Archive of Our Own

For those who aren’t familiar with this type of challenge, let’s first say what it entails. It’s a Big Bang type of writing and art challenge, but flipped around - instead of artists picking fics to create art for, it’s the artists who contribute art, and writers create stories inspired by it.

The basic rules can be found in the RULES, but in short: artistic creations of multiple types are accepted, and fics will be required to be at least 4000 words long. In our SCHEDULE, you can find the dates when the challenge starts and ends, for both artists and writers.

If you have any further questions that aren’t answered in the Rules or FAQ, you can contact us via tumblr ask or on twitter.

What is a reversebang?

Per the definition from Fanlore: 

 

A Reverse Bang is a fanart/fanfic challenge akin to a Big Bang, only with the fanart created first to inspire the fic.

What counts as artwork?

Single digital or traditional images, fan mixes with cover art, videos, photo- or gif-sets, comics. Any visual creation that has the potential to inspire a fanfiction. If you have suggestions for other options that can be used as an inspiration for a written story, please contact us via our ask box here. 

Who can sign up?

Any artists, creators, and writers who want to contribute to the Sterek fandom. 

Can I sign up as an author and an artist?

Yes, if you’re confident that you can complete both assignments on time. 

Where can I sign up?

Sign ups forms can be found HERE. 

What’s the schedule?

You can find the dates here.

How long does the fanfic need to be? Is there a minimum and a maximum word limit?

The minimum length for fic is 4000 words. There is no formal maximum limit, but do keep in mind that the complete fic has to be posted on the assigned date. 

Are Comics counted by page, or by story? 

Comics are counted by Story, so if you have a 2 page comic for the same story, it’s counted for one piece of art.

Will there be checkpoints during the challenge?

Yes. We ask that you submit an email address at sign up, so that we can send out check-in/progress reminders and check-in forms. All check-ins are mandatory (optional check-ins will be clearly indicated as such)

Do fics need to be Beta read?

Yes, they do. If you don’t have a Beta reader, you can look at the list of people who signed up HERE. (if you’d like to offer your Beta services, the form can be found here) If you find a Beta on the list, you can contact them via their tumblr (if the Beta wishes to be contacted via email or otherwise, it will be specified on the list)

What is a Beta reader?

A Beta reader is there to catch at least the most jarring of errors in your fic to make it more readable. You let them read your fic before it’s posted, and they offer you suggestions on what could be changed to improve it, and let you know what works. For a more elaborate answer, please look at this answered ask.

How do I find a Beta reader?

You can find a list of Beta readers HERE. Or you can ask a friend or anyone else you’d be comfortable with getting feedback from. You can also make a post on your own blog about needing a Beta reader and find one that way.

Can I claim more than one art piece?

Authors will be given the chance to submit more than one choice, but unless the number of artworks exceeds the number of authors, they will only be assigned one art piece. 

How do we submit our work?

You will be given specific submission guidelines before the dates - artists before the claiming process, writer/artist teams before the posting date. There is no obligatory platform to post your work to, but you’ll be asked to let us know where your work has been posted. 

Is there a theme we need to stick to?

No. For artists, go wild, there are no content guidelines or a theme, as long as it’s Sterek art. For writers, the art is your prompt. 

Is NSFW art/fic okay?

Yes, it is. Please note on your submission if the artwork falls in the NSFW category.

What is a Pinch Hitter?

A pinch hitter is someone who steps in if there are drop-outs during the writing stage and writes fic for artwork that would otherwise be unclaimed. 

Do you assign art to authors or do authors pick? 

We do assign art to authors, but it is based on their choices - the claims process is explained in more detail in the RULES.

Are we allowed to share our finished fic with our artists before the posting date?

Absolutely. You can share the fic with your artist, and obviously your Beta reader. We only ask that you don’t publish anything anywhere public until your posting date.

Is it okay to post a fic for this bang that continues?

Short answer: no. Longer answer: you can, of course, write sequels and expand your story into a series. But the story that you post on your assigned date must be a complete and finished piece of work that is a standalone.

What are Early Bird Submissions? 

They are an option for the artists to submit their artwork before the final deadline. As we do not want to have art trickling in, we open submissions twice: about halfway through the art creating portion of the event, and then at the deadline for artwork. 

How polished should the artwork be?

What we are looking for (at the very latest on your posting date) is a completed work. So, if you would post the art as finished (and not as an in-progress stage) on your own blog/site, then it’s polished enough for us. 

How do I drop out?

Please let us know as soon as possible via email. 

How can I join the Discord server?

The server is only for participants at the moment, and when you’ve signed up, you will be provided with the invite via email. 

Do I have to join Discord in order to participate?

Not at all, the server is only an additional space for anyone who wants to chat with other participants.

Where can I contact you?

Via our askbox, on twitter, or email us at [email protected].

(further previously answered questions can be found in our faq and queries tags and will be added if questions arise)

GENERAL EVENT RULES

This is a Sterek-centric challenge. As such, we will not be accepting poly ships. This is not a reflection of anyone’s personal bias regarding them, only a general rule for this challenge.

• Character, ship, show bashing is strictly NOT allowed.
• You may sign up as both an author and an artist. Do consider the extra work involved, though, and please only do so if you are confident that you can complete both. (The schedule does allow for both, however artists might want to work on their pieces after matches have been assigned.)
• We highly appreciate honesty and openness in all matters, but do not tolerate rudeness. The artists, the authors, the Betas, the pinch hitters, the readers, and the mods of the event are all human beings, so please communicate with respect and consideration. (we don’t bite, please don’t bite us).
• Please be considerate of your author/artist partner’s preferences, likes, and dislikes. Communication between matched artists and authors is important.
• While crossovers are fantastic, please consider that your partner may not know the referenced pairing, and it may discourage claiming on art if an author is unfamiliar with the work/fandom.
• Do not share or post your work on any social media until your assigned posting date. Rules regarding teasers and snippets will be provided to participants directly.
• You must meet mandatory deadlines and check-ins. Failure to do so will result in your art not being eligible for claiming (for artists) and/or your spot as an author being removed and given to a pinch-hitter (for authors).
• If you have extenuating circumstances or an emergency, please contact us and we will do our best to work with you.

ARTISTS

May submit up to 3 separate entries.

ALL ARTWORK MUST BE YOUR OWN AND CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE. You cannot use work you’ve already posted, nor take someone else’s work and edit that, unless you have specific permission from the original creator (please notify us of this when submitting your piece).

You cannot claim your own art if you’re also signed up as an author.

You are strongly encouraged to be in contact with your assigned author. Please make sure that you provide a suitable contact option to allow for communication - email, twitter, tumblr, or any other choice.

• Digital/traditional art, graphic edits must be at least one piece of art. Once matched, you can discuss with your author whether you’ll create any additional artwork for their fic. Final art must be no smaller than 800x600 pixels.
• Comics must be at least one page. If there are more pages, they must be one coherent storyline.
• Video entries must be at least 1 minute in length.
• Playlist entries must have at least 8 songs as well as a completed front and back cover, and must contain a link to a playable version of the playlist.
• Gifsets/photosets - must be at least 6 images, adhering to tumblr size standards/restrictions.

For queries about any artwork not listed above, please contact the mods via askbox or email.

AUTHORS

You cannot claim your own art if you’re also signed up as an artist.

Entries must be a minimum of 4000 words. There is no maximum word limit, but please remember that fics do have to be 100% written by the final check-in date and Betaed and posted in full on your assigned date.

You are encouraged to remain in contact with your assigned artist. If you are unable to reach your artist, please contact us and we will attempt to get communication moving between you.

Depending on the amount of artwork submitted and authors signed up, you may be asked to volunteer for a second claim, or there may be a second author writing for the same artwork.

Authors are required to take artists’ requests, squicks, triggers, etc into consideration when writing the piece. The art itself is your prompt, but please respect the artist and do not ignore their triggers and major squicks.

All entries must be Beta Read before final versions are posted. If you do not have a Beta reader, you can find a list on our blog with their appropriate contact details (for email contacts, please contact us). You are not required to choose one of the signed up Beta readers, nor do we require in-depth Betaing for your work, but please do have your work read over by someone at least once before posting.

You may claim a piece and also still be available as a pinch-hitter (if you so choose) provided you meet the deadlines on your claimed fic.

Please do not claim NSFW artwork if you are underage. Unfortunately, we do not have a way to guarantee this rule doesn’t get broken, but we would appreciate the courtesy from our participants to prevent discomfort to any artists and to readers.

SIGNING UP

Sign ups for this event happen via Google Forms. There are four types of sign ups in the Sterek Reversebang: artist, author, Beta reader, and pinch hitter. The opening and closing dates for each round of the event are listed on the Schedule page and also in the sidebar of our blog.

Artists: you will be asked to provide a name and tumblr url, a contact email so we can send you check in and submission reminders, let you know about your author match after the claiming process, and any other important moderator emails. The form also asks how many art pieces you’re thinking of submitting - this is so we have an idea of the scope of the challenge, but is in no way binding. If you choose to submit less pieces of art it’s equally as acceptable as submitting more, though the limit of submissions is currently 3 artworks (which may change and will be announced depending on various factors).

Authors: like artists, you will be asked for your name and tumblr url, and a contact email. This form also asks whether you’re willing to be a pinch hitter - if you are, you won’t need to fill out the pinch hitter sign up form separately.

Beta Readers: besides the contact information, you will be asked about your Betaing strengths (AmE/BrE picking, grammar, continuity, flow, etc) and themes you’re not willing to Beta read. You’ll also be asked to let us know how many fics you can take on. Once writing starts, we will have a page with a list of Beta readers (without contact information) for the authors to see. This page will list your tumblr url and any other public social media you’ve chosen as a contact method. Authors will be able (if you choose so) to request your email address to contact you that way. Emails will not be listed on the Beta page.

Pinch Hitters: what it says on the tin: if you’re willing to sign up as an author who we could call on in case of anyone dropping out after the claiming process. We might also call on you if there are more art submissions than authors. If you’re already signed up as an author and have chosen the “willing to be a pinch hitter” option, you do not need to sign up here again.

What is not in the sign ups? We’re not asking whether you’d be willing to write for two pieces of art - if there are more art submissions than signed up writers, we’ll contact signed up authors and pinch hitters. We’re also not asking artists about the type of submission they’re planning. You can find all art options in the rules, but the short version is: if an artwork can be made available digitally and you’ll be able to provide an unsigned version for the claims process, then you’re good to go.

ART SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

There are two categories of art requirements: 1) for submissions that will be seen by authors during the claims process and 2) for artwork posted along with its fanfic at the end of the event (outlined in the general rules section above).

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE CLAIMS PROCESS:

Grand rule: artwork previews must NOT be signed by the artist. The claims process is anonymous, and we’d like authors to make their choices based on the art, not on the creator.

However, we do understand that art theft is a concern for artists, so if you’re worried about this, you can tag your work with SterekRB or @sterekrb or Sterek Reversebang (or other iterations thereof).

The previews will only be made available to the authors at first, and once we’ve received all the choices, the preview blog will also be open to artists, to have a sneak peek at what’s coming. At no point will the blog be open to the public at large, and we ask that you DO NOT SHARE the preview blog’s access with anyone not participating in the Reversebang.

The only information in the preview posts will be the art itself (with the exception of playlists which should have the songs featured on the cover art) and content warnings. We will not include any titles (unless they’re part of the artwork), descriptions, or any other captions. This includes any personal trigger/content warnings of the artists themselves - you will get a chance to share this information with the assigned authors after the matches are made.

If you’re concerned about an author possibly crossing your Do Not Want lines, please consider the artwork you’re submitting, and if it heavily implies content you would not be comfortable reading, then this isn’t the event you should be submitting it to.

Specific art requirements for claims previews are as follows:

• Drawings/paintings/photo manipulations/etc.

Should be one image only, but two or three images that constitute one prompt are also acceptable. If your artwork is comprised of more images, please consider submitting it as a photoset. It is also acceptable to submit only a portion of your artwork, as long as it clearly depicts its theme and the full art is not drastically different from the preview. (as authors choose their claims by what inspires them, we do not want them to have unpleasant surprises after they’ve been matched to an artwork).

You will be able to edit the art after an author (or authors) has claimed it, but the submission should be close to the version that will be posted at the end of the challenge. 

For the claiming process, we only require an image that is 540px wide. Smaller images are acceptable, but please be aware that they may be distorted when posted to tumblr (as the site enlarges the images to the standard width of 540px).

Tumblr size restrictions for maximum file size are: 10MB. The image also needs to be JPG or PNG format, and RGB color scheme.

• Traditional art

Please submit a clear scan or photo of your art.. The size and content guidelines are the same as for digital art - the image needs to be at least 540px wide for the claims process.

• Photosets

Images should be at least the minimal size for tumblr, depending on the number in a row (see this post for reference). Please submit all images numbered in the right order. Please also provide us with the layout for the set. You can link us to a private post of the photoset to show us the layout, or you can send us a screenshot.

• Gifsets

Please submit all parts of the gifset with the individual images numbered in the order in which they should be set up, from top left corner to bottom right. The gifs should adhere to tumblr’s size restrictions (as of February 2017: 3 MB). Please also provide us with the layout for the set (link to a private post, or a screenshot of the set).

• Videos

For claims, we will need at least a 20 seconds long clip in a format acceptable by tumblr (.mov or .mp4, max size 100MB). Please do not include a title plate or credits.

• Playlists

Front and back cover art. One of the art pieces should feature the song list, at least partial. If the artwork doesn’t have a song list, please also provide this to be added as a caption. For the claims process, we do not need access to a playable version of the playlist, but you will need to provide it at the end of the challenge.

• Comics

You have a choice to post only a part of the comic for claims. Please submit at least the first page (if your comic is longer). Text in speech bubbles can (but doesn’t have to) be left blank for the claims process, and added after you’ve been matched with an author 

If your artwork doesn’t fit into any of the above categories, please email us at [email protected]   

Artists will be provided with guidelines on how to submit their artwork when submissions open at the latest. Submissions happen in two waves: Early Bird Submissions and Final Submissions. Dates for both are listed in the schedule, and artists will be notified via email when both submission windows open.

No artwork can be accepted after the previews are open to authors.

ART CLAIMS

Our art claims are anonymous: artworks are presented to the authors without the artists’ signatures or tags, and authors are asked to make their choices based on the art itself, not its creator. 

All art previews are assigned a number, presented on the previews blog, and open for viewing to the authors a few days before claims open. Once claims open, authors are asked to submit a form with their top choices (5-10 options) in order of preference. Please note that we cannot guarantee that you will be matched with your first choice, and the more choices you provide us with, the more likely you will be to receive a match without the need for us to contact you about more choices.

We will also ask that you are careful with submitting your claims, and not choose one that you would not be willing to write for. All claims, once submitted to us, are final. You also have the option to not submit any claims if none of the artworks speak to you. If you do not send in claims, you will not be matched to an artwork.

Claims are not done on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please take your time in making your choices. Sending in your claims soon does not improve your chances of getting your first choice. 

When choosing your art claims, please keep in mind that you will be required to work with the artist, and to respect their hard limits on content, so keep an open mind about the story that an artwork inspires.

Rule of thumb: do not set your mind on an idea that might contain any major warnings as listed on AO3: Major Character Death, Non-Con/Rape, Underage, Violence/Gore, and be open to communication with your assigned artist about your story ideas.

CHECK INS

All check-ins are MANDATORY. If a check-in is optional, we will note so on the email. Each check in is via a Form, the link to which you will receive via email. There are no specific requirements for how much of your art needs to be finished on the dates of any of the check-ins, but we do ask about your progress, and would appreciate honesty when you answer.

All dates of check-ins are indicated in the schedule for artists and authors. If you are aware of a conflict, and know that you will not be able to fill out the form during a check-in date, please inform the mods as soon as you can before the date in question.

CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION

How to contact the mods (in order of preference):

• email ([email protected])
• tumblr askbox
• twitter (@sterekRB)
• tumblr IM
• Discord (invite provided to participants after sign up)

When signing up for the event, you are required to provide an email address which you have regular and frequent access to, as the majority of communication will be done via email. This address is also your “sign up” - the way we check against our sign up lists during check-ins, submissions, claims, and any other important checkpoints of the event. Please make sure to notify us – and later in the event your author/artist partner – of any problems with accessing your email, if issues arise. 

You will be required to communicate with your assigned partner at least during the time immediately after art claims and before posting, and we recommend that you remain in touch throughout the writing portion of the event.

Please respect all event participants, and be nice to each other.

POSTING 

The final part of the event is the posting of all the artwork and the fanfiction written for it. Please DO NOT POST your works anywhere public before the posting dates. 

All participants will be contacted before the final deadline for the authors about any conflicts in posting dates. Each assigned author/artist pair will then be assigned a date for posting their works. 

On the assigned date, it is the responsibility of each pair to post their work to their platform of choice (no restrictions other than that no works should require a reader to create an account in order to access the work), and to notify the event mods of their posting - a form for the posting submission will be provided to all participants.

We don’t have a required posting standard. The only thing we ask of the authors and artists is that they link to each other’s work in the post.

As an example, in fic posts, you can: 

• use the format from the AO3 sharing feature (as that should list all important info like title, ratings, author, warnings, summary) and add a link to the art post of your artist partner
• use your own format as you usually do for fic posts (if you’re normally posting on tumblr) with the above mentioned information 

If you’re not usually posting on tumblr but wish to do so now, you can make a text post with the fic title, summary, warnings, tags/notes, and the link to the art followed by either a link to your usual fic posting site or the fic itself (but mind the fact that longer fics might not fit within tumblr’s post limit and would be hard to read/scroll through on mobile, since read-mores don’t work well in the app).

All of the above can also contain the art itself, if that’s what you and your artist agreed on.

In art posts:

• you can post the art with any caption you’d like (as long as it includes the fic link and author
• for art that has two fics written, you can:
• post the art twice - separately for each author’s fic
• post the art on the first posting date with the first author’s info, then reblog on the second date and add the other author’s info. (on the first date, you can add a teaser/note for the second fic with its posting date)
• post the art off tumblr, and on the latter date add a note with the second fic’s info

If you are posting your work to AO3, we would appreciate if you added it to our collection (link will be provided to participants).

If you are posting your work to tumblr, you can (but do not have to) use the tag “sterekreversebang”. As the tagging on tumblr has proven to be unreliable, this is not the primary way of notifying the mods of your posting, please also fill out the submission form as requested.   

There are no time specifications for posting your work on your assigned date, but please post your work before end-of-day midnight in your timezone, or in Whiskey Time Zone at the latest (as it’s the last midnight of any given day).

IF YOU MISS YOUR POSTING DATE (because life happens sometimes), PLEASE CONTACT US AND YOUR AUTHOR/ARTIST PARTNER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and DO NOT POST YOUR WORK on a day not assigned to you.

We have allocated days for anyone who misses their posting date, and we’ll work with you on getting your work out on one of those.

All stories and artwork will be compiled into a masterlist, and there will be daily posting updates (for the previous posting day), along with – if available – art reblogs.

FEEDBACK

The mods of the event highly encourage positive feedback for all our participants. Whether you’re an author, an artist, a Beta, or a reader who’s not creating work for the reversebang, please let the creators know if you enjoy their work.