outnumberedbybooks

Thanks to the people I've heard back from!

I still need to hear from P and also from two other people - C and S. In one case I need some sign-up details and in another case unfortunately there is a cascading matching issue - so if your name starts with s and you (appear to) have one possible recipient, please check your email.

I'm so glad we're here! I am very grateful to my tagmod helpers (who did a lot more work than me this time, honestly) and to everyone answering queries.

Sign-up instructions

You can sign up at the collection.

Sign-ups are open until 11:59pm EDT, September 11.

Basics
-Ask for 4-10 fandoms, 1-10 "relationship" tags in each, and in each of your requests, tick at least one of the additional tags that specifies what kind of gift you're interested in.

-Offer 1-10 fandoms, 1-10 "relationship" tags in each, and in each of your offers, tick at least two of the additional tags that specifies what kind of gift you're willing to create.

-In fffx's tagset, the "relationships" field covers characters, relationships, and worldbuilding. fffx uses OR matching - you will get, or create, a gift focusing on one of those tags. If you want specific characters to interact, select a single "relationship" tag that names all of them and uses & and / as appropriate.

-You can repeat fandoms in your requests - ie, you can ask for Original Work twice. You still need 4 unique fandom requests. Offers can be be as minimal as you like, but you will need someone to create for in order to receive an assignment.

-Please list dealbreaking Do-Not-Wants in your sign-ups. You must also put some other, positive information about your interests in each request - this can be a likes list, some prompts, or just talking about what you like about the canon & characters.

Please consider your DNWs carefully. "DNW: unrequested relationships" might suit a 1k relationship-based exchange that also matches on freeforms like "trapped together in an elevator", but may cause stress to someone considering a longer plot. DNWs should give guidance but not constrict your author to a plot that is dramatically narrower than the possibilities of the tag you requested.

-Participants must be aged 18 or over.

-Do not use "AI" generative tools for fic or art. Please reach out to me directly if you're not sure if your assistive tool counts.

-There is a space in Offers - Title - for "Notes to Mod". You can use this space to tell me more about your matching preferences, if you like. You can also leave it blank. If you have Do-Not-Match requests, I may follow up with you for more information - ie, how pinch hits will be handled.

-You are not eligible to sign up if you have not commented on previous gifts (check your name here) or discussed the situation with me. You are not eligible to sign up if you posted a placeholder for which I banned you, unless you've posted a make-up work.

-You are not eligible to sign up if you took part last year and either defaulted after check-in, didn't check in during check-in, or checked in then didn't post a work. However, if that happened to you in any of rounds 1-4, you're welcome to sign up again now.


How the Additional Tags Work
If you request Fanart: 1 x 10-Page Comic, you will receive 1 gift that is a comic of at least 10 pages or at least 40 panels. (Ie, if there are 40 distinct panels, it can have 9 pages. If there are 10 full pages, it's okay if there are only 36 panels.)

If you request Fanart: 1 x 10-Page Comic OR 2 x 5-Page Comics at Artist's Discretion, you may receive 1 gift that is a comic of 10 pages or at least 40 panels, or you may receive 2 gifts of 2 comics that are each half that long. (If selecting that option, I recommend also selecting Fanart: 1 x 10-Page Comic - there are no drawbacks. But you don't have to.)

If you request Fanfic: 1 x 10000-Word Fic, you will receive 1 gift that is a fanfic of at least 10,000 words.

If you request Fanfic: 1 x 10000-Word Fic OR 2 x 5000-Word Fics at Author's Discretion, you may receive 1 gift that is a fanfic of at least 10,000 words, or you may receive 2 gifts of 2 fic that are each half that long. (If selecting that option, I recommend also selecting Fanfic: 1 x 10000-Word Fic - there are no drawbacks. But you don't have to.)

It is possible that if you select both Fanart: 1 x 10-Page Comic OR 2 x 5-Page Comics at Artist's Discretion AND Fanfic: 1 x 10000-Word Fic OR 2 x 5000-Word Fics at Author's Discretion, you may get two gifts, one of which is a 20-panel comic and 1 of which is a 5,000-word fic. It is possible that if you select "2 x 5" tags for more than one fandom, you will get half-length gifts from two different fandoms. This is up to your creators.

You have to offer two Additional Tags. If you are someone who creates only in 1 medium, you can select both the Fanart tags, or you can select both the Fanfic tags.


Groups
Groups & Creator's Choice tags works like this:
"Thop the Gribble & the Splonks"
This means a story focusing on Thop and his platonic relationship with two characters who fit into the category of Splonk. The characters chosen from the Splonks are up to the creator.

"Gribbles/Splonks"
This means a sexual or romantic relationship including at least two Gribbles and at least two Splonks.

"Gribbles & ALL: Splonks"
This means a story featuring platonic relationships between at least two Gribbles and all of the characters who can be defined as splonks.

"Creator's Choice of Gribble & Splonks"
This means a story featuring platonic relationships between ONE Gribble and at least two Splonks.

When ALL is part of the tag, all members of the group must play significant roles in the work. If it isn't, the creator gets to choose which character feature. Requesters may not select within the tag or DNW members of the group.

Groups that are nominated in this way should be discrete and clearly defined.

If an existing group or Creator's Choice tag doesn't work for you, please use your supplementary nominations slots to nominate a tag between specific characters.

If requesting a group, I recommend using your prompts to talk about who you see as part of the group, just in case your creator has a different idea.



Unusual Things fffx Is Doing
-Comments are really important. This exchange is scheduled to reveal on March 14 2026; I recommend thinking twice abut signing up if you think you'll struggle to comment during the anonymous period or soon after. It is a requirement of this exchange that you must comment on any gifts you receive or, if you cannot, refuse the gift.

-Please don't link to a letter (an external document containing prompts, general preferences, etc) unless you're confident you can complete it by September 21. I know you can't predict the future - please just plan in good faith. Letters, of course, are optional - you don't have to link one at all. If you do link to a letter, please consider keeping a status message at the top to let readers know whether it's complete or not and when it was last updated.

-This exchange requires you to put prompts, or general likes, or something you like about the canon, in the AO3 form. It doesn't have to be long or eloquent, but something other than your DNWs is required. Ie, Optional Details are only optional for creators - they are not completely optional for requesters.

-Please sign up with one account only.

-There are also extra deadlines - September 21 for asking to swap your assignment for any other assignment & for finishing your letter, and November 30 for confirming you're still committed to your assignment, as well as the posting deadline of January 24.

Some previous nominations queries remain

Please see previous post.

Additional nominations

Nominations will be re-opened tomorrow, for 3 fandoms/3 tags. If you care about recording what you've already nominated, please save that information now.

Errors in tag set

There will inevitably be some. Feel free to let me know and I'll do what I can to sort them out (this may not be until sign-ups close). I mostly care about errors that could cause confusion or difficulty in matching.

Welcome.