Why don’t we have a FAQ forum? We see the same basic questions appearing in the forums time after time. We see the same answers repeated, or a link posted to the most recent similar question.

Wouldn’t it be easier for newer members if these were all listed together? Ideally someone would compile the FAQs into a user-friendly order – more work for DB & Co – but, initially, just a separate forum would be a start.

Dee

Dee, I think something like that mmight be a good idea. Are you thinking in terms of questions about the site, or more generally about writing and publishing? The latter might be trickier, as there's often more than one right answer to a question.

Emma

Isn't this an FAQ?

I did see that once on a site some years back. The link to 'FAQs' held only one entry... 'Why aren't there any FAQs?'

Jon

Emma,

I'm thinking more along the lines of writing and getting published – how to approach an agent, how to write a synopsis, how to format a submission, and so on.

I've thought about this a little further; one of us could post a question (we don’t have to wait for new members to ask them) along the lines of, for example, What should I say in a query letter to an agent? or Can anyone recommend a ‘How to Write’ book?
Then other members could post a response, just as we do in any thread at the moment. Hopefully we’d get several different views on each subject so that anyone looking for an answer to a question could make a decision based on how they feel about the responses.

As you say, most of these questions have more than one right answer. We often see widely differing views but, if they were collated in the same thread, then people could see them together.

Jon… awww!

Dee

Jon,

Dee, yes, that could be good. The Subject line would bear thinking about for each one, so that it would come up most reliably in a site search.

Emma

True, and there’s no guarantee that someone posting a new question would be aware of that. Good grief, can you image searching the site for ‘agents’? That’s why we need a specific forum to at least keep the questions together.

Dee

One of the biggest problems I've seen with FAQs is that the ones that need to read them the most rarely do. I post frequently on a technical forum for video editing that has a large and comprehensive FAQ list but it doesn't stop the questions being asked on a daily basis in the main forum. The list is advertised in HUGE pink letters at the top of each forum. Makes no difference. Sometimes you'll even get people saying they've searched the FAQ and found nothing, even when their specific problem is right at the top of the list.

I would also wonder whether writing is a precise enough art to have an FAQ. With a technical issue the problems and solutions are usually identifiable - it's not doing this, or it is doing this - and are usually solved by a specific operation or patch/upgrade, etc. With writing even the more specific questions really need to be tailored to the poster's own circumstances.

There are some questions that probably crop up fairly often - "How long does a book need to be?" or "Are spelling and grammar important?" spring to mind - but whether there are sufficient that can be answered in a specific and long-term fashion is another matter.

Interesting idea though.

Jon

Think this is a really good idea, and we will discuss it and get back to you all- FAQ's are probably invaluable with something as well resourced as the forum now is with excellent advice on the realities of starting writing, trying to sell a book, get an agent etc...

Just to say, as a relatively new member, I think this is a really good idea.
I have been aware of posting questions which are old news for some members (who have nevertheless very kindly replied) and I don't always have the time to trail through old threads, looking for the answers.

Sammy

Jon, I take the point about writing questions being specific, but I think Dee's idea of an answer being a whole thread is brilliant, because yes, there are often several angles on even a general question. There's nothing to stop someone starting a separate thread with a problem that's to do with a specific set of circumstances, saying 'I've looked at the "getting-and-agent" FAQ thread but wondered how it might apply to...

There could be an FAQ forum, as Dee suggests, or perhaps it would work to have a link such as the 'recent threads' one, which collects together any threads from anywhere (except the Lounge) that have been tagged as FAQ-type questions, including ones that were too long ago to show up readily in the other lists.
Emma

Emma, this is how it works on the Adobe forums. Many of their FAQs are actually threads lifted from the other discussion boards.

The idea of tagging a thread as an FAQ appearance is a good one as well!

J

I think it's a good idea too. There are a lot of things that get raised again and again. Another one that comes to mind is writing courses.

Cath