![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fic_in_a_box_mod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ficinabox2025-08-20 09:45 pm
Swaps open!
Navigation: Rules/General Info | AO3 Collection | Sign Up Info | Medium Rulesets | Mod Contact: ficinaboxmod@gmail.com OR Screened Mod Contact Post
Swap Requests
Swaps is the part of the exchange where you can trade in 1k increments of your assignment for 1k increments of other assignments!* Requests for swaps are open until September 7th and the mods will finalize the swaps over the next few days. Swaps are voluntary, so you don't have to give up any part of your assignment if you don't want to. We also can't guarantee that you'll be able to swap, although the more people who send in swap requests the more likely it is!
Non-participants who want to pick up swaps are invited to join in.
(* The rest of this post is going to talk about wordcounts in increments of 1k, but obviously if you are a fanartist or podficcer or something it's equivalent wordcount. Just, that would get really wordy to write every time...and we need a sheet to do the swap math for us...)
Swaps FAQ
Click for answers to questions like:
- What & why are swaps, in more detail than above?
- What happens if I don't submit any swap requests?
- Why are Swaps open when I don't know what my initial assignment will be yet?
- If it turns out I like/dislike my initial assignment more than I thought, can I change my mind about my swap requests?
- The instructions below ask for usernames for swap requests. Can't I just tell you what fandom/ship/medium I'd like to swap for?
How do I find requests I'd like to submit swaps for?
- I just want to make lots of stuff for lots of people, but I'm not picky about the details. What's easiest?
- I'm extremely picky, can I give you a specific max swap wordcount for every swap I request?
How do I increase my chances of getting one or more swapsignments?
- I definitely want to keep a full 10k assignment, can I still participate in swaps?
- I'm not signed up, can I submit a swap request and get a swapsignment?
What & why are swaps, in more detail than above?
Fic In A Box allows participants to split their 10k assignments up into multiple gifts – ten 1k fics, or five 2k fics, and so on. We also allow pinch hits to be picked up in 1k increments. In this way, you can think of every full 10k assignment as actually being made up of smaller 1k assignments, since each gift needs to be 1k or more unless certain length opt-ins are selected.
It's definitely fun to make a bunch of small works for the same person, but it's also fun to make a bunch of small works for a whole bunch of different people. Especially because there might be requests out there that you could make 1k for, but not a full 10k.
Swap requests let you tell the mods, "Hey, I actually don't want to do all ten of my 1k assignments for the same person, can I trade some wordcount in?"
For example:
- After sign ups end you might find that your initial assignment is for X. You know you could create a full 10k for X, but maybe they haven't opted into any extra mediums, and you wanted to do some art for FIAB.
- Looking around the requests, you see that A, B and C are all requesting art mediums you can do for fandoms/relationships you're interested in.
- You submit a swap request form telling the mods:
- You'd like the following swaps:
- 1k for A
- 3k for B
- 1k for C
- You'd like the following swaps:
- You've kept 7k of X, and now have 1k of A & 2k of B
- You've kept 7k of X, and now have 1k of C & 2k of B
- You've kept 7k of X, and now have 3k of B
- You've kept 8k of X, and now have 1k of A & 1k of C
- You've kept 8k of X, and now have 2k of B
- You've kept 9k of X, and now have 1k of A
- You've kept 9k of X, and now have 1k of C
What happens if I don't submit any swap requests?
You will get your initial assignment email from AO3 and that will be your full and only assignment. You'll need to make 10k worth of gifts for your recipient. This is a perfect fine and normal way to participate in Fic In A Box! Swaps are completely optional.
Why are Swaps open when I don't know what my initial assignment will be yet?
Some people know they'll want to swap no matter what their initial assignment is. Other people will be traveling for the rest of sign ups, or only rarely have access to the internet, so they wouldn't be able to submit any swap requests if we only had them open after sign ups close.
If it turns out I like/dislike my initial assignment more than I thought, can I change my mind about my swap requests?
Yes! Swap requests aren't final until swaps close, so if you change your mind about something just submit a new swaps request form. We'll use the most recent one.
The instructions below ask for usernames for swap requests. Can't I just tell you what fandom/ship/medium I'd like to swap for?
We have to handmatch swap requests, so it's too complex/time consuming for us to figure out which users are requesting the things you want to make for you. The big swaps puzzle spreadsheet we use only shows wordcounts and usernames.
If you really don't want to look through all the requests to find ones you really like, then you can select the "I would like to be able to swap to anyone I might be matchable to on AO3" checkbox and make your AO3 offers as broad or narrow as you'd like. Please remember swaps aren't guaranteed, so you shouldn't offer anything you can't make 10k for.
How do I find requests I'd like to submit swaps for?
Since the AO3 requests summary is terrible, use the Automagic App (link) to search requests!
I just want to make lots of stuff for lots of people, but I'm not picky about the details. What's easiest?
Use the google form to tell us the following:
- I want to be assigned a total max of 10,000 words after swaps.
- I want to keep at minimum none of my initial assignment.
- I would like to be able to swap to anyone I might be matchable to on AO3
- [Either skip the "I would like to swap to one of the following people:" question or input a list of usernames if you have them]
- My swap assignments should be a max of 1k each.
- I would like at most 10 recips after swaps, including my initial assignment.
- [Skip the last question, probably]
You may keep 9k of your initial assignment and get a 1k new swapsignment, or you may keep none of your initial assignment and get ten new 1k swapsignments for different people, or anything in between. Do not make AO3 offers for anything you can't make 10k for.
I'm extremely picky, can I give you a specific max swap wordcount for every swap I request?
Yes, and we're glad to have you do so! The last question on the answer form lets you give this kind of granular detail, as well as any other miscellaneous info you think we need to know.
How do I increase my chances of getting one or more swapsignments?
Getting swaps is mostly about luck, since you can't control what other people are or aren't willing to swap, but the more usernames on your swapsignments list the higher the likelihood that at least one of them will have word count available to swap around.
I definitely want to keep a full 10k assignment, can I still participate in swaps?
Yes, in two different ways!
- If you don't want to make more than 10k but you'd be happy to swap your initial assignment for a full 10k assignment to someone else, you can tell us:
- I want to be assigned a total max of 10,000 words after swaps.
- I want to keep at minimum none of my initial assignment.
- I would like to be able to swap to anyone I might be matchable to on AO3
- [Either skip the "I would like to swap to one of the following people:" question or input a list of usernames if you have them]
- My swap assignments should be a max of 10k each.
- I would like at most 1 recip after swaps, including my initial assignment.
- [Skip the last question]
- If you're sure you'll be able to make 15,000 or 20,000 words before works are due, you can tell us you want 15k/20k total after swaps and you want to keep all 10k of your initial assignment, then fill out the rest of the swaps form however you'd like.
I'm not signed up, can I submit a swap request and get a swapsignment?
Yes! Please do, in fact. There's more information about this below under the header "Swaps for Non-Participants"
Swap Form
The following forms will walk you through the information we need. You may fill these forms out as many times as you need, but only your final request will be used to make your swaps. These forms are identical except for the email part.
- Swap Form (link)
- Swap Form that asks for your email so it can email you a summary of your inputs (link)
- Non-Participant Swap Form (link) (Please read "Swaps For Non-Participants + Initial Pinch Hit Info" below before clicking!)
Manual Swap Requests
To enter into swaps without using the above forms, we need the following information emailed to ficinaboxmod@gmail.com. If you send multiple emails or use both the form and send an email, please make sure each submission contains your entire swap information. Only the most recent email or form submission will be used for your swaps.
Please copy the tiny form in this text box to your email:
(Click here for instructions about the tiny form above!)
Your AO3 username exactly as it appears on your sign up.
If you aren't signed up, note that the numbers below are assuming you're signed up so you will need to adjust accordingly.
What is the maximum amount total you would like assigned?
This is the absolute max we will assign to you in total, including your initial assignment and swaps. This amount must be at least 10k if you are signed up.
What is the maximum number of assignments you would like?
This is the maximum number of people you will be assigned to create for, including your initial assignment.
What is the minimum amount of your current assignment that you want to keep?
If all your swapping dreams come true, we'll make sure you have this amount of your original assignment still assigned.
You can keep as much as 10k (if you picked a max of over 10k) or as little as 0k. If you have no preference, put 0k. You can only keep wordcount in 1k increments, even if your assigned recip has shorter length opt-ins.
What other participants would you like to create for, how much would you like to create for them, and do you have any special notes?
You can provide either the exact AO3 username of the participant(s) you would like to create for as it appears on their FIAB requests, or say "I would like to swap to anyone I might be matchable to on AO3"
We need to know the amount of wordcount (in increments of 1k) that you would like to create for each participant listed. If opting to any match, please provide the maximum you'd like to be assigned to any single swap recipient.
If you have any special notes, we need those too! For example if you want to swap to someone to make them a map, we'd need to know you need to swap for a minimum of 2k, not 1k.
Please format the swap request information in the following way:
New Recip's AO3 name, Max amount you want to be assigned to this recip, Special Notes
Example:
Asymptotical, 2k
fencesit, 5k
tuesday, 5k, I need at least 2k to make a map
Swaps For Non-Participants + Initial Pinch Hit Info
Initial pinch hits won't come out until after Swaps because IPHs are of course super useful for swapping!
If you:
- aren't signed up but intend to create something for one of our participants regardless OR
- are signed up but intend to do additional treating on top of your assigned wordcount
...then you can get a pinch hit swapsignment!
If you're signed up, then you can indicate that you're willing to take 15k or 20k in the swap form.
If you're not signed up, then you can use the Non-Participant Swap Form (linked above) to get a pinch hit swapsignment!
We also would like to make people taking pinch hit swapsignments aware that swapsignments are likely not going to be like regular pinch hits:
- regular pinch hits are recipients who genuinely have no one to create for them and who will go without a gift if no one steps up
- swapsignment pinch hits are used to help make participants' swaps dreams come true.
Some of the Swaps puzzling does end up reducing or completely eliminating IPH wordcount, but that's not really the main goal. No one will go without a gift as a result of us having fewer or no swapsignments, so we'd like to encourage folks to only offer to take on that extra wordcount if they're very enthused to do so and feel it would be relatively easy for them to complete.
If you only want to pinch hit for requests who otherwise would have no one creating for them (entirely reasonable) you can simply wait for us to post our real initial pinch hits to the comm after Swaps conclude.
Final Note!
The FIAB Newbies Discord Server (link) is a great place to ask questions if you're still confused!
If you have any questions about swaps or sign ups that would give away what you're offering, please email us at ficinaboxmod@gmail.com or use the screened mod contact post to keep that info secret! You can also contact us via these methods if you're new to exchanges and have a question about exchange norms, appropriate sign up details, or other concerns.