1. What is The Circle of Crones?
See about us
2. Can anyone join?
Yes, everyone is welcome to join Circle of Crones, provided that they read and accept the Terms of Service and are 18 or over.
3. Do I have to register or pay to use this archive?
Currently, registration is required to read or post on the archive and forum, but both are free to use.
4. How do I register?
Registration is easy, simply follow these steps:
a) Click on “Log In” in the tool bar at the top of the Archive home page.
b) Click on “Register.”
c) Complete the boxes.
d) Click on “Submit”
5. Why do I have to give you my e-mail address?
We need to have your e-mail address in order to send you a temporary password and complete the registration process. Also, occasionally we need to contact authors regarding their stories, but we will NEVER release your contact information to other individuals or organisations. There is a ‘Contact Author’ function that allows readers to email an author, but it does not allow them to see your e-mail address.
6. I registered but I haven’t received my password?
Some e-mail providers send our e-mails to your spam folder so check there first but if you still haven’t received your password within 24 hrs please contact us at admin@circleofcrones.net
7. How do I change my password?
As soon as you receive your first automatically issued password, you should log in and change it to something that is easier for you to remember, it is very easy to do:
a) Log in with your automatically issued password.
b) Click on “Your account” on the Archive tool bar. This will take you to your “User Account page.”
c) Click on “Edit Personal Information.”
d) Just over half way down you will see “password,” and next to that there is two identical boxes side by side.
e) Type your new password in twice, once in each box, remember that these are case sensitive, and must be identical.
f) Click on “Submit.”
Next time you log in you will be able to use your new password.
8. I enter my user name and password, click Submit and the page just reloads?
Many internet browsers do not like e-fiction, the programme that drives the Circle of Crones Story Archive. Try setting your cookies to ‘low,’ once you are logged on you can reset the Privacy bar to whatever you want (as long as you don't clear out your history/cookies.) Adding http://www.circleofcrones.net to 'allowed' websites in your privacy options will also help some users.
9. What if I just read a story that I think is breaking your rules?
Please contact us at admin@circleofcrones.com .While we make every effort to ensure all Archive stories comply with our Terms of Service, we are only human (as are the Authors), so the odd error in complying with the Terms of Service may slip past us. We would therefore be extremely grateful if you let us know, but please do not contact the Author yourself. It would be very helpful if you can include the following information in your email: Author’s name, story title, and further identifying information, such as what chapters contain violations.
10. Do you need donations?
Yes, no one will ever be asked to pay to use the archive, but hosting and domain names cost money so we are always very grateful for donations. You’ll find a link on the archive home page.
11. What are the Submission Rules?
Please see our Terms of Service.
12. How do I submit a story?
a) Write your story/chapter then check it over for errors and make sure it meets the Terms of Service. You may wish to use a BETA reader.
b) If you’re going to be using HTML, add your html tags. (See Can I use HTML in my story? To see which ones are accepted.)
c) Be sure to save a copy of your story. Unfortunately, it is not possible for the Archive to keep copies of any story is rejected for ToS violations. Also, while the Archive is usually backed up daily, it is advisable for you to always keep your own backup of your stories – strange things happen on the internet. We accept no responsibility for any lost data due to server problems.
d) Now you can add your story! Log in.
e) Click on ‘Your Account’ on the tool bar. This will take you to your ‘User account page’
f) Click on 'Add New Stories'. Then follow the on screen instructions.
13. What happens to my story once it is submitted?
Unless you are a trusted Author (see ‘What is a trusted author and how do I become one?’) your story will go into a ‘queue’ to await checking and validation.
14. Who checks my story and why is it checked?
Your story will be checked by an experienced member of staff to make sure that it complies with the Terms of Service and is properly formatted. If there are no problems, it will be validated. The Staff will send you a short note to let you know if your story has been accepted or rejected.
15. Why was my story rejected?
If we cannot accept your story, we will send you a letter explaining why. In most cases it’s something simple and easily correctible but the letter will explain the reasons, and if possible how to make your story acceptable for re-submission. You are welcome to contact a member of staff for help and advice or you may ask for help with your story on our forum. We’re here to help you and Staff will be more than happy to work with you! (link to contact staff)
16. How many chapters may I upload at one time?
There is no limit the number of chapters you can upload at one time, but we recommend that users new to the Archives upload only one chapter at a time. If your first chapter is rejected for any reason, any others that you posted at the same time will automatically be rejected by the system and you will have to re-submit them all.
17. What type of files do you accept?
The archive accepts HTML and text files. It does not accept *.doc files or files saved in HTML from MS Word/WordPerfect. You can copy and paste from a word doc and that is often the easiest way to post your stories.
18. Can I put a banner in my summary?
Yes, but only in the summary of your first chapter. It must be no larger than 700x110 pixels. Banner links MUST be placed after at least one line of your summary text or at the end. There is a short “Recently updated” list on the “Home” page and if you put your banner at the very beginning of your summary, it makes the Home page distort.
19. Can I put images in my story?
You may include images within your chapter text but please make them no bigger than 900 x 725 pixels. Only one image per chapter, please. Illustrations should not be links or advertising. Images must be rated Y-12 or below, see the ToS or ask a staff member if you are unsure whether or not your image is acceptable.
20. How do I put banners/images in my story?
Once you have an image you wish to use, adding them to your story is quite simple. Images and banners must be hosted either on your own web site or a web hosting account - There are several sites that will allow you to do this for free. Images in summaries must also be rated Y-12 or lower. (Ask for help and advice on banners at our forum)
Photobucket and Pix8 both host a certain amount of images for free but you may wish to search the net to compare available options. Once you have set up an account with whichever provider you have chosen, upload your banner or image to your account. You will them be able to get a code for your image. Copy and paste it into the following HTML code:
<img src="PASTE YOUR CODE HERE">
Copy all of the code that you now have and paste in where you would like your image to appear.
21. Can I use HTML in my story?
The following html codes are allowed: <b> <i> <u> <center> <img> <a> <hr> The script understands carriage returns so <br> tags are not required. Some html tags such as <p> tags may cause your story to space oddly. If you do choose to use HTML in your story, please double check that you have closed all HTML tags before submitting your chapter.
22. How do I use HTML in my story?
If you have to ask, then you’ll probably find it easier to use the WYSWYG editor available on the archive.
23. I uploaded my story yesterday, but it still isn’t showing up on the archive, what has gone wrong?
We will do our best to check and validate all chapters within 3 days, but if you haven’t heard from us within 3 days please contact us at admin@circleofcrones.net . Don’t forget to check your spam folder; some e-mail providers automatically sort our e-mails into your spam folder.
24. My story is now completed but it is showing as ‘Completed: No’ How do I change it to say ‘Completed: Yes’ in the summary?
a) Log in.
b) Click on ‘Your Account’ on the tool bar. This will take you to your ‘User account page’
c) Click on 'Edit/Delete Stories'. You will see a list of your stories; after the title and the chapters you will see 'Completed: No.'
d) Click on the 'No' and it will change to 'Yes'.
25. What is a trusted author and how do I become one?
A trusted author is allowed to post their stories directly to the archive without it going through the queuing and validation process. The ‘trusted author’ status is given to authors who show that they have a good understanding of the Terms of Service. This status is awarded at the discretion of the web mistress, usually after an author has consistently posted stories that adhere to the ToS. Trusted status is a privilege, not a right and it can be revoked at any time if the author abuses that trust.
26 I had a chapter rejected. Does that mean that I will never become a trusted author?
No, we all make mistakes, especially when we first start out. The Circle of Crones was formed to encourage creativity; we want you to feel at home here. Trusted status may take a little while but we won’t ‘black list’ you for genuine errors.