Welcome to our sixth annual femslash exchange!

This year we will be allowing up to 10 fandoms per sign-up, and also reducing the minimum number of requests/offers from 4 down to 3. We hope this reduction will help participants who primarily create in the mega fandoms which are combined in the tagset, and encourage anyone offering the minimum or who may be concerned that their offers are matchable to keep an eye on requests (which will be visible again this year) during sign-up.

We have also removed the request that treats below the minimum word count for assignments only be posted close to reveals, and have added vids as an allowed medium for matching.

Other than these changes, the rules are very similar to past years. Please give them a quick read even if you've signed up before.

Dates

All times are 6pm EDT

25 July-8 August: Nomination Period
11 August-22 August: Signups open
25 August: Assignments will be sent out by this date
6 October: Fanworks due
12 October: Archive goes live (or as soon as everyone has a gift)
20 October: Creators revealed

Associated sites: LiveJournal Feed & Tumblr & AO3 Collection & Tag Set.


Fest FAQs:
Nominations

• Before signups, we will have a nomination period for people to pick fandoms and relationships that they would like included in the fest. Each person can nominate up to 10 fandoms, with up to 10 pairings in each fandom. Please only nominate fandoms that you plan to offer or request.


• All fandoms in all media are welcome. Canon or non-canon pairings are welcome. Original works are welcome.


• For the purpose of this fest, femslash is defined as fic or art containing a relationship between two or more characters who identify in canon as either female or genderqueer. (We do not mean to imply that genderqueer = female, but would like to include as many pairings as we can, and leave gender definitions to the participants' discretion). That means you may not request gender-altered/Rule-63/spectrum-shifting works for canon male-identified characters. To be clear:
  
  • You may request works about cis female-identified characters.
  
  
  • You may request works about transgender women, such as Ms Hudson from Elementary.
  
  
  • You may also request works about canonically genderqueer and gender-questioning characters regardless of their assigned gender, such as Franky from Skins UK, Alister/Athena from Huge, and Xavin from Runaways.
  
  
  • You may request a canonically always female alternate universe version of a character who is male in the main universe, such as Natasha Stark from Marvel 3490
  
  
  • You may not request works about characters who are male-identified in canon.
  
  
  • You may not request works about male-identified characters who are temporarily transformed or body swapped into an assigned-female body, such as Guy Gardner in Guy Gardner: Warriorette (if you don't know, don't ask).
  
  
• Poly: We do allow poly groupings, so long as all the characters involved are eligible (f/f/f = fine; f/f/m = not in this fest, though you may list it as an option in your optional details.)


• Crossovers: Please nominate crossovers as under the fandom: Crossovers - Fandom, and list the characters with their fandom after the character name (Example: Pepper Potts (MCU)/Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Voyager)


• RPF: RPF characters must be 18 or over at the time of nomination, and must be public figures in their own right (no girlfriends/kids/parents of public figures permitted).


• You must have an Archive of Our Own (AO3) account to participate in nominations and sign ups. If you do not have one already, you can leave a comment here or e-mail the mods for an invite code. (For more on AO3 and how to sign up, go here).

Sign Ups
You can edit/delete your signup until signups close.
This is an exchange fest, which means you must produce a fanwork for someone else. If you withdraw, it is harder for everyone involved. So please, think carefully if you have the time before signing up. If you discover after signing up that you can't finish in time, contact the moderators as soon as possible.

Requests

• You will have an option to select whether you would like to receive art, fic, and/or vids. Obviously, the more mediums requested the easier you will be to match, but you don't have to request a medium you don't want.


• Signups must include 3-10 fandoms, and each fandom must have 1-10 pairings from the list of nominated pairings. We encourage people to request more than the minimum, as the more pairings you ask for, the easier matching will be.


• You will be matched on fandom, pairing and medium (fic, art or vid).


• While the description section is optional, we strongly suggest you include Do Not Wants. Any DNWs/triggers included in the description will be enforced by the mods. Other things to consider are the inclusion of general likes, rating restrictions, prompt ideas, or anything else you’d like the writer or artist to know. However, please remember that these are optional for the person assigned to you. If you've requested art or vids, please remember that not all fic prompts translate well into art or vids (more on that here). If you have a lot to say, consider linking to a letter in your own blog with the extra details.


• In your signup, do not imply rank for pairings or otherwise specify a favourite pairing. There is no need to make the person you are assigned feel bad if you want something they are not comfortable writing or drawing.

Offers

• You may offer to make art, make vids, and/or write fic.


• You may offer between 3-10 fandoms, with 1-10 pairings per fandom. Obviously, the more pairings you offer, the easier matching will be. You can also choose to offer "any" pairing in a given fandom, but please check the tag set to ensure that you're comfortable writing, drawing and/or vidding any pairing listed.


• You will be matched on fandom, pairing and format (fic, art, or vid).

Pinch Hitting

• In the event we have issues matching someone, they will go out as a pinch hit right away. You can find the pinch hits here.


• You do not have to have an AO3 account to pinch hit, as you may submit via the mod account. The mods will edit in credit and links to your own platform after the end of the anon period.


• If you do pinch hit, you'll have the option of adding your requests to a special prompts post, so that those who'd like to can reward you with the gift of femslash!

Assignments

• Your fanwork must focus on a requested pairing, and must include a romantic and/or sexual relationship of some kind. This is not a friendship ficathon. That means there should be some kind of f/f romance, longing, kissing, love, and/or sex. You're welcome to offer or request work featuring asexual characters as long as it's in the spirit of this rule.


• You are not obligated to produce something for ALL pairings on which you are matched. Pick whatever you are comfortable with. However, if you want to write or draw more than one thing for your recipient, feel free.


• You don’t have to write or draw the fandom/pairing you were matched on if something else your recipient requested interests you.


• Creators are required to avoid featuring their recipient’s DNWs in their gifts. While it is not required, if possible, please consider using one of your recipient's prompts. Participants requesting vids are also encouraged to list any accessibility requirements they have in their sign-up alongside other DNWs, eg. no flashing or bright lights, stuttery cuts, loud sounds, or violent sections of the source material. They may also request subtitles for their vid, and this will be a requirement for their gift (though mods will assist if any vidder needs help with subtitles.)


• Betas are not required, but are strongly encouraged. Fic submissions with excessive spelling, punctuation and grammar errors, art submissions that look like drafts, or vids with gaps or technical issues will be rejected. If your submission is rejected for this reason you can resubmit it after you've polished your work. We will have a beta sign up post.


• Due to the nature of this fest, it is hard for extensions to be given. If you know you won't be able to submit by the due date, please default as soon as possible. If you default prior to the due date, you may participate next year with no problems. If you default two years in a row, simply fail to submit your work by the due date, submit an unfinished work, or delete your already-completed assignment, you will not be able to participate in the next fest. If you defaulted in a previous year or are unsure of your eligibility to participate again, please email the mods at femslashexmod@gmail.com


• If you withdraw and the person assigned to create something for you withdraws, you will not be assigned a pinch hitter.


• If you have a problem with, any questions about, or cannot complete your assignment, please contact us immediately at femslashexmod@gmail.com.

Posting

You do not need an AO3 account to post treats; you may do so via the mod account. The mods will edit in credit and links to your own platform after the end of the anon period.

Treats of any length and medium may be posted at any time!

This fest has mandatory anon period for fic. Author names will be revealed one week after the archive goes live. Please do not promote your fic before that time.

The anon period for art and vids is optional. Because of concerns about crossposting without attribution, artists and vidders may sign their work and may link to it, but they are requested not to crosspost the full art or vid until all the end of the anon period. (For more on this, read here.)

Be respectful. Please realize that everyone has different likes/interests/squicks.


Fest Rules:

1. All fic have to be a minimum of 1,000 words, and be of a quality that you'd be happy to receive as a gift.. There is no maximum word count.


2. Art must be polished, and be of a quality that you'd be happy to receive as a gift. There is no maximum size for art or page limit for comics. Art must be hand or digitally drawn. We are not accepting manips at this time.


3. Vids must be a minimum length of 60 seconds with no gaps or missing footage, and be of a quality you would be happy to receive as a gift. Limited outside content is allowed as long as the vid remains recognisably for the fandom (or crossover) requested by the recipient. There is no maximum length for vids.


4. Submissions may be any rating.


5. Submissions must be femslash, and must focus on a requested pairing.


6. Please don't talk about the specifics of your assignment in public until the creators are revealed. We'd like it to be a surprise for everyone.


7. Gfts can't be part of a previously posted series.

Please do not hesitate to leave a comment here or contact us at femslashexmod@gmail.com, if you have any questions/comments/concerns.

Rules compiled from rarepairfest and femslash12. Vid rules influenced by festivids and equinox_exchange