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There is no single fiction-industry rule for AI assistance. A contest may ban AI in brainstorming, editing, translation, or drafting; another may permit limited development use; a publisher contract may require disclosure only when generated text appears. Before you submit, read that organizer’s current rules and any contract, classify every way you used AI, and disclose it in the exact place and wording the organizer requests. Keep a private log of tools, dates, prompts or tasks, and any text you retained so your statement is accurate.
Start with the exact rule, not a generic “AI-assisted” label
“AI assistance” can describe anything from a one-time brainstorming exchange to machine-generated paragraphs, translation, substantive editing, or a complete story. Organizers do not necessarily treat those uses alike. The same manuscript could be eligible for one competition, disqualified by another, and acceptable to a publisher only with a contractual disclosure.
Use this order of operations for every submission:
- Identify the governing document. For a contest, that is the current rules, entry form, eligibility terms, and any required attestation. For a publisher, read the submissions page, house AI policy, author agreement, and instructions from the editor or submissions contact.
- Inventory your use. Record whether AI helped with ideation, outlining, research organization, drafting, rewriting, copyediting, translation, title or logline generation, or anything else. Note the tool and version, dates, prompts or tasks, and which output, if any, entered the manuscript.
- Map each use to the rule’s categories. Do not assume “I rewrote it myself” removes a use that the rule counts. Some policies cover any use during development; others focus on generated content retained in the final work.
- Choose the permitted path. If the rule bans a category you used, do not submit that work to that contest. If disclosure is required, prepare the statement before uploading or querying.
- Use the requested location and wording. A form checkbox, cover letter, author statement, or manuscript note may be the designated location. If the instructions are silent, ask the editor or organizer in writing rather than hiding a note in an unrelated field.
Recheck the policy immediately before submission. Rules and editions change, and a statement that was correct for one contest or year may be wrong for the next.
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How fiction AI policies differ
The most useful comparison is not whether an organization has an “AI policy,” but what the policy does at five decision points: whether any use is prohibited, whether limited development or editing is allowed, what must be disclosed and where, what happens after a violation, and whether the event is specifically for AI-created work.
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| Policy model | What it means in practice | Examples in the stated rules |
|---|---|---|
| Total or broad ban | AI use at a specified stage—or at any point—makes the work ineligible. Human editing does not cure a prohibited use. | Irish Writers Centre 2026 FAQ; Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us rules; amended SFWA Nebula rule; Baen’s Fantasy Adventure Award |
| Limited development permission | Some non-public or developmental uses may be allowed, while player- or reader-facing text must remain human-created. The permitted boundary is defined by that event’s rule. | IFComp 2026 rules |
| AI-centered competition | AI creation is part of the eligibility concept, but the entrant must describe the tools or process in the required disclosure. | Prompty Awards |
| Contractual disclosure threshold | A publisher agreement may require disclosure when generated text is included and may set a negotiated limit. The signed contract controls. | Authors Guild model clause and publisher-specific agreements |
| Platform upload declaration | A self-publishing platform can ask separately about generated text, images, or translations. Its declaration does not establish eligibility for a contest or trade publisher. | Amazon KDP content guidelines |
Contest rules: examples of the boundaries
Irish Writers Centre (2026 FAQ)
The Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 FAQ says writers may not submit work that used AI “whether in the outlining or writing of the manuscript.” That wording reaches an activity many writers regard as private preparation. If an AI tool helped you develop the outline, a human-written final draft may still fall outside this contest’s eligibility. Do not enter that manuscript unless the organizer confirms that your particular use is allowed.
Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us
The Books Like Us rules prohibit generative AI, machine learning, or large language models used to create content and warn that such use may cause disqualification. The safest reading is that generated content, not merely a final polished paragraph, is the concern. If an LLM produced material that informed the submitted story, obtain a written clarification before entering; do not rely on the fact that you replaced the wording.
SFWA’s amended Nebula rule
SFWA’s amended Nebula rule states that works written wholly or partially by generative LLM tools are ineligible. It also says that works using LLMs at any point must be disclosed and will be disqualified under the amended policy. Treat this as a strict eligibility rule, not as an invitation to disclose and proceed: a manuscript touched by an LLM should not be entered under that policy.
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Baen’s Fantasy Adventure Award states that AI-generated stories are automatically disqualified. If any submitted story is AI-generated, the consequence is automatic disqualification rather than a request for a corrective note. Confirm whether the organizer defines “AI-generated” to include assistance that did not survive into the final prose; if the rule does not answer that question, ask before submitting.
IFComp (2026 rules)
IFComp’s 2026 rules take a narrower approach: all player-facing content must be human-created, while limited generative-AI use is permitted during development. This can allow a development task that would be forbidden by a total-ban contest, but it does not permit generated text in what players read. Keep records showing what was used privately and verify that every displayed passage, menu, message, image, and other player-facing element meets the human-created requirement.
Prompty Awards
The Prompty Awards expressly recognize fiction created wholly or substantially through AI and require an AI disclosure summary. For this kind of event, concealing AI use can make an otherwise eligible entry noncompliant. Follow the award’s requested summary format and identify the tools and degree of contribution honestly rather than applying a “no AI” label designed for a different contest.
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What a publisher submission requires
Ask for the house policy before you query
Publisher practices are not interchangeable. Before sending a manuscript or proposal, ask the editor or submissions contact whether the house has a special AI policy and where a disclosure belongs. Keep the answer with your submission records. A public submissions page may not address outlining, translation, or editing, while an author agreement may contain the controlling language.
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The Authors Guild’s model clause says: “Author shall not be required to use generative AI or to work from AI-generated text. Authors shall disclose to Publisher if any AI-generated text is included in the submitted manuscript, and may not include more than [a de minimis/5%] AI-generated text.” The bracketed de minimis/5% figure is a negotiable example, not a universal industry limit. Do not present it as an automatic allowance.
The Authors Guild advises authors to review publisher-specific guidance and written agreements, including terms for ghostwriters, editors, coaches, and other contributors. Its 2026 update also adds a clause against substantive AI editing by the publisher and requires author approval for certain AI uses. Those materials are advocacy and negotiation resources; the signed agreement and the publisher’s current policy govern your deal.
If generated prose, translation, or another covered output remains in the submitted manuscript, disclose it at the threshold the contract specifies. If the contract bans a use, a disclosure is not permission. Ask for a written amendment or remove the work from consideration.
Classify common kinds of assistance
Brainstorming and outlining
Some writers use a chatbot to propose premises, characters, beats, or an outline and then write every sentence themselves. That may be permitted under a rule concerned only with retained generated text, but it is prohibited by rules that cover development. The Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 wording explicitly includes outlining, so “the final prose is mine” is not a sufficient answer there.
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Summarizing notes, sorting sources, or generating a research checklist can still be “AI use” under a broad policy. Record what the tool did and whether any generated factual material entered the manuscript. If the rules do not distinguish organizational help from creative development, ask the organizer instead of making your own narrower interpretation.
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Copyediting and rewriting
Grammar suggestions, line edits, style rewrites, and “make this scene more vivid” prompts can produce text or make substantive creative choices. A rule covering editing or any LLM use may treat those actions like drafting. Human review does not automatically make generated language eligible when the policy prohibits partial use.
Translation
Translation is often overlooked because the underlying story was written by a person. A contest that bans AI in writing may also regard an AI translation as prohibited content or development. State the source language, target language, tool, and whether a human revised the result when asking for a ruling. Never claim “no AI” if the organizer’s definition includes translation.
Generated prose, titles, blurbs, and paratext
Short passages, alternate endings, titles, synopses, loglines, epigraphs, acknowledgments, and query copy can all be “content.” If a rule applies to the submitted manuscript or entry materials broadly, disclose each retained generated element or remove it. Keep a location list so an organizer can identify the affected text.
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Write a narrow, factual disclosure
Use the organizer’s required field first. If no form exists, place the statement where the instructions direct—commonly a cover letter, author statement, or manuscript note. A useful structure is:
AI-use disclosure: I used [tool/version] during [month/year] for [brainstorming, research organization, copyediting, translation, or other task]. No AI-generated prose was retained in the submitted manuscript / The following passages were generated and are identified here: [location]. I reviewed the submission and take responsibility for the final text.
Replace the bracketed language with precise facts and delete alternatives that do not apply. If the entry form imposes a character limit, shorten the statement without dropping the use, date or period, retained-text status, and location required by the rule.
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Example: brainstorming only
“I used [tool/version] in March 2026 to brainstorm character questions. I wrote the outline and manuscript myself and retained no generated text.” This statement is accurate only if the organizer permits brainstorming and does not define outlining or development as prohibited AI use. Under the Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 rule, the manuscript would not be eligible despite the absence of retained prose.
Example: copyediting
“I used [tool/version] in April 2026 for grammar suggestions on the draft; I accepted no generated sentences and made the final edits myself.” Do not use this wording to imply eligibility where the rule covers editing or any LLM assistance. It reports what happened; the organizer decides whether that use is allowed.
Example: retained generated passages
“I used [tool/version] in May 2026 to generate two paragraphs in Chapter 3. Those passages are marked in the manuscript at pages 18–19. I reviewed the submission and take responsibility for the final text.” Add the percentage or other threshold only when the contract or rules require it, and calculate it using the organizer’s stated method.
Where to disclose in a query or manuscript
- Entry form: Use the dedicated AI field or checkbox and paste the requested explanation. Do not contradict a “no AI” attestation elsewhere in the form.
- Cover letter or query: Put a short disclosure after the project details or in the section the publisher specifies. Keep it factual; do not turn it into an argument about why the policy should be different.
- Author statement: Use this when the contest requests process information separately from the manuscript. Include tools, dates, tasks, and retained locations at the requested level of detail.
- Manuscript note: Add a brief note only when the rules allow or require one. Follow formatting instructions so the note does not reveal identifying information in a blind contest.
- Direct email: If no location is stated, ask the organizer or submissions contact before sending. Save the reply with your process log.
A disclosure is not a waiver. If the rule says prohibited work is ineligible, the correct action is to choose another venue or submit a work created within that venue’s limits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep a process log
A private log lets you answer a later eligibility question without guessing. For each interaction, record:
- Tool name and version, account or workspace if relevant, and the date or month;
- the task, such as ideation, outline generation, translation, copyediting, or drafting;
- whether the output was copied, paraphrased, used as a factual lead, or discarded;
- the manuscript chapter, page, file, or entry material affected;
- the rule version you checked and the date you checked it;
- any written clarification from an organizer, editor, or contract representative.
Keep the log private unless the organizer requests it. Its purpose is accuracy and accountability, not to add unnecessary material to a submission.
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What to do when the rule is unclear
- Quote the relevant sentence. Tell the organizer exactly which activity you used and which part of the rule creates uncertainty.
- Separate activities. Ask individually about brainstorming, outlining, editing, translation, research organization, and retained generated prose rather than asking whether the work is generally “AI-assisted.”
- Ask about the consequence. Confirm whether an unpermitted use means rejection, disqualification, a request for clarification, or an opportunity to withdraw.
- Request a written answer. Save the response with the version and date of the rules. A verbal assurance can be difficult to verify later.
- Follow the stricter interpretation if no answer arrives. Missing guidance is not permission, especially when the entry requires an attestation.
Do not transfer one organization’s rule to another
Amazon KDP’s content guidelines require authors to inform KDP about AI-generated text, images, or translations, while stating that AI-assisted content need not be disclosed. That upload declaration is specific to KDP publishing. It does not prove that a contest permits brainstorming, that a trade publisher accepts generated prose, or that a manuscript satisfies an award’s attestation. Treat every platform, contest, and publisher as a separate policy decision.
A submission decision checklist
- Have you read the current contest rules or publisher submissions page and contract?
- Have you listed every AI interaction, including outlining, translation, editing, research organization, and unused drafts?
- Does the rule prohibit any of those activities, even when no generated wording remains?
- If generated text remains, have you identified its exact location and measured it only as the agreement specifies?
- Have you used the organizer’s required disclosure location and format?
- Does your statement avoid saying “no AI” when the rule counts assistance beyond final prose?
- Have you saved the rule version, date checked, process log, and any written clarification?
- If the work is ineligible, have you stopped the submission rather than hoping disclosure will cure the violation?
Bottom line for common reader questions
“Do I have to disclose ChatGPT if I only used it to brainstorm?”
Only the applicable rule can answer. A policy limited to retained generated text may not require disclosure, while the Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 FAQ treats outlining as prohibited AI use. Report the brainstorming when the rule requires disclosure, and do not enter where that use makes the manuscript ineligible.
“Can I enter a contest if AI helped edit my story?”
Not automatically. Editing may be allowed under a narrow development policy, but a total-ban rule or a policy covering any LLM use can disqualify the work. The amended SFWA Nebula policy and the Books Like Us rules illustrate why human-edited final prose is not a universal safe harbor.
“Where do I disclose AI use in a query or manuscript?”
Use the exact location named by the organizer: entry form, cover letter, author statement, or manuscript note. If none is named, ask the submissions contact and keep the answer. A disclosure placed somewhere the reviewer will not see does not satisfy a required attestation.
“Will a publisher reject a novel that used AI for outlining?”
It depends on the publisher’s current policy and contract. Some agreements focus on generated text included in the manuscript; a house may define development more broadly. Ask before querying, disclose the use if required, and treat the signed contract—not a general industry percentage—as controlling.
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