Frequently Asked Questions

What if my interpretation is wrong?

It’s not possible for your interpretation to be ‘wrong’. When you get your prompt, don’t waste your time trying to guess what the artist intended you to experience. Just notice what you do experience, and make work based on that.

Can I have more information about my prompt?

Sorry, no! The purity of this project depends on you not knowing where the prompt came from, or what the artist was responding to. Some artists have reported feeling called to do research as a result of receiving their prompt, and we think that’s great. Go down whatever rabbithole you need to go down in order to make your submission feel true to you, but make sure to remember your time constraint!

 Why is the deadline so soon?

Because we find a lot of creative people can get tied up in whatever they’re doing, and feel they need to create a magnum opus. While we hope you will make something cool (you’ll be putting your name on it, after all), we do not expect you to make your absolute best work. The perfect is 100% the enemy of the good in this project. We don’t want you to sit on this for too long- we want you to dive into the process, make some work, and then climb out of the pool. Remember when you were in school and the teacher gave you a deadline for your assignment? That’s exactly what’s happening here. Make it happen.

Are there any restrictions on what I can make?

Many artists who engage with Bait/Switch use the opportunity to take risks and try experimental things that they haven’t done before, which we wholeheartedly encourage. As long as your work meets our community guidelines, anything goes!

 Ugh- life got away from me, and today is my due date and I don’t have anything finished. Can I have more time?

Yes- just email us and we’ll give you an extension. We can be taskmasters at times but we’re really very nice. The one thing that we absolutely hate is being ghosted. This project is a serious labor of love, and when you ignore our requests for updates it holds up the process and bums us out. We can’t read your mind- please communicate!

 I sent in my submission- what happens next?

We will reach out to you to schedule an interview to talk about your process. After that, we will follow up with a publication agreement, and ask you for a headshot (optional) and a short bio.

 How long before my work is published?

It depends on where things are in our production schedule. The Bait/Switch representative who coordinates with you will be able to tell you.

 I have a different question- who can I contact?
Send any questions to info@baitswit.ch and we’ll do our best to answer them!