Okay, folks, we are getting close to reveals! I hope you are as excited as I am to read all that beautiful fic!

However, we’re seeing a fair number of last minute beta requests, and a bunch of folks are still tweaking their stories and would like a little more time, so we’ve made a modly decision to delay the reveal just a tiiiiiiiiny bit. We’re going to give you until Saturday morning (approximately 10am EST) to make sure your story is exactly as you want it.

If you’re freaking out a bit about getting done, feel free to Contact A Mod or leave a comment here – comments will be screened this time around. We understand there’s been a lot going on this January, so a little freaking out is not unwelcome, and we'll do our best to accommodate everyone's need for time, or hugs, or cheerleading.

If you are either looking for a beta or willing to do some last-minute betaing, please go to our beta services post. If you have offered to beta before, we have screened your comment for the new year's fest, and you must comment to let us know you’re available this year.

And while you’re waiting, won’t you consider writing a little treat? The Ante Up: The Losers Fic Scramble 2012 is open and accepting treats for all participants. There’s no size limit, so drabbles and shorts are more than welcome! Letters are linked in this post as well as in the table of sign-ups. Anyone can write treats, even those not participating in the fest, so spread the word! Maybe some of your flist or dwircle will write you surprise treats if you link them to your letter. :D

( Banner and text box to post on your own journal (if you like) under here. )

Sign ups for 2012 Ante Up Losers challenge are open! Please see below for the endgame, rules, and FAQ

THE ENDGAME:

• This is a fic exchange for The Losers. Comics and movie canon are welcome.
  
• Minimum of 1,000 words. There is no maximum word count.
  
• This is an anonymous gift exchange, so please don't post your stories anywhere except the Archive of Our Own (AO3) until the mods do the big reveal.
  
• Posted stories must be complete, so no works in progress please. As long as your story is in the AO3 and complete, you can continue to tweak until and after reveals.
  
• Remember that this is a gift exchange and you're writing a gift for someone else. If you can no longer participate for any reason, then contact the mods ASAP. We want to make sure that everyone receives a fic and we will need to arrange a pinch hitter.
  
• If you're interested in being a pinch hitter, please leave a comment on the Pinch Hit List.

DEADLINES:
Sign up until: November 6, 2011
Assignments will be handed out: November 8, 2011
First check in: December 9, 2011
Second check in: January 6, 2012
Stories should be posted to the AO3 no later than: January 15, 2012 (really, January 16, 2012 at 10am EST)
Stories will go live: January 27, 2012
Authors will be revealed: February 6, 2012

FAQ
So how do I play in the sandbox?
All you have to do is complete this handy dandy form at AO3. We advise that you follow ante_up_losers (or the LJ feed of the comm) for important updates and information.

What if I don't have a Dreamwidth or Archive of Our Own (AO3) account?

You do not have to have a Dreamwidth account to participate in this exchange. Dreamwidth allows you to join, subscribe, and comment to community posts with Open ID.

But if you'd like an invite code, the mods will provide one for you; comment to the Dreamwidth and Archive of Our Own Invite post with the type of account you need (DW, AO3, or both), and the mods will reply to your comment with an invite code. If you don't want to wait, here are a couple of other options.

If you need a Dreamwidth invite code:

• Visit dw_codesharing and see if anyone has a code you can snag.
  
• Ante up $3 for one month's paid time.

If you need an AO3 account:

• Visit Archive of Our Own and put your name and e-mail address in the queue. You'll get your invite code in short order, generally no longer than a week.

Do I have to have a beta?
That'd be awesome. Need a beta? You can request one by commenting to the Beta Services post. And if you're willing to beta, please comment to the same post to let participants know.

What if I miss the deadline?
If you won't be able to write or complete your story for any reason, please CONTACT THE MODS ASAP. We understand that things happen, but this is an exchange. We want to make sure that everyone receives a gift. The sooner you let us know that you will not be able to participate, the sooner we can find a pinch hitter, so when stories go live, everyone will have a gift waiting for them.

Defaulters will not be allowed to sign up for the next Ante Up challenge until they have completed a 1,000 word story in response to their original prompt. It may be posted to the AO3 collection any time after the reveal (February 6, 2012), and your name will be cleared for the next go-round.

What if I defaulted last year?
You will not be eligible to sign up this year unless you post a 1000 word story in response to your original prompt to the AO3 to Ante Up Losers: Fic Scramble 2011 collection.

So what's this pinch hitting thing?
Pinch hitters are awesome. If a writer can't complete their story for any reason, a pinch hitter steps in and writes a story so that everyone who participates gets a story. Sometimes pinch hits come in early; some come in a rush before the posting date, but you will always be able to refuse for whatever reason. If you don't feel like you can do the exchange itself, please consider being on our Pinch Hit List.

How do I contact the mods?
Your friendly mods for this challenge are: kate and lady_krysis.

You can send a PM to either of the mods, comment on the Contact a Mod post, or e-mail them at kisahawklin@gmail.com or lady_krysis@dreamwidth.org.

I have more questions.
Groovy. Leave them in a comment here (all comments screened) or contact a mod and one of us will get back to you.