fiachairecht: (amilyn x leia)
kimaracretak ([personal profile] fiachairecht) wrote in [community profile] swrarepairs2022-09-12 10:02 pm
Entry tags:

SW Rare Pairs 2022

Welcome to Star Wars Rares 2022! Your main mods this year are [personal profile] fiachairecht and [personal profile] sassysnowperson, with [personal profile] equusgirl assisting as tagmod. The schedule is largely the same, and we have made some changes to nominations categories based on your feedback on our previous post as well as our own feelings about what worked and what didn't on the backend last year. Please read the nominations section carefully, even if you have done this exchange in previous years!

I can't wait to see all the works that will come out of this year's exchange!

Main Exchange Info
AO3 CollectionTag SetDiscord Server InviteSign-Up FormReadable/Searchable Request Summary [coming soon]


Schedule

Nominations - September 17-25 11:59PM PDT (will open early on the 17th)
Sign-Ups - September 27-October 4 11:59PM PDT (May open early)
Assignments Out - No later than October 6 9:00PM PDT
Assignments Due - December 5 11:59PM PST
Work Reveals - December 12 11:59PM PST
Author Reveals - December 19 11:59PM PST

Nomination Requirements


• Every participant will be able to nominate 20 ships in 10 fandoms. Fandoms must be the ones in the list below.
• All nominated pairings/moresomes must have fewer than 250 fics on AO3 that are completed, in English, and over one thousand words.
• Characters from any corner of the Star Wars universe are welcome. This includes Legends and the new EU as well as the movies and TV shows.
• Crossovers are allowed. So long as the pairing includes at least one or more character(s) from any Star Wars property, it's good for this exchange.
• Nominations will be by subfandom, including a special subfandom for crossovers with non-Star Wars properties.
• See the nominations post for full nominations instructions.

Sign-Up Requirements


• You must have an AO3 account to participate.
• Mod reserves the right to delete signups from participants with proven track records of bad behaviour such as bullying, harassment, or writing spitefic.
• Mod also reserves the right to delete signups that contain kinkshaming or ship-bashing.
• You will be able to request between 1 and 10 fandoms, and between 1 and 10 relationships per fandom. You must have at least three unique ships requested across all of your fandoms. Please only request relationships for which you'd like to receive a gift. For each fandom, you will be able to request fic, art, or a vid — or any combination of the three. If no offers match your requests, you will be sent out as a pinch hit.
• You will be able to offer between 1 and 10 fandoms, and between 1 and 10 relationships per fandom. You must have at least four unique ships offered across all of your fandoms. Please only offer relationships for which you are willing to create shippy content. Please specify whether you would like to offer fic, art, or a vid—or one out of any combination of the three. If nothing you offer matches any requests made, the mod will contact you to see if you can add offers to your sign-up.
• If you do not want to be matched with a specific person, please get in touch with me including your AO3 username and the AO3 username of the person. I do not require an explanation or further information. (Note I cannot prevent someone from creating a treat for you.)
• If you have anything you Do Not Want (DNWs, things you absolutely do not want in your gifts), you must put it in the optional details box of your AO3 signup. DNWs can't be used to box your creator in to writing only one specific type of story, and can't contradict one of your requested tags. As an example, you cannot request a group of two people who have never met in canon, and then DNW Alternate Universes including canon divergences — a creator who writes a canon divergence fic would not be held to be in violation of the DNW. Your DNWs also should not be so vague that creators and mods cannot reasonably determine if a particular work includes them. Any contradictory or railroading DNWs that persist after matching will not be enforced. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about whether or not a DNW is unreasonable.
• This is a ship exchange. The content created should include the ship matched on in some way, whether it's pre-relationship, one-sided, explicit or anything in between.
• There will be a section in sign-ups for optional details and dear creator letters. These are very helpful to the creators who will be creating a gift for you. I encourage you to use either or both of these options to give your creator an idea of the things you like and the things you don't. Please do not indicate favorites in your sign up.

Assignments


• You are only guaranteed to match on one fandom, one relationship and one creative medium.
• Please don't discuss your assignment in public before creators are revealed.
• If your assignment doesn't match your sign-up, please contact the mods as soon as possible.

Gift Requirements


All gifts must adhere to the recipients’ DNWs. If a DNW is included, the creator of that gift will be banned from future participation. Other than that, all details included in a recipient's sign-up are optional.

Fic
Completed assignments must be at least 1000 words created specifically for the recipient and must include at least one of their requested relationships. Fics must be complete at the time of posting.

Art
Completed art assignments must be an original piece created by the artist in traditional or digital mediums. At the very least, it should include detailed line art and cannot be drawn on lined paper. The minimum acceptable size is 500,000 total pixels (i.e. 710px x 710px or 500px x 1000px or whatever combination of width x height that gets to that 500,000 pixel number). It should include at least one of the recipient’s requested relationships.

Vids
Completed vids must be at least one minute thirty seconds and should include the recipient’s requested relationships.

If you are requesting vids, please keep in mind the limitations inherent in this particular medium.

Posting


• Fic entries with excessive spelling and grammar errors, or that are incomplete, will be rejected.
• Because the exchange is anonymous, please don't post your work elsewhere before creators are revealed.
• Because the exchange is anonymous, please don't include links to your social media in author's notes before creators are revealed.

Pinch Hits


• Pinch hits will be posted to the comm.
• If you'd like to claim a pinch hit, reply to the pinch hit post with your AO3 name.

Treats


• Treats are welcome in this exchange. The more creations, the better!
• Treats can be posted to the main exchange collection.
• There are no minimum requirements for treats. Which means they can be under 1000 words, smaller than 500,000 total pixels, and shorter than one minute thirty seconds.
• If a prompt has caught your attention and you intend to gift your work to that participant, you must still respect DNWs.
• If you want to create something for a ship that is in the tagset, but no one has requested it (or the only requests have DNWs that you want to include in your creation), you may create a treat for the collection. Treats to the collection do not need to follow any particular prompts or DNWs. Post treats to the collection by going to the 2022 subcollection, hitting 'Post to Collection', and then not filling in a recipient name.

Etiquette


• Please comment on your gift. Your creator worked hard on it for you and the least all of us can do when we're given a gift is offer thanks for it.
• If you can't complete your assignment and you know it, default as early as possible. It's really no big deal and it gives the mods more time to find a pinch hitter for your recipient.

FAQs


How do I nominate relationships for this exchange?

Go to the tag set here. [will be linked when noms open]

Can I change my mind about my nominations after I submit them?

If your nominations have not been approved, you can edit or change them as you see fit, but once they are approved, they cannot be altered.

Can I change my mind about my signup after I submit it?

Yes. During the sign-up period, you may edit your sign-up form. You can find it on your AO3 profile page in the “Signups” link in the left-hand column.

What are the details on my sign-up?

If you have any ideas for your pairings that you would like to see realized for your gift, these are your details. They are optional and your assigned creator does not have to include them. Their only job is to create a gift that includes your pairing.

What can I put in my optional details box?

Prompts, reasons why you like the pairing, favorite tropes/kinks, whatever you’d like. They are there so that your creator knows how they can tailor their gift to you specifically. At the very least, this is where you should include any DNWs (do not wants) and squicks you have. If there’s anything a creator can create that makes you uncomfortable or triggers you, please include it.

What are Dear Creator letters?

"Dear Creator" letters are letters posted to tumblr/dreamwidth/LJ/or another space that gives your creator a bit more information about why you picked the relationships you did, what your likes and dislikes are, more detailed prompts, and so forth. If you are posting your letter to tumblr, please do not change your tumblr URL until after creators are revealed.

Like the "optional details" field, letters are entirely optional. You don't have to write one, and you're free to ignore your recipient's letter while writing your story or making your art with the exception of any DNWs your recipient gives you.

People who choose to write a letter can put the link in their sign-up, so their creators can find it easily.

I didn't get my assignment – what do I do?

It's possible that your spam filter ate the emailed assignment. Log in to your AO3 account and click the link for "Assignments" in the left-hand navigation pane in your Profile; your assignment should be there.

If it's not there, either, please contact the mods by e-mail (kimaracretakfics@gmail.com) or PM on DW (kimaracretak) immediately.

Can I switch my assignment?

Assignments can't be changed under most circumstances. If the matching was in error on AO3's part (rare, but it could happen), let the mod know ASAP (kimaracretakfics@gmail.com or by PM to kimaracretak on DW). Otherwise, you're free to contact the mods anyway, but the answer will probably be no.

Can I create a gift in any of my recipient's pairings, even if I didn't sign up for them?

Sure! As long as you create a gift for one of the pairings they requested, you're good.

Can I create more than one gift?

Sure! As long as you complete your assignment for your recipient, you can create as many gifts as you want, for your recipient or for other people.

How do I post my gift?

Go to your Assignment page on AO3, which you can find under the "Assignments" link on your Profile page, or on the Star Wars Rare Pairs Exchange subcollection page as "Your Assignment". You should see two buttons at the bottom of your assignment: "Post to fulfill", and "Default".

Click "Post to fulfill", and you'll be taken to a posting form. This will automatically post your gift into the current year's challenge. It also has your recipient's name already filled in. All you need to do is fill in the rest of the form, preview it to make sure it looks okay, and post.

If you're posting a Treat, you won't have an assignment or "post to fulfill" button. Instead, go to the current challenge page on the AO3, and click on "Post To Collection" under the challenge title. This will take you to a form with the challenge collection name already filled in. Fill in the recipient's name manually, then fill in the rest of the form, preview it to make sure it looks okay, and post.

Can I post my gift before the deadline?

Sure! The posting form opens shortly after assignments go out. You're free to post whenever you want.

Can I edit my gift after it's posted?

Yes, AO3 allows editing at any time. However, the work you post must not be obviously incomplete (e.g. end in the middle of sentence).

Can I add creator's notes?

You can, but they will be visible as soon as the stories are revealed. Be careful to not put anything here that would give away your identity (at least before creator reveals are completed), or anything disparaging about your recip, their ships, or your work (at any time).

What if I can't finish my gift?

If you can't finish in time, you can default. This lets the mods know they need to find a pinch hitter to create a gift for your recipient.

To default, go to your Assignment page on AO3, which you can find under the "Assignments" link on your Profile page, or on the Star Wars Rare Pairs subcollection page as "Your Assignment". You should see two buttons at the bottom of your assignment: "Post to fulfill", and "Default".

Click the Default button, then click the confirmation on the popup that appears. The mods will be notified and will find a pinch hitter to fulfill your assignment.

What happens if I default?

Before the deadline: If you default using the AO3 button by this date (see schedule), you'll be flagged as a defaulter, but with no penalty.

After the deadline, but before assignments are due: Future participation will be dependent upon completion of your assignment before the next round of the exchange. Email the mods (kimaracretakfics@gmail.com) to let them know if you've completed your defaulted assignment if you'd like to sign up.

No-show default: If you default by simply failing to post your gift, without using the default button or writing to the mods in advance, you will be banned from future rounds of this exchange.

What are pinch hits?

Pinch hits are assignments that the original creator has had to default on, or rarely, assignments that couldn't be matched to any creators. As people default, pinch hits will be sent out to the mailing list.

Do I need to be signed up to be a pinch hitter?

Not at all. Anyone with an AO3 account can sign up to be a pinch hitter. Keep an eye on the comm. Pinch hits will be posted there as they come in.

How do I claim a pinch hit?

When a post with pinch hits goes up, just comment on the post with the pinch hit you want to claim and you're AO3 handle.

How do I post my pinch hit?

Go to your Assignment page on AO3, which you can find under the "Assignments" link on your Profile page, or on the Star Wars Rare Pairs subcollection page as "Your Assignment". You should see two buttons at the bottom of your assignment: "Post to fulfill", and "Default".

Click "Post to fulfill", and you'll be taken to a posting form. This will automatically post your gift into the current year's challenge. It also has your recipient's name already filled in. All you need to do is fill in the rest of the form, preview it to make sure it looks okay, and post.


Any questions, please leave them below! Anon is on.

(Anonymous) 2022-11-28 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
Do treats also need to be complete at the time of posting?

(Anonymous) 2022-12-21 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much for hosting another year of the Star Wars Rare Pairs! It is a ficathon I always look forward to every year. This year felt a little different though, and I think it might be time that the Ficathon spread itself out a little. There is maybe just TOO MUCH Star Wars media available now for this ficathon to work as well as it has in the past. It might work better if it was divided, perhaps, into MOVIES and TV SHOWS (while still allowing crossovers between them), or perhaps some sort of Skywalker vs non-Skywalker media division. As it is, I feel that the number of authors and the number of requesters is so far stretched that it's hard to make matches. I think a fair amount of people don't even know half of the canon available.

I'd also humbly like to suggest two further things.
1.) don't allow OC pairings. This is a "rare pairs" ficathon, not an OC ficathon. This is nothing against OCs, it just feels against the nature of the entire ficathon, and then further waters down the potential pool of authors to be matched up.

2.) disallow "crack" pairings. Obviously "crack" pairings are subjective so it can be hard to enforce, but there are some (like "Clippy") that are obviously just "crack." This is a "rare pairs" ficathon, NOT a "crack ship" ficathon. I feel like you have two types of people participating in this ficathon. The first are people who genuinely really want to see more fanfic about an obscure pairing they love, and the second are people who want to pair together the two most unlikely, strange characters they can for a giggle, while not actually being a fan of the pairing. The second type of person seems against what the ficathon is about. Obviously there is some interest to go "Hmm I wonder how these two characters who never interacted in canon before would pair together" which is fine, but "Clippy the Paperclip from Microsoft Word" really shouldn't be a character choice. (I know a pairing has to get matched with someone who offered to write it, which should eliminate anything no one wants, and that the instance of Clippy was a Treat. I am just using it as an example.)

I love this ficathon, I love the concept of this ficathon. I want to keep participating in it, but I don't think I can in the future. Part of it is just that I don't know all the canon so the stuff I like no one is offering to write, and the stuff people want I don't know the canon to write it. I get that part of it is on me. But part of it I think could be mitigated by parring down the nominated fandoms (31 this year!), and/or reducing non-rare pairing characters (like OCs and crack characters).

I'm sure you'll likely delete this as drama, but I'm only writing it because I feel so strongly about the potential of this ficathon and it feels really watered down this year. Even if you don't implement any of my suggestions, thank you for reading. And thank you for hosting the ficathon. I know it's a lot of work and difficult with so many variables. I hope you'll keep doing it next year, even if it continues getting further and further spread out across more SW media.