Last Minute Sub

A Football RPF fic and art exchange

[lastminutesub]

Are you running the exchange again this year?

Hi Anon! Unfortunately we're both too busy rn to be running the exchange again this year. - Caitlin & Kate

[lastminutesub]

Author Reveals and Post-Exchange Thoughts

That’s all folks! Authors have been revealed and Last Minute Sub 2018 is done!

To all our authors, betas, cheerleaders, and readers we cannot say THANK YOU enough! You’re all the reason this exchange has been a great success <3

Like last year, we have a post-exchange feedback post up on DW where we’ll present any ideas for changes to the rules we’re thinking of adding for next year , and we highly encourage you all to tell us if there’s something we can do to make the next round even better :D

[lastminutesub]

When will authors be revealed? I'm so excited to know who wrote me for me!

Soon!

[lastminutesub]

The Collection is Live!

Last Minute Sub 2018 is open for reading! Go read and comment on all the wonderful fics :D

Authors, if you want to respond to comments during the anon period you absolutely can! As long as you’re signed into your AO3 account, any comment you reply to on your fic will show as “Anonymous Creator” until reveals.

As a reminder, commenting on your gift fic is now mandatory for future participation in Last Minute Sub. For a refresher on how this rule works, see here.

Also, if you notice a high number of hits right off the bat we’re thinking it’s an AO3 problem because we definitely did not check fics 10+ times, but the archive currently has no solution to this issue.

Happy reading!

[lastminutesub]

Final Warning!

There’s about 3hrs until the collection opens \o/ 

Get those last minute treats finished, those last minute edits submitted, and get excited- we’re in the final countdown!

[lastminutesub]

Me as a beta reader: adds a word here and there, resists the urge to rewrite entire sentences. Me as someone who is reading the fic I beta: SHIT THIS IS SO CUTE AHH WTF Conclusion: writing and reading is vastly different. Readers are much more likely to love your work than yourself, even if you yourself don't like it. #writingpositivity #deadlinedaythoughts

Well said!

[lastminutesub]

When will works be revealed?

THIS IS YOUR 48 HOUR COLLECTION OPENING WARNING

All assignments are in! To allow time for last-minute editing and any bonus assignments that participants may still want to work on, the Last Minute Sub 2018 collection will officially open on Saturday, October 13th at 12:00 PM PDT (What time is that for me?)

As a reminder, all works will remain anonymous until creator reveals on October 17th. Please do your best to maintain the spirit of gift-giving anonymity until then!

Let us know if you have any questions, and see you on the 13th! :)

[lastminutesub]

I'm HIGHKEY EXCITED for reveals!!!

US TOO :D

[lastminutesub]

just a curious onlooker, but how many fics do you expect the collection to have this time around?

There are currently 20 fics that have been submitted to the collection so far, and I think we’re only missing one assignment. So, 21 plus if we get any more treats submitted.

The main descriptions- titles, tags, summaries, etc.- are all still hidden, but you can check out the Works page for the collection and do a little gift shaking if you’re curious.

[lastminutesub]

The submission deadline has passed!

What happens next?

We have one author working with an extension, but no pinch hits at this time. If the author does not complete their submission by 12:00 PM PDT October 10th, they will automatically default and a final pinch hit will then go out.

Just in case you want to join the last-minute pinch hit fun, you can still sign up for the pinch hit list!

When all the assignments are in, mods will give at least 48 hours of notice before the collection opens, which will be no later than 12:00 PM PDT October 13th (what time is that for me?). You are able to edit your fics and the collection will stay open until then for any last minute treats.

In the meantime, get excited for all of these amazing works and stay tuned for further announcements!

[lastminutesub]

24 Hours Until Assignments Are Due!

Today is the day!  Assignments are due today, October 6th at 11:59 PM PST (What time is that for me?)

As a final reminder,  any assignments not submitted by the deadline will be defaulted and sent out as pinch hits. If you’d like to sign up for the Pinch Hitter List, it’s always open and there is no commitment once you’ve signed up.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and happy writing!

[lastminutesub]

A little less than four hours left to get those assignments in!

[lastminutesub]

24 Hours Until Assignments Are Due!

Today is the day!  Assignments are due today, October 6th at 11:59 PM PST (What time is that for me?)

As a final reminder,  any assignments not submitted by the deadline will be defaulted and sent out as pinch hits. If you’d like to sign up for the Pinch Hitter List, it’s always open and there is no commitment once you’ve signed up.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and happy writing!

[lastminutesub]

Okay, if the first chapter works as a complete story, can we post it? It's well over 1k words, but I have a second installment in mind. I can just write that as a separate fic in a series instead of including a second chapter in the fic.

Again, we would really prefer if you emailed us off anon for conversations like these. 

However, yes, as long as your fic is a complete story of 1000 words or more with the requested characters, it fits the requirements for this exchange. Just don’t add a note saying that another part will come later; that does break the rules as it renders the story incomplete. You’re welcome to add it to a series at any point after reveals.

[lastminutesub]

I physically won't be able to sumbit my work on time so therefore it'll be defaulted. Is it okay if I message my fic recipient personally and explain myself before the day the collection is live, or should I wait? Again, really sorry and really angry at myself that I couldn't make it.

Anon, if you know your work won’t be in on time and will be auto-defaulted, please give us a little more wiggle room to find a pinch hitter by defaulting. You can go to your Assignments page on AO3 and default there. Alternately, please email us. Messaging us anonymously really doesn’t work as well in these scenarios.

While we can’t tell you what to do since it isn’t in the rules, there are several reasons we advise not messaging your intended recipient. It defeats the purpose of an anonymous exchange, and while you feel bad about not finishing your fic, groveling at your recipient is likely going to make them feel bad too. Please remind yourself that life happens, everyone defaults from time to time (your mods sure have before!) and it isn’t the end of the world. No need to beat yourself up over it. You’re always welcome to finish the fic later and post it outside the collection gifted to your recipient, we don’t mind at all!

But most importantly: If you know you’ll have to default, please default now as we get into a pretty compressed timeline for pinch hitters post-deadline.

[lastminutesub]

Do we have to choose/say which request we are writing out of the three requests?

The same rules apply for assignments as they do for treats – the work you create must be at least 1,000 words, featuring the characters in the request, and not featuring any DNWs the recipient may have provided. If this is for a treat, you will still be gifting the fic to the recipient who requested the fic, not just posting it to the collection without a recipient – so while you don’t have to say in the author’s notes which request you’re writing for, it’ll be pretty obvious. You are welcome to mention the request if you want to though, some authors enjoy doing that!

[lastminutesub]

Can we just choose a random request as a treat? Because what if the assigned writer is already writing that request?

This seems to be a concern we get every year! Yes, you can treat for any request you want, even if someone else is also writing it. Requests are not first come, first serve and there is no rule that only one work can be created for each request. As always, we subscribe to the more cake theory. Write what your heart wants to write, anon.

[lastminutesub]

When does the collection itself close? I finished and submitted my fic, but I might write my recipient a treat – do the same deadlines apply there, or could I post that until reveals? Thank you for organizing this as always!!

The collection will stay open right up until we flip the switch for reveals- so 12pm PST October 13th. If you’re interested in writing treats, the regular deadline does not not apply! You’re free to post a treat whenever between now and when the collection goes live.

Thank you for participating, random citizen!