amplificathon | the amplificathon podfic challenge faq (2008 challenge)

what the heck is this amplificathon challenge thing?
the

amplificathon is a points-based podfic-creating challenge. podfics, in case you haven't heard, are audio recordings of fanfic.

who is running this thing and why?
your co-mods are

anatsuno,

raz0rgirl, and

general_jinjur. they all three are in general agreement about podfic (they like it) and diversity of fandoms/within fandoms (they like that even more). they enjoy both listening to and recording podfic.

general_jinjur also maintains a multifandom podfic archive, audiofic.

the audiofic archive is heavily weighted toward fandoms that have grabbed hold of the idea and run with it, but we all thought it would be nice if we could help that to balance out a bit, in the interest of offering something for everyone.

also, we weren't able to find any other annual podfic challenges, so we figured why not?

what's the timeframe & what are the deadlines?
challenge begins April 7, and ends eight weeks later, on June 2 - right around the beginning of summer. because summer is peak audiobook listening time, and wouldn't it be nice to bump up the number of fics to choose from?

do i need to sign up or tell anyone what i am going to record?
no. that way lies overcommitment. if you do it, join the comm and post it! if you want to do more, do more! it's all up to you. no pressure! unless you like pressure, in which case feel free to announce your to-do list in your lj, and pretend we are breathing down your neck about it.

do i have to allow archiving of my recording?
well. yes. i mean, the whole point is to share the results. but after the whole shebang is over, if you really don't want the file archived, it will be removed. we only ask in that case that you allow it to be available for six months first.

what about crossposting?
you can post about your recording and/or link to it wherever you want. it's yours. but posting about it in this community gets your challenge points counted. :D

what format should i save my file in? what sound quality should i save my file as?
mp3, please! if you wind up with a different format, we might be able to convert it. mp3 is the most universally accessible. alternate additional formats are great too, but they may not be uploaded to the archive until after the challenge is over, depending on how much free time the mods have.

bitrate and sound quality are up to the reader. some people hear a tinniness in lower quality files, some don't. it's up to you.

do i need to prove that i have the author's permission?
we expect all participants to have a basic grasp of etiquette, and to ask the author whenever the author hasn't already given a blanket permission. if you wrote the story yourself, probably this step isn't necessary. :p we aren't going to check up on you, in any case. how would we, anyway? notarized letters?

what are the minimum and maximum lengths of a recording?
there are no time or file size constraints, but if someone records something insanely huge, extra points are negotiable (we'd likely do a poll if the situation came up). drabbles are okay, too.

how do i upload files?
well, you can use yousendit or megaupload or whatever. or your own webspace. or if the file is under 20 MB, you can email it as an attachment to audmod at gmail dot com. the mods will upload it in turn to a permanent home in the archive in as timely a manner as possible, and comment on your post/reply to your email with the permanent link.

i want to get the maximum points possible for each recording! how do i find small or unrepresented fandom stories?
find stories your usual way! do your favorites. but if you are trying to maximize your points, we encourage you to find stories in fandoms you are interested in via reccers and recs sites. larger fandoms have their own communities as well, and don't forget that just because a fandom is otherwise big and active doesn't mean it's well-represented with podfic! you can read your own stories, or other people's writing - that part's totally up to you. :)

some handy links:

recsrainbow (multifandom recs comm)
the rck's recs (multifandom reccer)

makesmewannadie's recs tag, and her reccing the reccers post (multifandom reccer)

thefourthvine (multifandom reccer)

crack_van (multifandom recs comm)

newbieguide (multifandom directory comm)
yuletide fandom index (small fandoms)
polyamorous recs (multifandom recs site)
and there's always del.icio.us, of course.

what if i record a multi-chapter story in multiple parts? do i get points for each part? what if i have an existing multipart project?
go you! and no. you can only count a project once. if you have an existing multipart project and manage to finish it within the eight week timeframe, post to the community and we'll count it toward your score.

who will win and how? and what do they win?
the people with the top 3 scores, according to the scheme outlined here (not including the mods, even if they suddenly feel really energetic, natch) get a prize! the prize is worldwide acclaim! (seeing how the mods and participants are in at least a couple of countries, this is pretty easy.) the prizes also may include: podfic covers; podbook (m4b) file conversions; a podbook anthology of each winner's works; custom read-to-order podfics; a shmancy prize graphic. SO MANY PRIZES.

there will also be a participant graphic or button or something. something pretty. :)

what is the end result of all of this?
more podfic for everyone! multifandom love! also, the first new-fandom file from the first twenty participants will be put together into a podbook anthology album, sampler-style.