The First Deadline Approaches!

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

Hello Everyone,

1) The Deadlines

The deadline for first-timers at rs_small_gifts will soon be upon us. Anyone who has not participated in the exchange in the past should be planning to submit their gift by Sunday, November 30. If you need an extension, please let us know as soon as possible.

The deadline for returning participants is December 7.

If you are offering a second gift, you do not have to abide by the same deadlines for the second gift. Second gifts do have to be posted before December 30th and we ask you to give us an estimate of when you will have it completed so that we can stagger posting.

2) Posting

When you post your (beta'd) fic or art work, it will be entered into a moderated queue and beginning on December 1st, we will select a couple of gifts to post each day. A few things to remember about posting:

-Guidelines for posting and a text box for headers can be found HERE.
-Please check the formatting of your gift by choosing the "preview" option on your journal before you post. If you do post and there are formatting problems, we will reject it so that you can post again. If you notice before we do, please let us know.
-If you have trouble posting, let us know. If you need help with html, mindabbles has a handy little guide for html basics for the formatting challenged (and by that, she means herself). Comment with your email to this post if you would like it.
-You will not be able to post a second gift until your first one is out of the queue.

3) Betas

If you are a writer, please use a beta. If you can offer to beta for someone else or need one, drop by the Beta Lounge. If you have trouble finding a beta, let us know.

ETA If you need to contact us regarding the deadline or with any other questions, you can comment here or email us at smallgiftsmods@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Comments

[a_shadow_there.livejournal.com]

If possible, would I be able to get an extension till the Wednesday?

Let me know guys,

Thanks.

xxx

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

That's totally fine. Thanks for letting us know.

-S

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

If you need a pinch-hitter, I'm around for the milder stuff. I'm keeping an eye open in case you post looking for one!

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Fabulous! Thank you so much. We will be in touch.

[fullmoon-dreams.livejournal.com]

Regarding my second gift. It is done and beta checked. I can post it to the moderation queue as soon as the first one I submitted is made public. Being a bit of a donkey, I had tried to post it earlier this week - oops - didn't know about the one post per poster in the queue rule.

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

I hope it's fine - because I really, really cannot restrict it. I've already cut off some scenes and sentences, but I just can't get down my fiction to 3,000 words. Would it be that bad if it was more? I'm sorry, but I really can't cut it down! If all would go the way I'd need it to, I'd probably say my fic is about 3,500 - 3,700 words.

Pretty please? Please pleasepleasplease? :-(?

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

That's fine. The word count limit is more of a guideline to keep this low-key and low-stress. We will certainly not reject a fic that is a few hundred words over 3k (mine may well be). :)

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

Sheesh, thanks a lot :D

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

You are welcome!

[fullmoon-dreams.livejournal.com]

Breathes a sigh of relief that that was your answer - since both of mine went over 3000 too.

[starkdependant]

Is there a word count limit? Also, are we allowed to link back to personal journals to keep all our comments/fics together or do we have to post directly to the comm?

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

Well in this post here:
http://community.livejournal.com/rs_small_gifts/45504.html

they said, 'remember small gifts (fics like 1,000 to 3,000 words)'.... along this line anyway. :-/

[starkdependant]

I'm an idiot, of course there's a limit. I knew that D: sorry

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

Well if you're an idiot, so am I. I just can't restrict it :-( I'm at 2,900 words and the most important part is yet to follow. *sob*

[starkdependant]

I know! I have so many things I want to include but m'like, THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. woeful.

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

So you think I have no chance? I have to restrict all of it? I'm not even through with the final scene :O

[starkdependant]

maybe they'll let you extend it a bit? m'sure it's not really strict.

[roterhimmel.livejournal.com]

I hoooo-ooooope. Because otherwise I'm devastated :(

Well, I guess all I can do is waiting for an answer, then. *crosses fingers*

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

The word count limit is a guideline, not an absolute. It must be near or over 1k and should not exceed 3k by much. It is more to make it clear that this is a low-stress exchange that does not expect either drabbles or novellas.

We do ask that you post directly to the community since it is a gift exchange at the community. Also, since we will be choosing when to make each fic public it needs to be at the community in the queue. You are free to post it at your journal and cross post elsewhere as soon as it is up here. But, we will also post daily announcements on remusxsirius, so keep that in mind.

[rev02a.livejournal.com]

So let's say, hypothetically someone (who is not me, obviously, because that would be foolish) needs an extension to send a written piece to a beta? Could I---er someone have... until... ugh... soon? Like a day or two after Sunday?

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

Could you ask the person of whom you speak if Wednesday would work for them? If so, tell her or him to let us know. :)

[silver-apples.livejournal.com]

I forgot about the upper word limit until I read this post. Mine's a little over 5000. Is that okay? I can probably cut it down, but I don't know how much.

I know this question's already been asked, but I got the impression those people were just a little over 3000.

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

That's fine. Again, this is a low-stress fest. The word limits are guidelines. The point of this fest when it was founded was that good things come in small packages and a short fic can be wonderful. If you've already created a story that is longer, we will certainly accept it. Low-stress... :)

[crooked.livejournal.com]

hello, mods! i sent out my fic to two betas and one just got back to me today, but i'd already submitted my fic to the queue [thinking i'd not hear back from her in time]. would it be possible for you to reject it so i can adjust a few things? thanks!

edit: you know, if it's easier i can just edit it once the post eventually goes up. it's just two small mistakes that i can correct then. whatever you guys decide is fine with me :)

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

Done!

[crooked.livejournal.com]

thank you! i'll resubmit in a bit so i make the deadline :D

[spacefragments.livejournal.com]

i... have a problem. i might be late with my gift. i will try my hardest to have it finished on time, but i have finals every day next week and i really need to concentrate on those... if i could have an extension until next weekend, i will make finishing this my first priority as soon as i'm done with finals. maybe even sooner during the week, if i can.

i'm sorry this is so last minute. :[

[mindabbles.livejournal.com]

You asked before the 7th--that makes it not last minute! Would the 15th work for you?

min

[spacefragments.livejournal.com]

sounds great! i'll still try to finish it before then.

[spacefragments.livejournal.com]

hi, i'm replying again to let you know that i might be late... even later. i changed my computer yesterday and i'm having a lot of troubles installing my scanner, and i don't have any image editing programs. :/ i've been fighting with it all day and i still haven't been able to fix it. i'll figure something out, but i might have to post it tomorrow.

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

Hi there, Thanks for keeping in touch. As long as we know it is coming, we don't have to panic. Sorry for your computer troubles. Tomorrow would be fine and just let us know if you odn't get it worked out. Thank you,

min

[spacefragments.livejournal.com]

hah, i actually just finished it... going to post it now.

sorry to be such a pain! :p

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

hooray! I can't wait to see it. :)

[starkdependant]

Hi, I was wondering if I could pretty please get an extension? Some unexpected work for uni happened and although I've started my gift I can't finish it on time, could I have maybe a week or so? or is that pushing it? I really don't want to back out.

[starkdependant]

I know this is reallyreallyreally last minute too, but I kinda thought I could get it done via magic or osmosis or something, and then I just ran out of time, despite furious tapping away all day.

[smallgiftsmods.livejournal.com]

Thanks for letting us know.

If we give you until the 14th, will that work?

[starkdependant]

Thank you so much! I've been writing like mad all evening so m'almost finished actually but the 14th is ace, you're so understanding!