FAQ 2.0

[linndechir]

Last update: September 20th, 2017

What is got-exchange?

got_exchange  is a fanfic and fanart exchange for both George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, the HBO show based on the books. Both canons are welcome. The exchange has run fifteen times since 2011. It used to be run on Livejournal, but it has now moved to Dreamwidth and AO3 - signups happen on Dreamwidth, posting happens on AO3.

What do I need to participate?

1) an active email address you check regularly,
2) an account on AO3 to post your fic/art.

A Dreamwidth account is useful so you can edit your signup and join this community for updates, but not obligatory.

I have a Dreamwidth account, but I don't use it very frequently. How else can I stay up to speed?

got_exchange  has a tumblr. All important announcements will be crossposted there. You can also track the community and get email notifications of posts to it, which is very useful if you have a DW account but don't actively browse your feed.

I don't like the show, I want my gift to be based on the books. // I don't like the books, I want my gift to be based on the show.

You can (and should) mention this in your sign-up. If you want a gift that's only based on book canon or only based on show canon, your author/artist will know and they will be expected to create a gift for you based on the canon you want. Similarly, if you haven't finished the books or the show yet, you can ask your gifter not to include spoilers for the parts you haven't read/seen yet.

You may also offer/request the additional ASOIAF-related novellas (Tales of Dunk and Egg etc.) as well as historical characters who are only mentioned in the books, the annexes, the World of Ice and Fire, but you may not offer/request exclusively characters like that since that might well make you unmatchable.

How do I participate?

You sign up by commenting on the signup post. Signups will be open until September 30th, at 11.59 am UTC. When you sign up, you fill in a form to tell me what kind of gift you can make and what kind of gift you want to receive. I will then assign your wishes to someone who will write/draw for you, and assign someone else's wishes to you. You will know who your giftee is, but not who is making a gift for you. You will receive your assignment via email and then have six weeks to complete your fic/art.

How does posting work?

You are responsible for posting your fic/art on AO3 as part of the correct subcollection. For that, go to the collection page and click on "post to collection". Add in your recipient's AO3 name in "Gift this work to". Fill in everything else, and click on post. Your fic/art will be unrevealed until I open the collection.

What are the requirements for fanfic?

Fics need to be at least 1000 words long. No upper limit, but your fic needs to be a stand-alone and finished. You can write a multi-chaptered story, if you like, but it needs to be complete. You can't write only the first chapter of a longer story as a gift, and you can't write a sequel to a story you've written before.

What are the requirements for fanart?

All drawn/painted fanart, whether digital or traditional, is accepted. Photomanips/graphics etc. are not.

Do I have to fill one of my recipient's prompts?

Yes. I know many other exchanges have a policy of "optional details are optional" and you only have to write something about the requested characters or ships. This is not the case for got_exchange . You are expected to write/draw something for one of your recipient's prompts.

For this reason, recipients are expected to use some common sense while writing prompts: prompts should not be hyperdetailed story outlines that don't leave your author any freedom. You can prompt one or two crossovers or AUs, but not all your prompts should be crossovers or AUs. I maintain the right to ask participants to edit their signup if they're unmatchable or if I feel like their prompts are too specific/unmatchable.

Many participants also use "wild card prompts" like "getting together fic for any of my ships" or "write a fic inspired by this poem about any of the characters I requested". That's a good way of giving your creator some extra freedom, but you don't have to do this.

Do I have to use a beta reader? What if I don't have one?

You don't have to use a beta reader (not like I can check whether you did anyway), but it's recommended. For every exchange round there's a sign-up post for beta-readers. You can contact anyone from that list.

When do sign-ups close?

Sign-ups for round sixteen will close on September 30th, 11.59am UTC. Depending on your timezone, this may be very early in the morning for you, in which case you might want to make sure to be signed up by the 29th.

When will I get my assignment?

At the latest on October 3rd. You will receive an email with your assignment, so make sure to check the email account you signed up with.

When are assignments due?

You have to post your fic/art on AO3 by November 14th, 11.59pm UTC. That means that you have 6 weeks to complete your assignment. If you need an extension, please contact me as soon as possible.

Why are gifts revealed a week after the deadline?

This is to give pinch-hitters enough time to write/draw. You are allowed to keep editing your fic/art during this week, but you are expected to have a finished gift posted by the deadline on November 14th.

Can I post my fic/art on other sites?

Please do not post your fic/art anywhere else before the AO3 collection has opened. Afterwards you can of course repost it elsewhere.

Can I get in touch with my giftee if I have questions about their requests?

Not directly. Nobody is supposed to know who is writing/drawing for them. If you have any questions about your assignment, contact me (gotexchange[at]hotmail[dot]com or PM to linndechir). I will then contact your giftee and get back to you. Please do not tell anyone, least of all your giftee, who you are writing/drawing for. This includes talking about your prompts on Livejournal or tumblr or other public sites, unless it's in vague terms (good: "I can't decide which prompt to write for got_exchange", bad: "I'm writing an exchange fic about [rare ship that only one person requested]").

Are treats allowed?

Of course! If you want to write/draw an extra gift either for your recipient or for another participant, feel free to do so. Post it to the collection just like your regular gift. You can also write/draw treats if you're not signed up to participate.

What does pinch hitting mean?

If a participant drops out, the person who steps in for them to make sure that the original participant's giftee still receives a gift is called a pinch hitter. If you agree to pinch hit in the sign-up form, that only means that I might contact you when another participant drops out. You can still decide then whether you have the time and feel like doing it or not.

What if I have to drop out?

If you really can't finish your assignment on time, for whatever reason, please contact me as soon as possible. The earlier the better, because I will have to find someone who can cover for you. I understand that real life sometimes gets in the way, and that's all right, but please tell me in time so your giftee at least receives a gift from someone else. Don't just disappear without a word. Even if you drop out, you are still expected to comment on the gift someone else made for you. Participants who don't comment on their gifts are banned from participating again in the future.

If you have any other questions that haven't been answered here, or if you have any suggestions, leave a comment or send an email to gotexchange[at]hotmail[dot]com.