The Equivalent Exchange Anthology will be a ship-friendly project open to Fullmetal Alchemist creators of all types. Content about any and all FMA characters and ships will be allowed (with appropriate ratings and warnings). Hate, harassment, or disparagement of contributors will not be tolerated.
The project will have multiple parts*:
A printed zine of gen fanwork and meta**
A printed zine of SFW ship-based fanwork
A digital zine of NSFW content (including a section for ship-based content and a section for gen)
A digital zine of NSFW ship content, including trigger-heavy content
(*This general project structure is provisional and open to change, as the final scope of the project will depend on contributions)
(**Meta can be personal essays about what makes FMA meaningful to you, analyses of characters, themes, or details from canon, stories about your experience with FMA, or another type of non-fiction)
What is a zine?
A zine is an unofficial fan-made publication compiling textual and visual contributions from fan creators.
What is the theme of this project?
We want to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Fullmetal Alchemist by letting creators express their love for FMA however they like! We are leaving this very open-ended on purpose. This fandom is full of creative people with varying perspectives – to us, the most important thing about FMA is the message that all of us coming together despite our differences is what gives us strength. The name “Equivalent Exchange” was selected to highlight the way that being a part of the fandom has given us so much in return for what we’ve put in, which is another element that we’d love to incorporate into the project.
What do you mean by “meta”?
“Meta” in the context of this project can be any non-fictional content that someone wants to create: character analysis; thematic analysis; extended commentary on a scene or plot point; a short essay about your personal experiences with and/or your discovery of FMA; what FMA has meant to you. A description of the work or process that went into a cosplay or another type of fan creation could also fall into this category.
Will there be merchandise?
Yes! We will have merch bundles available, and it will be possible to purchase them together with the zine parts of the project, or on their own.
What is the schedule?
We are hoping to open applications by January 2021 at the latest, so that we can open pre-orders in July for the twenty-year anniversary of FMA’s release.
Will the project have a Discord server?
Yes! The Discord server, as well as periodic emails, will be the primary methods used for communication with contributors.
Who can apply?
Anyone who loves FMA, wants to create for it, and respects others in the fandom regardless of differences in fictional preferences (character interpretations, ships, etc.). Contributors must be prepared to collaborate with others despite differences of opinion, and should not have a history of shaming, belittling, or attacking others based on what they enjoy in fanwork. In short, applicants’ philosophy should be “Ship and let ship”!
Can minors apply?
As long as a minor is legally old enough to work in their country of origin, they may apply. (Minors will only be permitted to contribute and view SFW content.)
How many contributors will be accepted?
We don’t have a maximum number of contributors as of yet. For the two SFW physical zines, we will determine the number of contributors based on page limitations, but each SFW zine will have an extended digital PDF version to include contributors whose work or full work won’t fit into the printed zine. The all-digital NSFW PDF components will be able to accommodate more contributors. We’ve designed the project in the hopes of including as many creators as possible.
What will be required for an application?
We will ask for a few samples of work similar to what you would be contributing (this does not necessarily have to be FMA fanwork), as well as your social media accounts and email address.
Are all ships accepted in the ship-oriented parts of the project?
Yes. As long as you are willing to tag and warn as appropriate, all ships are welcome. We will expect contributors to tag and warn diligently, to be mindful of others’ sensitivities, and to keep ship-related discussion in the appropriate parts of the server.
Can I contribute adult and/or controversial content?
Yes. As above, all contributors will be required to tag and warn carefully with their submissions and when interacting with other contributors, to use the appropriate channels on the server at all times, and to respect others’ boundaries.
I’d like to apply, but I don’t like certain ships and have some triggers. Will I have to see this content in the Discord server?
While we can’t guarantee that you won’t encounter content that you would prefer to avoid, we will be compartmentalizing ship content, NSFW content, and potentially triggering content as much as possible in the Discord server. We are counting on all contributors to help us with this, and will do our best to facilitate a safe and friendly collaborative environment!