Archive of Our Own

Welcome to the 2018 JayDick Summer Exchange, an anonymous gift exchange for fanwriters and fanartists. We accept both ship and gen works focused on the relationship between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Participants can indicate in sign-ups what kind of work they'd like to create and receive.

Follow us on tumblr for info updates. If you have any questions or concerns not covered by the FAQ, please contact the Mod Squad. We can be reached via email, tumblr msg or ask, or on the #challenges channel of the jaydick discord server.

Art: Submitted fanart should be completed traditional (e.g. ink, painting, prism markers) or digital works. If the piece is traditional, you must take a high-quality photo or scan your work for online submission.
Fic: Submitted fanfics should be at least 1,000 words of completed fiction that has been proofread and beta'd.

Timeline
MAY 6: Sign-ups Open
MAY 20: Sign-ups Close
MAY 25-28: Assignments Sent
JUNE 25-30: Check-In
JUL 20: Fanworks due
JUL 29: Posting begins
AUG 13*: Authors revealed

*This date was pushed back from Aug 8 because we had more sign ups than expected! Yay!

Do I have to make something for all 3 requests in my assignment?
Nope! You are required to produce one (1) work of fic or art for your recipient. There are three different requests to give you options. You can combine details from different requests if it's appropriate and you want to. However, we don't want to limit your creativity! If you'd like to produce more than one work for your recipient, please go for it! We only ask that you upload a completed piece first before moving to another.

How do I view my assignment or my sign up?
Three ways. One, through the link in the sidebar on this page. Two, through the link in the sidebar on your AO3 profile. Three, you can get there by replacing “USERNAME” with your AO3 username in this URL and scrolling until you find the listing for JayDick Summer Exchange:
For assignments: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USERNAME/assignments . Once there, click on your recipient's username.
For your sign-up: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USERNAME/signups . Once there, click on your username.

How do I submit my work?
Submit your work via your AO3 assignments page! Please see this post for information on how to do so: How to post to the exchange

Do I post art the same way I would post fic?
Short answer: Yes. You'll need to host the art someplace else (like imgur) and embed the art with html. The html will look like this: <img src="URL"> . Even though your AO3 handle will be anonymous, please do sign or watermark your art if you want to! We understand that art works differently than fic.

I'd like to be a pinch hitter or beta. What should I do?
Fantastic! We will be taking sign ups for pinch hitters and beta readers/artists via the challenge tumblr. Please check there for information.

Will I have to write/draw slash if I'm a gen writer/artist? Or gen if I'm a slash writer/artist?
No. Recipients will be matched to authors/artists based on their preferences. If you indicate in your offer that you prefer to write Jason & Dick (as opposed to Jason/Dick), you will be matched with someone who has made a Jason & Dick request.

How closely do I need to follow my recipient’s requests?
The goal for the exchange is to give your recipient a fic or piece of art they will enjoy. It doesn’t have to be exactly like the prompts listed, but please keep their likes and dislikes in mind when creating your fic/artwork.

What if I don’t like my assignment? Can I change it?
Sorry but we are unable to change assignments once they have been sent out.

What happens if I don't finish my fic/art on time?
As soon as you realize you won’t be able to finish by the deadline, please email the mods so that they can give you an extension or assign a pinch-hitter for your recipient. Our goal is to make sure that everyone ends up with a gift so it is important to let us know as soon as possible if you think you can’t make it. The moderators will also do rolling check-ins the week of June 25.

What happens if I drop out?
There are no consequences for dropping out if you default before the deadline. You can do this by notifying the mods or by clicking "default" on your AO3 assignments page. Note that once you drop out, if your writer/artist also drops out, a pinch hitter will not be found for you, so you may not receive a gift. Participants who drop out after the deadline will be barred from the next exchange event, and the fanwork they were meant to receive will be gifted to the JayDick community. Participants can be removed from the barred list by completing and posting their exchange fic before the next event.

Can I post a multi-chaptered fic?
Yes. You must have 1000 words posted by the deadline (July 20). Please finish posting the complete work by the author reveal date (Aug 8, though it may be later depending on posting schedule). If the fic is unfinished by the author reveal date, the mods will contact you to decide if a pinch hit is required. You must finish the fic by the end of the year (Dec 2018) or you will be barred from participating in the next exchange.

If you don't finish the fic, it will be treated as a drop out. If you find yourself in "Shit! I didn't mean to turn this into an epic!" land, remember that one way to finish a multichapter WIP is to turn it into a series of sequels. All we want as mods is for your recipient to have a finished fic. The first story in a series counts.

Does my request have to be based on the comic books?
No. Dick Grayson and Jason Todd exist in various forms across a variety of media. If you want to see a specific incarnation in your fanworks, put it in your prompt. For example, tell your creator you'd like to see Batman Ninja Nightwing and Red Hood or Gotham by Gaslight Dick and Jason.

Can I request gen works?
Yes. Please make this information clear in your request as well as your preference for writing/reading Jay & Dick over Jay/Dick.

What if I really hate the fic/artwork that I receive?
Even if you don’t like the gift you receive, please leave a polite comment.

What is the posting order?
Gifts will be posted roughly in the order that we receive them, but the mods may change this slightly to provide a better balance between fanfiction and fanart.

When can I post my fic/artwork on my own journals/announce it on communities?
Please wait to post your fic/artwork on your personal platforms (twitter, tumblr, journals) until the Author Reveals on August 8 (note that this date may be later. We had more sign ups than expected so our posting period may be longer).

SIGN UPS

1. Please submit three (3) different requests featuring Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. You are welcome to request other characters from the DC universe in your prompt, but the focus should be on the relationship between Dick and Jason.

2. You may request or offer fanfic, fanart, or both. If you offer both, please note that you may be assigned to someone who has requested only fic or only art.

3. Ship and gen requests are both welcome as long as the focus of the work is on Jason and Dick. Please indicate whether you are interested in ship (Jay/Dick), gen (Jay & Dick), or both in your requests and your offer.

4. Please do include specific details in your request, but note that the "description" box is like the pirate code -- it's more guidelines than actual rules. Your author/artist is not required to deliver on those details unless they choose to (e.g. you could request a fic set in the Akham Knight 'verse but receive a fic set in the main comics canon because your author has never played the game).

SUBMISSIONS
5. You are required to submit one (1) fanwork to fulfill your assignment. If you cannot submit a fanwork, notify the mods ASAP. If you fail to post by the deadline and haven't notified the mods, you will be banned from future exchange events. Participants can be removed from the banned list by completing and posting their exchange fic or art before the next event.

6. Submitted fics should be at least 1,000 words. Fic should be finished works, not works in progress. Please see the FAQ for information about posting a WIP or a (finished) multichapter fic. If you intend to post a multichapter fic, please contact the mods so we can schedule your fic early in the posting period so that you have time to post all chapters within the posting period. If a fic is still incomplete past the end of the posting period, the mods will talk to the author before determining if it requires a pinch hit.

7. Submitted fanart should be a completed traditional (e.g. ink, painting, prism markers) or digital work. If the piece is traditional, you must take a high-quality photo or scan your work for online submission

8. Dick and Jason's relationship should be a main theme of the work in some way, though it does not need to be the only theme.

9. If you are writing a fic, we strongly encourage you to have it beta read. We will have a beta rally to connect writers with beta readers.

10. You must remain anonymous until the very end of posting when authors/artists are revealed. Do not cross-post or promote your work on other sites until reveals. However, you can respond to comments on AO3 before reveals; AO3 will automatically hide your username and identify you only as the anonymous creator of the work. You are, of course, allowed to share the story with a beta or a friend who’s helping you with the writing process.

11. Please leave a comment for your author/artist. Recipients should be respectful of the fan creator’s time and talents when accepting their fanwork gifts. Though it is not required, we encourage participants to comment on other works in the exchange that you enjoy if you're able. We’d like to cultivate positive community vibes with this exchange. An active comment culture in an exchange encourages creators to return and create more.