Where do I sign up?
The signup form can be found here. Make sure to read the FAQ before committing to the exchange.
What is Secret Solenoid?
Secret Solenoid is a gift exchange for Transformers fans! If you’re not familar with the concept of a secret santa, in short: you give a gift and you get a gift! Or in a slightly less short form: everyone who joins the exchange will send in a wishlist with the things they’d like to receive as a fanart/fanfiction gift, and will in turn make someone else a gift based on that person’s wishlist.
When is it happening?
For 2019-2020, the schedule is as follows:
October 15th: Signups Open
November 5th: Signups Close
November 10th: Wishlists Distributed
December 22nd: Gifts Completed
January 1st-6th: Gifts Posted
Can I join?
This exchange is open to TF fan artists/writers. If that describes you, come join us!
(If you signed up for last year’s exchange and dropped out without notice, you will not be eligible to join this year.)
How do I sign up?
There’s a form you’ll need to fill out. You’ll need to send in an email where the mod can contact you, a list of your creating preferences, and a minimum of 3 gift requests. Once signups are live, the google form will be linked in this FAQ and on its own page.
Where is this exchange hosted?
The Secret Solenoid has accounts on Tumblr and Twitter @Secretsolenoid, in addition to the pillowfort community! Information and updates will be posted in both locations, and all participants will be contacted through the emails provided at signup. In addition, there’s an AO3 collection for the exchange.
What do I do if I forgot to include something in my signup?
If you filled out the google form, you can edit your response after you’ve submitted it, or resubmit the form with a note that you’re adding additional information for consideration.
What should my gift be like?
Your gift should be a finished piece. If you’re writing, your piece should be at minimum 1,000 words, edited. For artists, that means an inked/colored piece, rather than a sketch. If you’re doing traditional artwork, the scan/photograph should be good quality.
Is this exchange TFOC friendly?
Original transformers characters are allowed, but they’re not the main focus of this exchange. Because TFOCs are opt-in for creators, please make sure that not all of your wishlist requests include OCs.
Is this exchange NSFW/18+?
Like OCs, NSFW requests are allowed but they aren’t the focus of the exchange. When making your wishlist, prompts can be nsfw-optional, or a mix of sfw and nsfw.
NSFW prompts should only be given/taken by individuals 18 and older.
What if I can’t do anything on the wishlist I was given?
If you can’t do any of the requests on the wishlist you’ve been given, get in contact as soon as possible, and you’ll get a new one to work from instead.
Can I get an extension?
If you realize that your gift is going to be late, you can request an extension before December 15th.
What do I do if I can’t complete my gift at all?
If you need to drop out of the exchange, please reach out ASAP! December 15th is the last day to drop out of the exchange. The best method is at the exchange email, tfsecretsolenoid@gmail.com. That will give the emergency fillers more time to work.
If you drop out of the exchange without notice, you’ll be banned from participating in next year’s exchange.
Do I have to stay anonymous?
You should stay anonymous up until the gift giving starts– no telling your giftee who you are before then! If you have any questions about the requests on your wishlist, you can pass them on through Secret Solenoid
You can reveal yourself when posting your gift during the gift-giving part of the exchange.
How should I send my gift?
All gifts will have to be emailed to the Secret Solenoid email by December 22nd. That said, you’re in charge of posting! You have a few options for that:
1. Post the work to a tumblr/twitter account and @ the secret solenoid account, which will then reblog/retweet your post.
3. Post the work to a third-party website (i.e. Archive of Our Own, Deviantart) and share the link with Secret Solenoid.
4. Email the work to tfsecretsolenoid@gmail.com, for us to post to our tumblr/twitter accounts. This option works best if you want to remain anonymous.
Because this exchange is being hosted on multiple platforms, make sure that your gift is viewable by someone who isn’t a user of the site in question!
Have another question? Just send in an ask.
The moderators for this community are: