F.A.Q.
Welcome to the F.A.Q. section of the Dirty Howler! Browse the answers, and should you still have questions, feel free to contact us at any time!
Q. How do I get my story on your site?
Please see our submission guidelines for more details on how to get your stories posted.
Q. What is fan fiction?
Fan fiction is defined as any non-professional work of fiction written by a fan of a specific novel, movie, play etc. containing characters from that work.
Q. Ok, then what is Slash?
Slash is defined by Wikipedia as “a genre of story that focuses on the depiction of romantic, and sometimes sexual, relationships between two or more characters, who are not necessarily engaged in relationships in the canon universe.†While some use it as a generalized term, here at Dirty Howler we distinguish between Slash (between two or more males), Femmeslash (between two or more females), and Hetslash (between two or more people of varying genders). We do also accept solo fics, which will be listed according to the pairing mentioned, and if no pairing is mentioned or sexual orientation is indiscernible, it will be listed under hetslash.
Q. Isn't RPS slash as well?
RPS stories are essentially slash stories, but instead of focusing on fictional characters, RPS focuses on the actors who portray the characters in the media. For example, twincest in RPS fiction would refer to James and Oliver Phelps, as opposed to Fred and George Weasley.
Q. Isn't this kind of illegal?
Short answer: yes. Technically, fan fiction falls under the heading of copyright infringement, but while Warnerbros and J.K. Rowling have shut down some fan sites, they have yet to shut down one of us. However, if we received notice to remove the site from an official source, we would do so immediately.
Q. Is this not an insult to the Potter series?
You are more than welcome to think so. You are also more than welcome to leave.
Q. Does this not bother the actors?
I'd imagine it would be quite the ego boost, although if it bothers them or they would like any certain fic removed or changed, they are more than welcome to contact us at any of the e-mail addresses and, upon identity verification, the requested changes will be made. We are not looking to create a negative environment for anybody.
Q. How often do you update?
We update at minimum once a week. There is no real use in us going in and updating for every fic we receive separately, so we tend to do them in batches. Should we receive several fics in one day, your fic may be posted in as little as a few hours from the time of approval. Keep in mind, all works of fiction must be read and approved by a mod.
Q. If you don't like something in my fic, will you change it?
That’s a big NO. These are your works of art, and we would never be as presumptuous as to change them. Should your work of fiction be in disaccord with the Submission Guidelines, it will simply be sent back to you with the offending areas highlighted and a brief explanation from a moderator as to why it was not accepted. The only thing we reserve the right to change is the warnings and rating in your header, for the safety and enjoyment of our readers.
Q. How do you handle fiction with original characters and crossovers?
These fics will be listed under the Harry Potter character that is involved, but we will not be given individual listings. For example, any story involving Daniel Radcliffe with a non Harry Potter character/cast member will be listed under Daniel Radcliffe/Other. In this sense, it really comes down to you to properly label your fiction so it is easy to find.
Q. Do you allow direct linking to stories on your site?
NO! I understand a lot of people do this with the good intention of showing a story on their site, but hot linking is essentially stealing our bandwidth, making us have to pay more, and making it harder to maintain the site. Individuals found to be hot linking will be asked politely to remove the links, but if it persists, the links will be changed as many times as is needed. Exceptions can be made in the case of your fiction being up for awards (our site is probably a prettier showcase than livejournal. We understand), and certain communities who ask REALLY nicely, but we will rather forcefully request that you ask us before linking.
Q. I archived my story here, but now I don't want it online. What can I do?
We understand. Lives change and so do you. We'll be sad to see you go, but just e-mail us at the Questions/Comments e-mail address and we will remove it post haste from our archives.
Q. Where did you get the name for the site? Can I mention it on my site?
The name is inspired by a piece of fiction which is sadly no longer archived online in which Sirius sends a howler to Remus, who is on Order business, but instead of yelling, it's a delightfully smutty kind of message. I'm trying to convince the author to let me post it, but she has yet to crack, but we always welcome namedropping :) feel free to mention us on your site!. As an additional note, it has been brought to my attention that there is a band named The Dirty Howlers. We are in now way affiliated with them and had no knowledge of their existence prior to registering our domain name.
Q. What if I have more questions that you didn't answer here?
Don't hesitate to drop us an email and ask. You can reach us at any of the addresses listed on the main page. Also, feel free to add us to MSN Messenger.
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