datransexchange

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going through some real life shit so i wont be able to run this when planned. maybe later in the year?

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Call for Volunteers

Hi there! I'm heylavellan and currently I am the only mod for the DA Trans Exchange, a fanwork exchange focusing on trans characters! I am looking for two or three other folks who could help me run the exchange! In particular I will need folks who are:

18+

Willing to check submitted fanworks when they are submitted (may include NSFW works)

Familiar with AO3 (bonus if you have run exchanges before)

Good at communication

Have a Discord or are willing to make one to communicate with the rest of the team

I would also prefer trans + nonbinary volunteers where possible!

If you're interested, please DM us or send us an email!

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Tutorials and How-To's

Looking for the FAQ? Try here!

How to Nominate

How to Sign Up

Exchange Letters

Using Auto AO3

Fulfilling Your Assignment

Keeping it Anon

Using AO3 for Non-Fanfic Works

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About the Exchange

Dragon Age Trans Exchange

The Dragon Age Trans Exchange is an annual AO3 gift exchange with the aim to increase trans representation in DA fanfic. From nonbinary Anders to genderfuck Leliana, there is room for everyone to share ideas centred around trans characters!

Where possible, the event will attempt to release works in February (UK LGBTQ+ History Month), over the summer (varying pride months worldwide), or October (US LGBTQ+ History Month).

Dragon Age Trans Character Fanwork Exchange 2025 Schedule:

Nominations: December 9 - December 15 Sign-Ups: December 16 - December 30 Assignments Out: around Jan 4 Assignments Due: February 17 Works Revealed: February 24 Creators Revealed: March 3 All deadlines are as of 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0.

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Treats FAQ

Looking for the main FAQ? Try here.

Treats? What do you mean by that?

Treats are extra gifts you can give to either a specific person, to a group of people, or to the entire exchange. Because treats are extra, the expectations are less stringent. Fanfics can be shorter than 1000 words and fanfic doesn't need to have clean lineart. Treats can also take formats not accounting for the exchange, such as podfics, moodboards, fanmixes, etc.

Everyone is assumed to not want treats unless they specify in their sign ups that they want them. Treats to specific people will need to comply with each person's DNW, otherwise the person it is being gifted will need to be removed or the work will need to be changed. If you are unable to make either change, the work can be gifted to the exchange instead by leaving the "gift to" section blank.

I signed up for a treat but didn't get any!

That's quite normal! Treats aren't guaranteed to anyone and may be distributed unfairly. One prompt might receive 3 gifts while another receives none. They're unfairly distributed based on what writers and artists are willing to make and that's the way the cookie crumbles. However, we do have a way to track those who are treatless...

Okay, what's treatless then?

Treatless are people who have signed up for treats but haven't received them yet! Each person that hasn't received a treat will receive a "Treatless" additional tag which you can filter on using the AO3 tools or AutoAO3 App. We'll also keep a separate list in case AO3 is acting up!

How do I submit a treat?

When you've written a treat, submit it to the collection as normal! If you've written it for specific person(s), use the "gift to" section to add their name. If you would prefer to gift it to the exchange as a whole, leave the "gift to" section empty.

A treat will be rejected if it has content related to any of the DNWs of the giftees. You can either remove the person who has the DNW, gift it to the exchange, or rewrite it.

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Mod Team

Currently, the DA Trans Exchange is run by @heylavellan! Queries about the exchange will only be responded to through the contact email, datransexchange@gmail.com or private messages on this account.

heylavellan

heylavellan (he/they) is a 20-something trans guy currently studying for a masters in neuroscience and mathematics. He operates out of the UK time zone. When they aren't writing or studying, he's often out LARPing or spending time with his partner.

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AI Policy

Part of the joy from exchanges such as this is in creating something for another to enjoy. The DA Trans Exchange believes that fanwork should not be primarily AI generated, as many large scale learning models steal text and artwork from talented creatives without their permission. Furthermore, AI programmes have a huge impact on the environment due to the energy they consume.

That being said, we also recognise that AI is a broad term and that some forms of AI can be used as an assistive tool. We ask our participants to be sensible about their use of AI and automated tools. Our official rule is "Don't submit work which is primarily AI generated." We trust participants to use common sense and intuition to distinguish between something primarily AI generated and their own work. Due to the nebulous definition of AI, we thought it prudent to highlight permitted and prohibited use cases.

Permitted uses of AI include:

Using scripts and programmes to apply filters and effects

Generating a writing prompt

Generating a story outline

Editing images or text that you have created.

Our rules expressly prohibit the submission of text written through a generative text model such as ChatGPT or images which are generated using DALL-E, ChatGPT, or Midjourney.

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Exchange and Community Rules

In order to keep a healthy and happy community, we have a list of rules which we expect participants to follow. Violation of the rules are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and may be dealt with by issuing warnings, suspensions, or bans.

Fanwork Rules

All works in the exchange must be part of the Dragon Age fandom. Crossover works are not allowed.

All ratings and most kinks/fetishes are allowed so long as they do not violate your requester's DNWs and they are tagged appropriately. Non-con is prohibited, but dubcon and consensual non-con are permitted.

The exchange allows "dark fic" including works which deal with substance abuse, transphobia, queerphobia, and other potentially sensitive or triggering themes. This means the exchange allows themes or works you may consider "problematic". Please be sure to list anything you do not want to receive in your requests as a DNW.

The exchange does not accept works featuring minor-aged characters (under 18) in sexual situations.

Please do not alter skintone drastically from canon. In short, no white washing. If you have questions please reach out to moderators.

Please do not change the sexual orientation of canonically homosexual characters (i.e. no pieces which depict Dorian with a female character or Sera with a male character) or make canonically trans characters cis. Other sexuality headcanons are okay. When in doubt, reach out to the moderators!

Works must not be primarily AI generated. See our AI Policy (AI link)

Community Rules

Be respectful to each other.

This exchange has a zero tolerance policy for transphobia and queerphobia directed toward other members, which is particularly important due to the nature of the exchange. Transphobia and queerphobia can appear in properly tagged works provided they aren't listed in a recipient's DNW. In no circumstance should it be directed at other creators and community members.

If you are open to receiving Mature- or Explicit-rated works, you must be at least 18 years old and OPT-IN by checking the applicable box when signing up ("E"). Indicating interest for Mature- or Explicit-rated works is NOT a guarantee you will receive a work at those ratings.

If you are interested in creating Mature- or Explicit-rated works, you must be at least 18 years old in order to check the applicable box ("E") when giving your offers, and the recipient must have opted into receiving it as well for that pairing. Indicating interest in creating Mature- or Explicit-rated works is NOT binding; you may choose to create a lower rated work later. If you are under 18 or do not want to receive any "E" requests at all, please say "No 'E' requests" in your "Notes to mods" when signing up.

All assignments must be complete by the Assignment Due Date. Please see the Assignment Requirements section for our criteria. It is the responsibility of participants to submit a work that meets all assignment requirements. If you think you will need an extension or are unable to finish your assignment, please contact a mod ASAP.

This is an anonymous exchange. Do not contact your recipient. Do not de-anon yourself or any other creator ahead of creator reveals.

Do not post your story anywhere other than the current year's collection on AO3 until creators have been revealed. The only exception is that artists are allowed to use a watermark on their work to protect against art-theft. All works must be posted to the current year's collection on AO3 for an assignment to count as complete.

This is a moderated exchange. A moderator may contact you with questions or concerns with the email that you provided to AO3 for your account. If you don't have access to that account, please contact AO3 support. Any requests/questions/complaints should go through the moderators via datransexchange@gmail.com.

Were you looking for the creator expectations? Try this link.

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Creator Expectations

When you sign up to participate in this exchange, you are agreeing to the following:

I agree to create at least one fanwork for my recipient.

Any fanfic will be at least 1000 words.

Any fanart will be complete, with the minimum of clean lineart.

My completed work will be submitted via AO3

Any text will adhere to basic readability standards.

My work will feature one of the requested relationships

This work will be created specifically for this exchange (ie it is a new work I have not yet written)

I will create a work which I believe my recipient will enjoy

I will, to the best of my ability, adhere to the rules of the exchange.

Gifts will honour recipient's DNWs

Use of AI will be limited as described in the AI policy

I will support other creators in the exchange.

I will thank creators who gifted complete works and treats to me, either privately or publicly with a comment.

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FAQ

Looking for the Treats FAQ? Try here!

Looking for the tutorials? Try here!

What do you mean by trans?

Gender is a highly individualised journey, unique to each person. What the word "trans" means to each person can also be wildly different, due to personal experiences with the term. Throughout this exchange, we'll use trans to refer to anyone whose gender differs from the sex they were assigned at birth e.g. nonbinary, genderqueer, and agender folks. DA Trans Exchange recognises that people with those identities may not consider themselves trans or use that term for themselves in their day-to-day life, and chose to use trans as a shorthand throughout the official documents of the exchange for simplicity.

Do I have to be trans to write in this exchange?

No, you don't have to be! We encourage everyone interested to participate in the exchange. However, we encourage cis participants to be thoughtful about what they write and why they write it. There are plenty of online resources which help in writing trans characters, and reading literature by trans people can help guide you in how to write about trans folks.

Does my work have to feature a trans character?

Yes. That is the point of the exchange. If you have a problem with it, please move along.

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.

Can I use AI?

In specific use cases. Check our AI Policy.

What are nominations?

Sometimes, the tags you want to use may not exist yet. For the purposes of an exchange, this can be a bit tricky when new tags need to be created. Nominations help us make these new tags! During nominations, you can create submit new and existing ships.

For our nominations, we ask that you use ships to include ships you haven't seen listed yet.

Nominations do not mean that it will be written or is a commitment to participating. It's a way to signal to other creators "Hey! I want to see more content like this!"

How do I sign up?

Be sure to check the pinned post or account bio to find when sign ups open!

When you sign up, you will be asked to fill in at least three requests and three offers. Each request and offer will require at least one ship and one additional tag be entered.

While filling out a request, you may add up to five ships and five additional tags. Ships may be romantic or platonic. Additional tags should specify the format you would like your gift to take (Fanart or Fanfic!). You can then specify if you would like any treats (Treats - Fanart, Treats - Fanfic, and Treats - Other) tags.

When filling out an offer, you may add up to five ships, similar to above. You can use optional tags to add more canonical tags, but please do not add more than 5 per offer. These are things you're willing to write or draw! Please do not select any of the treats options in your offers.

Requests have a section where you can provide a prompt or add some notes. Within the notes, you should include your DNWs, prompts, and the gender identities you'd like to see written for! Requests also have a section where you can include a link to an exchange letter, if you have one.

Offers also have a section for notes. Please use this to specify if you are a minor or otherwise unwilling to create E rated works/smut. This ensures that we will not match you with someone who is looking only for E rated works.

Each account can make up to 10 requests. That means you can request up to fifty ships! You can also make 10 offers.

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!

What are DNWs?

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.

What are treats?

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 including the relevant tags in their signup. 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 in comment 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!

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Welcome to the Dragon Age Trans Exchange!

2025 Dates

Nominations: December 9 - December 15 Sign-Ups: December 16 - December 30 Assignments Out: around Jan 4 Assignments Due: February 17 Works Revealed: February 24 Creators Revealed: March 3 *All deadlines are as of 9 AM US Pacific / 12 PM US Eastern / 4 PM UTC+0.

Learn About the Exchange

Rules

FAQ

Creator Expectations

Tutorials

2025 AO3 Collection: The AO3 page for this year's gift exchange!

Other Important Info & Links

Main Collection: Here you can find the AO3 collection for the Dragon Age Trans Exchange!

About

Mod Team

Thanks and Acknowledgements

The Dragon Age Trans Exchange wants to offer thanks to:

various @black-emporium-exchange and @dapolyshipping mods for their help and advice in running this exchange!

@thedaselcor, for the inspiration for this writing event!