The only safe disclosure is the one that matches the current rule for the specific contest, publisher, contract, or upload platform. There is no universal fiction-submission standard: some competitions ban AI at every stage, some allow limited development help, some require disclosure of any use, and a few are designed for AI-created work. Read the current terms before you submit, keep a private record of what you used, and describe the assistance factually in the location the organizer specifies.
Why a generic “AI-assisted” label is not enough
“AI-assisted” can mean a spelling check, a brainstorming conversation, machine translation, an automatically generated scene, or a novel drafted largely by a language model. Rules often distinguish among those activities. A contest may permit development experiments but require every line shown to judges or players to be human-written. Another may treat outlining or translation as prohibited use even when the final prose was rewritten by you. A publisher contract may focus only on AI-generated text retained in the manuscript and set a numerical limit.
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That is why a statement such as “I used AI in my process” can be too vague, while “I used [tool and version] for a brainstorming session in March 2026; no generated wording appears in the submitted story” may be exactly what an entry form needs. If the rule asks for a different format, follow that format rather than pasting a standard paragraph.
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First classify the rule that governs your submission
Before deciding what to write, identify the document that controls the submission. For a contest, it is usually the current eligibility and entry rules, plus any declaration in the entry form. For a publisher, it may be the submissions page, a written answer from the editor or submissions contact, and the contract offered later. For self-publishing, the platform’s upload declaration is a separate requirement. A policy that is permissive in one setting does not create permission in another.
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| Submission setting | What the published policy says | What that means for an author |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Writers Centre FAQ (2026) | Work may not be submitted if AI was used “whether in the outlining or writing of the manuscript.” | Brainstorming or outlining with an AI tool can make the manuscript ineligible, even when no generated sentence remains. |
| Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us rules | Generative AI, machine learning, or LLMs used to create content are prohibited; use may cause disqualification. | Do not enter work developed with a prohibited tool. A later human edit does not erase a covered use. |
| SFWA Nebula rule, as amended | Works written wholly or partially by generative LLM tools are ineligible. The amended policy also requires disclosure of LLM use at any point and provides for disqualification under the policy. | Treat any LLM involvement as a potential bar, not as a minor editing issue. Check the exact current wording before relying on the rule. |
| Baen Fantasy Adventure Award | AI-generated stories are automatically disqualified. | An AI-generated story cannot be cured by disclosure; it should not be entered. |
| IFComp rules (2026) | All player-facing content must be human-created, while limited generative-AI use during development is permitted. | Development assistance may be allowed, but text, images, or other content experienced by players must satisfy the human-creation requirement. |
| Prompty Awards | The awards explicitly recognize fiction created wholly or substantially through AI and require an AI disclosure summary. | AI use is part of the eligibility concept, but you still need the requested summary of how it was used. |
These examples span a total ban, a ban on particular stages, a narrow development allowance, and an AI-focused competition. They are not interchangeable precedents. Recheck the edition and date of the rule immediately before submitting because organizers can revise categories, forms, and consequences.
Make a private process log before you draft the disclosure
A short process log prevents both accidental misstatements and overbroad claims. Keep it with your project files, not in the manuscript unless requested. Record:
- the tool name and version or service used;
- the month and year of each material use;
- the task: brainstorming, outlining, research organization, copyediting, translation, generating prose, or another activity;
- whether you copied any output into notes, drafts, code, images, or other project assets;
- what, if anything, remains in the submitted work and where it appears;
- the rule or contract language you relied on and the date you checked it.
Save relevant prompts or a brief summary when practical. You do not need to send your entire chat history unless the organizer asks for it, but you should be able to answer a precise question about what the tool did. If several contributors used tools, include the work of ghostwriters, editors, coaches, translators, and collaborators in the record.
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When the rule bans AI in outlining or development
If the rule covers outlining, ideation, or any development use, disclosure is not a permission slip. The Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 FAQ is an example: a manuscript that used AI in outlining or writing is outside the stated eligibility. Do not enter it merely because the final text is your own. Look for a different opportunity whose rules permit that process, or create a new work without the prohibited use.
When the rule bans generated content but permits other development
Some rules focus on content delivered to judges, readers, or players. Under the 2026 IFComp formulation, limited generative-AI use during development can be permitted, but all player-facing content must be human-created. Separate your private experiments from the material that appears in the submitted game, including text, descriptions, and any other player-facing elements. If the rule does not define “development” or “human-created,” ask the organizer in writing before entering.
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When the rule requires disclosure of any LLM use
A rule can require a declaration even if no generated sentence survived. The amended Nebula policy illustrates the risk: it addresses work written wholly or partially with generative LLM tools, requires disclosure of LLM use at any point, and states that the amended policy can disqualify such work. Read the operative eligibility and consequence clauses together; do not infer a safe harbor from the word “disclose.”
When the competition is specifically for AI-created fiction
The Prompty Awards take the opposite approach by recognizing fiction created wholly or substantially through AI. That does not make a vague statement acceptable. Prepare the disclosure summary the rules request, identify the extent of generation, and follow any limits on tools, formats, or human contribution.
How different kinds of assistance are treated
Brainstorming and ideation
Some organizers view a prompt-and-response brainstorming session as ordinary development; others classify it as AI use regardless of whether you copied words. If the rule says “no AI in outlining,” “no use at any point,” or similar, brainstorming can be disqualifying. State the activity plainly in your log and compare it with the exact category in the rule.
Outlining and scene planning
An AI-generated beat sheet, character arc, chapter order, or scene list may count even if every scene was later written from scratch. The Irish Writers Centre example expressly includes outlining. A publisher whose policy only addresses generated manuscript text may treat an outline differently, but you should obtain that interpretation from the submissions contact rather than assume it.
Copyediting, proofreading, and style suggestions
“Editing” is not a single category. A tool that flags spelling may be treated differently from one that rewrites paragraphs, supplies transitions, or changes narrative voice. Some rules cover all LLM use; some cover only generated content; some prohibit substantive AI editing. If the tool returned replacement prose and you adopted it, describe that as generated text or substantive editing, not merely proofreading.
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Translation
Machine translation can be considered AI assistance under a rule that covers any use or all content creation. Do not write “no AI” because you personally revised the translation. Identify the source language, target language, tool, and whether the translated wording appears in the submitted manuscript. Ask whether the organizer treats translation as an exception before submitting.
Research organization and factual checking
Using a tool to sort your own notes or create a research checklist may be permitted by a narrow policy, but it remains relevant under a total-use ban. If the tool generated factual passages that entered the story, treat those passages as generated content and verify them independently. Keep the description proportional: name the task without implying that the tool wrote the fiction if it did not.
Generated prose, dialogue, or scenes
Retained generated wording is the clearest case for disclosure where disclosure is allowed. Identify the extent and location: a paragraph, a dialogue exchange, a chapter, or a percentage if the organizer requests one. Human revision does not automatically change the origin of the text for a rule that covers partial AI writing.
What publisher submissions require
For a trade-publisher submission, start with the house’s current submissions page and then ask the editor or submissions contact whether there is a special AI policy. Keep the answer in writing. The Authors Guild’s model contract clause is a negotiation example, not a universal industry rule. It says an author is not required to use generative AI, must disclose AI-generated text included in the submitted manuscript, and may not include more than a “de minimis/5%” amount. The percentage is a bracketed example that parties can negotiate; it is not a standard allowance that every publisher follows.
Review the entire agreement, not only the submission instructions. Authors Guild guidance also advises checking terms for ghostwriters, editors, coaches, and other contributors. Its 2026 update includes a clause against substantive AI editing by the publisher and calls for author approval for certain AI uses. Those materials are advocacy and negotiation resources. The signed contract and the publisher’s current written policy control your obligations.
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Questions to ask a submissions contact
- Does the house prohibit AI only in the manuscript, or also in outlining, translation, editing, and research?
- Does “AI-generated text” include text that was heavily rewritten by the author?
- Is disclosure required at query stage, with the manuscript, in an author statement, or only in the contract?
- Is there a percentage cap, and how is it calculated?
- What records or locations should identify retained generated passages?
Send a concise description of your actual process. Do not ask for a hypothetical permission that obscures what you already did.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to put the disclosure
Use the location named by the organizer. Common locations are:
- Entry form: answer the AI-use question and paste only the requested explanation.
- Cover letter or query: add a short paragraph if the publisher asks for disclosure there; do not bury a material fact in unrelated biography.
- Author statement: use this when the contest requests process context or an AI summary.
- Manuscript note: add a note only when the rules request one, and identify the relevant passages precisely.
- Separate declaration: submit the organizer’s form or attachment when required, preserving its labels and categories.
If no location is specified but the rule requires disclosure, ask where it should go. A disclosure in the wrong place may be missed by the person checking eligibility.
Use a factual, bounded disclosure
A useful format has four parts: tool and version, date, task, and effect on the submitted text. Add the location of retained material and your responsibility statement when relevant.
When no generated prose was retained:
AI-use disclosure: I used [tool/version] in [month/year] for [brainstorming, research organization, copyediting, translation, or another task]. No AI-generated prose was retained in the submitted manuscript. I reviewed the submission and take responsibility for the final text.
Use this only if the rule permits that kind of assistance and “no generated prose” is accurate. Do not replace a prohibited category such as outlining with a softer label such as brainstorming.
When generated passages remain:
AI-use disclosure: I used [tool/version] in [month/year] to generate [describe the material]. The retained passages appear in [chapter, page, scene, or other location]. I reviewed and revised the submission and identify the generated material as required by the rules.
Replace the bracketed descriptions with concrete facts. If the form asks for a percentage, calculate it using the organizer’s definition rather than your own estimate.
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- Do not say “no AI” when a tool helped outline, translate, edit, or otherwise assist and the rule treats that as use.
- Do not say that human editing makes generated text eligible when the policy covers partial AI writing.
- Do not describe a generated scene as “just an idea” if its wording or structure was retained.
- Do not rely on another contest’s permission, a publisher’s model clause, or a self-publishing platform’s declaration to answer a different organizer’s rule.
- Do not omit a collaborator’s AI use simply because you did not operate the tool yourself.
- Do not attach a long process diary when the organizer requests a short summary; keep the detailed log privately unless asked.
Separate self-publishing declarations from submissions
Amazon KDP’s content guidelines require authors to inform KDP about AI-generated text, images, or translations, while saying AI-assisted content does not need to be disclosed. That upload declaration applies to publishing through KDP. It does not prove that a contest permits brainstorming, that a trade publisher accepts generated passages, or that a manuscript qualifies for an award. Make a fresh determination for each destination.
A practical decision checklist
- Open the current rules, submission page, contract, or upload declaration for the exact destination and edition.
- Copy the policy’s categories into your notes: prohibited use, permitted development, disclosure trigger, disclosure location, and consequence.
- Audit your process log for every tool and contributor, including outlining, editing, translation, and retained output.
- Decide eligibility before drafting a statement. If the rule bans your process, do not submit that work.
- Ask the organizer a specific written question when a category or term is unclear.
- Write a short disclosure using the organizer’s labels and required location.
- Keep your log, the checked rule, and the sent disclosure together so you can reproduce the answer if asked later.
- Recheck the policy immediately before uploading or sending, especially for annual contests and revised contract templates.
How to compare opportunities before choosing one
If you are deciding where to send a manuscript, compare opportunities on the dimensions that actually affect eligibility rather than searching for a universal “AI-friendly” label.
| Question | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Is any AI use prohibited? | Look for wording covering “at any point,” outlining, development, translation, or editing. | A total-use rule can exclude a manuscript with entirely human-written final prose. |
| Is limited development or editing allowed? | Identify the permitted stage and what must remain human-created. | Permission may stop at private development and not extend to player-facing or submitted content. |
| Is disclosure mandatory? | Find the trigger, required categories, form, and location. | A label that omits a required use can create an eligibility problem. |
| What is the consequence? | Distinguish a request for clarification from rejection, ineligibility, or automatic disqualification. | Disclosure cannot cure a rule that makes the work ineligible. |
| Is the event specifically for AI-assisted work? | Check whether AI creation is part of the award’s purpose and what summary is required. | An AI-focused competition may require more detail, not less. |
Keep the comparison tied to the current rules and date. Policies and editions change, so a spreadsheet or note made for one submission should not be reused without checking it.
The bottom line for authors
Disclose AI assistance only after determining that the work is eligible under the destination’s own rule. Describe the tool, date, task, and retained material in the requested location; keep a private process log; and ask for a written interpretation when the wording is unclear. A truthful, narrow statement protects you only where the policy permits the underlying use. Where the rule bans that use, the correct action is to withdraw or choose a different opportunity, not to disguise the process.
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