I’m struggling with a summary for SPN Horror Minibang and that reminded me I wanted to share my thoughts on fic summaries for claims.
In any challenge with blind claims, your summary is the only piece of information an artist has about you – the writer – and your fic.
Depending on the size of the challenge, you might be competing against 100+ other writers for an artist’s attention. Artists don’t know your name, or your style, or what you usually write. They don’t know if you’ve written fifty stories or if this is your first. They literally have a handful of sentences to go on, and that’s it.
The goal isn’t to convince someone to read your story; you need to convince someone to make art for it. Write your summary with visual elements in mind. Don’t be coy. Give an honest overview of your fic. This isn’t a time to worry about spoilers, but only provide what’s necessary. (If you can’t figure out how to include critical visual elements in the summary itself, add a second paragraph and list a few. Eg. Visual elements that might interest an artist include a Doo-wop beachfront motel and a dragon.)
Spelling and grammatical mistakes are red flags. If your summary has mistakes, what does that say about your draft? (Your draft might be flawless! but an artist doesn’t know that.)
And warn sufficiently. Don’t shock an artist with surprise MCD or a side pairing. Again, this is not the time to worry about spoilers. Be up front with artists about sensitive content they will encounter in your fic so they can make an informed decision about whether they can comfortably work with you.