2012 Fest Rules Please read these, even if you have participated before just to remind yourself! Again, this year we'll be letting you anonymously pick your also anonymous prompts!
Despite the length of my rule list, I promise this is a ridiculously fun, warm and fuzzy fest!</i>
2012 HP April Fools Fest Rules
Age Requirement: All participants and visitors must be at least 18 years old. There be pr0n in this here fest!
Exchange Policy: If you sign up for the festival and request a fic/art, you must give fic/art in return. Simple as that!
The Foolishness: If you are an author, you will be creating an artwork of any form for the festival. If you are an artist, you will be writing a fic. If you are known for both, you will using alternative mediums. If you are a lurker/watcher/commenter, you get to make art!
Alternative Mediums: The alternative mediums open to those who are both authors and artists are sculpture (stone, wood, clay, butter, etc), fabric arts (quilting, needlework, etc), film (songvids, fanvids, etc), Sims, collage, whatevs! The idea/requirement is to use a medium you are not experienced with. This year, using your left-hand or your new tablet to draw does not count as using an alternate medium.
Sign-ups: Sign-ups will run from 02 February to 09 February
Claiming: Claiming of the prompts will begin at 3PM EST (GMT-5), 10 February.
Titles: When you claim your prompt, we will refresh the claim post and give you a "Tweak Says" for you to use as your title. How you incorporate it into the work itself is entirely up to you! We won't give you any gibberish (but it might be LOLspeak).
Ratings/Pairings: There is no rating or pairing restriction. Everything from G-rated fluffy gen to NC-17 gay incestuous cross-dressing bestiality is permitted. (You saw who your mod is, right?)
Fic Length: Fics must be at least 1,000 words in length. To keep everyone's sanity, this year there is also a maximum limit of 5,000 words.
Betas: Fics must be spell-checked and preferably beta read. If you cannot find a beta (for either fic or art) and you want one, let us know!
Deadline: All fest creations must be emailed to the Fest mods at hp.april.fools@gmail.com by 30 March.
Backing Out: If you are unable to complete your creation for whatever reason, you must let the mods know ASAP so we can find a pinch-hitter. Your gift may be regifted at the discretion of the moderators.
Email Requirements for Art: Header info for art creations must be sent in the body of an email with any coding typed in (ie, do not use your email to make the required elements bold). Attach the art to your email if we are hosting, with your title as the file name or who it is for (ie, FuzzyFunforPR1.jpg) or the like. Just don't put your name in the file name. :P JPEGs, PNG's and GIF's are fine formats. I'm not picky about which or size as long as it's not super tiny or super massive; I'll resize as needed.
Email Requirements for Fic: Fic creations must be emailed as a completed post in Word Doc (basic .doc, not .docx) format, with any necessary coding and the required header in the document.
Hosting: Hosting for artworks will be provided.
Anonymity: All posting will be done by the moderators to keep the gifts anonymous for the month.
Posting: Posting will begin 01 April and extend through the month. The frequency will be based on the number of received submissions.
Exclusivity: All fest creations will be exclusive to hp_april_fools until the the names of their creators have been revealed at the end of the fest. Please do not post your creation anywhere else until then.
Questions: Any questions or concerns can be emailed to the moderators at hp.april.fools@gmail.com .