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[galfridian]

Signups close on Thursday, July 27th @ 11:55 PM PDT. Sunday, July 30th @ 12:00 PM PDT.

SIGNUP FORM | TAGSET | REQUESTS SUMMARY
DEAR CROSSOVERING CREATOR | FAQ
If you're new to exchanges at AO3 and confused about how sign-ups work, read this tutorial about signing up for gift exchanges.

As a reminder: You're allowed to choose multiple fandoms from within a greater franchise in a single request/offer, but we cannot prevent AO3 from matching on those 2 fandoms. For example, you might offer Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but if someone else requests Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, AO3 might pair you.

Put short, if you prefer to receive or create a crossover/fusion between 2 distinctly separate franchises, we encourage you to refrain from putting 2+ sub-franchise fandoms in a single request/offer.

For more information about requests and offers for this exchange, please continue reading.

How do I make requests?
You're required to make at least 3 requests; you're allowed a maximum of 10.

There are five parts to each request.

• Fandoms (Required): You're required to choose at least 2 fandoms per request; you're allowed a maximum of 10.
  
  Example:
  For one request, you might choose Better Off Ted, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, iZombie, Selfie, and Superstore. If you and your artist/author are matched on this request, that means they offered 2 or more of these fandoms. However, your artist/author is only obligated to cross 2 fandoms, even if they match on more, so please be certain you're happy with any combination of the fandoms in each request.
  
  In each request, you may choose 2+ fandoms from one greater canon—for example, you may choose Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1—but you should choose a 3rd fandom outside of that canon.
  
  You're allowed to request fandoms more than once, but each of your offers must be unique. In other words, no 2 requests can be identical.


• Characters (Optional):
You may request up to 10 characters. This field is optional, and we will not use it to match, but it will give your artist or author a better idea of what you like.

If there are more than 10 characters you'd like to list, you can list them in your letter.


• Additional Tags (Required): This field serves two purposes this year: first, to allow participants to choose between art and fic; second, to allow participants to choose between crossovers and fusions.
  
  You will see 4 options: Crossover/Art, Crossover/Fic, Fusion/Art, and Fusion/Fic. You must choose at least 1 of these, but you can choose as many as you like.


• Letter URL (Optional): You may include a link to a Dear Creator letter, where you can tell your artist/author more about yourself and what you'd like to see in a fic.
  
  If you have a serious DNW (i.e. a trigger or something else that would ruin a gift), the letter and the optional details are your place(s) to list that.
  
  Please remember that the details in your letter are optional. Your artist/author does not have to incorporate any requests beyond the fandoms you matched on. Make sure the link is unlocked/public so that your artist/author can read it. You can post a link to your letter here.


• Optional Details (Optional): If you don't want to write a letter, but you'd still like to leave prompts or ideas for your artist/author, this is the place to do it. Again, optional details are optional. We discourage artists/authors from incorporating their recipient's Do Not Wants/dislikes, but they aren't obligated to include all of a recipient's likes.

REQUEST EXAMPLE



How do I make offers?
You're required to make at least 3 offers; you're allowed a maximum of 10.

You're required to choose at least 2 fandoms per offer; you're allowed a maximum of 10.

In each offer, you may choose 2+ fandoms from one canon—for example, you may choose Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1—but you must choose a 3rd fandom outside of that canon.

You're allowed to offer fandoms more than once, but each of your offers must be unique. In other words, no 2 offers can be identical.

As with requests, you will use the Additional Tags field to choose whether you want to offer art, fic, crossovers, and fusions.

Example:
For one offer, you might select Allstate Insurance "Mayhem" Commercials, Kitchen Nightmares RPF, and Leverage. If you and your recipient are matched on this offer, that means they requested 2 or more of these fandoms. However, you're only obligated to cross 2 fandoms, even if you match on more. Please be certain you're happy with any combination of the fandoms in each offer.

OFFER EXAMPLE


How do I know which tags to use?
You can view the approved fandom tags for this year's exchange here, but as you can see from the request and offer examples, there will be an expandable checklist of all available fandoms on the sign-up form.

Can I change my sign-up?
Yes. Until the sign-up period ends, you may edit your requests and offers as often as you like.

What's the difference between crossovers and fusions?
For the purposes of this exchange, we've defined crossovers and fusions as such:

A crossover is when the characters/worlds of both fandoms interact. For example, Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes (Elementary) solve a case with Kate Beckett and Richard Castle (Castle).

A fusion is when the characters of one fandom are placed into the setting of a second fandom. For example, Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes are co-pilots in the world of Pacific Rim. In this scenario, the world of Pacific Rim erases Joan and Sherlock's canon history.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Just to be clear: if we do want the possibility of receiving a crossover between two parts of a franchise, we can request it as long as it's part of a group with at least one unrelated fandom?

(I ask because there is a franchise where I'd love to see the same characters from different continuities meet, because their backstories and outcomes are different.)

[galfridian]

Yeah, that's fine. We just don't want people to match to smaller scale crossovers if they're expecting not to!

[thesleepingsatellite]

I'm getting this message: You have submitted more than one request with the same fandom tags. This challenge requires them all to be unique.

I do have some fandoms in multiple requests, but each request is a unique combination of fandoms. Help?

[galfridian]

Sorry about that -- that's a default setting on AO3 we forgot to turn off! You should be good now!

[thesleepingsatellite]

Thank you!

Characters Field

[sirvalkyrie]

The characters field won't let me use tags that aren't canonical AO3 tags. Some of my fandoms are small enough that the tags haven't been used yet, in others the AO3 canonical is inaccurate, and in one case it would cause confusion.

Re: Characters Field

[weasleytook]

Since we're not able to match on characters, I would suggest to name them in your optional details for now. I'm assuming since we didn't ask for character nominations, there may not be a way to fix that for characters that don't have canonical tags. If we - meaning the mod who is better at the AO3 stuff than me - figures out how to fix that, we will let you know and you can edit your sign-up. But, for now, I would just mention them in your optional details area.

Re: Characters Field

[morbane]

It can't be changed now that there are sign-ups, but possibly next year (if you want) you can choose a setting that says that characters don't have to come from a fandom:

http://imgur.com/a/UQWIq

(that's a tag set in which the characters have to match the fandom and have to be in the tag set; I imagine you'd want both unticked?)

Re: Characters Field

[sirvalkyrie]

Having those unchecked still won't let you list a character that isn't an AO3 tag.

Re: Characters Field

[morbane]

Oh. Sorry. Good to know. So basically, to include all the correct characters, they need to be in a tag set, and otherwise, optional details field it is?

Re: Characters Field

[sirvalkyrie]

Yeah I just did a test with a mock exchange collection and it wouldn't let you use characters that aren't AO3 canonical in either the character tag or the additional tags section.

The only other real option, involving tags, is to send a request to AO3 support to get tags made canonical, but in my case I already have a request in about one of the specific tags and haven't heard back about it yet.

Re: Characters Field

[galfridian]

Hey! Sorry about that! Definitely list your non-canonical tags first in your optional details? We'll look into this and try to figure out a solution for next year.

[we_protect_each_other]

These character tags in your request are not in the selected fandom(s), The 100 (TV), The Hunger Games (Movies): Peeta Mellark (Your moderator may be able to fix this.)

AO3 told me this so I came here to ask.

[weasleytook]

I'm going to leave this for the more AO3-tech-savvy mod to check out inn the morning (as she may be asleep at this time of night). However, for now, I would just advise you to put that Peeta is a preferred/requested character in your optional details field somewhere. Since we don't match on characters, it won't affect your sign-up either way.

If the other mods can figure it out, we'll let you know so you can edit it. (I tested it on my own assignment and i'm baffled as well, because Peeta shows up in the drop down menu, but gives me the same error.)

[we_protect_each_other]

Will do for now at least!

[weasleytook]

The other mod checked on this and unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to fix it for this year. (However, now that we know its an issue, we'll be able to fix it for future exchanges.) So like I said, just keep that mention in your optional details to let your potential writer/artist that you'd like Peeta to be included. Sorry about the trouble!