Terms and Conditions

To submit stories or like content, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information during registration
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Take responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• Be at least 13 years of age to create an account

Your Content:

You retain full ownership of all stories and content you submit to DustyProse. Your creative work remains yours.

License to DustyProse:

By submitting content to our platform, you grant DustyProse a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

• Display your stories on the platform
• Distribute your content to other users as part of the service
• Promote your stories on our social media channels and in newsletters
• Archive your stories as part of our historical challenge records
• Create excerpts or summaries for promotional purposes (e.g., "Story of the Week")

This license exists only for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving DustyProse, and does not transfer ownership of your content to us.

All submitted stories must:

• Be original work created by you
• Begin with the provided first sentence
• End with the provided last sentence
• Fall within the specified word count range
• Not contain plagiarized or copyrighted material

Stories must not contain:

• Hate speech, harassment, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics
• Graphic violence or gore intended to shock or disturb
• Sexually explicit content or pornography
• Spam, advertising, or promotional content
• Personal information of others without their consent
• Content that violates any local, state, national, or international law

Note: Mature themes may be permitted if handled tastefully and appropriately within the context of literary fiction.

At the end of each weekly challenge, winners are recognized through:

• Popular Vote: Top 10 stories by likes, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place receiving special recognition
• Staff Pick: Selected by our editorial team based on writing quality, creativity, and adherence to the challenge
• Hidden Gem: Recognition for outstanding stories that did not receive many likes

Winners earn collectible badges displayed on their profile. You acknowledge that:

• Voting results are based on community engagement and are subject to the platform's anti-abuse mechanisms
• Editorial awards (Staff Pick, Hidden Gem) are at the sole discretion of DustyProse staff
• Awards have no monetary value and are purely for recognition purposes
• We reserve the right to disqualify stories that violate these terms

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for:

• Violation of these Terms and Conditions
• Fraudulent or abusive behavior
• Attempting to manipulate voting or gaming the system
• Harassment of other users or staff
• Any other reason at our sole discretion

You may delete your account at any time. Upon account deletion, your previously submitted stories may remain on the platform as part of challenge archives, though they will be attributed to "Anonymous" or "Deleted User."

DustyProse is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not guarantee:

• That the service will be uninterrupted or error-free
• The accuracy, reliability, or quality of any content on the platform
• That your content will receive any specific level of engagement or recognition

To the fullest extent permitted by law, DustyProse shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of your use of the platform, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or loss of goodwill.