Looking for the Treats FAQ? Try here!
Looking for the tutorials? Try here!
What is the purpose of the exchange?
Thedas has a multitude of cultures and species which each interact with gender in different ways. There are also multiple canonical trans characters (such as Krem and Maevaris), nonbinary characters (such as Taash and Flynn), and non-humanoid characters who have varying relationships to humanoid gender (such as Vorgoth, liches, and spirits). The Dragon Age Trans Exchange is a gift exchange to celebrate what this wonderful variety means for people, groups, relationships, and societies in Thedas.
Why do you include nonbinary and non-gendered characters in the exchange?
Can I participate if I'm cis?
Yes! We encourage everyone interested to participate in the exchange. However, we encourage cis participants to be thoughtful about what they create and why they create it.
Does my work have to feature transness?
What are the requirements for the exchange?
Creators are expected to create one fanwork as per the creator expectations. Works should be tagged and rated appropriately. We also highly encourage participants to leave comments on gifts and treats they receive.
Sort of. You cannot generate an image or text using AI as your gift for the exchange. You can use it to support your creation process.
Check our AI Policy for more details.
Nominations is the period where people indicate which tags they are interested in using during the exchange. They are not a commitment to participating or a guarantee that a specific tag will be used.
How do I sign up? (being reworked)
Be sure to check the pinned post or account bio to find when sign ups open!
Requests have a section where you can provide a prompt or add some notes. Within the notes, you should include your DNWs, prompts, and other information for your creator! Requests also have a section where you can include a link to an exchange letter, if you have one.
I made a mistake in my sign up. What should I do?
Before the deadline, you can edit it on your own. If you go to the sign up page, you will be able to edit your existing sign up. You may need to press a button first before you can edit. After the deadline, please contact a mod.
I'm not sure what I should offer. Help!
As soon as someone signs up, their requests are visible in the "sign up summary" of the exchange. To complete your sign up requests, it may be helpful to submit 3 offers with any. Then, once you have taken a look at the requests, you can offer some of the requests which catch your eye!
DNW is short for Do Not Write. These are things that the requester, for one reason or another, does not want to read or see. This can include ratings, tropes, AUs, kinks, themes and characters.
Participants are expected to present reasonable DNW lists. For example, a DNW of "only given prompts" is unfair to the gifter and therefore unreasonable. Vague statements such as "bad people" or "BDSM" are also not permitted, as it is unclear what falls under bad people and BDSM to the requester. Furthermore, DNWs should not pass judgement, such as "weird kinks" or "problematic characters".
It can be tough to identify what you want in a DNW, so it might be easier to specify what you do want and include a DNW of "kinks not listed."
What is an exchange letter? How do I write one?
An exchange letter or a dear creator letter is a way to communicate your ideas and OCs to any potential writers. This is a good way to provide in depth prompts or organise all your information in one place. The DA Poly Exchange has a great guide on how to write one.
What happens after I sign up?
Within a few days, you will receive an email informing you of who your recipient is. Then you'll be expected to finish your pieces by the given deadlines.
How do I keep my watermark my work and remain anonymous?
Artists are advised to create two images of their work. The first one should not contain any identifying information, such as a signature. It may contain a watermark or other copyright symbol to prevent theft. The second image can then contain your usual watermark, which can replace the first image once the anonymous period is complete. A reminder to switch your art will be sent when creators are revealed.
Treats are fanworks participants complete in addition to their assignment. Because they are extra, they do not have to meet the full requirements of an assignment. It is assumed that participants do not want treats unless they opt in by saying so in the prompt section of their sign up. For more details, please check out our Treats FAQ page (LINK).
I don't think I'll complete my assignment! What should I do?
Contact the mods as soon as you think you won't be able to finish your gift. Where possible, we will try to provide an extension first because it's easier to give you a bit of extra time than find a new creator last minute.
In the case where an extension isn't suitable, we'll withdraw your offer and look for a pinch hitter to fill in for you. In the case that your gifter also needs to withdraw, your requests will be withdrawn.
What are pinch hits? Who can do them?
Pinch hits are requests which need someone other than the original assignee to be completed. They can be completed by moderators or anyone from the community with an AO3 account willing to take on the challenge. You do not currently have to be signed-up to the exchange to claim a pinch hit.
Pinch hits may be needed when a participant:
alerts the moderators there is no way they will be able to complete their assignment in time
does not post a gift by a deadline and has not asked for an extension
does not meet their extension deadline
receives a gift that does not fulfill the requirements of the exchange
Please note that creator reveals will not happen until all participants have received a gift.
What does the exchange being moderated mean?
It means that content will be screened before it is added to the collection. This includes screening tags to make sure they are appropriate and reviewing sign ups to give people the best chance of matching with others. Once works are created, they will be reviewed to ensure that they meet our quality standards, respect DNWs, and check for any problems with the work.
This doesn't mean we can guarantee you like your gift, force you to accept it, or perform age checks to ensure minors do not access explicit works.
There's a problem with a gift or treat I received. What should I do?
First, we apologise for missing something during review. If your received gift/treat violates a rule of the exchange (including but not limited to violating your DNWs or not including a trans character), please reach out to a moderator so we can review the situation and decide what action to take before you contact your gifter with comments or any other way. This allows us to approach things as a neutral third party for you.
You are always allowed to reject a gift/treat that meets the requirements of the exchange, but isn't quite what you wanted, even if it doesn't violate your DNWs. Before you do so, we encourage you to reach out to a moderator so we can review the situation.
Please be aware that reaching out to a moderator won't necessarily get anyone in "trouble" or banned from our exchanges! Solutions could be a rewrite, another gift/treat, or a pinch hit to take the place of the other gift. Don't ever be afraid to speak up!
Can I repost my work to another website after the anonymous period?
Yes! Feel free to link the AO3 or post it on your social media. We'd encourage you to tag us and share your experiences with the exchange. Before you tag your recipient, be sure to get their permission!
Why hasn't my work been approved?
The mods are volunteers doing this in their free time! It may take some time for a mod to assess your piece and ensure it meets the standards of the exchange.
Where possible, we try to approve works in batches to help creators maintain anonymity during the anonymous period. The closer to reveals work is submitted, we are more likely to quickly approve it.
If you feel its been an excessive amount of time, please contact the mods!
