cap_ironman_fe | Holiday Exchange FAQ

AO3 Collection - FAQ - Sign-Up Instructions - Example Sign-Up - Sign-Up Form

Q. I’m new. What is this?

It’s our annual winter holidays gift exchange! You’ll sign up with a request for Steve/Tony fanwork you’d like to receive, and the mods will assign you to, in turn, anonymously create a gift (can be fic or art) for another participant (gift-givers will all be revealed at the end of the exchange).

**Q. Has anything changed from last year?

The biggest change is we’re going to use the AO3 automatching system this year.Because of this the sign-up rules had to be changed. Please read them carefully here.

Q. Can I request to receive only art or only fic?

No, this is an exchange open to both writers and artists and you can’t choose what you prefer to receive. Please make sure your prompts don’t indicate any format.

Q. What if I have to drop out?

We understand that life gets busy, especially around the holidays! You can drop out at any time before the assignment due-date (December 20th); just email us at cap.im.events@gmail.com. You do not need to provide us with a reason. If you don't have a gift uploaded for your recipient by the deadline, December 20th, we will automatically assume you’ve dropped out and will send your gift out to the pinch-hitter list. There is no penalty for dropping out in either fashion.

Q. What’s a pinch-hitter, and how do I become one?

A pinch-hitter is someone who steps up to create a work for a recipient whose original gift-giver has had to drop out. When we have a work that requires a pinch-hit, we will send out an email to everyone on the pinch-hitter list asking if they would like to claim the work. The first pinch-hitter to reply back claiming it gets to create the gift. If you’d like to get your email added to that list, send an email at any time before December 20th to cap.im.events@gmail.com.

Q. Is there an event tag I can follow on tumblr?

Yes, we’re going to use the #capimexchange tag.

Q. I want to participate but I don't have an Ao3 account.

You can request an AO3 invitation here. Right now the queue is longer than our sign-up period, so if you think you might want to participate and need an account, request an invitation now! If you can’t get an AO3 account in time, let us know at cap.im.events@gmail.com and we might be able to get you an invitation.

Q. I want a present but I can't create things myself. Can I get someone else to do it for me?

The nature of the exchange is that everyone who signs up must create a gift in turn.

If you have a prompt you would like to see filled but can’t sign up for the Exchange, then we encourage you to submit it to our prompt pool for Community Gifts, which opens October 17th. Please note that prompts submitted to the pool are not guaranteed a fill, and fills are considered ‘gifts to the community’ and will not be linked to the prompter. More information on Community Gifts will be posted October 17th.

Q. What is this ‘Community Gifts’ thing?

As the name suggests these are gifts to the Cap-IronMan Community. Prompts will be collected anonymously and are open to anyone who wants to submit one. Once the prompts are revealed on November 2nd, any prompt can be filled by anyone interested. There is no claiming or sign-up required to participate in Community Gifts, and you don’t have to commit ahead of time to creating a gift in order to submit one. This does mean that, unlike the main exchange, any submitted community gift prompts are not guaranteed to receive a fill. You don’t have to take part in the main Holiday Exchange to submit or create Community Gifts.

Q. I'm not sure if my art is considered a manip or not. What is considered a manip?

A manip is an existing image not originally drawn by you (a screenshot or comic scan, for example) that has been digitally modified. It is okay to use a photo or other piece of art as a reference or for artistic purposes (say, to create a background), but the main subject of your art must be drawn (or painted, or otherwise created) entirely by you.

Q. Do I need to sign up for the Exchange to be a pinch-hitter?

No.

Q. I want to be paired with X.

Part of the fun of the Exchange is the random, anonymous factor. For that reason, we don't allow requests to create for specific people.

Q. I don't want to be paired with X.

You can request not to be matched with one person and we’ll do our best to match you with someone else. In this case, please let us know in the additional details portion of your offer the AO3 name of the person you don’t want to be matched with.

Q. I want to do gen friendship, is that okay?

Sure. This comm also welcomes fics that focus on a non-slashy relationship between Steve and Tony, as long as the focus is on the two of them.

Q. Do I have to offer a 'non-porny out' in my requests?

You don’t have to, but it could help your creator out. If you request porn, be sure to use the Explicit Sexual Content additional tag in your request.

Q. I really like one of the example prompts, can I use it?

Sure!

Q. Can I submit the same prompts I did last year?

You’re welcome to resubmit the same prompts, as long as they hadn’t been filled.

Q. If I provide 4 short prompts do I have to provide plot prompts too?

You need at least two of each kind of prompt. So, you could have 2 plot prompts and 4 short prompts - but you do need both kinds.

Q. Per the optional prompt, I want to request somebody make art for my fic or fic for my art. But I thought we’re not supposed to indicate that we only want art or fic?

For this one prompt, the medium can be dictated. Please don’t indicate a preference anywhere else in your letter, and please don’t indicate that you only want to have this particular prompt filled. All prompts in your letter should be something that you’d be equally happy receiving.

Q. My fic/art wasn’t part of a Big Bang, Reverse Bang or the TRB, but somebody already made me art/fic for it. Can I still request art/fic for it in the new optional prompt?

Yes.

Q. Can we discuss our prompts or our recipient's prompts on IRC, Discord, or any other chat?

No. The exchange is meant to be anonymous. Please don’t give your prompts or recipient away in any public place. You can obviously login to chat and ask someone to brainstorm with you in private!

Q. Do works created for this exchange have to be holiday-themed?

No, there isn’t any overall theme. The prompts can be about everything and anything.

Q. Can I back out if I don't like any of the prompts I've been given?

If you are worried about getting prompts you won't like, make sure to only offer things you’re really comfortable creating. Just remember the goal of this exchange is to create a gift for someone else. So, even if you don't "like" the prompts, try creating something anyway. If you really feel that you are unable to fill any of the prompts you have been given, please contact the mods first and we will try to work with you.

Q. The plot prompts on my assignment are pretty complex, and I do art. Can I do a piece of art, and then write a fic alongside it to cover the rest of the prompt?

Yes. If you submit the art and fic separately, make it clear that the two works are connected. Also, remember you have to have both pieces finished and submitted by the December 20th deadline. Otherwise it will be considered incomplete and you’ll be automatically defaulted.

Of course, you can also choose to fill one of the short prompts in your assignments with only a piece of art instead.

Q. Will you read over my fic / take a look at my art and tell me if you think X will like it?

In a fandom this size, odds are that we may not be any more familiar with your recipient than you are. If you're worried about your gift, we encourage you to ask a friend what they think. Writers can also take a look at the comm's beta list and find someone on there who can provide constructive feedback on how the fic fills the prompt.

Q. Do I have to have a beta?

You don’t have to have a beta, but it’s encouraged. If you're a writer looking for a beta, the comm's list of active beta readers is a great place to start.

Q. What should I do if I want to ask my recipient a question?

Don’t ask them yourself, not even anonymously on tumblr. If you need to ask your recipient anything, email us at cap.im.events@gmail.com and we’ll pass your question along and their response back to you.

Q. How do I post my art on Ao3?

Unfortunately, AO3 doesn't host art. You'll need to upload your art elsewhere, and then insert it into the body of your work with the following code:

Q. I've finished my gift. How do I post it to the exchange?

Navaan created an awesome guide on how to do this! If you need additional help, ask us here in the comments.

Q. It's December 20th and I'm REALLY close to finishing, but I'm not done yet. Can I upload my unfinished piece and try to finish before reveals?

No. Assigned gifts must be complete by the due-date (December 20th). If you aren't yet finished, please send us an email at cap.im.events@gmail.com. Incomplete works and WIPs will not be approved by the mods, and attempts to sneak one in may result in limited bans from future cap-ironman collaborative events.

Q. Can I have an extension?

Email us with the specifics at cap.im.events@gmail.com to discuss it. Please don't email us four hours before deadline; if you think you might need an extension, ask earlier rather than later.

Q. Can I post my gift (that I created) to tumblr?

Of course, but only after we reveal creators around January 6th. Please tag it with #capimexchange so we can see and reblog it.

Q. If I have to drop out, will I still receive a gift?

Yes, unless your gift-creator also has to drop out. If you have dropped out and your gift-creator drops out, your request will not be assigned to a pinch-hitter.

Q. When will my gift/fill be revealed?

Gifts will be revealed in daily batches starting December 26th. While you are waiting for your own gift, you can enjoy gifts made for other participants or the community. Remember to be patient: all works will be revealed within the reveals period.

Q. How are you going to deal with the AO3 feed problem?

For those unaware, AO3 feeds send out work notifications when an unrevealed work is posted, but not when it is revealed. This means that users who track new works by feeds will not see any automatic announcement when the work is available to read.

In order to make up for this, the cap-ironman DW and tumblr will be posting daily round-ups during reveals. As they are round-ups, we encourage all our tumblr followers to reblog these announcements without worrying about de-anoning themselves prematurely. We will also be reminding creators to update the 'date updated' on their work after it has been revealed, in order to move it to the top of search results and tag listings. After author reveals, we will be encouraging creators to post their own work announcements to the tags on tumblr, and will reblog any such announcements we see. We will also post individual work announcements at the request of the creator, if that creator would prefer it to posting their own announcement. Wider reminders and announcements of the above will be made during reveals.

Q. Do I have to be of a certain age to participate?
A. Yes, you have to be over 18 to take part in the main exchange. Everyone can take part in the Comm Gifts part of the challenge, though.

Q. Can I request a poly relationship?
A. No. This is a Steve/Tony challenge. In compliance with the community's events rules, non-Steve/Tony relationships or moresomes involving other characters are not allowed as focus of either requests or created gifts. Steve/Tony moresomes consisting of more than one Steve or Tony are welcome.

Q. I have a question that hasn't been answered here.
A. Email us at cap.im.events@gmail.com, send the cap-ironman tumblr an ask, or leave a comment at this post.