REQUIREMENTS:
Above all, the story should be yours to tell. Your story should be true, and it should be about you.
It can be poetic; It can be essayistic. It can be one sentence; It can be a lot of sentences. It can be funny; it can be sad. It can be about the past, present, or a desired future. Feel free to talk about what you want to talk about, regardless of the direct theme of the collection. This is your story.
Rights of the Storyteller:
Your story is yours.
You have the right to do whatever you want to do with your story. For example, you can use your work in classes you teach, or in any other setting you may need it for your personal or professional life. You have the right to post your work on your own website, podcast, or other channels. You have the right to post and archive your work in your Institutional Repository, or in whatever other way you see fit.
You have the right to share your work, include it in other anthologies. or sell it elsewhere (Ideally for non-exclusive rights, so we can also keep sharing it! But if you get an awesome publishing opportunity, let us know, and we can figure something out!)
You have the right to anonymize yourself. We understand that our community is small, and sometimes speaking about our experiences might feel scary, or come with real repercussions. We ask that you let us know who you are so that we can contact you (and also so that we can help avoid potential spamming or other internet issues), and if you request anonymity, we will ensure that your name is not connected with your story as it goes out into the world. We can also have someone else read your words to extend that screen further, if you submit the story in written form.
By uploading your story or recording it with StoryHelix, you are giving Wordcrafters’ “StoryHelix” and its community partners (including Lane Arts Council and their agents, Lane County History Museum and their archives, and Minority Voices Theater and their associates at Very Little Theater) the right to publish it and share it.
We want you to feel empowered in sharing your story. We understand that this story (like all stories are) is a snapshot of you in this particular moment at this particular time. If something substantial changes, or an error is made, you have the right to edit or revise your story, submit a follow up, and if needed, to ask that it be removed. Our stories change, grow, and morph all the time. We want to honor all of these transformations. Make sure you provide us with contact information (whether or not you choose to have your name connected with your story) so that we know it’s you requesting edits!
You give StoryHelix and its community partners (indicated above) permission to transform it into a variety of media formats, to transcribe it, translate it, and/or pair it with other submitted stories, graphic art or design in order to reach more community members. None of the affiliated organizations will profit off of or sell these formats.
Shared Understandings:
I understand that my story may be lightly edited for length or format restrictions.
I know that while this is not a contest, and StoryHelix’s goal is to share all community stories, my story might not be published.
I understand that if my submission doesn’t fit the community guidelines** my story will not be published.
**We want to honor the fact that not all stories are pretty, and hateful things have happened and continue to happen that might include uncomfortable language or violence. We do, however, reserve the right to block, remove or delete any content at any time, with or without notice, for any reason (including if we think the upload violates the project’s goals) without liability and limitation.
[last updated 8/24/2023]