Okay, so we know that's not what happens, right? 900+ people on this 
list, and yet how often do we see C&C posted directly to the list? 
Very seldom.Sure, posting publicly can produce spam when the thread 
drifts away from the story, but it's our responsibility to remember 
why we're here. The fics.

I think that maybe the idea of having pre-readers seems a lot like 
washing your dishes before putting them in a dishwasher to me. But 
hey, *this* dishwasher (the FFML) does actually work! But the power >of 

this dishwasher is wasted if you put dishes in it that have the >sticky 
gooey cruddy bits taken off already ;)

So okay, hang on to those pre-readers, because IMHO ANY constructive 
input is GOOD, but just be aware that, by washing those dishes before 
sending them here, you may not be getting the full value of your 
membership here. Think of all the minds here that missed the 
discussion between you and a pre-reader, and the input they might >have 

provided. You joined this list, use it to it's full potential :)

There's a big hole in this argument, you know.

A lot of people do follow your advice, and post an unedited copy of 
their fic to the FFML. Of course, they don't spell-check it, either. So, 
when I open the message up to read the fic, it's an ugly mess. (You know 
it's bad when the Critic rips into it and you find yourself nodding 
along.) What's my response?

Ewww.

I don't want to read that! All I want to do is delete the thing. There's 
a lot of fic out there, and the lousy stuff just can't compete with good 
fics.

Now, let's contrast what happens when you proof a fic and -then- send it 
off to the FFML.

I open the fic. I start reading... I'm not distracted by dumb and 
easy-to-catch grammar or spelling errors... I read the whole thing! If 
it's good, sometimes I send the author a note of appreciation. If 
somebody missed a problem, I pipe in.

Moral: Even the most kind-hearted of us does NOT want to be used as the 
lazy author's personal spellchecker. If I've got to wade through thirty 
mistakes that should have been picked up on with a single scan before I 
can find something to "constructively" C&C, I won't bother. I have more 
respect than THAT for my own work and I expect a similar effort from 
other fanfic authors.

Besides, my little brothers can look for dumb errors. If somebody from 
the FFML comments, I expect useful writing advice.

Andy Kent

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