FAQ
Do I have to sign up for an account to read fic & post reviews?
The Mechaphiles is an open-to-public archive, meaning that all fics rated G to R are free for anybody to view, and to post reviews on. However, you will need to register an account and be logged in order to read fics rated NC-17. So yes, if you’re only here for the hardcore Meister smut, you need to sign up for an account. (And yes, Tieria Erde, this includes you. Don’t give us that look.)
Who can submit to the archive?
Anybody with an account! And accounts are free! So—practically—anybody!
Can I sign up for an account even if I’m not going to post fic, ever?
Of course! And we would encourage you to do it. The benefits, you ask? Access to fics rated NC-17 (oh yes, all the juicy smut). The ability to track your favorite stories and authors. Your very own profile page. Plus, it also adds 15 cool points to your street cred. (Okay, so maybe it doesn’t. But you can imagine it does!)
What kinds of fic do you accept?
Basically, anything that has Mobile Suit Gundam 00, its premise or its characters, as a central focus. We accept fics of all ratings, genres, pairings and (almost all) lengths. For further details, see our Submission Rules & Guidelines page.
What happens after I submit my fic to the archive?
Your fic is kept in the submission queue while the Mod Squad looks at it and assesses it (with unicorn magic and our secret blend of eleven herbs and spices). If the fic is accepted we will validate it and it goes up for public viewing; either way, we will contact you via your registered email account to tell you what we have decided. (Don't worry if you don't hear from us for a week or so-- we're working on it; the fic-modding process takes a while!)
You mean that my fic may not be actually posted?
Yes. Unlike FF.net, The Mechaphiles is a moderated fic archive, meaning that not everything that gets submitted will be posted. On one hand, it does make submitting fic a little harder, yes. But on the other, it means that when you’re browsing this archive you’re not going to run into fic where a hermaphroditic Patrick invites Haro to spear him on his throbbing robotic driveshaft after a movie and a long, romantic dinner.
…alright, maybe you might, considering the proclivities of the people running this archive. But it will be well-written hermaphroditic Patrick/Haro!
Can I submit my fic anonymously?
Sure—we have an Anonymous account set up for that purpose. Email your fic to mechaphiles@nadleeh.org with the subject heading “Fic submission”. Include the title, ratings, genre, and a summary. We will do the marinate magic on your fic and let you know which way we decide! If your fic is accepted into the archive, we will post it up to the archive under the Anonymous account (and send you the link too).
Oh no! My fic has just been rejected from the archive! Is this the end?
Of course not! Here at the Mechaphiles we believe in never saying never, so feel free to re-submit your fic as many times as you like. Writing is a learning process so every time you edit or go over something it gets better. Don’t be discouraged—it’s a rare person who gets it right the very first time!
If you want some help & honest concrit on how to improve your fic, we have a 00 fic discussion board on our forum where fellow fic-writers can help each other out, cheer each other on, bake virtual Gundam cookies (caution: your mileage may vary), and so on.
I got an email from you guys saying my submission needs to be betaed; what does that mean?
It means we really liked your submission, but we feel that it needs some editing for spelling and grammar before we put it up on the archive! We have a couple of friendly in-house betas to help you with this.
(Ideally, all fics should be pre-betaed before submission, but on the other hand, we aren’t going to let spelling & grammatical errors bar an otherwise good fic from the archive, as we are well aware that not everybody has English as their first language. Come on, the source material isn’t even in English to begin with…)
So where can I find betas for my fic before I submit it?
We have a board on the ficwriting section our the forum set aside for requests, where people can, amongst other things, look for betas (as well as co-authors, prompts, fic reccs etc). Try it, it’s delicious, fat-free, with no added colors and preservatives!
I’ve read this great fic that was written and posted anonymously. Can I petition for it to be put on the archive? After all, you guys have an Anonymous account, don’t you?
While the Mechaphiles archive does allow for shy authors to post fic anonymously, we now have a policy of not posting fiction without the author’s express permission. Which means we cannot archive anonymously-posted fic because we don’t know who the real author is. We’ve had problems with this in the past, so please try to understand this.
I’ve just been contacted by you guys about a fic of mine. What does this mean?
It means we really liked your fic and would love to have you archive it here! If you have an account with us already, just submit it and we’ll put it into the archive right away! If not, you may like to get your own account and post your fic to the archive. It's fast and fuss-free, and it makes it easier for you to submit more fic into the archive in the future!
But I don’t want my fic archived!!
The Mechaphiles is a submissions-only archive, so if you don’t want your fic on it all you have to do is not submit it; we’ll understand!