NOICE — Terms of Service

Effective Date: 21/02/2026 - Last Updated: 21/02/2026

1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service (”Terms”) govern your participation in NOICE (”the Project”), a volunteer-run, nonprofit charity anthology project operating at noice.charity (”the Platform”). The Project is co-coordinated by Morgan A. Drake and Ed the Editor (”the Organizers”).

These Terms address the specific rights and responsibilities that arise from your participation in the Project — your submission, publication, intellectual property, and conduct. They do not replace the terms of service of any third-party platform through which you interact with the Project. In particular, Contributors who engage with the Project through Substack, Discord, Google Forms, or BookVault remain separately bound by those platforms’ applicable terms of service. Where these Terms and any third-party platform terms conflict, the third-party platform’s terms govern your use of that platform, and these Terms govern your relationship with the Project.

By submitting work, volunteering services, or otherwise participating in the Project, you (”Contributor” or “Participant”) agree to be bound by these Terms in full. If you do not agree, you must not submit work or participate.

The Organizers reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Amendments will be published on the Platform with a revised effective date. Continued participation following amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Nature of the Project

2.1 Charitable Purpose

NOICE is a charity anthology project. All proceeds from sales of the digital ebook and print anthology — after unavoidable platform and production fees — are donated to immigration justice organizations, currently designated as RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) or such other organization(s) as the Organizers may designate and announce through the Platform.

2.2 Volunteer Operation

The Project is entirely volunteer-run. All contributions of time, work, and expenses — by Contributors, the Organizers, and all editorial, production, and support staff — are donated voluntarily. No one receives compensation in any form.

2.3 No Commercial Benefit to Organizers

The Organizers receive no financial compensation from Project proceeds. All revenue, net of platform and production fees, is transmitted to the designated charitable beneficiary.

3. Submission Rights and Intellectual Property

3.1 Retention of Rights

Contributors retain full copyright and all other intellectual property rights in their submitted work. Submission to the Project does not transfer ownership of any rights except as expressly set out in these Terms.

3.2 License Granted to the Project

By submitting work that is accepted for publication, you grant the Organizers a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to:

(a) publish your work on the Platform as a free, publicly accessible post;

(b) include your work in the digital ebook anthology edition;

(c) include your work in the print anthology edition, subject to your opt-in at the time of submission;

(d) reproduce your work in any QR-linked digital format associated with the print edition;

(e) use your name, pen name, and biographical information as provided for attribution and promotional purposes in connection with the Project.

3.3 Scope of License

The license granted in Section 3.2 is non-exclusive. You may continue to publish, license, sell, or otherwise exploit your work independently, subject to the republication windows in Section 3.4.

The license is perpetual with respect to the Platform publication — your work will remain accessible as a public post — unless you exercise your right of withdrawal as set out in Section 3.6.

3.4 Republication by Contributors

You may cross-post or share the Platform post containing your work at any time after it is published on the Platform.

You may republish the work itself on other platforms:

(a) after the anthology release date for the volume containing your work (June 20, 2026 for Volume 1); or

(b) after your work’s Platform publication date, if you have opted out of print inclusion.

If you require an exception to these windows, contact the Organizers directly. Exceptions may be granted at the Organizers’ discretion.

3.5 Previously Published Work

You may submit work previously published elsewhere, provided that you retain sufficient rights to grant the license in Section 3.2 and that publication with NOICE will not violate any exclusivity agreement you hold with another publisher. You are responsible for verifying this before submitting.

3.6 Withdrawal

Digital ebook and print anthology: You may withdraw your work from the ebook and print anthology at any time up to June 1, 2026, by notifying the Organizers in writing. After that date, withdrawal from print editions already in production or circulation cannot be guaranteed.

Online publication: You may request removal of your work from the Platform at any time, with no deadline. The Organizers will remove the relevant post upon receiving your written request.

4. Contributor Representations and Warranties

By submitting work to the Project, you represent and warrant that:

(a) you are the sole author and copyright holder of the submitted work, or you have obtained all necessary permissions from co-authors or rights holders to submit the work on the terms set out herein;

(b) the submitted work is original and does not infringe the copyright, trademark, moral rights, right of publicity, or any other intellectual property or proprietary right of any third party;

(c) the submitted work does not contain defamatory, unlawful, obscene (beyond what is permitted under the Submission Guidelines), or otherwise legally actionable content;

(d) the submitted work does not incorporate AI-generated content beyond the permitted uses described in the Submission Guidelines — specifically, grammar checking, brainstorming, and similar assistive functions where the core creative work (the ideas, structure, voice, and revision) is your own;

(e) for narration submissions specifically, the recorded voice is entirely human and has not been generated, synthesized, or substantially modified by AI voice tools;

(f) if the work depicts real individuals, you have obtained any necessary consents and the depiction does not constitute defamation, harassment, or unlawful invasion of privacy;

(g) you have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms; and

(h) if you are submitting on behalf of a minor (see Section 7), you are the minor’s parent or legal guardian and have the authority to bind the minor to these Terms.

5. Editorial Authority and Acceptance

5.1 Editorial Discretion

The Organizers and editorial team retain sole and final discretion over which submissions are accepted for publication. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Acceptance decisions are not subject to appeal.

5.2 Revision Requests

The Organizers may, as a condition of acceptance, request revisions for clarity, flow, or to address concerns raised in sensitivity reading. Contributors who are unwilling to incorporate reasonable revision requests may have their acceptance withdrawn.

5.3 Sensitivity Reading

Accepted work depicting marginalized experiences may be subject to sensitivity reading. Contributors must be willing to engage constructively with feedback provided through this process. Sensitivity reading is conducted in good faith; the Organizers do not warrant that any published work is free of all potentially harmful content.

5.4 Removal After Publication

The Organizers reserve the right to remove published work from the Platform if it is found, after publication, to contain content that is unlawful, defamatory, in material breach of these Terms, or significantly harmful to the Project’s mission or to the communities the Project represents. The Organizers will notify the relevant Contributor before removal except where immediate removal is legally required.

6. Contributor Conduct

6.1 Community Standards

Contributors and Participants engaging with the Project’s community spaces (including the Sparks Discord community) agree to conduct themselves with respect for other community members, particularly those from the marginalized communities this Project exists to support.

6.2 Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is prohibited and may result in removal from the Project and community spaces:

(a) harassment, abuse, or targeted hostility toward other Contributors or Participants;

(b) discriminatory conduct on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or other protected characteristics;

(c) deliberate misrepresentation in submissions, including misrepresentation of AI use, authorship, or rights ownership;

(d) attempting to circumvent editorial decisions through pressure, intimidation, or bad-faith conduct;

(e) using the Project’s platform, community spaces, or charitable association for personal commercial promotion unrelated to the Project.

6.3 Enforcement

The Organizers reserve the right to remove any Participant from community spaces and to decline or withdraw acceptance of submitted work in response to conduct prohibited under Section 6.2. No compensation or appeal right attaches to such removal.

7. Participation by Minors

Contributors under the age of 18 (”Minors”) may participate in the Project subject to the following conditions:

(a) A parent or legal guardian must be made aware of the Minor’s participation, including the public nature of publication, before submission.

(b) By submitting work on behalf of a Minor, or by countersigning a Minor’s submission, the parent or guardian agrees to these Terms on the Minor’s behalf and accepts full responsibility for the submission.

(c) The Organizers accept no liability for a Minor’s participation where the parent or guardian has not been informed or has not consented.

(d) A Minor submitting independently represents, by their submission, that a parent or guardian has been informed. The Organizers are not responsible for verifying this representation.

(e) Minors may not submit content of an adult or sexually explicit nature under any circumstances.

8. Data Protection and Privacy

8.1 Data Controllers

Morgan A. Drake (Italy) and Ed the Editor (United States), acting as individuals, are joint data controllers in respect of personal data collected through the Project. Morgan A. Drake handles data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Italian law. Ed the Editor handles data in accordance with applicable US law.

8.2 What We Collect and Why

The Organizers collect and process personal data you provide through the submission process, including your name, pen name, email address, biographical statement, and submitted work. This data is used solely to administer submissions, communicate editorial decisions, and publish accepted work with appropriate attribution.

Submission data is received via Google Forms to a shared address accessible to both Organizers. By submitting, you acknowledge that both Organizers have access to the personal data you provide.

8.3 Your Rights

If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you have rights under the GDPR and applicable national law, including the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data. To exercise these rights, contact the Organizers at the address in Section 12.

Contributors located elsewhere may have additional rights under applicable local law. The Organizers will make reasonable efforts to accommodate data requests from all Contributors regardless of jurisdiction.

8.4 Substack

The Project publishes through Substack. Substack collects and processes data about Platform visitors and subscribers under its own privacy policy (substack.com/privacy), independently of the Organizers. The Organizers are not responsible for Substack’s data handling practices.

8.5 Discord

The Project maintains a Discord server for community use. Discord collects and processes user data under its own terms of service and privacy policy (discord.com/privacy). By joining or using the Discord server, you are entering into a direct relationship with Discord and accepting its terms. The Organizers are not responsible for Discord’s data handling, for data breaches occurring on Discord’s platform, or for content shared by other users in Discord community spaces.

The Discord server is currently unmoderated. The Organizers will make reasonable efforts to address conduct that comes to their attention but make no guarantee of active monitoring or moderation.

8.6 Privacy Policy

The full Privacy Policy for the Project is published separately at noice.charity/privacy and should be read alongside these Terms.

9. Fundraising and Financial Transparency

9.1 Charitable Beneficiary

The designated charitable beneficiary for Volume 1 is RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services). The Organizers will announce the confirmed fundraising mechanism on the Platform before sales open.

9.2 Proceeds

“Proceeds” means all revenue received from sales of the digital ebook and print anthology, less:

(a) unavoidable platform and payment processing fees charged by third-party services, including but not limited to Substack, BookVault, or distribution platforms;

(b) direct production costs for print editions (print-on-demand unit costs);

(c) verified pre-production costs, if disclosed and announced to Contributors prior to deduction.

Net proceeds will be transmitted to the designated charitable beneficiary.

9.3 No Guarantee of Amount

The Organizers make no representation or guarantee as to the total amount that will be raised or donated. Any fundraising projections published on the Platform are illustrative only.

9.4 Transparency Reporting

The Organizers will publish reports on the Platform disclosing the total amounts raised, fees and costs deducted, and amounts transmitted to the charitable beneficiary. Reports will be published at minimum upon conclusion of the print window (on or after July 20, 2026) and annually thereafter while the Project remains active.

9.5 Changes to Charitable Beneficiary

If the Organizers determine it is necessary to change the designated charitable beneficiary — due to organizational changes, legal considerations, or other material reasons — they will announce the change on the Platform with a clear explanation. Any such change will be made in good faith and in keeping with the Project’s mission.

9.6 No Tax Advice

The Project does not provide tax advice. Whether your donation of work, or a reader’s purchase, constitutes a tax-deductible charitable contribution depends on the laws of your jurisdiction and the charitable status of the beneficiary organization. You are responsible for seeking independent advice on any tax implications relevant to you.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

10.1 No Warranties

The Project is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis. The Organizers make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the Project, the Platform, or any publication outcomes.

10.2 No Guarantee of Publication

Acceptance of a submission does not constitute a binding guarantee of publication. If the Project is suspended, cancelled, or materially delayed due to circumstances beyond the Organizers’ control — including but not limited to platform changes, legal requirements, or force majeure events — the Organizers’ sole obligation to Contributors is to return rights to submitted work and notify Contributors as promptly as practicable.

10.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Organizers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to participation in the Project, including loss of anticipated income, reputational harm, or any claim arising from third-party use of published work.

The Organizers’ total liability to any individual Contributor, for any cause whatsoever, is limited to the greater of (a) zero, given the non-commercial, volunteer nature of the Project, or (b) any amount directly paid by that Contributor to the Project.

Nothing in this section limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

10.4 Third-Party Platforms

The Project operates through third-party platforms including Substack, Discord, BookVault, and Google Forms. The Organizers are not responsible for the availability, conduct, or terms of these platforms. Contributors should review the applicable terms of service of each platform they use to interact with the Project.

11. Dispute Resolution

11.1 Good Faith Resolution

In the event of any dispute arising from these Terms or from participation in the Project, the parties agree to first attempt resolution in good faith through direct communication with the Organizers via the contact information in Section 12.

11.2 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed with reference to the laws of the jurisdiction applicable to the Organizer most relevant to the dispute: Italian law for disputes primarily involving Morgan A. Drake; the law of the state of residence of Ed the Editor for disputes primarily involving him.

11.3 Jurisdiction

In the absence of agreement on an alternative forum, disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the relevant Organizer’s courts as described in Section 11.2. Where a Contributor is located in a jurisdiction that affords mandatory consumer or data subject protections, nothing in these Terms operates to deprive that Contributor of those protections.

11.4 Limitation Period

Any claim arising from these Terms must be brought within one (1) year of the date on which the claimant knew or reasonably ought to have known of the facts giving rise to the claim, except where applicable law requires a longer period.

12. General Provisions

12.1 Scope of These Terms

These Terms, together with the Submission Guidelines and Privacy Policy published on the Platform, constitute the complete agreement between Contributors and the Organizers with respect to participation in the Project. They do not govern your use of any third-party platform through which you access the Project; those platforms’ own terms apply to such use.

The Submission Guidelines may be updated during the submission period. Any changes will be announced on the Platform. The version of the Guidelines in effect at the time of your submission governs your submission.

12.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under applicable law, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible, without affecting the enforceability of the remaining provisions.

12.3 No Waiver

Failure by the Organizers to enforce any provision of these Terms on one occasion shall not constitute a waiver of that provision on any future occasion.

12.4 Assignment

Contributors may not assign their rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of the Organizers. The Organizers may assign these Terms in connection with a transfer of the Project to a successor organization operating for the same charitable purpose, with notice to Contributors.

12.5 Language

These Terms are drafted in English. In the event of any conflict between an English version and any translation, the English version shall prevail.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms, to exercise any right described herein, or to report a concern:

Email: info@noice.charity

These Terms govern the contributor relationship with NOICE specifically and are intended to function alongside the terms of any third-party platform you use to participate. Nothing in these Terms constitutes legal advice. Contributors are encouraged to seek independent advice if they have specific concerns about their rights or obligations.