Sutcliff Swap Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any further questions that are not addressed here or in the policies, please email a mod or leave a comment and we will answer!
Eligibility and Participation
Q. I'd like to participate, but I've only read one or two Sutcliff books. Can I still sign up?
A. Sure! We will do our best to match all signups. In 2013, we had some participants who had only read a few books, and no problems matching them. If you can still come up with three different character requests (e.g. Eagle of the Ninth, 1. Marcus/Esca, 2. Marcus/Cottia, 3. Guern), matching should be pretty easy.
If you can't come up with three different character requests, let us know and we'll see what we can do. We would rather people sign up than not sign up, and since we're matching by hand there's a fair bit we can do to accommodate.
There are also several Sutcliff short stories which are quick reads. Contact a mod if you're not sure where to find them.
Q. I'd like to participate, but I only really like writing/drawing [slash/gen/het]. Can I still sign up?
A. Sure! Since we match creators and recipients manually, we do our best to match according to preferences, so people receive assignments they're comfortable with. In 2013, we had a mixture of gen, het, polyamory, and m/m slash, and this year we are adding an additional question about what genres you are comfortable writing (m/m, m/f, f/f, polyamory, and gen). If we run into any matching problems, we will communicate further with you about what you are able to offer to try to resolve the issue. We would like as many people to participate as possible!
Q. I defaulted last year. Can I still participate in Sutcliff Swap 2014?
A. Yes
Q. Is Eagle of the Ninth eligible as a fandom?
A. Yes, the book Eagle of the Ninth is eligible, although adaptations such as the 2011 movie are not. We have chosen to include it because most existing fic and art is based primarily on the movie, plus the movie does not include many of the interesting secondary characters. In addition, activity in wider Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth fandom has died down, so we see no reason to exclude EOT9 from Swap eligibility at this point.
Requests
Q. I'm requesting three/four different fandoms. Should I just list all the characters I like for each fandom?
A. In your sign-up, please only list a few characters you'd like to see in a story together, as this makes matching easier. If you would be happy with stories or art about different characters as well, you can mention this in your optional details.
If you would be happy with a story about any character from the source, you can request "any," but please be aware that this may include minor characters.
Fanwork Content
Q. I know this is a canon-setting only exchange, but can I include supernatural or magical elements in my fanwork?
A. Yes, if they are something that would be recognizable to the characters. For example, ghosts, gods, and mythological elements are fine (and encouraged!). Transplanting modern concepts of vampires or zombies into a Roman British setting would be outside the scope of this exchange.
Q. What about alternate universes?
A. Alternate universe stories which retain the canon setting but alter events or character roles are fine. For example, writing an AU where a character doesn't die, but instead survives and has more adventures is fine. Please save the modern and science fiction AUs for other venues.
Q. Do I have to imitate Sutcliff's writing style if I am writing a story?
A. No, of course not! While some people in book fandoms try to imitate the original author's writing style, others do not. We encourage writing in whatever style you are comfortable with.
Treats
Q. Are you allowing treats? What if some people receive more than one fanwork and others don't?
A. Yes. While this means that some recipients may receive more gifts, this is already a possibility in the event of a defaulter finishing a work, an assigned creator creating multiple works, or treats for pinch hitters, and of course some creators will greatly exceed the minimum wordcount or art requirements while others will not. We like to hope that in a rare fandom exchange like this, everyone wins when there are more wonderful works to enjoy, and that everyone appreciates the care that went into their gifts.
However, we absolutely don't want people to feel pressured to produce extra treats. We recognize that Sutcliff canons are often challenging and fanworks can take extra effort for research and betaing, so we hope no one will feel they have to do more than their assignment if they're not comfortable doing so.
Eligibility and Participation
Q. I'd like to participate, but I've only read one or two Sutcliff books. Can I still sign up?
A. Sure! We will do our best to match all signups. In 2013, we had some participants who had only read a few books, and no problems matching them. If you can still come up with three different character requests (e.g. Eagle of the Ninth, 1. Marcus/Esca, 2. Marcus/Cottia, 3. Guern), matching should be pretty easy.
If you can't come up with three different character requests, let us know and we'll see what we can do. We would rather people sign up than not sign up, and since we're matching by hand there's a fair bit we can do to accommodate.
There are also several Sutcliff short stories which are quick reads. Contact a mod if you're not sure where to find them.
Q. I'd like to participate, but I only really like writing/drawing [slash/gen/het]. Can I still sign up?
A. Sure! Since we match creators and recipients manually, we do our best to match according to preferences, so people receive assignments they're comfortable with. In 2013, we had a mixture of gen, het, polyamory, and m/m slash, and this year we are adding an additional question about what genres you are comfortable writing (m/m, m/f, f/f, polyamory, and gen). If we run into any matching problems, we will communicate further with you about what you are able to offer to try to resolve the issue. We would like as many people to participate as possible!
Q. I defaulted last year. Can I still participate in Sutcliff Swap 2014?
A. Yes
Q. Is Eagle of the Ninth eligible as a fandom?
A. Yes, the book Eagle of the Ninth is eligible, although adaptations such as the 2011 movie are not. We have chosen to include it because most existing fic and art is based primarily on the movie, plus the movie does not include many of the interesting secondary characters. In addition, activity in wider Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth fandom has died down, so we see no reason to exclude EOT9 from Swap eligibility at this point.
Requests
Q. I'm requesting three/four different fandoms. Should I just list all the characters I like for each fandom?
A. In your sign-up, please only list a few characters you'd like to see in a story together, as this makes matching easier. If you would be happy with stories or art about different characters as well, you can mention this in your optional details.
If you would be happy with a story about any character from the source, you can request "any," but please be aware that this may include minor characters.
Fanwork Content
Q. I know this is a canon-setting only exchange, but can I include supernatural or magical elements in my fanwork?
A. Yes, if they are something that would be recognizable to the characters. For example, ghosts, gods, and mythological elements are fine (and encouraged!). Transplanting modern concepts of vampires or zombies into a Roman British setting would be outside the scope of this exchange.
Q. What about alternate universes?
A. Alternate universe stories which retain the canon setting but alter events or character roles are fine. For example, writing an AU where a character doesn't die, but instead survives and has more adventures is fine. Please save the modern and science fiction AUs for other venues.
Q. Do I have to imitate Sutcliff's writing style if I am writing a story?
A. No, of course not! While some people in book fandoms try to imitate the original author's writing style, others do not. We encourage writing in whatever style you are comfortable with.
Treats
Q. Are you allowing treats? What if some people receive more than one fanwork and others don't?
A. Yes. While this means that some recipients may receive more gifts, this is already a possibility in the event of a defaulter finishing a work, an assigned creator creating multiple works, or treats for pinch hitters, and of course some creators will greatly exceed the minimum wordcount or art requirements while others will not. We like to hope that in a rare fandom exchange like this, everyone wins when there are more wonderful works to enjoy, and that everyone appreciates the care that went into their gifts.
However, we absolutely don't want people to feel pressured to produce extra treats. We recognize that Sutcliff canons are often challenging and fanworks can take extra effort for research and betaing, so we hope no one will feel they have to do more than their assignment if they're not comfortable doing so.