Archive of Our Own

I'm pleased to welcome you once again to the Dean/Castiel Secret Santa Sign-Ups.

Why should you join? Simple! What better way to ring in the new year than with the gift of love, specifically Dean/Castiel love? We're here to offer you the chance to make another fan's day a little brighter by sharing your talent. The added bonus is you receive your very own present in return. Sound awesome?

A little info:

Sign-ups will be accepted between October 17th and November 14th, 2016. After that date, sign-ups will be closed. The gift assignments will then be sent out between November 16th and November 18th.

Completed gifts will be due no later than January 4th.

1.How soon do I need to sign up?
The community will close to new sign-ups on November 14th.
2. When will I receive my assignment?
Assignments will go out between November 16th and 18th, this should allow ample time for "Santas" to fulfill their requests.
3. If I choose to participate, when will my piece be due?
January 4th.
4. When will the fic/art be posted?
All works will be posted in batches during the winter hiatus, January 9th - January 19th. The mods will post an unmasked masterlist on January 31st.
5. How long should my fic be?
We understand that the holidays are busy for everyone. In the spirit of giving, we request that your piece be at least 1500 words in length. However, if the prompt hits you and you feel the urge to write an epic Dickensian reimagining of A Christmas Carol, by all means go for it.
6. What if I sign up, but can't complete my assignment?
Again, we understand that the holidays are busy and that unforeseen circumstances arise. Please contact us as soon as possible so we can arrange for someone to pinch-hit the prompt you were assigned. We would appreciate if you don't utilize this option just because you don't like your prompt. We will be going to a great deal of effort to see that requests are appropriately matched with "Santas".
7. How do I post my entry when I complete it?
Since this is a Secret Santa exchange, please submit your entry to the AO3 collection then email the appropriate LJ-formatted headers to the mod address: deancas.xmasmod @ gmail.com. Entries will be released to the AO3 collection for viewing on the scheduled day. All "Santas" will be revealed after the new year. Please review the Submission Guidelines and Templates post for header requirements.
8. Can I write a crossover?
If specifically requested, you can certainly write a crossover. If you have a burning crossover idea that you simply cannot seem to shake, please contact the mods and we will try to facilitate getting the question asked and answered.
9. What about RPS?
Since there is a significant overlap between the Dean/Castiel fandom and the Jensen/Misha fandom, we welcome RPS prompts in the pairing. If you have an aversion to writing RPS, please make certain to mention it in your request.
10. What if I don't have an AO3 account?
If you don't have an AO3 account please either leave a comment requesting an invite on the screened question post or email the mods at deancas. xmasmod @ gmail.com. You will not be able to participate without an AO3 account.

1. This is event is focused on the Supernatural pairing Dean/Castiel and the RPS pairing Jensen/Misha. If these pairings are not your thing you're in the wrong place and the moderators reserve the right to deny your sign-up. That said, gen fic and/or pre-slash that is focused on the relationship between either Dean and Castiel or Jensen and Misha is welcome. Also, participants must keep in mind that this event it's an exchange. If you're going to sign-up, you have to be prepared to give a gift in return.
2. Additional characters and crossovers are more than welcome within the scope of your request, but please keep in mind that your Secret Santa may not know the fandom you'd like to crossover with or care for the other character you'd like to incorporate. We'd recommend against prompting with three crossover ideas as it would reduce the likelihood of you getting a gift you will truly enjoy.
3. We will ask for your AO3 handle on the sign-up form. If you do not have an AO3 account and would like to participate in the exchange, please contact us us via email (deancas.xmasmod at gmail dot com) to request an invite.
4. Once you're assigned a giftee, please keep their request in mind as you craft their gift. Please don't veer wildly away from their likes/dislikes even if you can't fulfill one of their prompts specifically.
5. It is in your own best interest to provide as a detailed as possible wishlist when you sign-up for the event.
6. Submission requirements are as follows: Fiction: At least 1500 words in length, using appropriate beta readers and headers. Original art: At least one large art item of significant quality/resolution. Digital art package: At least one large art item (wallpaper, LJ header), and either a second large art item or a collection of smaller items (icons, animations). Vids: At least 1:30 in length.
7. Let's talk about spoilers. Although the exchange is taking place on the AO3 you will still need to submit your fic headers for livejournal to our email account (deancas.xmasmod at gmail dot com). You will need to "hide" whatever Supernatural Season 11 spoilers you include in the header of your finished fic/art. There are several ways to do this, though two of the easiest and most effective ones are: LJ Cutting and white-lineing/black-lineing the spoilery sentences. If you don't know how to do it, please, refer to our Formatting Guidelines post where you'll find a mini-tutorial explaining the processes.
8. There will be a series of deadlines to be observed so please keep an eye on the community and your e-mail so you don't miss them. If, for whatever reason, you need an extension in any of the previously mentioned deadlines, please, send an email to the mods at deancas.xmasmod @ gmail.com and let us know. Also, if you realize that you'll be unable to fulfill your gift assignment, please, contact the mods as soon as possible so they can arrange a pinch hitter.
9. Concerning the format of your submissions, please refer to the Formatting Guidelines and the Submission Guidelines and Templates posts to learn about the procedures.
10. If you defaulted and/or dropped out of the challenge last year, you will not be eligible to sign-up this year. If you default and/or drop out this year, you will not be eligible to sign-up next year. The moderators are reasonable people though and if you did drop last year for acceptable reasons, please send your appeal to deancas.xmasmod at gmail.com.
11. Let's keep it peaceful and wank-free and behave ourselves like the sensible individuals we are.