What to Expect When the Auction Starts

 
Exciting things in store for the auction tomorrow!

The first items will start posting at 3 AM PST, but remember that they will be open for a while so you don't need to set an alarm if you're on the west coast of the U.S. like me! In fact, I'm praying everything goes smoothly, since I have some appointment commitments tomorrow that were made long before I even thought of the auction.

I will be able to check in occasionally, but please be patient if there's an issue and I can't get to it right away. This is my first auction rodeo, and it's all run by yours truly, so I'm learning as I go along. Thanks in advance for your understanding!

So now to the important bit--if you see an item you want to bid on, how do you do it?

1. Simply click on the post title (like "The Apocalypsies Megapack") and that will open the full post, with a comments field at the bottom.

2. Leave your bid as a comment, and make sure to include an email contact (it's okay to disguise it from web bots by formatting it like this: pensforpawsauction (at) yahoo (dot) com ). Want to see an example of bidding? Go here and see one from last year's Help Write Now Auction.

(I have anonymous commenting enabled to allow folks without online profiles to bid, but if that becomes an issue, I'll turn it off. Same goes for word verification; it's turned off now, but if some spam starts sneaking through then I'll have to switch it on.)

3. DO NOT pay your bid amount at this time. Highest bid/last commenter wins at the close for that item. If you're the winner, you will receive an email from PensforPawsAuction @ yahoo dot com confirming your bid.

4. You MUST reply to this email within 24 hours to claim your prize, or it will be considered a default and awarded to the next highest bidder.

5. Payment is due within one week of the close of your auction. Money will be paid directly through Fat Kitty City's PayPal button in the sidebar. Your PayPal receipt should serve as your proof for tax deduction needs (Fat Kitty City is a non-profit), and you may also get a thank you letter from the kitties!

6. Receive and enjoy your item, along with the warm feeling that you've helped some needy animals! Or if you bid on a critique, start the nail-biting (I wish I could say I was kidding, but as a writer I know that heady mixture of excitement and dread when you send your pages off).

Even more info on the auction and bidding is available at the How It Works page. And feel free to tweet about the auction and your bids (our handle is @pensforpaws ) and share the excitement!

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