politely disagree or add on to someone's meta and see what happens. Sometimes you'll find the best people in those with opposite opinions. Debate is half the fun! If the discussion is getting a little heated and you're getting a little emotional, don't be afraid to walk away for awhile. People will think much less of you if you start name calling than if you don't respond at all.

from audaciously: Realize that your fandom(s) may not be someone else's preferred fandoms, but that's okay. Not everyone is going to want to be in a fandom for a specific shows. I have shows I absolutely adore, but I have no interest in participating in the fandom. This doesn't make me a bad fan. I'm also not a bad fan because I have more than one fandom. Some people have just one, and that's perfectly okay, but it is possible to split your time between multiple fandoms. We may share a couple fandoms, but there's no need to get mad at me if I have more loyalty to Fandom A over Fandom B. When it comes down to it, no one's a bad fan for having a different opinion.

from etoile_dunord: it's a good idea to give a nod to the rules/etiquette when posting to comms. Mention that you used the tags to look for similar posts before asking a question, for example, or use a comm's standard fic header. Even if you've done days of research before posting, not communicating that you know what you're doing will often leave people unsure how to react to you (or help you, as the case may be), and that will just discourage feedback/interaction, which nobody wants. Also, even if you're just trying to be respectful, prefacing posts/comments with something like "I hope this is ok," will only make people think you didn't bother checking the rules first. If it's ok, just do it. If it's not ok, no preface will change that.

from ipleadthe5th: Fandoms and forums aren't all created equal... Newbies will find it very useful to lurk and get a feel for the place before participating.

from bluejbird: the most important thing for newbies to remember is not to judge an entire fandom based on a couple of people. I think it's so easy to have a couple of bitchy people shout you down when you make a mistake, and drive you out of fandom because you assume everyone is going to act the same way.

from kitsune13: fandom is for the FANS. Fandom is *our* space to create what we want, and to connect with other fans about our favorite stuff. The actors -- as sweet and supportive and friendly and approachable as they seem -- are NOT fandom. There is nothing intrinsically shameful about anything we do, be it fanfic, fan art, vidding, whatever -- even RPF -- but, well, it's OUR stuff. And yeah, it's on the Internet, available for all to see. But fandom is a specific community context, with its own history and norms. Sometimes actors seek fandom out, but that's their own call -- everybody's entitled to engage with fandom in their own way, and that includes the actors. But it's not really appropriate for fans to try and bring fannish stuff to their attention -- that's not allowing other people (the actors) to control their own fandom experiences... If your fannish goals are centered upon some kind of imagined connection with the actors, that way lies disappointment and madness. But if your fannish goals are about having fun with other fans, with creating stories and art and meta and squee and what have you with others, through the medium of your chosen fandom/pairing/character, you'll have a much better time.

from biruuu: It doesn't hurt to sit on your hands once in a while until you figure out how everything works. At the same time, newbies shouldn't be scared to jump in whenever they feel like they're ready, and shouldn't feel too bad if they make mistakes at first (as long as they understand what those mistakes are and how to fix them).

from sajina: I always felt most comfortable when I know something more about the fandom before I join. Whether I've watched a couple of old episodes of a series (esp for long-running shows, like Stargate or Doctor Who) or read wikipedia entries (for example for information I might have missed about a certain character) - with a little background information a newbie could dive in discussions/comments a lot easier.

from takhallus: If someone does PM or otherwise try to give you some advice - take in the manner in which it's intended. People might pull you up on things but just apologise and get on with it. No-one will remember you made the mistake and you won't make it again.

Note for the oldbies: Please play nicely with all the new kids in the sandbox. When you throw sand it gets in everybody's eyes.

I could come up with more (especially things that apply to writers of fanfic) but I think this is basic primer is good enough to start out on. Anything I missed, flist?

Comments

[scornedsaint.livejournal.com]

We've only been lj friends for a week, but I think I already love you.

I think one thing to add is to never be scared to ask for help. LJ (and html) can be scary--I've been here 6 years and I'm still trying to figure it all out. Either ask someone your friends with or PM the mod of a community and hopefully they will be kind enough to help. The same goes for fic--finding a someone to read over a fic is helpful because things can always slip by once you've read it so many times to yourself.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Duly noted!

Also, let's cuddle.

[azurelunatic]

And LJ Support is another resource for LJ-specific stuff (either if you think something's broken or you don't know how to do something on LJ or you don't know if you even *can* but you think you would like to); depending on the question and how busy stuff is, it can take a while; it's mostly volunteers answering the questions, and you might be surprised by how many of the volunteers are fans in some way.

[une-fille.livejournal.com]

Preach, bb. Preach.

Note for the oldbies: Please play nicely with all the new kids in the sandbox. When you throw sand it gets in everybody's eyes.
If I had to pick my fave from the list, this would be it.

♥

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I never get tired of sandbox analogies. I wish I had a real sandbox...

[becca-radcgg.livejournal.com]

BB, I LOVES YOU SO HARD!

For real.

My initiation into "real" fandom was lovely as well... we lit candles and played soft music... and wait a second... Uh... nevermind.

But really, the quiet suggestion to start an LJ account came from a writer I still admire to this day and keep in touch with. Though our fandom is dead.

You are awesome for posting these things!

*hugs you tight*

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Oh, hun, that wasn't fandom, that was his alter-ego, Stefan Urquelle.

What was your first fandom? Should we have a memorial service?

[eldee.livejournal.com]

I think this is just great! I wish I would've had something like this when I joined my first fandom -- many, many years ago. O__O


I have to admit, in my - erm... older fandom age? (I have no idea how to put it) I've seen a lot of stuff go down, and it's hard to get super involved in fandom again and I do a lot of lurking and just chat with the same friends (even though we're all in entirely different fandoms now) that I've had for, wow, 6 years. But this can almost be like a "so you're an oldbie and wish you were a newbie again" guide. ;-D

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Ha, I love the concept of "fandom age." It's like "dog years" or something.

[aurilly.livejournal.com]

Awwww, bb! I had no idea! I'm so glad you're in fandom now and are having so much fun. <3 <3 <3

Speaking of not being afraid to ask for help, I have scoured the lj faq, but I still can't figure out how to make those highlighted spoiler bars. How to?

This is all a good primer. I think one to add is to try to blend in. I remember someone who consistently wrote these really "look at me! look at me!" headers in fic posts to comms despite the fact that no one else did; everyone else resented it---like, super goofy subject subject lines with really long and chatty A/Ns and obnoxious summaries/warnings/etc. Newbies should use comments on other people's fic to get their personalities across, not fic headers. I spent at least a month leaving nice feedback for people whose stories I liked before posting my first fic.

[moorishflower.livejournal.com]

I remember doing that. Writing long, involved author's notes. Trying to be witty. People do that because they want to be seen as charming and funny, and they don't know any other way to do it. An A/N is sort of safe, in that you aren't addressing a single person, but just whoever happens to come and read your fic. It's sort of like putting a sign on your front lawn that says "This is the home of a sane, intelligent, witty individual who enjoys making friends."

I stopped doing it, eventually. But I'm just saying, it's out of insecurity. A lot of people are terrified of commenting on someone else's stuff, and they're worried they'll be offensive or just...seen as stupid, somehow. So yeah, blending in is good. It's just unlikely to happen with a lot of people. It's like teenagers acting out and then they leave high school and they grow up. Sort of a rite of passage type thing.

But then, maybe I've been reading too many anthropology articles on Wikipedia lately, lol.

[aegoceros.livejournal.com]

This is awesome! I've been in fandom forever, but I always forget about things like joining exchanges.

I have to ask, though -- how much x-posting do YOU think is too much? I'm always hesitant to x-post things to more than two comms at the most (usually a general and a specific, if applicable). Any rules of thumb?

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I think it depends. For example, does the fandom have a newsletter? If so your post is going to be picked up that way too, so two comms is probably plenty. If it's something like fic or art to an archive comm, it'll be found by people who want to look for it, so I'd personally err on the side of fewer crossposts.

[savorvrymoment.livejournal.com]

This was such a sweet thing to do. And you nailed so many things right on the head. :-)

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I thought one needed a banhammer for that! :P

[moorishflower.livejournal.com]

This is a really good list. There should be a matching list for oldbies, I think. I know that a big problem with nu!Trek fandom is that there are a lot of TOS fans who feel like their sandbox is being infringed upon.

That's probably only really specific to remakes, though. Like the British 'The Office' versus the American one.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I've heard that, too, about Trek fandom. I don't know how I'd feel about it - I'd probably be psyched if there was a lot of fandom growth, because I tend to get bored easi

[zinnydark.livejournal.com]

First: I love you.
Second: "If you know that Sylar and Quinn Fabray eloped at the end of The Deathly Hallows, then you're good" I LOVE YOU.
Third: This has made me reminisce about when I first joined FanForum and the Dark Angel bored voted me Year's Best Newbie and now no fandom is safe mwua-ha-ha!

I guess what I'd have to add is a bit of an extension of 'there is no one true way of fandom bit. Don't shove your opinions down someone else's throat, but don't be afraid of them either. Throw you ideas out there and see what comes back to you. Jump in the fray; politely disagree or add on to someone's meta and see what happens. Sometimes you'll find the best people in those with opposite opinions. Debate is half the fun!

If the discussion is getting a little heated and you're getting a little emotional, don't be afraid to walk away for awhile. People will think much less of you if you start name calling than if you don't respond at all.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

FINALLY SOMEONE WITH A LITTLE READING COMPREHENSION. I mean, seriously. Sylar and Quinn getting married at the end of The Deathly Hallows was my FAVORITE part of the Twilight series.

[andbless-mybaby.livejournal.com]

TL;DR version? Kumbayah, bitches.

Seriously, though. I think that fandom is like anything else on the 'net (or life, actually) inasmuch as it pays to hang back a little bit at first and see what the other kids on the playground are doing. I do believe that noobs owe it to themselves and everyone else to use a smidge of common sense and figure out the lay of the land before going all crazy and shit. If they handed out copies of this post at the door, people could save some major time.

On the other hand, your post made me realize that I've been slugging around fandom for half my life at this point - yes, I was that kid who learned all about kinky sex from fanfic. YAY! - and I may have become too jaded and crusty. The noobs deserve love and respect, because they will be the ones carrying the torch of lulz, smut, and being BFFs with people you've never met into the next generation. Well... the ones who don't flounce, anyway.

I like that your guide balanced the respective responsibilities of both old and new fandom participants. Nicely done, B.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of newbie confusion comes from migration shock - there are so many different outlets for fannish activity now, from twitter to tumblr to livejournal to various forums, and with each outlet there's a different set of rules.

I imagine newbies that don't lurk first are the same kids who'd run up the slide while others are trying to slide down.

[perdiccas.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you just spoiled The Deathly Hallows for me. Bitch.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Well, be thankful that I didn't tell you that Luke Skywalker is Spock's father, because that really would have ruined it.

[audaciously.livejournal.com]

If you know that Sylar and Quinn Fabray eloped at the end of The Deathly Hallows, then you're good.

I demand you write this. Seriously.

Everyone's basically said what I would have, so the only other thing I have to add is: Realize that your fandom(s) may not be someone else's preferred fandoms, but that's okay. Not everyone is going to want to be in a fandom for a specific shows. I have shows I absolutely adore, but I have no interest in participating in the fandom. This doesn't make me a bad fan. I'm also not a bad fan because I have more than one fandom. Some people have just one, and that's perfectly okay, but it is possible to split your time between multiple fandoms. We may share a couple fandoms, but there's no need to get mad at me if I have more loyalty to Fandom A over Fandom B. When it comes down to it, no one's a bad fan for having a different opinion.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

You should hold onto that prompt, win the gleefics birthday contest, and then make andbless_mybaby write it!

In the meantime, I'll come up with a goofy portmanteau for the ship. Quiylar?

[boysinperil.livejournal.com]

That was beautiful. Thank you so much, I hope it becomes a huge thing that lasts for years and gets passed from fandom to fandom.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

Kind of like how Flowers in the Attic was passed around when I was in junior high!

[etoile-dunord.livejournal.com]

Amen!

There's a fine balance between ways to make friends and ways to make a nuisance out of yourself, and I think you've done a good job of differentiating them. Most fannish posts and comments on LJ are not for the benefit of the poster, but for the recipient(s) and other readers. Writing for yourself on your own journal is your own business, but stuff you want other people to read, like fics and posts to comms, is a whole other can of worms.

If I may add one thing, I'd like to suggest that it's a good idea to give a nod to the rules/etiquette when posting to comms. Mention that you used the tags to look for similar posts before asking a question, for example, or use a comm's standard fic header. Even if you've done days of research before posting, not communicating that you know what you're doing will often leave people unsure how to react to you (or help you, as the case may be), and that will just discourage feedback/interaction, which nobody wants.

Also, even if you're just trying to be respectful, prefacing posts/comments with something like "I hope this is ok," will only make people think you didn't bother checking the rules first. If it's ok, just do it. If it's not ok, no preface will change that.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

That would have never occurred to me. You're a much better mod than I am. :P

[ipleadthe5th.livejournal.com]

This is a good post and you should feel good.

You've already mentioned it, but I'd really emphasize the bit about lurking more. Fandoms and forums aren't all created equal. What flies in, say, 4chan, might not fly in gleeclub. What's not okay on TWOP might be okay on FFN. Newbies will find it very useful to lurk and get a feel for the place before participating.

[ipleadthe5th.livejournal.com]

Aaand I just realized you've said as much to andbless_mybaby. Now who has been caught not lurking enough, huh?

[bluejbird.livejournal.com]

This is such a great post. I feel so bad when I see newbies jumped all over because of mistakes we probably all made at one point or another when we were newbies too.

Personally I think one of the most important thing for newbies to remember is not to judge an entire fandom based on a couple of people. I think it's so easy to have a couple of bitchy people shout you down when you make a mistake, and drive you out of fandom because you assume everyone is going to act the same way.

Anyways, thanks for making this post. I hope it helps out a lot of newbies (and some of us oldbies too!).

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

You make a really important point. It's necessary to keep that in mind, because often some corners of fandom are patrolled by self-appointed guard dogs ready to take down newbs and tear them to shreds. Poor newbs. :(

[kitsune13.livejournal.com]

Great post! This is excellent advice, and sorely needed.

One thing I'd add, especially for Glee fans: remember, fandom is for the FANS. Fandom is *our* space to create what we want, and to connect with other fans about our favorite stuff. The actors -- as sweet and supportive and friendly and approachable as they seem -- are NOT fandom. There is nothing intrinsically shameful about anything we do, be it fanfic, fan art, vidding, whatever -- even RPF -- but, well, it's OUR stuff. And yeah, it's on the Internet, available for all to see. But fandom is a specific community context, with its own history and norms. Sometimes actors seek fandom out, but that's their own call -- everybody's entitled to engage with fandom in their own way, and that includes the actors. But it's not really appropriate for fans to try and bring fannish stuff to their attention -- that's not allowing other people (the actors) to control their own fandom experiences.

As someone who's been in, like, a gazillion RPF fandoms (RPF tends to bring out these issues most clearly), the people who had the most fun -- and were best at avoiding the crazy -- were those who treated the actors not as the "object" of their fandoms per se, but rather as *vectors* for communicating with other fans. If your fannish goals are centered upon some kind of imagined connection with the actors, that way lies disappointment and madness. But if your fannish goals are about having fun with other fans, with creating stories and art and meta and squee and what have you with others, through the medium of your chosen fandom/pairing/character, you'll have a much better time.

Does that make sense? I feel like I didn't communicate that very clearly. :)

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I think this should be required reading for anyone who signs up to twitter, ffs.

I copy-pasted most of it into the original entry, except the part about "objects" vs. "vectors" because I thought it might be confusing to some and I felt that your point came across well enough without it.

[biruuu.livejournal.com]

This is awesome and it should be posted everywhere on the Internet.

I've always been mostly a lurker, so I agree with the "lurk moar" opinions. It doesn't hurt to sit on your hands once in a while until you figure out how everything works.

At the same time, newbies shouldn't be scared to jump in whenever they feel like they're ready, and shouldn't feel too bad if they make mistakes at first (as long as they understand what those mistakes are and how to fix them).

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

There's no bad times for newbies to jump in, I think, as long as they feel comfortable and know what they're doing.

And even as someone who's been here a while, I often find that I have to sit and watch what's going on before I figure it out!

[ladyhalbourne]

From my personal experience, I always felt most comfortable when I know something more about the fandom before I join. Whether I've watched a couple of old episodes of a series (esp for long-running shows, like Stargate or Doctor Who) or read wikipedia entries (for example for information I might have missed about a certain character) - with a little background information a newbie could dive in discussions/comments a lot easier.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree with this. It's important to acquaint yourself with canon if you plan to participate in fandom, especially if getting involved means going back and catching up on earlier seasons or books or what-have-you.

If you don't mind my asking, how did you find this entry? We don't appear to have any friends or many communities in common, and I'm curious! :)

[takhallus.livejournal.com]

Great words, I agree with them all. I might add the following :

If someone does PM or otherwise try to give you some advice - take in the manner in which it's intended. People might pull you up on things but just apologise and get on with it. No-one will remember you made the mistake and you won't make it again.

[cruiscin-lan.livejournal.com]

I've PMed a few people when I feel like something's up, but it's something I do very rarely and only when I can offer some simple suggestions. I think the most recent one was when someone was posting to a comm with a spoilery icon; I PMed her and asked if she could use a different one when she posted to comms, and she agreed and apologized.

I get PMs like this too, sometimes seemingly out of the blue, but they're never anything more than helpful advice or suggestions.

I feel like if people mean to be nasty, then they'd call you out in public on it, so being PMed is really nothing at all to worry about.

Seconding the 'lurk' bit

[jazzypom.livejournal.com]

Sit down and just read the stories, read the canon. Give yourself time to see the lay of the land before you start to buy a tractor and seedlings.

The most important thing to do in fandom is not be afraid to write stuff that you like. The only reason I started writing fanfic was the fact that I didn't find stories that I liked, so I wrote things for myself. Having people liking stuff is a bonus, but if I don't like it to some degree, I won't post.

[lovelycudy.livejournal.com]

Cool article.

A friend recommended it to me and she was right. Nice guide to all new users.