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Who judges the stories?

At this point, I do.

I’ve been writing for over 15 years, and have been self employed full time as a writer for 8 years. It’s allowed me the freedom to work from my laptop, make my own schedule, decide who I’ll work with and who I do not want to deal with, travel where I choose and when I choose, and determine for myself how much money I make. Writing has given me the freedom to feel financially and personally secure, and has even provided enough funds to produce a few films and offer rewards for Mythic Beast’s contests. I spent most of 2015 traveling the US, camping, and meditating in Yosemite National Park, and now I’ve settled in Denver in order to focus on building relationships with people in the local film industry to work on Mythic Beast’s productions.

Most of my work is published under my clients’ names (I’m a ghostwriter), and I won’t reveal who they are. I’ve written novels, non-fiction books, hard marketing emails, soft marketing emails, newsletters, white papers, interviews, advertising copy, product labels, speeches, screenplays, an endless number of blogs, and more. I’ve written about topics including engineering, heating and air conditioning, fashion, aromatherapy and essential oils, massage therapy, boxing, transportation, limo services, travel, history, spirituality, sexuality, social justice, and more. I’ve ghostwritten books published by Hay House.

As Mythic Beast grows, I’ll take on more judges for the stories. At this point my own judgment is guiding the results.

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Will I receive feedback on my story?

I used to offer constructive criticism and feedback on all the contest entries.

But . . . as of the Medusa Contest, I can no longer offer this.

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Can I submit more than one story?

Yes, you can submit up to three stories.

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Can I submit a story that has been previously published?

Yes, as long as the rights are legally yours.

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Which stories get shared on Mythic Beast?

Not every contest entry is shared on Mythic Beast. If your story wins a contest or is a runner up, I may ask you if I can share your story with our readers.

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If you post my story, do I give up my copyrights to it?

No! Your copyrights are all yours. Your story will have a copyright notice posted with your name on it.

When and if Mythic Beast starts up a more active publishing arm, I may reach out to you about publishing your work in a more official manner. At that point we’ll talk intellectual property and copyrights. I have a few good resources and people lined up to help me create contracts that really protect you guys and make sure Mythic Beast is covered, too.

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How many readers will see my story?

This depends. Mythic Beast is currently a small online publication and our community is our audience. It’s difficult to know when a post will go viral and attract more readership. At this point, I don’t think touting a Mythic Beast win would make book agents say “Wow!” just yet. But we’ll get there.

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Will my story link to my website/Amazon books/social media pages?

Yup! I’ll be thrilled to link to your website, self-published books, Facebook page, or other stuff you’ve got going on.

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What if I want to make edits or revisions after Mythic Beast posts my story?

No problem, just let me know and I’ll take care of it. I can also take down your story at any time you like.

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How will you choose which stories are produced as films?

Me and my film crew will check out the story submissions and decide which seems the most feasible and the most fun.

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If my story is chosen for development as a film, what about copyrights? Can I write the screenplay myself?

At this point, we’re handling the screenplays ourselves. Crafting a screenplay is very different than crafting a short story (or any other kind of writing), and there is a lot of creative control that a writer has to be flexible on. I experienced this myself when adapting my story “Heat” into a screenplay, and then actually putting that screenplay on film.

Eventually we’ll have the option of letting you handle the screenplay yourself, but for now you’ll have to trust us. We’ll work with you on the process as much as we can so you feel confident.

We won’t move forward developing your story as a screenplay until we’ve got a great IP (intellectual property/copyright) contract in place for you.

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Will Mythic Beast publish story collections as books on Amazon?

In the future, yes! As of right now, no.

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Can you protect my work from being stolen or plagiarized by others online?

Unfortunately, no. I’ve been writing online for a long time and have never been aware of anyone stealing or reproducing my work without my consent, but I know it does sometimes happen. If you feel uncomfortable with that possibility, just let me know and I won’t post your story here.

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How are the prizes funded?

Entry fees are currently $17.95.

Part of every entry fee will go to increase the contest prize. I’ll start the prize at $300, and that amount will go up with every person who enters the contest.

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Let me know if you have questions that aren’t answered here. My love to you all!