1) I have a fic that features a Snape rarepair but has Snape/Harry in the background. Can I still post it?
Yes! As long as the Snape rarepair is the primary focus of the story, it can have any additional pairings in there that you want.
2) I have a Snape/Harry (or Remus/Tonks, or Neville/Dean, or…) fic that has a Snape rarepair in the background. Can I still post it?
Unfortunately not. We ask that you only post stories that have the Snape rarepair as the primary pairing. If it's unclear which pairing is the "primary" one, we will give you the benefit of the doubt, but please use your best judgment here. The mod reserves the right to be the final arbitrator of what's appropriate; if you have doubts, ask her first.
3) Does Snape/OC count as a rarepair?
No, unfortunately not. This is not a community for pairings with original characters. Unless it is a background pairing with a Snape rarepair as the primary pairing, of course.
4) Do you allow threesomes/moresomes?
Sure!
5) What if said threesome/moresome included one of the characters from the "forbidden pairing" list, like Harry?
That's fine! Basically, as long as there is a Snape rare pairing in there somewhere, it's fine, even if Harry, Hermione or Lupin also figure in. Example: Snape/Harry/Neville would be fine, but Snape/Harry/Lupin would not.
6) Is this only a community for smut?
Absolutely not! The most G-rated pre-slash is welcome right alongside the dirtiest NC-17 smut. As long as the pairing is present in some way, shape or form and it's not completely gen (i.e. non-romantic), we want it. The mod takes a very inclusive view of what counts as "romantic"--if you have a friendship story that is shippy if you squint, it's probably fine. If you're not sure, ask the mod.
7) Can I post something kinky? Dark? Potentially offensive?
No kind of content, sexual or otherwise, is forbidden, as long as you warn for it. If your story contains water sports, for instance, or incest, or descriptions of intense violence, or really conservative politics, or anything else you think may squick or disturb somebody, please include it in the warnings. If you don't, the mod may ask you to add a warning, and refusal to do so may get you banned.
It is especially important that you include a warning for any sexual content involving persons under the age of 18 in your story or art. Some countries have laws forbidding the reading or viewing of such material by anybody, and community members living in these countries need to know which stories or art contain such material so they can avoid it and not break the law. If you post underage material without a clear and obvious warning, your post will be deleted and you'll be asked to repost with a warning attached. (Note: it might be easiest if you have a young character to simply mention in the warnings how old that character is. Some people will not want to read about sex involving a 15-year-old, but would be fine with a 17-year-old. If you just put their age up front, everybody has the information they need.)
8) I or my underage child read/saw something kinky/offensive on this community and I'm mad. What are you going to do about it?
As you were warned that such material might be present on this community in the userinfo, it is your responsibility to avoid it. The mod does her best to make sure all posts contain the appropriate warnings, but in the unlikely event that she misses something, it is still your responsibility to stop reading or viewing if you stumble across content that disturbs you, and to supervise the material your child views on the Internet.
9) If somebody posts Snape/Umbridge and I think that's the most disgusting pairing ever, can I tell them so in the comments?
No! Pairing or character bashing will not be tolerated and will get you removed and banned. This is a community for rare pairings, and as such, nearly all of those pairings will garner a "huh?" from somebody sooner or later. So don't throw stones at somebody's Snape/Umbridge if you happen to live in a glass Snape/Filch. Or something like that.
10) If I'm in this community for the het, can I tell the people who post slash to stop posting their icky boysex? Or, conversely, if I'm here for the slash, can I tell the people who post het to stop posting their nasty straightsex?
Absolutely not! This community is equally a home for het and slash pairings, and as such, we expect its members to be respectful of both. Bashing of either slash or het will not be tolerated and will get you removed and banned.
11) I don't write fic, draw art, or make icons or graphics--but I read a lot! Can I post recommendations for Snape rarepair stories or art I've seen elsewhere?
Sure! In fact, we'd love it if you did that! Just be sure to include the title, author, rating, pairing, and warnings for the piece in your rec. It's also nice to include a summary, and why you are recommending that particular piece. And don't forget the link to the story or art, either. Please use the following form for the subject heading of your post: REC: Story Title, by Author - Pairing - Rating
12) Can I post recs for Snape/Harry, Snape/Lupin, Snape/Hermione, Snape/OC or gen?
No. Sorry.
13) I'd like to post an essay about some aspect of a Snape rarepair. Is that okay?
Absolutely! Just format your subject heading like this: ESSAY: Title, and put the majority of the text behind an LJ-cut. One thing, though: if you are going to call what you're posting an essay, please try to make it a real essay, and not just a two-sentence statement of a theory or observation. Subjects NOT suitable for essays (or discussion of any kind) include: why a certain ship (or character) is superior to another, rants about certain ships (or characters) not getting enough attention or recognition, attacks on the more (or less) popular ships--basically, anything that's a clear invitation to wank. And of course, do not post anything that doesn't relate to a Snape rarepair. As with everything else, if you're unsure whether something is suitable, e-mail the moderator.
14) I run the Snape/Umbridge community and I think you are taking traffic away from me. What do you have to say for yourself?
Nothing except that we disagree--there is no reason we can't coexist. Also, you are free to announce your community as well as its monthly challenges in this community if you want. (However, we ask that you not simply post repeated "Hi! My community exists!" announcements--if you have a new challenge or prompt, that's fine, but repeated pimping with no new information gets real annoying real fast.) Also, we will make sure that your community is listed in the "Additional Resources" post so that anyone seeking out your particular pairing will be able to find it.
15) I have an idea for a challenge/contest or a suggestion for making this community better. Do you want to hear it?
Of course we do! Just send it to snape_rarepairs @ insanejournal.com.