FAQ/Header Policy
Welcome to the Final Fantasy Press FAQ/Header Policy. This page was last updated August 13th, 2008. Please use the list of questions below to browse this page. We hope the answer you need is here, but if not, do not hesitate to contact us! Thank you!

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1. How often is the newsletter published?
2. Can I join the newsletter?
3. Where do the editors find the news they include each day?
4. What does the newsletter link to?
5. What are the most common issues editors face when listing?
   • Links to external sites.
   • Links to comments.
   • Incomplete headers.
   • Multiple pieces of fanwork per entry.
   • Errors in a listing.
6. Does the newsletter list crossovers?
7. What types of posts do you restrict?
8. How can I be added to the watch journal? How can I send links in?
9. How and why does ff_press rate fanwork?
10. What is your header policy? Why do you have it? Can you explain it?
    • What is a header?
    • Fanfiction and Fanart
      • Header Location
      • Headers, Only
      • Header Details
        • Characters/Pairings
        • Canon
        • Rating
    • Icons, Graphics, Vids
      • Header Location
      • Headers, Only
      • Header Details
    • Header Policy Errors
11. Canon Header FAQ
    • I'm confused about your canon specifications. The FFVII Compilation confuses me. How can I ensure my labels are right and that no one gets mad—and that my work doesn't get skipped?
    • What canons count as "Extended" Canons? How should I label my canon so that the editors understand it?
    • What's the Unspecified Canon category? How can I get my work from behind the cut tags and into the proper canon category?
12. What if my headers are wrong and you guys skip my work?
13. What if my story/art/etc was listed and I want it removed? What if I want to alter one of my listings?
14. I don't want my fanwork listed on the newsletter at all. What do I do?
15. What is delicious and why is the newsletter using it?
16. My work is archived incorrectly on delicious; what do I do?
17. Can I affiliate with the newsletter?
18. What happened to your birthday list?
19. My question isn't answered here!

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• How often is the newsletter published?
The newsletter is posted daily, usually after 6pm (CST/CDT).


• Can I join the newsletter?
Membership to ff_press is limited to editors, but you can monitor the community by adding it to your watch list or tracking it. Our RSS feed is here. If you would like to join the staff, please see this entry.


• Where do the editors find the news they include each day?
This is our compilation list:

• ff_presswatch, our watch journal.
• ff.press@gmail.com, where people can send us news tips.
• The comments of the most recent issue at ff_press; editors will check there for news dropped off by viewers for the next issue.
• This entry that goes directly to our e-mail address. Comments are screened.

• What does the newsletter link to?

• News: news about the games and the fandom.
• Activities: challenges, projects, polls, etc.
• Discussion: discussions, meta such as game reviews, ship manifestos, character/game analysis, etc.
• Recommendations: story and art recommendations from the fandom.
• Fanfiction: all well-labeled fanfiction we find each day via our compilation list.
• Fanart: all well-labeled fanart we find each day via our compilation list.
• Icons: all well-labeled icons we find each day via our compilation list.
• Graphics: all well-labeled graphics (banners, layouts, etc.) we find each day via our compilation list.
• Cosplay: for users sharing their cosplay art and costumes.
• Vids: all well-labeled vids we find each day via our compilation list.
• Gameplay: for gaming questions, strategies and help.
• Searches and Offers: searches for stories/art, screen caps, games, etc.
• Miscellaneous: for less frequently posted material that doesn't fit elsewhere.

Final Fantasy Press is not a personal recommendation list for the editors. To find out how to get your work included, view our header policy.


• What are the most common issues editors face when listing?
This is a list of issues, errors and questions that crop up in our comments.

1. Links to external sites. We only link to material that is hosted on Livejournal, or is posted on Livejournal with a link to the external site where it is hosted, such as Fanfiction.net. These types of links must meet our header policy.
2. Links to comments. We don't link to comments by their permalinks; only entries.
3. Incomplete headers. Pieces that don't meet our header policy are often dropped into our comments. We've recently overhauled our header policy to make it more transparent, so please remember that ff_press is a multi-fandom, multi-canon newsletter. Our header policy is very important to us for compiling and archiving. If the piece doesn't have the necessary elements for inclusion, we'll reply with the necessary corrections. For more information about our header policy, click here.
4. Multiple pieces of fanwork per entry. Each individual fanwork must carry its own header.
5. Errors in a listing. Yes, if you find an error, please point it out! If it hinders getting to the fanwork, we'll correct it as well as run it the next day.

• Does the newsletter list crossovers?
Yes! We welcome all types of crossover work as long as the work in question meets our header policy: the header should include a labeled Final Fantasy canon, and at least one labeled Final Fantasy character.

• What types of posts do you restrict?
Each issue is an overview of fandom activity on that particular day; older posts can be included by request. Also:

• We only link to posts that meet our header policy.
• We do not link to comment fic/art/etc. in the newsletter—we link to livejournal posts only.
• We do not link to locked posts.
• We only link to multiple stories in one post if each piece has proper header information applied individually.

• How can I be added to the watch journal? How can I send links in?
If you would like to be added to the watch journal or would like to suggest a journal or community for the editors to watch, see this entry. If you have news, you can comment on the most recent issue or e-mail us the link to the news.


• How and why does ff_press rate fanwork?
We use the MPAA rating system. With very few exceptions, the rating listed with a piece of fic or art is the rating given by the author or artist, although we will convert different rating systems to our own. Ratings are meant to be a guide for those browsing on shared computers or in public; please read all headers for extra warnings before viewing something.


• What is your header policy? Why do you have it? Can you explain it?
While most people on our watch list do properly follow our header policy (thank you! ♥), certain parts of the policy have been changed in recent months to keep up with the ever-growing number of Final Fantasy canons and fandoms. Since entries which do not meet our header policy are not listed in the newsletter, we feel it's in everyone's best interest to simply clarify what is required for inclusion in an issue of ff_press.

The header policy is really very simple and straight-forward; we just want to make sure that none of your fantastic work is being ignored because of a labeling error!

• What is a header?
We define a header as the informational paragraph above a piece of fanwork or the link to that fanwork on an external (non-LJ) site that contains details about the content. Headers come in many types and everyone builds theirs differently. For our compiling purposes, we require characters and/or pairings, a rating, and a Final Fantasy fandom/canon at the top of the entry containing the fanwork.

An example header for fanfiction and fanart might look something like this:

Title: The SOLDIER Who Wanted a Friend
Fandom/Canon: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
Characters/Pairings: Cloud/Zack, Sephiroth
Rating: K+/PG

For icons, something similar to this might be used:

Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (8)
Final Fantasy IX (16)
Final Fantasy Versus XIII (5)
Total (29)

Or:

20 icons: FFVII:AC (10), FFX (6), FFXII:OGC (4)

Headers can also include warnings, summaries, author notes and other information about the fanwork, but the canon, characters/pairings and rating are what editors look for when compiling. Creators that use more information in their headers are not penalized/skipped. Please browse our header policy for more information.

If you need a header to use for fanwork, you can copy/paste this one above your fanwork and fill in the blanks:

<strong>Title</strong>:
<strong>Fandom/Canon</strong>:
<strong>Characters/Pairings</strong>:
<strong>Rating</strong>:

I. Fanfiction and Fanart
Our header policy requires Canon, Rating, and Characters/Pairing for fanfiction and fanart.

• 1. Header Location
  This information is required in a header, on the relevant Livejournal entry. Relevant entry here means the original Livejournal location of the material.
  
  • If the entry we see contains a link to an off-LJ site (personal website, fanfiction.net, DeviantArt, etc), we expect the headers to be in the entry—here, the entry qualifies as the "original Livejournal location". We will not follow an off-site link to obtain header information.
  • If an entry we see contains a fake-cut to another post on Livejournal (e.g. a personal / writing / art journal), we will follow the link until we find the "original location" of the work. We expect the headers to be on this entry, and it is what we will use to link in both the issue and the archives.
  • If you cross post your work to multiple communities, we will use the first entry we see in our watch list. If you want us to link to a specific location of the work, you need to make it obvious to us where that is, as you post your work. Editors are not mind-readers—nor do we have perfect memories.
  • If an entry contains multiple pieces of work, each piece needs to have its own set of proper headers.

• 2. Headers, Only
  It is your responsibility to make sure that your headers are easily visible, present on the entry containing the content itself (or the link, for off-LJ materials), and clear.
  • We will no longer use community identities to identify header information, as the number of communities on our watch list is large and growing rapidly.
  • We will no longer check tags for fandoms or characters
  • We will not use a character list to infer/guess fandom; many characters/names appear in more than one game.

• 3. Header Details
  Please make sure that these three things are labeled correctly as described below.
  • + Characters/Pairing
    "Cast", "Ensemble", and other such descriptors are no longer acceptable labels by themselves. Please include at least one main character or pairing in your header.
    • Characters: Squall, Cast - will be listed!
    • Characters: Squall/Rinoa, Ensemble - will be listed!
    • Characters: FFVIII Cast - will not be listed!
  • + Canon
    The canon label must include full details about the canon source of the piece. This is relevant in cases like the FFVII Compilation where many of our readers are concerned about spoilers. For work to From now on, any extended canon must be labeled appropriately, or that work will be placed in a special category on each issue, behind a cut tag.
    
    This part of the policy was instated to help us put our issues and archive together properly, but also out of concern for our many readers who may have access to some but not all of an extended canon and are concerned about spoilers. Since the inclusion of a canon extension in a label only requires the addition of a couple letters or words, we do not feel it is too much to ask for our header policy. For example:
    
    
    
    • Fandom: FFVII - will be listed behind a cut tag!
    • Fandom: FFVII: OGC - will be listed!
    • Fandom: FFVII: CC - will be listed!
    • Fandom: FFVII: OGC/AC/DoC - will be listed (under DoC in the newsletter).
    
    For guidelines on labeling your canon, please see our Canon Header FAQ, below.
    
  • + Rating - We use MPAA-style ratings (G / PG / PG-13 / R / NC-17) in each issue of the newsletter. If you use other ratings to describe your work (K, K+, T, etc) please understand that we will convert your rating into the MPAA-style rating we believe is closest.
    
    Unusual rating labels ("Hard PG-13", "Soft R", "PG-13-ish") will be rounded up to the next rating level at the discretion of each editor. Keep in mind that if we do not understand your rating label, your work will not be included in the newsletter.

II. Icons, Graphics, Vids
Our policy requires Canon(s) and Number for icons, graphics, and vids. This information is required in a header, on the relevant Livejournal entry.

1. 1. Header Location
   We require header information to be present in the entry that contains the actual icons.
   
   There are many FF icon communities, and many icon makers post to multiple communities, occasionally only listing the canons relevant to that particular community; many icon makers use fake-cuts which point to one central entry. With our new policy, we will follow these fake-cuts, to obtain header information and a link to the "original source" entry. Keep in mind that many of our readers are concerned about spoilers, even visual ones, and we as editors need to be able to correctly archive all icon posts. Please make sure the appropriate headers are present on the entry that actually contains the icons, or your post will be skipped.



2. 2. Headers, Only
   We need to see clear headers which give us number of icons or graphics and canons included. The information needs to be in a separate header - we will not accept community identities or tags.
   
   Also, we will not use a character list to 'infer' or guess at your canon. Many icon/graphic/vid makers list characters or pairings after their icons or graphics. Please keep in mind that a list of characters or pairings does not qualify as a canon label. Characters may appear in more than one Final Fantasy canon (FFVII:OGC vs FFVII:AC); the same character name may appear in multiple canons ("Cid"); character names may be confusing to editors ("Leon" could actually mean "Squall from KH" or "Leon from FFII"). We require a specific label listing the canons that appear in your icon/graphic post.
   
   


3. 3. Header Details
   We require labeling for each individual Final Fantasy canon (and canon extension) that appears in an icon / graphic / vid post.
   • "Final Fantasy icons here" - will not be listed
   • "FFX icons here" - will not be listed
   • "50 Final Fantasy icons" - will not be listed
   • "50 icons from FFVII" - will be listed behind a cut tag
   • "50 icons: FFVII: OGC, FFVII: AC, FFVII: DoC" - will be listed!
   • "50 icons: (10) FFVI, (10) FFVII: OGC, (10) FFX, (10) FFX-2, (10) FFXII: OGC" - will be listed! (and will receive our undying gratitude)

III. Header Policy Errors
These changes to the header policy have actually been in effect for months now, but have not been evenly enforced. Work that does not properly include the header information described above cannot be listed in the newsletter. Editors compiling an issue skip any work that does not contain accurate header information.

Keep in mind that you can always re-submit an entry in the next day's newsletter if you've made a mistake or forgotten something and been skipped! We want to include as much fanwork as we can, so remember you can always correct your headers and leave a comment on the most recent issue to be included in the next day's compilation.

Canon Header FAQ

• I'm confused about your canon specifications. The FFVII Compilation confuses me. How can I ensure my labels are right and that no one gets mad—and that my work doesn't get skipped?
Here are some guidelines to use when labeling work. The examples below use the FFVII Compilation as an example since it is the most extensive Compilation, but please keep in mind that these rules/guidelines apply to other extended canons like FFXII, FFXIII and even FFIV.

• Identify the game most recently released (in the US) that your work references. Since we view the FFVII Compilation as somewhat sequential, the most recent release that your piece touches could be assumed to include information from all previous releases.
• Identify the canons a fan would be spoiled for by clicking on your work. Think about each extension as a separate canon, and determine how much information about that canon your work gives away.
  • If your piece takes place in the FFVII world but does not specifically spoil (or involve characters from) any of the Compilation, your canon is FFVII:OGC. The same rule applies for FFXII:OGC.
  • Pretending that your character list corrects your canon header is also no longer an acceptable way to label canon. Editors will no longer parse your character list and attempt to infer canon.
    • Canon: FFVII; Characters: Cloud, Genesis, Kadaj - will be listed behind a cut tag
    • Canon: FFVII:AC/CC; Characters: Cloud, Genesis, Kadaj - will be listed!


• Example #1: FFVII Compilation
  Many would consider a story taking place during the DoC (Dirge of Cerberus) timeline to include OGC (Original Game Canon) as well as AC (Advent Children) canon. But how should you, the author, label it?
  • If your story mainly deals with DoC canon, labeling it as FFVII:DoC is acceptable.
  • If your story deals with characters/information from each canon, labeling it as FFVII: OGC/AC/DoC will be helpful for your readers as well as your editors.


• Example #2: FFIV and The After
  • Most FFIV work can simply be labeled FFIV (OGC). However, if your work involves characters from The After, you should label it as FFIV: The After so that fans who have not been exposed to The After do not inadvertantly get spoiled.

We will trust the author's judgement in canon labeling. As long as a label fits our header policy, we will list it on the newsletter. Editors are not responsible for labeling errors! We are only compilers; we do not have time to read or view every piece on our list.

• What canons count as "Extended" Canons? How should I label my canon so that the editors understand it?
Current "Extended Canons" and commonly used abbreviations for each:

• Final Fantasy IV
  • Original Game Canon (FFIV:OGC)
  • The After (FFIV:The After, FFIV:TA)
• Final Fantasy VII
  • Original Game Canon (FFVII: OGC)
  • Advent Children (FFVII: AC)
  • Dirge of Cerberus (FFVII: DoC)
  • Before Crisis (FFVII: BC)
  • Crisis Core (FFVII: CC)
  • Last Order (FFVII: LO)
• Final Fantasy XII
  • Original Game Canon (FFXII: OGC)
  • Revenant Wings (FFXII: RW)
• Final Fantasy XIII
  • Original Game Canon (FFXIII: OGC)
  • Versus (FFXIII:VS) (FF VS XII) (FFXIII:Versus) (FF Versus XIII)
  • Agito (FFXIII:A) (FF A XIII) (FFXIII:Agito) (FF Agito XIII)
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (FFTA)
  • Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (FFTA2)
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
  • Original Game Canon (FFCC: OGC)
  • Ring of Fates (FFCC: RoF)
  • The Crystal Bearers (FFCC: CB)
  • My Life As A King (FFCC:MLK) (FFCC: LoaK) (FFCC:LK) (FFCC:King)

• What's the Unspecified Canon category? How can I get my work from behind the cut tags and into the proper canon category?
In February 2009, the ff_press staff re-evaluated our header policy and decided that to better serve the fandoms with multiple games/movies a compromise should be reached between the policy and fandoms: FFVII, FFXII, XIII, etc..

To maintain the integrity of our header policy, we decided to allow work that listed a fandom but failed to specify the canon. In order to do this we created an "Unspecified Canon" category for all fandoms with multiple games/movies. Work that does not specify a canon will go in this category, behind a cut tag in each issue. To be moved from behind the cut tag into the proper canon category, headers can be updated: simply edit the headers and point us to the work again in the most recent issue.

• What if my headers are wrong and you guys skip my work?
A new issue of ff_press is released every day—if your work has been skipped, we can easily include you in the next issue! Check the headers on your work and make sure you've properly labeled Canon, Characters/Pairing, and Rating, on the actual or "original" entry containing the work. Once your header information is correct, leave a comment on the latest issue with a link to the entry containing your work. Our editors will make sure your work gets included.

If you are confused about what your headers are missing, be sure that you have clearly read the policy and FAQ first. You can always comment on the latest issue with a link to your work and a query; we will try to get back to you ASAP about what information you are missing.

Please remember that we want to list every piece of Final Fantasy fanwork we can! So if your work has been excluded because of a header error, we are more than happy to include you in a future issue once the information has been corrected.


• What if my story/art/etc was listed and I want it removed? What if I want to alter one of my listings?
Comment on the specific issue and the editor will edit/remove it for you. We do not ask for consent to link to material because this would be impossible time-wise. Therefore, if you have been linked and don't wish to be, contact us and let us know.


• I don't want my fanwork listed on the newsletter at all. What do I do?
Here are a few ways to make sure work is never included on our newsletter. The ones we recommend are:

• Make sure your personal journals and/or communities are not being watched by ff_presswatch.
• When you post your work or meta to a Final Fantasy community be sure to friends lock those posts. This way the community members will see your work, but as our watch journal is not a member of any communities, the editors will not.
• For case-by-case basis, leaving us a note to the effect of "ff_press, please don't link this" is effective for short-term.
• Send us an e-mail/comment with the usernames you frequent; we will add them to our skip list. Please allow us three to four weeks to get into the habit of skipping your work if we have been listing you previously. It is your responsibility to follow up on whether or not you are being linked. This method is not reversible unless you switch usernames.

• What is delicious and why is the newsletter using it?
delicous is a social bookmarking site, which has excellent features that livejournal memories don't afford us. We have chosen to use delicious to archive items we link to, as to have a comprehensive listing of work, and to make older material more accessible to those just discovering the fandom or the newsletter. We started archiving on delicious on July 12th, 2007. Earlier material can be browsed in our memories by Volume/Issue.

Please excuse our mess as we catch up with archiving after some trouble with delicious. :) Our account is here.


• My work is archived incorrectly on delicious; what do I do?
Send an e-mail to ff.press@gmail.com with the current labels (title, notes, tags, so we can find it) and with how you would like it listed. We'll change it as soon as possible!


• Can I affiliate with the newsletter?
We are not accepting affiliation requests at this time, although we will advertise debuting newsletters.


• What happened to your birthday list?
We discontinued this feature due to lack of interest. Sorry for the inconvenience!



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