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cap_ironman2019-10-13 04:05 pm
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2019 Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange Rules and Sign-Ups Instructions
Yes — the Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange has arrived!
The Cap-Iron Man Holiday Exchange is our annual fanwork exchange for Steve/Tony art and fic. Participants will be matched to one another to secretly create a Steve/Tony fanwork for another participant. Gifts may be fic (minimum 1000 words) or art (traditional or digital medium; no manips, gifsets, playlists, or vids).
At the end of December the gifts will be revealed anonymously in batches, and then in early January the creators will be revealed!
Before signing up, please read through the General Event Policies and the following information below, even if you participated in previous years.
For the full schedule and quick links to related posts, check out the 2019 Holiday Exchange & Community Gifts Masterpost.
★ SCHEDULE
October 18th: Exchange sign-ups open
October 31st 17:00 UTC (what time is it for me?): Sign-ups close
November 1st - 6th: Matching period
November 7th: Assignments sent out at the latest
December 26th 22:00 UTC (what time is it for me?): Finished exchange assignments are due
December 27th: Start of gift reveals
January 6th (approximate): Creator reveals
★ HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
To participate you need to have an Archive of Our Own (AO3) account when sign-ups are open (October 18 to 31). If you don't have an account, you can request one here. It might take a few days for you to get an invitation, so request one early. If you can't get an AO3 account in time, let us know and we might be able to provide you with an invitation.
Anyone who wants to participate needs to be willing to create a gift for someone in one of the universes listed below. Gifts may be fic (minimum 1000 words) or art (traditional or digital medium) and you cannot specify which you want to receive. Please only sign up if you are happy to receive either fic or art.
All participants must be 18 or older.
★ SIGN-UPS
Sign-ups open on October 18th and close on October 31st.
Matching is done based on the following universes which will be available to choose in the Fandom field for both your 'REQUESTS' and 'OFFERS':
• MCU
• Marvel 616
• Marvel Ultimates
• Marvel Adventures Comics
• Avengers Academy (game)
• Avengers Assemble (cartoon)
• Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (cartoon)
• Iron Man Noir
• Marvel 1872
• Other (Unlisted) Canon Verse
Each of your 'REQUESTS' in your sign-up must be associated with a fandom listed above, with no repeats. At least one of your requests must be in one of the listed universes and not for "Other (Unlisted) Canon Verse".
Please only use the "Other" tag for prompts set in canonical but unlisted universes, such as alternate comic canons (Marvel 3490, Secret War: Civil War) and other established media (Contest of Champions, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Manga-verse), and only offer for this universe tag if you are familiar with a lot of non-listed universes or ready to read up on something you're unfamiliar with.
You can also mark the checkbox "Any Fandom" instead. Only specify "Any Fandom" in your sign-up if you are willing and familiar with all of the universes listed above and be aware that means you’re happy to receive or create for all universes, including the "Other" tag (so you can be matched to someone with a rare universe request or receive a work for your prompt in any obscure universe your creator choses). If you're going to be disappointed with receiving a work created in a universe you may not be familiar with or fond of, please use the specific verse tags instead.
If you want to request an AU prompt (for example, a Coffee Shop AU), choose the universe tag for the fandom on which you want the characterisation to be based.
You can sign up for the Exchange here on AO3.
You can edit and delete your sign-up until they close on October 31th 17:00 UST (what time is it for me?).
We will delete the sign-ups that don't comply with the rules after the sign-ups close. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your sign-up, please email the mods at cap.im.events@gmail.com before sign-ups close; we'll be more than happy to provide any clarifications and help you through the process.
NOTE: there are some known bugs affecting the Exchange system on AO3:
- If you view the sign-up summary, you might appear to be logged in as another user. You can't do anything as that user and other pages work correctly, so don't worry.
- There was a bug last year affecting the Yuletide sign-ups that doesn't let participants choose correct character tags. We don't know yet if it affects our exchange as we don't use the character tags, but if you get an error message on any additional tag that is in the tagset, let us know right away.
REQUESTS
You can make 1-8 requests in your sign-up, each in a different universe. For each request you'll get to fill out the Fandom, Additional Tags, and Prompts and Details section.
The "Fandom" field is where you specify the universe. You can only list ONE universe in the fandom field per request. If your sign-up includes more than one request, you must choose different fandom tags for each (you can't make two 616 requests: you have to put all your 616 prompts inside the same request).
In the Additional Tags field, please list 1-7 tags from the CapIronManHE2019 tag set. You can see the full list of available tags here on AO3. The tags you choose in the Additional Tags field must match the prompts you're giving in the Prompts and Details section. These tags are what we will be using to match you to a creator, and your creator will be expected to create a fanwork based on what you have put here.
If we notice your tags do not match up well with the prompts we might contact you to clarify before sign-ups close.
For example, don't choose the "Angst" tag if all your prompts are fluffy, or "Wedding" if you don't have a specific prompt related to weddings. Similarly, if one of your prompts contains identity porn, but you didn't choose the tag, please add it.Please look at our example sign-ups and read the instructions carefully. (The link leads to another Dreamwidth post, with screenshots of the example sign-ups embedded.)
PROMPTS AND DETAILS
In the Prompts and Details section, you give your creator an idea of what you want for this universe.
Every sign-up should have at least two long prompts and two short prompts for their secret creator to choose from. These can be in one request (a single universe) or across several requests (each its own separate universe), but make sure you have the minimum number of prompts when sign-ups close.
Please provide the following required information in each request:
- LONG PROMPTS (required)
In this section, please provide 1 to 4 'plotty' prompts: basic synopses of plots you would like to see as a short story or a comic for the universe the request is for. Please give each prompt its own numbered paragraph, as in the example sign-ups. - SHORT PROMPTS (required)
In this section, please provide 1 to 4 'short' prompts: a prompt up to 15 words that describes a theme, basic trope, or that is a link to a poem or song as inspiration. Please give each prompt its own numbered paragraph, as in the example sign-up.
Please don't indicate any preference about which of your prompts you'd like to receive the most.
- CROSSOVER PROMPTS (optional)
You can also request one or more crossover prompts (for example, 616/MCU or Ults/AA). A crossover prompt does not count towards the 2 long and 2 short prompts minimum, nor does it count for the maximum of 4 long and 4 short prompts in a request. Please specify the universes in the prompt text and make sure to select "Marvel Multiverse Crossover" as one of your Additional Tags.
Do not make a separate request for your crossover prompts: include them in one of your other requests (for example, if you have two 616 prompts and a 616/MCU prompt, include it in the 616 request. If you want a crossover of in universes different from your request(s), do not create a new request. Instead include them in an existing request.
You can see an example sign-up here. - LIKES (optional)
List here any tropes, characters, pairings, etc. that you would be happy to see included in any gift you receive for this universe that are not directly included in your prompt or request. This is a bonus list for 'extra inspiration', and your creator is not required to include any of these in your gift unless they are included in the prompt they choose to answer. - DO NOT WANTS (optional)
All your squicks and triggers should go here. You can list tropes, warnings, characters, pairings, etc. that you do not want to see in your gift. Your creator is not allowed to include any of your Do Not Wants in your gift. If these only apply to specific prompts and not all of them, then you can list them in the prompt as well. Conversely, if there is one prompt that is an exception to this list, mention that in the prompt.
Note: The main language of this exchange is English. However, in the request field you can mention that you are willing to receive gifts in other languages you're fluent in. We do not match on that, but if your creator happens to be fluent in one of the languages you have listed, they will be able to give you a non-English gift.
OFFERS
You have ONE offer to indicate the universes and tags you can create.
In that offer, there needs to be at least one universe selected. If you want to offer more you may list up to 9. You can also tick the "Any" checkbox that will match you on all fandom tags in the tag set. (Please note: this includes the universes in the list cited above and the "Other" tag which indicates all obscure Marvel-verses out there, so be sure you understand what you sign up for.)
In your offer you have to select at least 9 Additional Tags, but can offer up to 20 — which is the upper limit AO3 sets for their sign-up form at the moment. If you want to offer more than 20, you can list them in the additional notes field. Please choose the 20 most relevant ones to put in the Additional Tags field, because this is what the algorithm uses for matching. We will only use tags detailed in your additional notes for matching if you’re otherwise unmatchable.
All tags you offer should be universes, and genres/tropes you'd absolutely be willing to work with, as these are the tags we are matching you on. You cannot change your offer after sign-ups close.
You must create a gift that matches one of the prompts your recipient lists under "Long Prompts" or "Short Prompts". Beneath that your recipient might list optional "Likes". You are not required to include any of these if they don't appeal to you, but you can use them for additional inspiration. Gifts cannot include any Do Not Wants the recipient listed. Please do your best to work with any request as it is and to the best of your ability create a gift that will appeal to your recipient.
If you have any additional notes for us — for example, information on hard triggers and tropes you think you wouldn’t be able to create for — please make a note about it in the text box, and we will try our best to take it into account, but be aware that we can only guarantee you’ll find two prompts in your recipients requests to work with. We can’t guarantee that all their prompts will appeal to you.
You can optionally provide us with the AO3 username of one person (your regular beta, your roommate, etc.) who you'd rather not be matched with, no explanation needed. We will try our best to not match you with them, but we may have no other choice if they are your only match.
HOW DO I SIGN-UP?
Sign-ups will be completely on AO3. The sign-up form will go live on October 18th and will be announced on all Cap-Iron Man platforms.
If you have any questions about signing-up, please don't hesitate to contact the mods at cap.im.events@gmail.com. We'll be more than happy to provide clarifications and help you through the signup process.
HOW DOES MATCHING WORK?
Matching is done through AO3's auto-matching system using universes and Additional Tags to generate matches. In the rare case of there not being a match for everyone after the algorithm runs, as a last resort mods will handmatch the remaining assignments using additional notes to ensure everyone has at least two prompts to work with.
Requests are at first matched by the system using "AND" operators based on your tags; if you have one request for Marvel 1872 with the "Fluff" additional tag, only someone who has offered Marvel 1872 in the universe field AND "Fluff" in the Additional Tags field can match that particular request.
Offers match using "OR" operators. So if you offered Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Noir and Avengers Academy, you won't match to any request for Marvel 1872, but you might match to one that only requested Avengers Academy, provided the Additional Tags in the request match to what you offer.
★ INFORMATION ON ASSIGNMENTS
Will when I receive my assignment?
Assignments will go out no later than November 6th.
How do I fulfill my assignment?
To fulfill your assignment, you need to create either:
- one story of at least 1000 words, or
- one piece of finished art (traditional or digital medium; no manips, gifsets, playlists, or vids)
There is no upper word count limit and you can create as many pieces of fanwork as you like if you feel inspired to do more.
Fanworks must be newly created for this exchange. Stories cannot be sequels to existing fic or part of a previously posted series. Art cannot be based on other existing fanworks.
Betas are not required but strongly encouraged. If you want to find a beta reader, there is a list of beta readers available here. Submissions with excessive errors may be rejected at the mods' discretion, though you will be allowed to resubmit after making corrections.
Do not upload incomplete works. You can do small edits to your story after the deadline, but this should be reserved for minor changes, such as fixing typos. The mods will check all stories on the deadline, and any incomplete entries will be rejected and counted as defaults after the deadline, which are not penalty-free. Make sure you upload your stories and post them, not just save a draft to the collection.
Don’t forget: assignments are to be kept secret from the rest of the community until reveals.
Please ensure that your finished assignment complies with Cap-Ironman's Event Work Requirements.
I don't like any of my recipient prompts. Can you match me to somebody else?
The short answer is no. You are matched based on your tags, and after assignments are sent out we can't recall or change any of the matches. If there is a problem with the assignment you received because it doesn't match what you offered, please contact us immediately.
Remember you are only guaranteed to find at least two prompts matching your offer.
Dropping out (Defaulting)
If you realize at any time that you won't be able to finish your story, please hit the "Default" button on AO3 as soon as you know (found here: archiveofourown.org/users/YOURUSERNAME/assignments). This lets the mods know that you won't be able to finish your gift, and they will look for a pinch hitter to stand in for you.
You can drop out up until the 26th December deadline without any consequences. However, if you know you won't finish, please don't wait till the last moment with defaulting. Let us know as soon as possible, so a pinch hitter can be found and is left with enough time to create a gift for your recipient.
If you drop out after the deadline, you will be ineligible to participate in next year's Holiday Exchange and other collaborative Cap-Ironman events. You can find more information on defaults and bans here. For example, if you ask for an extension and are granted one, but default on your assignment, you will receive a ban as detailed in our policy.
Posting Period
Starting on December 27th, some of the fanworks (the exact number depending on how many people sign up and deliver) will be revealed on AO3 each day, and announcements will be posted to the Dreamwidth and LiveJournal communities, Tumblr, and Twitter letting everyone know which stories have been revealed.
AO3 only sends notifications when a collection is revealed completely, so please check regularly during the reveals period to see if your gift was posted.
All works will be revealed with anonymous creators listed. You must remain anonymous until creator reveals at the end of our event.
Before the creators are revealed, there will be a post where everyone is invited to guess the anonymous creators. Creator names will be revealed after the staggered posting period (tentatively scheduled for January 6th). Please respect the anonymity and do not discuss or promote your fanwork publicly before that time.
Don't post your fanwork anywhere else until the event has ended. (But feel free to link and share revealed fanworks and the general collection without breaking the anon requirement!) After reveals, you are welcome to post anywhere and promote your own work.
Don't forget to comment and thank the person who created a gift for you!
Community Gifts and Pinch-hitting
If you don't want to sign up for the challenge but still want to be involved, or are willing to create more than one fanwork, you can participate in the Community Gifts part of the event. You can find detailed information about Community Gifts here.
You can also help us out as a pinch-hitter. If, as a pinch-hitter, you want to post your work yourself, an AO3 account is required. If you don't have an account and are willing to have your work posted by our mod account, you can still serve as pinch-hitter. Special credits and links will be included after the anon period (like we did during Tiny Reverse Bang for some artists, examples here).
Please contact us at cap.im.events@gmail.com with the subject line "Holiday Exchange Pinch-Hitter" at any time to be added to the pinch-hitter list.
Pinch hits can be needed as early as the day assignments go out. So if you're able to help out, let us know as soon as possible!
The prompts which need a pinch-hitter are sent to everyone on our list and will be assigned to the first person who volunteers.
For more information, you can find the Cap-IM Holiday Exchange FAQ here.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us at cap.im.events@gmail.com, in the comments on this post, or by sending us an message on Tumblr.