Writer Terms

1. You Own Your Work

You retain primary publication rights. You publish each commissioned piece on your own platform — your website, Substack, Ghost, Medium, Patreon, or wherever you choose. Your platform is the primary publication venue.

You remain free to republish, repurpose, adapt, anthology, license, or sell your work in any form. These terms do not limit your rights as a copyright owner beyond the specific licenses described below.

2. What You License to Artlance LLC

By publishing a commissioned piece through Artlance, you grant Artlance LLC a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

(a) Reproduce, excerpt, and display the work on the Artlance website, newsletter, and social channels.

(b) Include the work in the Artlance Index, a full-text, searchable archive of all commissioned work.

(c) Use your name, likeness, and bio in connection with promotion and amplification of the work and the Artlance platform.

(d) Create digests and summaries of the work for distribution.

2.1 SEO Integrity

Artlance LLC uses rel="canonical" tags on all reproductions and excerpts to direct search engine authority and traffic back to your platform. Artlance LLC will not divert search authority from your platform to its own.

2.2 Sublicense to Commissioner

You authorize Artlance LLC to sublicense the commissioning organization a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, excerpt, and display the work for non-commercial purposes: institutional archives, reports, educational materials, grant applications, internal communications, and display on the commissioner's website and social media. All commissioner uses must include attribution to you and the Artlance disclosure. This sublicense is granted automatically upon publication and requires no further action from you.

Permitted uses include, without limitation: display on the commissioner's website and social media channels; inclusion in newsletters and email communications; reproduction in exhibition documentation, press kits, and promotional materials distributed at no charge; inclusion in grant applications, institutional reports, and annual reviews; display in physical exhibition spaces; and quotation or citation in artist CVs, bios, and portfolios prepared by or on behalf of the commissioner or the exhibited artist(s). This license does not extend to: sale or syndication of the work to third-party publications; inclusion in paid advertising or sponsored content; or reproduction in any publication sold to end users. These uses require a separate agreement with the writer.

This sublicense does not extend to commercial use (sale, syndication, paid publications, advertising). Any commercial use by a commissioner requires a separate agreement directly between you and the commissioner. Artlance LLC will not grant commercial sublicenses without your prior written consent.

3. Standards of Engagement

You agree to engage substantively with the subject matter of each commission you claim. "Substantive engagement" means the piece addresses, analyzes, or critically responds to the commission's subject. It does not require a particular tone, conclusion, or favorable treatment.

3.1 Your Independence

Artlance LLC protects your independence. Artlance LLC will never intervene on behalf of a commissioner or require you to adopt any particular position. Artlance LLC's editorial oversight is limited to: copy cleaning, syntactical and grammatical correction, fact-checking, and Standards of Engagement review. Artlance LLC does not edit for content, voice, or opinion.

Artlance LLC uses AI-assisted tools for initial editorial review, including copy cleaning, fact-checking, and Standards of Engagement screening. Final editorial determinations — including whether a piece meets the Standards of Engagement and all decisions regarding approval, revision, or kill — are made by a human editor.

3.2 If a Piece Doesn't Meet the Standard

If your submission doesn't meet Artlance LLC's Standards of Engagement, Artlance LLC will return it with specific, written guidance. You may submit one revised draft. If the revision still doesn't meet the standard, the piece is killed.

3.3 What Happens If a Piece Is Killed

If a piece is killed: (a) the commission fee is returned in full to the commissioner; (b) you do not receive payment for the killed piece; (c) you retain copyright and may publish the piece independently, but without the Artlance disclosure or any reference to Artlance commissioning; and (d) repeated failures to meet the Standards of Engagement may result in loss of platform access.

3.4 Disputing a Kill Determination

If you disagree with a determination that your piece has been killed, you may request a written explanation from Artlance LLC within seven (7) days of the kill notification. Artlance LLC will provide a written response within seven (7) days of the request. If the dispute is not resolved through this internal review, the general dispute resolution provisions in Section 10 apply.

3.5 Platform Access

Writers who repeatedly fail to meet Standards of Engagement, fail to deliver publishable content, or fail to meet deadlines may lose access to the platform. Artlance LLC will provide written notice and an opportunity to respond before any suspension or removal.

4. Deadlines

By claiming a commission, you agree to complete and submit the work by the deadline in the commission brief. Time matters — Artlance's value proposition depends on getting quality writing out while shows are open.

If you anticipate difficulty meeting a deadline, notify Artlance LLC as soon as possible. Artlance LLC will make reasonable efforts to accommodate extensions but is not obligated to. Chronic failure to meet deadlines is grounds for loss of platform access.

5. Payment

5.1 Rate

Artlance's floor rate is $1.00 per word. This may be adjusted upward for writers with broader, established audiences, and may be revised upward as market conditions change. Your rate is disclosed when you claim a commission and confirmed before you begin work.

5.2 When You Get Paid

Payment is released upon Artlance LLC's verification that you have published the approved piece on your chosen platform. Artlance LLC will verify publication within a reasonable time, typically 48 hours, after you notify Artlance LLC that the piece is live. Artlance LLC will release payment within twenty-four (24) hours of publication verification.

5.3 Artlance LLC Editorial Commitment

Artlance LLC will complete its initial editorial review within seven (7) days of your submission.

5.4 Payment Method

All payments are processed via Stripe. You are responsible for maintaining current payment information. Artlance LLC is not responsible for delays caused by incorrect or outdated payment information.

5.5 No Payment for Killed Pieces

If a piece is killed under Section 3.2, you do not receive payment.

5.6 Independent Contractor

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, or partner of Artlance LLC. You are solely responsible for all taxes on payments received through Artlance. Artlance LLC will issue applicable tax reporting documents (e.g., IRS Form 1099) as required by law.

6. Disclosure Requirement

Every commissioned piece must carry the standardized Artlance disclosure: "Commissioned writing, independent opinion, facilitated by Artlance." This disclosure must appear on your primary publication and on any republication or adaptation. Upon approval, Artlance LLC will provide you with a downloadable disclosure banner for use in your published piece. This is non-negotiable and essential to the integrity of the platform.

7. Your Representations

By registering and claiming commissions, you represent and warrant that: (a) your commissioned works are original and do not infringe any third party's intellectual property; (b) your work does not contain defamatory statements of fact (critical opinion, even harsh, is not defamation); (c) you have the legal capacity to agree to these terms and grant the licenses described here; and (d) you will comply with the conflict-of-interest and publication obligations described in Sections 7.1 and 7.2.

7.1 Conflict of Interest

Before claiming any commission, you must disclose to Artlance LLC any material conflict of interest related to that commission. A material conflict of interest includes, without limitation: (a) current or recent employment by, or consultancy for, the commissioning organization; (b) a governance relationship with the commissioning organization, including membership on its board of directors, advisory board, or governing body; (c) a financial interest in the commissioning organization (equity, debt, sponsorship, or grant relationship); (d) a family or household relationship with any principal, curator, director, or artist whose work is the subject of the commission; (e) any other relationship that a reasonable reader, if aware of it, would consider likely to compromise the independence of the resulting writing.

If you have a material conflict of interest, you may not claim the commission. Artlance LLC reserves the sole right to determine whether a disclosed relationship constitutes a disqualifying conflict.

The following conflicts are per-se disqualifying and may not be waived by Artlance LLC or by the writer:

(f) Romantic relationships. You may not claim a commission that would entail writing about any person with whom you are currently in a romantic relationship, or were in a romantic relationship within the preceding six (6) months.

(g) Family members. You may not claim a commission that would entail writing about a family member.

(h) Recent paid relationship with the commissioner. You may not claim a commission from any commissioner that has paid you for other work — writing or otherwise — within the preceding three (3) months.

If Artlance LLC discovers an undisclosed material conflict of interest — including a violation of any per-se prohibition — after a commission has been claimed or published, Artlance LLC may, at its discretion: revoke the commission, withhold or recover payment, remove the piece from the Artlance Index, and restrict or terminate your platform access.

7.2 Publication Platform and Open-Access Requirements

You publish each commissioned piece on your own independent platform — your personal website, Substack, Ghost, a newsletter, a social media post with an extended caption, or comparable venue. The following requirements apply to every Artlance commissioned publication:

(a) No paywall. The commissioned piece must be published without a paywall, login gate, or any other access restriction. The full text must be freely and publicly accessible to all readers at the time of publication and must remain so indefinitely.

(b) No subscription or funding inducement. You may not use an Artlance commissioned piece to solicit, incentivize, or gate subscriptions, memberships, donations, tip jars, or other individual-platform funding. This includes, without limitation: placing the piece behind a metered paywall, publishing it as a "preview" that requires a subscription to read in full, appending calls to action that tie access to the piece or future Artlance work to paid subscription, or framing the piece as exclusive content available only to supporters. General platform branding (e.g., a standard Substack header or footer) that does not specifically leverage the Artlance piece is permissible.

(c) Collective critical projects. Publication on collective critical projects — such as perseity.nyc — is acceptable as an alternative or supplement to your personal platform, provided the collective project does not (i) sell subscriptions or memberships to readers, or (ii) sell advertising or sponsored content. If a collective project introduces subscriptions or advertising after initial publication, you must notify Artlance LLC and, if requested, republish the piece on a compliant platform.

(d) Rationale. These requirements exist to protect the integrity of the Artlance model. Commissioners fund independent writing for the public benefit. Open-access publication ensures that commissioned criticism reaches the widest possible audience and cannot be leveraged for private subscription revenue. Violation of these requirements is a material breach of these terms.

7.3 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Artlance LLC and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, or expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) breach of these representations; (b) claims of copyright infringement, plagiarism, or defamation relating to your work; or (c) your breach of these terms.

8. Limitation of Liability

Artlance LLC's total liability under these terms shall not exceed the total commission payments made to you through Artlance in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Neither party shall be liable to the other for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits or opportunities, even if advised of the possibility.

9. Termination

Either party may terminate this relationship with thirty (30) days' written notice. Termination does not affect in-progress commissions; you must complete any commission you have claimed.

Artlance LLC may terminate immediately if you materially breach these terms, engage in conduct that damages the platform's integrity, or abandon in-progress commissions without reasonable cause.

The following survive termination: your copyright ownership (Section 1), the licenses you've granted (Section 2), the disclosure requirement (Section 6), your representations and conflict-of-interest obligations (Section 7), and limitation of liability (Section 8).

10. General

These Writer Terms, together with the Artlance Terms of Service and the Artlance Charter, constitute the complete agreement between you and Artlance LLC regarding your participation on the platform.

Artlance LLC may update these terms with thirty (30) days' notice. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California. Disputes are resolved by mediation, then binding arbitration under AAA rules in San Jose, California.

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.