Fandom Growth Exchange 2018: Rules, FAQ, Dates

[fgemods]

Welcome to round 3 of Fandom Growth! Fandom Growth is a multifandom exchange for ultra-rare fandoms, relationships, and characters with ten or fewer complete fics (or five or fewer contributing authors) on AO3.

Other important links are in the sidebar.

***Two rules (#7 and #8) have been added to clarify how specific nominations should be for unnamed characters. We used them as guidelines during last year's nominations but did not properly define them in the rules. Please let us know if you have questions.

Fandom Growth Exchange 2018 Schedule

• Nominations open: July 9th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Nominations close: July 18th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Sign-ups open: July 20th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Sign-ups close: July 30th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Assignments sent: August 3rd at 11:55 PM UTC
• Default deadline: September 21st at 11:55 PM UTC
• Assignments due: October 5th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Works revealed: October 19th at 11:55 PM UTC
• Creators revealed: October 26th at 11:55 PM UTC

Rules

1. A fandom qualifies for the exchange if it has no more than 10 complete, English-language fics OR no more than 5 contributing authors on AO3.
   
   • Crossover fics do not count against the fandom.
2. A relationship qualifies for the exchange if it has no more than 10 complete, English-language fics OR no more than 5 contributing authors on AO3.
   • A fic only counts against the relationship if it's the main relationship of the fic.
   • You can nominate both gen and romantic relationships. To nominate gen relationships use &. To nominate romantic relationships use /.
   • Threesomes (or moresomes) are also welcome.
   • Tags including both & and / relationships (i.e. Alice/Bob & Carol) will not be accepted.
3. A character qualifies for the exchange if they have no more than 10 complete, English-language fics OR no more than 5 contributing authors on AO3.
   • A fic only counts against the character if they are a main character in the fic.
   • If you want to nominate or sign up for a single character, you can do so through the relationship tag 'Character & None'. This will make matching on characters or relationships possible.
4. Crossover relationships cannot be nominated. Crossover relationships contribute less to an individual fandom's growth, which is the point of the exchange.
   
   • This means that both characters must appear in the canon. Therefore, a relationship might qualify for a general fandom but not for a subfandom.
5. You can nominate a relationship or character under a general fandom (e.g. Marvel Cinematic Universe) or subfandom (e.g. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), but the relationship or character must qualify under the fandom you nominate it.
   • This means a relationship nominated under Marvel Cinematic Universe might not qualify, but that same relationship nominated under Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could.
6. Relationships with original characters cannot be nominated. Original characters also cannot be nominated.
   • Mentioned and implied characters are allowed, so long as you prove they are mentioned/implied in canon. Implied characters are characters that exist, but are not individually named/seen/referenced (e.g. the Minbari before Valen in Babylon 5; the Bothans in Star Wars: Episode VI; Lily Evans's grandparents in Harry Potter).
7. Nominations that could apply to several characters (e.g. Jane & Any Vampire) are not permitted. Nominations must be specific as possible.
   • e.g. if there is only one unnamed male imperial soldier in all of canon, "Jane/Male Imperial Soldier" will be permitted. But if there are several male imperial soldiers in the canon, "Jane/Male Imperial Soldier" will be rejected.
8. Groups are only permitted if it is 1) a specific, defined group, and 2) the characters aren’t all named.
   • e.g. “Jane/Chess Team” would be permitted because the chess team is a defined group. However, if canon establishes that the chess team is made up of Ann, Bob, and Carl, then the tag “Jane/Ann/Bob/Carl” would be used instead. Exceptions may be made if the tag becomes unwieldy.
9. Participants can request/offer art and/or fic. Other options (fanmixes, fanvids, etc.) might be available next year, if working with two options goes well and there is interest.
   • Art requirements: You must submit complete art—sketches are not permitted. Art must be a minimum of lineart with basic colors/tones as well as background OR two lineart drawings. Lineart may not stand alone as a gift without colors/tones/background. Art may be traditional or digital, but cannot be drawn on lined paper. Manips and other graphics are not permitted.
   • Fic requirements: You must submit complete fic. Fic must be a minimum of 2,000 words and must stand on its own.
10. You must make a minimum of 3 requests and 4 offers, with a maximum of 10 for each. For each request or offer, you must list at least 1 relationship or character, with a maximum of 20 each. Please note that some fandoms have no nominated relationships. For these fandoms, please choose "Any."
    • You may choose to request and/or offer ONE relationship/character twice. However, the second request/offer will not count toward your required minimum. Also, the second request/offer must come from a different continuity than the first. (For example, you can request Bucky Barnes/Pepper Potts, or Bucky Barnes & None, from Marvel 616 and from Marvel Noir.)
    • You may request/offer "Any" relationship. Keep in mind that this means you are requesting/offering 'Any' relationships under that fandom as well as any characters. If a fandom has nominated relationships and/or characters, you are requesting/offering those. If a fandom has no nominated relationships or characters, you may only request/offer relationships and/or characters that meet the exchange requirements.
    • For ONE of your offers, you may choose to make a bucket offer, a group of fandoms for which you're willing to write absolutely any of the nominated relationships. More about bucket offers will be linked HERE once sign-ups open.
11. AO3 limits the number of relationships you can request/offer to 20. In order to make sure participants can still request/offer up to 20 relationships as well as up to 20 characters, you can use up to 2 slots for each fandom.
    
    • You must still have the minimum number of unique fandoms (3 requests and 4 offers).
    • If you repeat a fandom, the tags used must be different: you cannot repeat characters or relationships under the same fandom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our rules and FAQ have been borrowed from Crossovering and adapted from great exchanges like Yuletide and Not For Primetime, so be sure to check those out.

General Information

Who runs this exchange?

Your mods are mossy_bench, prosodiical, & weakinteraction. Questions should be directed to fgemods@gmail.com or the page-a-mod post.

Who can participate?

Anyone who has an account at Archive of Our Own (AO3). If you do not have an account and would like to participate, please let the mods know before sign-ups, and we can get you an invitation.

Do I have to have a Dreamwidth/Tumblr account to participate?

No! However, we do ask that you check in at either location regularly for updates, changes and reminders. You can subscribe to the Dreamwidth community without having a Dreamwidth account, so we strongly suggest you take advantage of that. If you would prefer, our Tumblr is here.

How will the list of eligible fandoms, relationships, and characters be created?

Nominations will determine the tagset. Each person may nominate up to 20 fandoms, with up to 20 relationships/characters for each fandom. Any relationship or character that meets the requirements will be approved.

What kind of fandoms, relationships, or characters can I nominate?

If you wish to nominate a fandom without a relationship/character, that fandom must have no more than 10 complete, English-language, non-crossover fics. There is no limit on fandom type - RPF, five-minute fandoms, etc. are all welcome. You can nominate any relationship—gen or romantic—with no more than 10 complete, English-language fics (or no more than 5 contributing authors) on AO3. However, both characters must appear or be mentioned/implied in the canon. Crossover relationships or relationships involving original characters will not be approved. You can nominate any character (in the form 'Character & None') with no more than 10 complete, English-language fics (or no more than 5 contributing authors) on AO3. However, the character must appear or be mentioned/implied in the canon. See the Rules for more information.

How do I nominate a fandom for the challenge? How do I sign up?

Nominations and sign-ups will be done through AO3. Here is a link to the separate nominations post. A separate sign-ups post will be made and linked HERE.

How many requests/offers am I required to make? How many relationships or character am I required to request/offer?

You are required to make a minimum of 3 requests and a minimum of 4 offers—with a maximum of 10 for both. For each request/offer, you are required to choose a minimum of 1 relationship or character—with a maximum of 20 each. Please note that some fandoms have no nominated relationships. For these fandoms, please choose "Any" (see next question).

Because AO3 limits the number of relationships you can request/offer to 20, in order to make sure participants can still request/offer up to 20 relationships as well as up to 20 characters, you can use up to 2 slots for each fandom. You must still have the minimum number of unique fandoms (3 requests and 4 offers). If you repeat a fandom, the tags used must be different: you cannot repeat characters or relationships under the same fandom.

You may choose to request/offer ONE relationship twice. However, the second request/offer will not count toward your required minimum. Additionally, the second request/offer must come from a different continuity than the first. (For example, you can request Bucky Barnes/Pepper Potts, or Bucky Barnes & None, from Marvel 616 and from Marvel Noir.) For ONE of your offers, you may choose to make a bucket offer, a group of fandoms for which you're willing to write absolutely any of the nominated relationships (see below).

I see that I can request/offer "Any" relationship. What relationships does that apply to?

If a fandom has nominated relationships and/or characters, choosing "Any" applies to those relationships and/or characters. However, if a fandom does not have nominated relationships and/or characters, choosing "Any" applies to all relationships that meet the guidelines for the exchange. That is, the relationship must have no more than 10 complete, English-language fics OR no more than 5 contributing authors.

What is a bucket offer?

A bucket offer is a group of several fandoms for which you're willing to create a gift for absolutely any of the nominated relationships and characters. To make a bucket offer, you will list the fandoms in the Optional Tags field. Spelling and spaces matter, so you will need to copy/paste the fandom tag from the tagset.

What can I put in the additional details field? How specific can I get?

Whatever you like! Tell your artist/author what tropes you enjoy, or don't enjoy. Tell your artist/author what you love about a particular fandom or relationship. If you'd like, you can leave a few prompts, too. This is also a great place to list any squicks or triggers that you need your artist/author to avoid. If you want to give your artist/author more info, you can write a Dear Creator letter. Post the letter somewhere—preferably, somewhere accessible and easy to read—and provide the link in your sign-up.

Can I edit my sign-up even after I’ve already submitted it?

Of course! You can edit your sign-up all the way up to the deadline.

When will I get my assignment?

Assignments will be sent no later than Friday, August 3rd at 11:55 PM UTC. If matching runs without a hitch, we will send assignments sooner. Either way, expect an announcement at this community and on Tumblr. If you do not receive your assignment, please check your spam folder. If you don't find your assignment, contact us via the page-a-mod post or via email at fgemods@gmail.com.

How are writers and recipients matched up?

Matching will run via AO3. Each artist-recipient or author-recipient will match on a minimum of 1 fandom and 1 relationship or character. You may match only on 1 fandom if no relationship or character was requested.

What happens if no one matches to any of my requests or offers?

In the event that no one matches to your requests or offers, we’ll contact you for additional options in order to better match you. Participants who cannot be matched might be sent to the pinch hit list. Two artists/authors might be assigned to one recipient.

What is the deadline for submitting my assignment?

Assignments are due on Friday, October 5th at 11:55 PM UTC. (What time is that for me? [link tba]) You may submit your assignments any time before that. You may make edits until the deadline.

When are the stories available?

The archive will open on Friday, October 19th at 11:55 PM UTC. (What time is that for me? [link tba]) You will receive an email from AO3 when your gift is available.

Assignments

I matched on more than one thing! Now what?

That's your choice! Write whichever fandom/relationship/character you want. If the fandoms/relationships/characters are compatible—and you think your recipient would like to see both in one gift—you can create for both. You can also choose to create 2 gifts.

Can I request a different recipient?

The only instance that this is allowed is if there has been a mistake with the matching and you were assigned fandoms/relationships/characters you did not offer. Otherwise, no.

I don’t know any of these fandoms/relationships/characters, and I didn’t offer them. What do I do?

Please e-mail us at fgemods@gmail.com immediately, and we will find a new assignment for you.

Can I find out more about my recipient's request/tastes/opinions?

Please do not contact your recipient directly or even anonymously. This is an anonymous exchange, and we’d like the gifts to be a total surprise. If you have any specific questions you need answers to, please contact us at fgemods@gmail.com, and we will do our best to get the answers for you. You may take a look at their AO3, DW/LJ and any other public social media sites (e.g. Tumblr) if they are available, but we ask that you don’t contact them yourself.

Do I have to write/draw what they asked for in their optional details or Dear Fandom Growth Creator letter?

Optional details are optional. You must a) fulfill the requirements for fic or art, b) do so for a fandom (and relationship or character, if that's what you matched on) your recipient requested, and c) avoid any squicks or triggers your recipient listed. That said, do try to accommodate your recipient as much as you can. This is a gift, after all!

Can I talk about my assignment with my friends?

Try to keep your assignment a secret. If you need to talk about it a blog or Twitter, use vague comments. However, we understand the need to bounce ideas off another person, and that is permissible—just be discreet!

My recipient requested some fandoms/relationships/characters that I didn’t offer, but I have an idea for a gift. Can I create for that request instead of what I matched on?

Of course! As long as you are creating for one of their requests, you can choose whichever you want.

I saw that my recipient likes a fandom/relationship/character that they didn’t request. Can I write that instead?

No. You may only create for fandoms/relationships/characters that your recipient requested. If your recipient included that fandom/relationship/character in their optional details, you may include it/them, but your gift cannot focus on it/them.

How can I provide my artist/author with more information?

Write it in your journal/website and provide a link in your sign up or through the comm post where participants can leave their links to their letters/leave their letters directly in a comment.

I'm not going to be able to complete my assignment. What do I do? Can I have an extension?

We cannot grant extensions, so we ask that you please use the default option at AO3 to let us know you won’t be able to complete your assignment. Remember, the sooner you default the sooner we can find a suitable pinch hitter.

Am I required to have my fic beta read?

We do not require you to have a beta reader, but we strongly suggest that you have your fic beta read.

What are the minimum requirements for my assignment?

Art requirements: You must submit finished art—sketches are not permitted. Art may be traditional or digital, but cannot be drawn on lined paper. Manips and other graphics are not permitted. Fic requirements: You must submit complete fic. Fic must be a minimum of 2,000 words and must stand on its own.

What if I don’t meet the minimum requirements?

If your art/fic does not meet the minimum requirements by the due date, we will have to consider you a default and find a pinch hitter for your recipient. You may edit and finish the story at a later date, but it may only be part of the collection if you are making up for a no-show default (more info in "What happens if I default or I fail to meet the requirements? Will I be banned?").

How do I upload my fic/art?

Instructions will be linked HERE once sign-ups open.

I uploaded my assignment but I need to fix something! Help!

You can edit your assignment at any time before the archive opens on November 3rd, so please feel free to do so.

What happens if I default or I fail to meet the requirements? Will I be banned?

At this point, only no-show defaulters (never created anything, never contacted us) will be penalized. They must complete a gift by next round for one participant. However, we reserve the right to ban in case of extreme circumstances. We will adjust this rule if necessary in future rounds.

Pinch Hitting

What is pinch hitting?

Sometimes an assigned artist/author has to drop out of the challenge. In this case the mods will try and find another author/artist so that everyone has a gift.

How can I become a pinch hit artist/author?

We will post pinch hits to this community. Comments will be screened. The first person to comment will receive that pinch hit.

Do I have to be signed-up for the exchange to pinch hit?

No, anyone who wants to can sign up to pinch hit. However, you are still required to follow the minimum requirements and rules.

How do you decide who gets a pinch hit?

Pinch hits are awarded on a first come, first served basis.

I didn’t get assigned a pinch hit, but I like this person’s requests. Can I write a story for that person anyway?

Absolutely! Just upload to the collection as a treat. Treats and gifts will be in the same collection this year.

What is the deadline for pinch hits?

The deadline for most pinch hits is the same as everyone else (Friday, October 5th at 11:55 PM UTC). However, pinch hits assigned after the deadline will be due as indicated on their respective pinch hit posts.

Comments, Reveals, Etc.

Can I reply to comments on the art/fic I created right away?

You can start replying to comments as soon as you like. AO3 will post them as Anonymous Creator until the day of artist/author reveals. You can also wait until after reveals if you prefer that.

Can I post my art/fic to my LJ/website/another archive? Can I delete it?

After author reveals, you can post your art/fic anywhere you want, but we ask that you please wait until then. We would also rather you don’t delete your art/fic since it is a gift for someone. If for some reason you don’t wish to have your name attached to the art/fic, you may orphan it or put it in an anonymous collection, but we ask that it remain on the archive.

I don't like the gift I got and/or it doesn’t do what I asked for!

Sometimes in a gift exchange, not everyone gets something that they love, just like on birthdays or holidays. But we ask that you remain polite and say thank you to your artist/author regardless of your feelings on the gift. Remember that they put time and work into the gift, and that at least deserves a modicum of politeness. However, if they failed to feature any of the fandoms/relationships you requested or failed to meet the parameters of the challenge, please contact us immediately so we can handle it and make sure you get a gift that does fit the challenge.

The collection is live, but I don’t have a gift!

If you signed up and did not receive a gift, please contact us immediately. Sometimes things slip through the cracks—we're very sorry—but we will make sure you get a gift as soon as possible. (Keep in mind that if you defaulted and your writer defaulted after you, you will not receive a gift.)

Need more info? Ask us!

Comments

[shopfront]

Looks like the work and creator dates on the schedule are the same, just a heads up. Thanks for all your hard work, I'm really glad this is running again! :D

[fgemods]

Thanks for catching that!

[littlestclouds]

What is your stance on Twilight Zone (the original TV show). It appears a lot of the stories in the tag are original works, crossovers/fusions, parodies, etc. but I'm interested in a couple episodes. Should I nominate the character(s) that appeared in the episodes? Is it permissible to nominate the particular episodes as fandoms? Thanks!

(I ended up filtering out crossovers, fusions, original work, parodies, poetry, etc. and came up with nine proper Twilight Zone fanfics. Would Twilight Zone itself be an acceptable fandom?)

[fgemods]

Looks very much like a borderline case. Excluding crossovers, and filtering for complete and in English (here's the search link) gives 17 works, of which 3 are poems ("Within the Zone", "Into ... the Twilight Zone" and "And So You Said Goodbye"), 1 is clearly labelled as a parody ("A Restless Morning") and 1 is in a hazy sort of in-universe meta situation ("Excerpts from the Sequels", where the tagged fandom is "To Serve Man" and it's been synned to Twilight Zone.) That suggests there are three more that you were excluding?

[littlestclouds]

I excluded Fall of a Skygod, Merry Christmas from The Twilight Zone, and The Cure which I read as Original Works inspired by/fused with Twilight Zone.

Can I nominate a relationship from a particular episode?

[tehexile]

hello, I tried to submit something but it says the challenge is not yet open

[fgemods]

Sorry about that; it should be open now!

[tehexile]

It still says 'unapproved' is there a reason?

[fgemods]

Having the collection on moderated helps us check that works haven't been hit by the "reveals bug" (where posting a work to a collection occasionally fails to give the work the properties it should have, thus revealing it immediately, without the author being anon). Approved now.