hoo boy

It’s that time again already!

As always, even if you aren’t participating, I’d be very grateful if you could signal boost by re-blogging!  I’ll also be cross-posting to my Twitter *here* so RTs much appreciated if you’re on there ~

What’s a Secret Santa?

For those who have never done a Secret Santa before, the way it works is you submit a gift request, which goes into a pool which is then randomised. The randomised requests are then handed out to the participants.

So basically, its Mystery Gift! Everyone draws/writes a Dota-themed gift for someone. You won’t know who it’s for, and you won’t know who is doing yours! Then at the exchange, the completed gifts are handed out anonymously to whomever they belong, via email.

Sounds good, where do I sign?

Send your email applications right here!   -> [email protected]

What do I write in my  application email?

1. Your name / tumblr tag / most used social media - a link to your blog would also be helpful so I know who you are and can contact you if emails are not working or something. A link to examples of your work (art tag, etc) is also appreciated!

2. Preferred gift rating.  NSFW requests are totally okay as long as they are not offensive/racist/sexist but if you’d like something NSFW, please also provide a SFW alternative request as not everyone is comfortable producing such content. If you don’t mind receiving NSFW but would prefer not to submit it, please tell me and vice versa.

3. Your actual request!  If you prefer shipping/non shipping, please include this in your signup email. Please try to word your request so that it can be filled by either an artist or writer, if possible, as your gift-giver is randomly assigned!

Examples of requests (just for reference, there’s no required format)

- a pairing or your favourite character/s doing [something of your choice]

- an AU with [character/pairing]

Your requests don’t have to be seasonal-themed, request whatever you like!

4. Whether you would be able to pinch-hit (fill an extra gift if needed).

5. Whether you would like to remain anonymous to your gift recipient and/or on the master-post of entries (which will be posted up on Tumblr a few days after gift exchange)

———-   DEADLINES   ————–

Applications Close:  29th October 2024, 00:00 GMT

Prompts Sent Out to Participants: by 1st November 2024, 00:00 GMT

Gift submission: 20th December 2024, 22:00 GMT

(Please submit your completed gifts to [email protected])

Gift Exchange: 22nd - 24th December 2024 (TBC)

———-      RULES/GUIDELINES     —————–

- Don’t be a butt. (generally the best rule to live by)

- Complete the gift using your MAD SKILLS, whether that’s drawing or writing fanfic! If you have other cool magic abilities like animating or using SFM, you’re welcome to use those too!

- Please submit completed works only. Your gift should be fully coloured if it’s art (unless you are specifically doing a monochrome / inked piece), and properly formatted, spell-checked and at least 1,000 words if it’s a written piece.

- For written pieces, google doc links/word documents are fine for the email exchange, but if you want me to include your fic in the tumblr master-post please bear in mind you need to post it somewhere link-able such as AO3.

- if you are submitting NSFW art, AO3 hosts art too and can be a good alternative to tumblr/twitter restrictions.

- Please don’t post any completed gifts on your blog until gifts have been exchanged!

- if the deadline is approaching and you know you won’t be able to submit your piece in time, please tell me as soon as possible so I can arrange for someone else to fill your assigned prompt.

- I’ll be tracking the tumblr tag ‘dota secret santa 2024’. If you have any issues, inbox me, email me or DM me on Twitter! (link above)  

There’s also a Discord group - please let me know if you’d like an invite!