How do I join?As long as you're at least fourteen years of age, you're welcome to join this fic exchange. First,
join the community. Once the fandom nomination period is over (an announcement will be made in this community), copy and paste
this template into an email and send it to
the mods. Understand that by sending your request to the mods, you will be matched to someone else whose fandom interests match yours and you are
committing to writing them a story at least 1000 words in length by the submission deadline.
If I join/watch the community, does it mean I have to participate?No, you're welcome to join and not sign up to write, although the more participants we have, the more fun the exchange will undoubtedly be.
What fandoms can I nominate?Any and all fandoms are allowed, so long as they're in the realm of television, movies, published books, published comic books, web comics, anime, or published manga. No fanfiction-only fandoms are allowed. The more popular the fandom, the more likely you are to get a match. That doesn't mean that we discourage small or largely inactive fandoms! We're always pleasantly surprised at the number of people fascinated by the smaller as well as the larger fandoms.
What kind of stories are allowed?Any kind of story is allowed. Gen, het, slash, canon pairings, non-canon parings, no pairings at all. Crossover requests
are allowed, but since we match only by fandom, please request your three primary preferred fandoms. If you'd like a crossover, suggest it in the notes of your join request, but understand that we may not be able to fill the crossover request directly. (For example, your three fandoms requested might be
Merlin, Falling Skies, and
Animaniacs. Those would be your primary fandoms, and in the notes you might suggest "I would love a crossover between Merlin and Animaniacs.")
We do ask that all stories submitted adhere to the LiveJournal
Terms of Service.
Do I have to write everything that my recipient requested?The request you get is a guideline. You shouldn't be given anything that doesn't match at least one of your criteria for writing. You do have to choose from one of your recipient's requested fandoms and include at least one of the requested characters. However, the request for content is a guideline. For instance, if your recipient requests something that takes place in a bowling alley but you're uncomfortable with that setting, write their requested characters elsewhere.
My recipient requested a rating up to NC-17, but I'm only comfortable writing up to PG-13. What do I do?All requested ratings are upper-level ratings. That means they include a story up to or including that level. If your recipient requests NC-17 that means you can write G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17.
My recipient requested a rating of PG, but I want to write NC-17. Can I?No. Your recipient might be underage, or they might simply be uncomfortable reading something of a more mature nature. If they request PG, that's as mature a rating as you're allowed to write.
How do I submit my story?Once your story has been beta-read, email it in plain text with the
submission template at the top and any DW-allowed html coding in place to
the mods. We'll take it from there.
What if I send you my story and realize I've made a mistake?D'oh! Send us a note. We'll see what we can do.
How long does my story have to be? Is there a maximum length?There's no maximum length for a story, but it has to be
at least 1000 words long. We will check word count and if your story is under -- even by as little as one word -- it will be returned to you for editing. Please don't skimp on length. If there's any doubt, copy the text of your story into the
JavaScript Kits word count tool (minus the header information from the submission template). This is the tool your mods will use to verify story length.
I have to drop out of the fic exchange. How do I do that?As soon as you can, let us know. You can drop out before the signup period ends without penalty, but dropping out once assignments have gone out will result in being banned from participating in this fic exchange for one year. If you simply never submit a story and don't let us know you don't plan on submitting one, you will be banned from participating in all future
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ineedmyfics exchanges.
Do I have to have a livejournal account to join?You need either a Livejournal or Dreamwidth account to join.
I don't want to write, but I want to help. What can I do?You can volunteer to be a
beta reader!
Can I submit a work in progress?As long as it hasn't been published anywhere else and it fits the prompt, that's fine. However, remember that this exchange is anonymous, so anything that's had any sort of an audience is not allowed.
When do I get my assignment?After the signup period, after everyone's been matched.
I hate my assignment. What do I do?Grin and bear it. Only volunteer to write canons and characters you want to write. If you feel you've been assigned something erroneously, contact the mods
right away and we'll see if we can't put things right. Occasionally, mistakes are made although we strive for perfection.
I like all three of the canons and prompts given by my author! How can I pick just one?While you're only
required to write one of your recipient's stories, you can write as many as you like.
I changed my mind on what canon I want, but I've already sent you my request. Can I change it?If the signup period is still open, yes, just send us a new email. Once the signup period is over, you can't change your request.
I don't like the story I got. What do I do?Know that someone worked hard to meet your request. Even if it's not to your liking, they deserve your thanks for pounding out 1000 words. Be gracious and try not to complain publicly.
What if I submit a request and no writer matches any of my fandoms?At the end of the signup period, we'll match all authors with requests. If there are some that can't be filled, we'll ask for volunteers to write in those fandoms. Remember, the less obscure the fandom, the more likely you are to get matches for it.
What if I have a question that's not answered here?Post it in a comment below and we'll answer it as quickly as possible! Alternately, you can email your question to
the mods.
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r_becca's Guide to Participating in Fic Exchanges, by Someone Who Knows.
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