questions about running a fest

[twisted_miracle]

Hi. Last year I ran the Harry/Draco/Severus fest called hds_beltane. It was fun and I believe it went well. It could have gone better, of course. That's true of everything.

I'm looking forward to doing it again. So I'm hoping for advice. I'm particularly appealing here to people who've run successful fests. Got any brilliant advice for me?

For example, I would love to know how to insert a section of clippable html formatted text for folks to use to sign up, like hd-holidays did. I have no idea how to do that, however.

I would be very interested in knowing who has been banned from other fests for non-participation, as well.

Mostly, though, I'd like any information people feel like passing along. If I already knew whatever you have to say, well, that just reinforces the importance of it, now doesn't it? :D

Comments

Re: twistedm here ;)

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

Hm - I think it might be a bit of an uphill battle this year. Many, many people on my f-list are down after the fests, mostly because of the criminally small response rate to everyone's fics except Frays! I've had a few quite tearful e-mails from friends shaking because no one's commented on their fics. I know how they feel. It felt tough to me too.

I recced 'and your damage done' to my recipeient, ships-harry. She said she'd read it and really, really liked it. I hope she commented. I haven't read it I'm afraid. The angst warnings put me off as I am a total and utter coward about unhappy endings. :)

Oh yes - I've seen the fest pimped on more than a couple of journals.

Re: twistedm here ;)

[twistedm.livejournal.com]

well, uphill battle is definitely possible. i still don't even has as many participants as i did last year. but i think all will be well nonetheless. i'm feeling optimistic. :D

i know i didn't comment on nearly as many fics as i've done for previous fests. i simply didn't have the time to read very much this year! it felt like there were a zillion fests to follow, and i felt painfully overwhelmed. so i occasionally looked at the fests themseles and read something if it looked interesting from the sumamry. otherwise i pretty much relied on recs. i missed a LOT of fic.

as for aydd, it technically has an ambiguous ending, but most readers assume the worst, it seems to me. which is interesting.

and yay for pimpage! thanks for telling me. :)

Re: twistedm here ;)

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

When I signed up for hd-hols I wasn't even aware of smutmas, not that it would have stopped me.