Pod-Together 2021 Rules

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Audio of Pod-Together 2021 Rules:

Welcome to pod_together, a challenge where writers and podficcers create together—the writer creating text specifically intended for audio, and the podficcer creating the audio.

While we encourage participants to read the FAQ, here are the basic rules you need to know going in:

Basic Rules

Minimum Length: The minimum length is 1000 words or 10 minutes of audio. A project is only required to meet one of these minimums, and it can be met by either a single longer work or multiple shorter works.

Content and Tagging Rules: We have two content moderation rules, and one former rule that is now a strong suggestion. Please make sure you read them before signing up, and let us know any questions you have about them at any point during this round of Pod-Together!

Check-ins: There are 3 mandatory check-ins for those who were matched by mods (those who used Match Maker Sign-ups). Check-ins help you make sure you’re on track to meet your deadlines, give partners specific times to inform each other of progress, and also open up conversations so you can let us know how to best support you. In addition to checking in with mods at this time, participants are required to share their rough drafts/work in progress with their partner(s) at each check-in.

Extensions and Deadlines: Each participant can receive a maximum extension of 7 days past their deadline. Extensions of 3 days will be granted automatically to everyone, and extensions of 7 days will be granted automatically to those who used Group Sign Ups. For those who used Match Maker Sign Ups, if extensions of 4–7 days are needed, please include a plan for how you intend to finish within that time.

After requesting an extension, you should receive a confirmation from mods when the extension request has been received and approved. If you haven’t gotten a message confirming the date of your extension within 24 hours, please follow up.

Failing to meet the date of your extension counts as an automatic drop-out.

If you miss a deadline without requesting an extension, you will be sent a reminder email and be given a 48 hour grace period in which to meet the deadline. Again, failing to meet the deadline after the grace period counts as an automatic drop-out. In case of such an event, your partner will be offered a pinch hit and your project will no longer be part of the modded challenge. (There are no long term consequences for dropping out!) You are still welcome to complete your project and submit it as a Party Favor if you’d like.

Final Product: While this challenge primarily produces stories, as long as your submission is a collaboration with an audio component and all group members are happy, the form your submission takes is up to you. This means that meta, filk, or non-narrative poetry, for example, are possible end products.

Posting: Every participant will need an AO3 account. If you don't have one already, please let the mods know (pod.together@gmail.com) if you need help setting one up. All projects will be posted to AO3.

If the audio and text are in the same AO3 post, the audio should be at the top. If the audio and text are in separate posts, they should link to each other at the top.

Please note that groups cannot use a text (or podfic) that has been previously posted, unless it is revised significantly enough to merit a new, separate post that will go up during pod_together reveals.

Reveals happen across the course of ten days, with a few podfics from the collection revealed each day. Mods will make and post a reveal schedule before the first day of reveals.

Hosting: Traditionally all podfics were hosted on paraka's website so we could ensure active downloads/streams, which is still an option for those who want it. However, podfics can now be hosted elsewhere if the group prefers.

Your podfic must be available for listening in both streaming and mp3 download formats. A streaming player directly on the AO3 post is highly recommended, but not required. We will provide tutorials for this, and participants are also welcome to ask for support at any time on the Pod_Together Discord!

If you wish to remove your component of the project at a later date, you are free to do so, but you may not take down your partner’s work without their consent. For those hosting with paraka, if you ever want/need to have a file taken down, please email pod.together@gmail.com.

Remember: This should be an equal collaboration, although ultimately the writer gets the final say over the words of the work and the podficcer gets the final say over the audio.

Timeline

Friday May 28th Match Maker Sign-ups open.
Friday June 4th Group Sign-ups open.
Saturday June 12th All sign-ups close.
Sunday June 13th Assignments go out to everybody from Match Maker Sign-ups.
Monday June 14th through Friday June 18th Icebreaker week.
Monday July 5th Check-in #1.
Sunday July 18th Check-in #2.
Wednesday July 21st Early writing submission date.
Sunday July 25th All writing due.
Sunday August 8th Check-in #3.
Wednesday August 18th Early podfic submission date.
Sunday August 22nd All podfic due.
Thursday August 26th Posting starts.
Saturday September 4th Posting ends, Party Favors due.
Sunday September 5th Party Favors posted.

Major changes from previous years of this challenge

We've changed the posting rules to allow for text and audio to be in separate AO3 posts if the group prefers, as long as each part of the work has a link to the other part of the work at the top of its post.

We have changed the extension rule so that those who signed up as a group get an automatic 7-day extension without needing to include a plan for how they will use the time.

Party Favor projects that finish and turn in their text by the writing deadline and that meet the length minimum now have the option to switch to the modded part of the challenge and be revealed during the regular posting period.

We have clarified that any additions or changes made to the writing after the writing deadline are optional, not mandatory, for the podficcer to include in their audio.