Trust & Safety
What we promise, and how to hold us to it
Authors are asked to send money and manuscripts to people they have never met. These are the commitments that make that reasonable — written plainly, in one place.
Commitments
Six things we guarantee
Clear, fixed pricing
Participation costs $150 for Digital Placement and $250 for Virtual Participation. Those are the only fees. We do not charge for award entry, certificates, recordings or continued hosting of your author page.
One named account manager
Olaleye Hammed handles registration and payment confirmation for every participant. You always know who you are speaking to, and confirmations are sent in writing.
Payments through channels you can verify
We accept Fiverr, Upwork and direct bank transfer. Fiverr and Upwork keep the transaction inside their own protection systems. Bank details are published on the Payment page and never change without a public notice.
Awards you cannot buy
Fees fund promotion, not recognition. Judges read blind in the first round, a two-reader minimum applies, and every shortlisted title is published with a citation.
Your work stays yours
You keep all rights to your book, cover and biography. We take a licence only to display the material we publish for you, and we remove it on request.
Nothing disappears
Author pages and session recordings stay online after the season ends. If we ever need to retire a page, participants are notified first and given the files.
Code of conduct
How we behave with each other
Respect the room
Sessions are open to readers of every background. Harassment, slurs, threats and targeted abuse end participation immediately, with no refund.
Critique the book, not the person
Robust opinions about writing are welcome. Personal attacks, pile-ons and bad-faith reviewing are not.
No spam or solicitation
Do not use sessions, comment threads or the directory to sell unrelated products or to recruit for other paid programmes.
Honesty about your work
Represent your publication status, credentials and reviews accurately. Fabricated endorsements are grounds for removal.
Protect other people's privacy
Do not record, screenshot or repost private session content without the consent of everyone visible.
Follow the moderators
Hosts may mute, remove or suspend a participant to keep a session safe. Decisions can be appealed in writing afterwards.
Fraud awareness
How to spot someone pretending to be us
- We will never ask for payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency or a personal messaging app.
- We will never ask for your banking password, one-time code or full card details.
- Our only contact emails are elizabethsuccessliterally@gmail.com and debbysuccessliteraray@gmail.com.
- Bank transfer details are published on the Payment page — always check there before sending money.
- Any message pressuring you to pay within minutes is not from us.
- If something feels wrong, stop and write to us before paying. We would rather answer a question than untangle a loss.
Reporting
If something goes wrong
How to report
Email either festival address with the date, the session or page involved, and any screenshots. Reports may be made by participants, readers or observers.
What happens next
We acknowledge within one business day. Straightforward cases are resolved within five business days; complex cases receive a written progress update instead of silence.
Possible outcomes
A warning, removal of content, suspension from live sessions, or permanent removal from the festival. Where money or safety is involved we will also advise you on external reporting routes.
No retaliation
Reporting in good faith never affects your feature date, award eligibility or standing with the festival — even if the report is not upheld.
Your data
What we hold and why
What we collect
Your name, email, book metadata, the images you send us and payment confirmations. Nothing else.
Why we collect it
To publish your feature, run the awards, send festival updates and keep a record of payment.
Who sees it
Festival staff and the reader assigned to your book. We do not sell, rent or trade contact details.
How long we keep it
Published material stays online while you want it there. Payment records are retained as required for accounting; everything else is deleted on request.
Your controls
Ask us to correct, export or delete your data at any time by email. We confirm in writing when it is done.
Children
The festival is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under sixteen.