Archive of Our Own

Welcome to the SWTOR Summer Exchange, where we celebrate the wonderful world and characters of Star Wars: The Old Republic game.

Exchange Schedule:
- Nominations open: June 9th, 2024
- Nominations close: June 23rd, 2024
- Sign-ups open: June 30th, 2024
- Sign-ups close: July 28th, 2024
- Assignments go out: July 29-30th, 2024
- Works due: September 22nd, 2024
- Works revealed: September 29th, 2024
- Creators revealed: October 6th, 2024

Minimum Requirements:
- 1000 word piece of fanfiction of a quality you would be happy to receive
or
- a clean lineart drawing, of good resolution, on unlined paper/digital and of a quality you would be happy to receive.

1. What is a gift exchange?

When you sign up for a gift exchange on AO3, you are committing yourself to providing either a fanfiction or a fanart for whoever you are assigned. Assignments are based off of common tags that you will use when you put in your requests and offers in the sign up form. Please consider your availability and your interest before signing up for the exchange. If you can't complete a gift in the allotted time frame, please pass on the exchange this year. Everyone who makes a gift, should be receiving a gift.

2. How do I signup?

If the exchange interests you, you can click on the signup tab within the collection.

3. What's in the sign up form?

Participants will complete the form on AO3 to request approved characters/pairings that you would like to receive fic and/or art for. On the same form, you will also make offers of characters/pairings you would like to make fic and/or art for. You must request at least 2 characters and offer at least 2 characters. However - you may request and offer up to the limits. You will only be asked to complete one piece of fanwork.

On the form, there is a place for you to go into details about what you want. This is a great place to put a prompt with your ideas for a fic or art! You do not need to go into too much detail, but please, if you want to give your creator some help (which is always appreciated) when making your gift, put as much details as you can.

Good things to list: general likes, rating restrictions, prompt ideas, squicks/triggers/do-not-wants, links to custom characters, or anything else you’d like the writer/artist to know. Make sure you list things you do not want. We are insisting Authors and Artists adhere to the Do-Not-Wants and the pairing/characters, otherwise they have complete artistic license.

4. What if something comes up and I can't complete my gift?

PLEASE let me know if this happens. As soon as possible. If you are unsure about being able to complete a gift in time, you should contact me (@commandershakarian on AO3 or @commander-krios on Tumblr or @swtorsummerexchange on Tumblr) and let me know so that I can assign a pitch hitter to give your assignment a gift.

5. What is a pitch hitter?

A pitch hitter is a person who signs up to take any defaulted or leftover unmatched requests. They will need to be on call should something happen and be willing to make more than one gift if needed. If you are interested in becoming a pitch hitter, please either contact me directly or leave that as a note in your offer in the sign ups.

6. What if I finish my gift and want to write/draw some more?

Once the original assignments go out, I will open the requests that were received so that everyone can view what is available. At that point, once you finish your gift and have submitted it (please do this first, I don't want someone to end up without a gift), you are free to pick and choose whatever extra fic or art you'd like to make as a 'treat'. You are not limited to your giftee for a treat.

7. How do I submit my gift?

When you have finished your gift and are ready to submit it for your assignment, you can go to your personal dashboard, click on the "Assignments" tab, and your assignment should be listed there. Click on the 'fulfill gift' button and complete like you normally would. Just know that your gift will be anonymous until the creators reveal date so please don't post or talk about your gift on any other social media until after the reveal.

8. When will I get my gift?

Assignments will be revealed anonymously on Sept 29th. You must have your final draft up by this time. Creators will be revealed on October 6th; after this point, you may post your work anywhere.

You are required to comment on any and all gifts produced for you. Anyone who does not leave a comment on a gift for them will be banned from future exchanges until they leave a comment on their assigned gift.

If there are any other questions regarding the signups, the exchange, or in general, please find me on Tumblr @commander-krios or @swtorsummerexchange. My ask box is always open and anon is on if need be.

1. Be respectful of all members of the community. Please realize that everyone has different likes and dislikes, and that these may vary. Remember that everyone here is a person who is putting time and effort into making you or someone else something to enjoy. If there is any bullying of any kind, you will banned from future exchanges.

2. Submissions can be any rating except explicit. This is an all ages exchange so please, no explicit sexual content and adhere to any DNWs your giftee has. You must tag your fics appropriately, especially if they contain elements such as violence. Canon deaths in game do not need to be tagged major character death. If you feel adding a warning would spoil a major element of your story, you should utilize Choose Not to Warn. I will be checking that each submission is tagged appropriately before approving.

3. Submissions can be gen (platonic or character only), slash, het, femslash, or any combination of the aforementioned. All submissions must be posted on AO3. If you do not have a profile on AO3, I have a number of invitations I can send out. Please contact me asap so that we can get you signed up before the exchange closes.

4. Betas are highly encouraged. If your story contains excessive spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, it will be rejected and you will need to resubmit it with the errors corrected.

5. This is an anonymous exchange. Please do not post your story or art (or about your story/art, eg don't post "Making an assignment for @Username - can't believe I pulled them!") anywhere else or reveal it until authors have been revealed. Please do not reveal your recipient. Post-reveals, you are welcome to repost your story wherever you like. We do ask you do not "Archive Lock" your stories during the anonymous period; you are, however, free to do so at the end of the anonymous period, before reveals.

6. Stories/art should be created specifically for this challenge. Stories/art cannot have been previously posted somewhere. Stories/art cannot be part of a previously posted series. Stories/art must be stand-alone and compete upon their time of posting.

7. You MUST adhere to any DNWs that your giftee has listed. Other than that, feel free to explore and have fun. If you have any specific questions about something and need to contact your giftee (and they don't have the option for you to ask questions anonymously), you have to contact me (commander-krios on Tumblr) or the main exchange page (@swtorsummerexchange) and let me know what you need to know or what questions you'd like answered and then I will reach out to your giftee. The exchange needs to remain anonymous until the creator reveal date.

Have fun and may the Force be with you!