If you're new:

For this swap you buy or make 1 pocketsize journal. Sizes approximately 10.8 x 17.5 cm, or 4.3 x 6.9 inch. (Currently there are bigger sized journals in circulation and that's fine, we'll keep them in the swaps. However, let's not add more because it screws up the costs of these swaps.) The journal must have approximately 20 pages. In the front or back of the journal, you write the swap name, your Swap Bot username, your real name and address, and possibly your email address, so the journal can find its way back to you when it's full.

You fill the first 2 pages with anything worthwhile, such as poetry, mixed media art, collages, zentangles, doodles, etc. It's up to you as long as you put effort (and a bit of love) into it. Then, in the swap you join, you send it to your swap partner. From your other swap partner (the one who sends to you) you will receive a new journal and you fill 2 pages with something of choice. You keep the journal for a next swap and then the process repeats.

If you're already in these swaps:

You know the drill. In the journal you receive you fill 2 pages with with anything worthwhile, such as poetry, mixed media art, collages, zentangles, doodles, etc.

In the next swap you join, you send the journal on its way and receive a new one.

If you've just filled the last 2 pages of a journal:

If a journal is full, contact the swap host first. Then set up a private swap with the person whose journal you have, and swap journals. In this way, the person with the full journal will be able to decide whether or not to join again with a new, empty journal, and you will receive someone else's journal so you can keep participating in these swaps.

What if I can't join the next swap, or the swap thereafter?

No problem, just don't join. However the swap coordinators do keep track of who has which journal and thus who joins which swap. Which means that if we notice you haven't joined for a (big) while, we may contact you to ask if you still plan on participating in future swaps.

What if I want to drop out?

Tell your swap host. It's important that each participating swapper has a journal in rotation, otherwise these swaps get unrewarding (you fill someone else's journal but end up not having one of your own). Your swap host will probably ask you to send the journal you have to another swapper, and will arrange for your journal to be sent back to you.

What if I can't meet the send deadline?

Tell your swap partner and your swap host. Life happens, problems occur, unicorns appear. It shouldn't be a problem as long as you actually send it out, and not too long after the send deadline (i.e. 2 months really is too long unless something major happened, like a meteor crashing into your house).

What if I never received a journal? Or: how does angeling journals work?

Firstly, if you don't receive a journal, talk to your swap host ASAP. Don't wait until the next 2 or 3 swaps have passed because that will mess things up!

If it got lost in the mail (unfortunately it happens), the swapper who sent it to you should do a re-send, as is custom on Swap Bot. He or (more likely) she should buy or make a new journal, write in the name + address of the person the lost journal belongs to, and send it on its way. That way the person whose journal got lost will still have a journal in circulation.

If your swap partner flaked and we're absolutely certain of that (not hit the sent button, no replies to messages, etc.), things get a bit more complicated. Above anything, contact your swap host. The flaker should be removed from the group, which means that the journal of the flaker should be pulled from the swaps. In turn, this means that the person who had the flaker's journal won't have a journal to pass on. Nor you. And this means that we'll ask you to buy or make a new journal to replace the one that was supposed to get sent to you, plus we'll ask the swapper with the flaker's journal to buy or make a new one for the swapper whose journal got sent to the flaker in the same swap. Of course if you were on the receiving end and/or not responsible for the lost or pulled journal, you are by no means obligated to buy or make a new one. Feel free to tell the swap coordinator you won't do it. In that case we'll try to come up with a different solution.

Still following? Obviously, this is a lot of extra work for everyone and everything should be done to prevent this at all times.

What if a journal comes in late?

If you know beforehand, don't sign up for the next swap. If you've already signed up for the next swap and swap partners are assigned, let your swap partner know. Your swap partner should then wait with signing up for the next swap until the journal has reached her.

What if I flake?

If you flake you'll be removed from the group. Whether or not your journal gets returned to you relies solely on the kindness of the swapper who has it. Don't flake. You'll mess things up.

What if I flake unintentionally?

Shit happens. Contact the group coordinator, explain, fix your 1 rating, and re-apply for membership. Whether or not you get re-accepted depends on what happened and our experiences when dealing with the flaking problem.

Why do you keep such strict tabs on everything? You're not the NSA!

I'm joking about the NSA of course, but no, we are not. When these swaps started out no one kept tabs on anything. People disappeared, journals disappeared, and the majority of us ended up filling journals of people who had disappeared, without having a journal in rotation ourselves. That's unfair and, as mentioned in the above, unrewarding. We keep strict tabs to make sure everyone has a journal circulating, which means you too. We want you to get your journal back - and if not the journal you originally sent out, then at least a journal filled with swappers' artwork. We're reasonable people and if for some reason you can't fulfill your swap obligation you can always talk to us. We'll figure something out. But we don't want anyone to be taken advantage of; participating swappers should always have a journal in circulation.

Ratings

Some people in this group have unjustly received a 1 rating. While flakers should always be rated a 1 (this is important, we can't guarantee the reliability of the swaps if you don't), you have to be absolutely certain your swap partner did flake and is not willing to re-send. Be honest and fair. Don't hold anyone hostage with a low rating, especially not if they are only following the instructions of the swap coordinator. If you have a problem with the instructions, don't rate your partner and talk to the swap host.

Otherwise, the rating system is exactly like other swaps here on Swap Bot.

When should I contact the swap host?

I can't say it enough. Communicate, communicate, communicate. If you're going to be unavailable for a while, tell us. You don't have to inform us about every trip you take or every power out, but if we're not going to be able to reach you for a while we should know. Otherwise, alarm bells start ringing and that may end up not-so-funny for everyone.

If your swap partner flaked, if you're going to angel a swap, if you can't meet a deadline, if you've misplaced a journal, if you have a problem or a question, let us know. We must know these things to make sure everything runs smoothly, as explained in the above. Do know that not contacting us about certain things may result in your removal from the group. Also, if you have an idea or a suggestion, contact us or post it in the forum.

Shipping Costs

We try to keep them low, but these are international swaps and journals sometimes come with a hard cover or a soft cover. The costs may be high compared to most other swaps. If you don't have the money to send a journal out, feel free to wait until you do.

Any questions, suggestions, ideas, epiphanies, brainfarts?

You know where to find me.