M2K: Why I don't ask people to write at the site
This was a personal entry to dewheatley, but Jason asked if I'd mind cross-posting to the Heroes LJ. I don't mind at all, though I kind of like the irony of the first sentence... - David, EiC of M2K

I've said this before and I will say it again. I don't believe in inviting people to write for a site. I prefer the writers who say 'I'm thinking of writing at the site' because they've chosen to be there. A writer at any fanfic site should do it because they want to write there and not feel like they're doing someone a favour. Maybe we miss out on the fanfic 'names' but I'd rather have not have them if they're going to mess us about.

The worst kick any group can get is 'I only wrote it as a favour to X' because it says that a) they didn't really want to write for the group in the first place and b) you've no guarentee they'll stick around. You've not got that with any writer but there's more chance of them leaving if X does. The sad thing is these are talented people and it's good to have their work on site, but if they leave midway through a storyline then they more often than not don't want their work continued and ask for it to be removed. Frankly it pisses me off, because it looks like you had no real commitment to the site in the first place. It really gets to me because they've wasted everyone's time - readers, fellow writers, site managers and themselves. Themselves I don't mind as much, they're entitled but to do that to the others just isn't on.

That's why I introduced the rule the first time round that I'd take stuff down at my discretion, the one that cause that big row between myself and Derrick. I've not changed my stance on that in anyway, and while I appreciate that RL gets in the way, at least have the courtesy to tidy things up so someone else can have a go. I do get asked to do things for sites and if I do it's because I think I can contribute something to the site itself and not because being asked is cool. I'll see what I'm doing through to the end. Matt Pierce has asked me to think about Artifice, I've had Frontier mentioned to me as well. I'd like to eventually but I've not had an idea enough to make work so as yet it's a polite 'maybe later'.

I'm trying to be a different EiC at M2K to the one I was before and not get so confrontational with people but when things come out like that... I'm not happy about it.