Not content with releasing a box set of Christmas songs this time last year, Sufjan Stevens is busy writing and recording another one for Christmas 2007.

The catch is, this time, only one person may ever hear it! Asthmatic Kitty, Stevens’ label is advertising on its website for fans to send in their own Christmas songs. The best one, according to Stevens, will win Stevens’ own new song – theirs to use how they like!

We think that’s what is happening, anyway: it all seems kind of cute but complicated. Here’s what it says over at Asthmatic Kitty, anyway:

“Write an original Christmas song, record it, and email the song to us. Asthmatic Kitty will pick a winner, and that person will trade rights to their song for rights to Sufjan’s song.

“Just like a gift exhange, Sufjan’s song becomes your song. You can hoard it for yourself, sell it to a major soft drink corporation, use it in your daughter’s first Christmas video, or share it for free on your website. No one except Sufjan and you will hear his song, unless you decide otherwise. You get the song and all legal rights to it. We get the same rights to your song.

“By submitting your song, you also give us permission to stream it online.”

Ho ho ho.