2014 Makoto Birthday Exchange: Matching (NOW CLOSED)

Welcome to the Matching Requests/Assignment Claiming Post for the 2014 Tachibana Makoto Birthday Fanworks Exchange!

Matching Requests for 2014 are now closed.

( Matching Requests - Instructions, FAQ, & Form )

MATCHING REQUESTS MINI-FAQ

1. Do I have to do this part?

Yes, this is an official part of the sign up. If you don't complete this step, we don't have any way of knowing what you would and would not be willing to do, so unfortunately we will have to drop you from the exchange.
 

2. For the list of prompts we want to take (the “prefer to take” list), is it possible to state a preference level with them?  For instance, a list of prompts we especially want to do and a second list of prompts we would still be interested in taking but not as interested as the first group?

Yes! You can divide your list into “most preferred” and “next preferred” tiers, with a list within each tier; the combined total just has to meet or exceed the minimum number.

Whether or not you choose to use tiers, you can also rank-order your list (with your first choice at the front/top of the list).

3. Can I just tell you what I do and don’t like in general?

Short answer: No. Please do not do this.

Long answer: Well, that would have been one way to go—but it would have relied on some mindreading and guesswork on my part. I thought it would give a happier outcome if everyone got to see the exact, specific prompts and make decisions based on the details, since I’m pretty sure you all know yourselves better than I do. :D

To that end, please list participant names in your reply; please do not make generalizations of the kinds of things you do or don’t like. (Experience tells me we’ll all be happier this way; in the past, I’ve done what I thought was a perfect match based on the info and generalizations, only to have the participant drop out because they hated the assignment. orz)
 

4. Am I guaranteed my top choice or something from my "Prefer To Take" list?

I will do the best I can to give you something off your "prefer" list. If I can't, I will contact you through AO3 to work something out. I've never had to do this but, just in case, I don't want to make promises I may not be able to deliver on. Your understanding is greatly appreciated!


5. I don't understand what to do.

Ah, very sorry about that! Just shoot me an email and I'll walk you through it.


Additional questions are being answered and clarifications are being made here as they come up.


Thanks, everyone! Have fun looking through our awesome prompts. :D

2014 Makoto Birthday Exchange: Be a Beta/Find a Beta

By popular request, this year we're experimenting with having a dedicated pool of beta readers. You are more than welcome to use your own beta, of course! This is just for those want one but aren't sure how to find one on their own or otherwise feel more comfortable doing it this way.

A couple of notes on who can use this post:

• You do have to be a participant in the Makoto Birthday Exchange to ask for a beta.
• You do NOT have to be a participant in the Makoto Birthday Exchange to be a beta for someone. :D

The success of this experiment is entirely up to all of you. If you can't find a beta here, making a post on other site (fandom tagged or to a fandom comm) will usually do the trick.

If you are looking for a beta, please post this information in a comment below:

*In the subject line, please put: I need a beta!
Name:
Contact:
Type of beta you're looking for: (e.g. technical for grammar/spelling, someone to bounce ideas off of, etc.)
Characters/Pairings involved:
Approximate length:
Rating:
Anything else you think is important:

(Try not to give too much away, in case your recipient happens to see your comment.)

If you want to volunteer as a potential beta, please post this information in a comment below:

*In the subject line, please put: I want to be a beta!
Name:
Contact:
Type(s) of beta work you can do: (grammar/spelling, notes on narrative structure, willing to bounce ideas, general cheerleading, etc.)
Characters/Pairings you're interested in or willing to read:
Maximum rating you're willing to read:
Anything else you think is important:

Thank you and good luck!

2014 Makoto Birthday Exchange: Pinch Hitter Signups

Thank you for your interest in being a pinch hitter for the 2014 Tachibana Makoto Birthday Exchange! Here's some info for you:

What is a pinch hitter?
When a participant drops out for whatever reason, a pinch hitter is someone who steps up and accepts the assignment in their place (sometimes on very short notice). Pinch hitters are absolutely essential to the success of any exchange.

How does pinch hitting work?
Unlike regular assignments, pinch hits are not automatically assigned. Whenever one comes up, it goes out for claiming to all potential pinch hitters on a mailing list. If you’re interested in taking the assignment, you reply to the email. If you're not interested, you don't have to do anything. Pinch hits are assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Do I have to be a participant in the exchange in order to be a pinch hitter?
Definitely not! We'll take anyone who's interested.

So then, how can I join the pinch hitter mailing list?
Leave a comment here with your name and a reliable email address you check regularly.

Do I need an account anywhere in particular to participate?
Yes—the exchange is running through AO3 this year so, in order to accept a pinch hit assignment you will need an AO3 account. If you don't have one, you can go here to request a free account.

And how much do you love me for signing up to be a pinch hitter?
A lot. So flippin' much, you don't even know!

Just in case you missed it above: to sign up as a pinch hitter, please leave a comment here (all comments are screened) with the following:

• your name
• a reliable email address you check regularly

Thank you! ♥

2014 Makoto Birthday Exchange: Assignment Guidelines

Pinch Hit Assignments must be posted to AO3 by end of day Pacific Time on November 15, 2014.
(Party Favors gifts may be posted through November 24th. If you are doing a Party Favors fill, please skip to "General Requirements" below.)

countdown clock to Pinch Hit deadline

You are only required to do one of the requests in your assignment in order to complete the assignment.

You are welcome to do more than one request or multiple fills for the same request, if you have time and interest (optional; not required). :)
 

::General Requirements::

Special note: please do not talk publicly about what you're working on until after works are live on AO3! Some of the fun is the element of surprise, after all (finding out who created something for you and which of your requests they chose to do). :D

These guidelines apply to all fills, regardless of type.

• original work previously unpublished
• finished/polished quality
• standalone (not part of a larger work or series)
• complete (no “chapter 1” or “tbc”— the whole story should be told)
• English language only (or, in the case of art/comics/manips, no words)

::Requirements by type::

Art

• minimum of 600px per dimension; no maximum (NOTE: no minimum for Party Favors fills)
• traditional and digital media
• color or b&w
• still/static or animated/moving image

Comics

• minimum of 3 panels; no maximum (NOTE: no minimum for Party Favors fills)
• color or b&w

Fic

•  minimum of 1000 words; no maximum (NOTE: no minimum for Party Favors fills)

Manips

• minimum of 3 panels; no maximum (NOTE: no minimum for Party Favors fills)
• must use screencaps or other official art (no fanart)
• still/static or animated/moving images
• accompanying text/ficlet is optional (not required)

::Posting Your Fill / Dropping Out::

Log in to AO3 and go to your Assignments page. Find the assignment marked "2014 Tachibana Makoto Birthday Exchange." There will be two buttons:

• To post your fill, click "Fulfill." This will take you to the page where you can post your work, with the challenge and your recipient's name already filled in.
• To post a Party Favors gift to the collection, go here for instructions with screencaps.
• To drop out, click "Default." The event coordinator will get a message and send the assignment to a pinch hitter.

If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment here or send an email.

Thank you and happy creating!