One of the most popular suggestions from our recent feedback poll was that there should be Snarry during December in addition to our annual New Year's Celebration, Snarry Swap. Therefore, we are announcing the creation of "Secret Snarry". Secret Snarry is an anonymous, double-blind fic and art exchange fest hosted by snape_potter. All entries will be cross-posted directly to snape_potter on LJ, IJ, and DW.
And how is Secret Snarry different from Snarry Swap, you ask? Think of it like this: if Snarry Swap is a box of chocolate, Secret Snarry is just a few pieces. We know many people are busy with other holiday fests, so this exchange is designed to be for smaller gifts (500 to 3,000 word fic, art without detailed background and/or color, a small group of icons). Entries do not have to be holiday themed. As long as it's Snarry, that's all the celebration we need. Secret Snarry is designed to be fun and low-stress with bite-sized entries and the perfect way to take a break from the holiday rush.
How it works:
On Saturday, October 15 we will post a sign-up post. To get a gift, you have to give a gift. The sign-up post is where you will leave your prompts. All comments to the post will be screened. Sign-ups will close Saturday, October 22.
On Sunday, October 23 we will post a numbered list of all the sign-ups (minus identifying information) on DW. Claiming will begin 48 hours later on Tuesday, October 25. Like sign-ups, claiming will also be done through screened comments to the post. First come, first served. Each participant will only fulfill one sign-up, but will be asked to identify 3 sign-ups you are willing to claim. If someone else claims your first choice before you get the chance to do it, you'll automatically get your second choice. You will only be given your third choice if both your first and second choice have already been claimed. Even though we will be striking out the sign-ups as soon as they're claimed, there's no guarantee you'll get your first choice. Flexibility is the key for this fest. If you are willing to create something for any of the sign-ups, please indicate that in your claim and you will be assigned last. A mod will confirm your assignment via e-mail. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FILTERS!
The gift you create does NOT have to include all prompt suggestions and likes in your recipient's sign-up. But it should include at least one as well as none of their dislikes.
Participants will have the rest of October and most of November to create their works. All pieces are due by November 28.
All entries will be posted anonymously throughout December. At this time the names of the giftees will be revealed, so everyone will get to find out for whom they've written/drawn. Author/artist reveals will be posted Dec 31.
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Timeline: Sign-ups (Prompting): October 15 - October 22
Sign-up prompts posted: October 23
Claiming: Will begin October 25 and end when all prompts are claimed.
Creations due: November 28
Posting: December 1st - 31st, 2011 (depending upon the number of participants)
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Sign-Up Info:
You can join the exchange by responding to the sign-up post with a comment giving the following information:
Username: Since we cross-post to all three journals, please list your username at IJ/LJ/DW if you have more than one. Email Address: Please give us an address you check regularly. Please check your spam filter for assignments. Age statement: Any variation of "I am over 18" is fine. Three prompts Please give three prompts consisting of: one word; one sentence; one quote; one LINK to an image (no hotlinking please!). Please do not suggest too much detail, give a plot outline, or ask for a novel -- these are small gifts! An example of an appropriate prompt might be: "sledding", "holiday Snarry icons", "Over the river and through the woods", "Harry receives the best gift of all at the Burrow on Boxing day". Up to three deal-breakers: We want you to be happy with your gift. We ask participants to assume anything too kinky or too outside the box shouldn't be in the gift unless specifically requested. That means scat, necrophilia, bloodplay, watersports and Roman showers will be assumed to be a deal-breaker unless specifically requested. So this spot is for more commonly seen kinks/genres/scenarios you would prefer not to receive. IMPORTANT Additionally, because it could be illegal for your recipient to view anything with an under-18 character Chan will not be permitted UNLESS requested by the recipient. Please remember chan at snape_potter is anything under 18. I especially like: Please put your favorite things here. Like "pwp", "mpreg", "fluff", "holiday themed", "happy endings", "mystery", "humor", "chan - 16+".
If you have any questions about how this is going to work, please ASK. Since this is the first time we are hosting this fest there may be a few learning curves. But we are excited and hope you decide to join us.
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Rules:
- Participants must be 18 years old or older before December 1, 2011.
- Snape/Harry must be the primary pairing of all creations. Secondary pairings are allowed but the primary pairing must include Snape/Harry.
- Creations may be of any rating from G - NC-17.
- The minimum word count for fics is 500. There is no maximum. But please remember this exchange is for smaller pieces.
- All authors and artists are expected to follow their recipient's request. While you do not have to include every single element they requested, please try to honour the request to the best of your ability. The most important considerations are 1) avoiding all deal-breakers and 2) including at least one of the things they requested.
- If your recipient drops out or some other situation causes your entry to be orphaned, your entry will be gifted to either a pinch hitter or the community.
- We ask that your story be beta-read or at the very least SPaG (Spelling Punctuation and Grammar) proofed.
- Creations are posted anonymously. Please make sure there is no identifying information (for example, your signature on artwork) when you send in your completed story/art file.
- You may not post your creations elsewhere until after the big reveal.
- Email your creations and any questions you may have to spfestmod @ gmail.com
- The mods will always send confirmation of receipt of your entry within 24 hours, so if you do not get a confirmation, then we did not receive it. Please double check to make certain you have sent the entry to the correct email address which is spfestmod @ gmail.com
- Please use the following headers:
For artists (includes icon-makers):
For authors:
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FAQs:
Q. What do you mean by an 'anonymous double-blind' exchange? A. It means that neither the gifter nor the recipient know the identity of the other before the reveals. Participants will be creating gifts based on their recipient's sign-up information alone.
Q. Do I have to be willing to identify 3 sign-ups to claim? What if I only really want to create my first choice? A. Then this may not be the exchange for you. We will always make every effort to assign people their first choice, but that won't always be possible. Flexibility is the key to this fest.
Q. I know I can create several gifts. Can I be assigned more than one sign-up? A. Each participant will create one gift and receive one gift. But if you are willing to provide a second (or third!) gift as a pinch hit, please let us know in your sign-up.
Q. Since the gifts are small and the prompts will be fairly straight-forward, I think I could write, draw, or create icons for any sign-up. Do I have to claim a specific sign-up? A. If you feel you can create a gift from any of the sign-ups, please let us know in your claim so you can be assigned last.
Q. What happens if I won't be in front of my computer when claiming begins? A. The reality is that no matter what day or time we open sign-ups someone will always have a conflict. Hopefully when you are available you will still be able to find a prompt that you feel excited about creating. Remember these are small gifts, like stocking stuffers. Most recipients will be excited just to know that someone created something just for them.
Q. Do I have to include all my recipient's prompts and likes in the gift I create? A. No. The gift you create does NOT have to include all prompt suggestions and likes in your recipient's sign-up. But it should include at least one as well as none of their dislikes.
Q. Can I request a specific type of gift? Like 'icons only'? A. For greater flexibility, we ask that people not limit their prompts in this manner. But if you have a preference you can note that you would especially like to receive icons in the "I especially like" portion of the sign-up.
Q. What will happen to gifts where the recipient has dropped out? A. Orphaned gifts will be gifted to the community or re-gifted to pinch-hitters.