NovelCult was created to give authors a space where stories can thrive without unnecessary restrictions while still protecting the platform and community from real-world risks.
As a global marketplace for stories, we operate under laws from many regions. That means we have to draw clear boundaries, not to stifle creativity, but to keep both authors and NovelCult safe.
When you publish on NovelCult, you agree that:
- You hold the rights to your work, or you knowingly publish at your own legal risk.
- You take full legal and financial responsibility for your content.
- Your work follows NovelCult's guidelines, global laws, and community standards.
Breaking these rules can lead to removal of your work, account suspension, or permanent ban at NovelCult's discretion.
These guidelines apply to all content you post on NovelCult, from full stories to short descriptions, comments, forum discussions, and cover art.
Last Updated: September 1, 2026
1. Intellectual Property & Originality
Ownership & Rights:
- All works must be uploaded by the original creator or someone with verifiable legal publishing rights.
- For legal purposes, translations are considered fanfiction and are treated under the same rules.
2. License Grant to NovelCult
- By uploading content, you grant NovelCult a non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, store, display, and distribute your work on our services for the purposes of providing the platform.
- This license is limited to operating the service and does not transfer copyright ownership from you to NovelCult.
- This license can be revoked anytime by deleting your novel from the website.
3. Fanfiction Monetization Policy
NovelCult allows reader support for fanfiction through internal "Gifts" and approved external platforms (e.g., Patreon, Ko-fi).
However, direct monetization through NovelCult's other internal systems is not permitted unless all of the following conditions are met:
- Written permission is given by the original author to create the fanfiction.
- The original work of the derivative is in public domain.
Legal Responsibility
- The fanfiction author is solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable intellectual property laws.
- NovelCult does not verify rights beyond the above requirements and will direct any legal disputes solely to the author.
General Rules for Fanfiction
- All fanfiction must be tagged as Fanfiction.
- The original author, IP holder, and title must be credited in the synopsis.
- Written permission from the rights holder is required before offering NovelCult Early Access on fanfiction.
- The work must not present itself as official or licensed.
- Where applicable, clearly indicate in the synopsis or first chapter that the work is an unofficial derivative work.
Monetization Restrictions by IP
- NovelCult may restrict monetization for fanfiction involving certain IPs with known high legal risk (for example, companies with a history of strict copyright enforcement such as Disney or Nintendo), even if the work is otherwise allowed to remain on the platform.
NovelCult's Position
NovelCult is a neutral hosting platform and marketplace for stories.
- External Reader Support: NovelCult does not take a share of revenue from authors' external reader support (via legal platforms such as Patreon, Ko-fi, etc.) unless it falls under a contracted monetization agreement as defined above.
- Internal Reader Support: In regards to internal reader support (such as Gifts, Privilege, and Ad Revenue), NovelCult will take a cut deemed necessary for platform maintenance and processing.
- Legal Compliance: NovelCult reserves the right to remove works if credible legal claims are raised.
4. Parody, Satire & "Thin Disguise"
- Fictionalized companies, products, and characters inspired by real ones ("thin disguise") are allowed if:
- They are transformative and clearly fictional.
- They do not use actual trademarks, logos, copyrighted designs, or brand assets.
- They are not defamatory in a way that could create legal risk for NovelCult.
- NovelCult reserves discretion to determine if such depictions exceed platform risk standards.
5. Prohibited & Restricted Content
Sexual Content & Erotica
Prohibited:
- Any sexual or romantic content involving minors under 18, or characters who appear under 18 regardless of stated age/species.
- Sexualized depictions of animals, corpses, or incest presented erotically.
- Sexual violence, coercion, or abuse presented in a positive or eroticized manner.
- Erotica: Works where explicit sexual content is the primary driver of the plot or reader experience.
Permitted with Restrictions:
- Romance works with sexual scenes are allowed if explicit content is not the primary focus.
- Mature scenes are allowed if integral to plot and appropriately tagged.
- All explicit sexual scenes must be tagged R-18 Sexual Content.
- No explicit sexual content in titles, covers, or any public-facing promotional material (including blurbs, banners, or preview chapters).
Violence, Gore & Harmful Themes
Allowed:
- Combat, battle, horror, and psychological tension.
- Descriptions of cruelty, violence, or dark acts that serve the plot, worldbuilding, or character development.
Prohibited:
- Gratuitous gore: Excessive, graphic detail intended purely for shock, disgust, or fetishization, without meaningful connection to the story.
Tagging Requirement:
- Any work containing graphic depictions of dismemberment, prolonged torture, explicit mutilation, sexual violence, or comparable extreme scenes must be tagged R-18 Violence.
- Standard battle injuries do not require R-18 Violence tagging unless they meet the above threshold.
Tagging Note:
- All tagging requirements are explained in detail in Section 9 - Tagging & Rating Requirements. Authors must ensure their works are tagged according to these rules.
Real-World Politics, Religion & Current Events
NovelCult is an escapist fiction platform, but authors may use elements of the present day as creative foundations.
Allowed:
- Fiction set in the present day, including during wars, pandemics, or other global events, as long as they are presented in a fictionalized or alternate context.
- Mentioning real events by name (e.g., COVID-19, World War II) in a fictionalized context.
- Alternate histories, speculative fiction, or "what if" scenarios based on real-world timelines.
Prohibited:
- Depicting real governments, leaders, or groups in a way that creates clear defamation or incitement risk.
- Treating ongoing real-world tragedies in a sensational, exploitative, or hate-driven manner.
- Presenting current events in a way that could be mistaken for factual reporting or activism.
Hate Speech & Discrimination
- No attacks on real-world protected identities (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion).
- Fictional discrimination is fine if clearly fictional and not targeted at real groups.
Real People & Defamation
- No depictions of identifiable real-world individuals (living or recently deceased) in defamatory, sexual, or exploitative contexts.
- Historical figures may be depicted if public domain and fictional
6. Prohibited Conduct
Authors may not use NovelCult to:
- Engage in illegal activity.
- Harass, threaten, or abuse readers, staff, or other authors.
- Impersonate other authors, readers, or staff.
- Spam, scam, or distribute malware.
- Interfere with the operation or security of NovelCult.
7. Artwork, Media & Cover Policy
- Artwork must be owned or licensed by the uploader.
- Covers must be relevant to the story and appropriate for a general audience.
- Authors are responsible for ensuring all linked or embedded media (images, audio, extras) complies with NovelCult's rules and copyright law.
Prohibited:
- Explicit or fetish imagery.
- Sexualized depictions of minors.
- "Shock art" (excessive gore, sexual violence).
- Real trademarks, logos, or celebrity likenesses without license.
8. AI-Generated Content
- AI-Assisted: Allowed for editing, proofreading & translation.
(Note- Writing is an iterative experience, we advise you to make mistakes, ask your peer authors and learn instead of using ai to paraphrase. Thank You.)
- AI-Generated: AI Generated content is strictly not allowed.
- AI may not be used for comments, reviews, or forum posts.
- AI content must comply with all guidelines.
9. Tagging & Rating Requirements
All explicit content must be appropriately tagged to inform readers. NovelCult uses two R-18 tags for mature content:
R-18 Sexual Content
Apply this tag if the work contains:
- Explicit sexual acts or detailed intimacy scenes
- Sexualized nudity or fetish elements
- Sexual violence (must also tag R-18 Violence)
R-18 Violence
Apply this tag if the work contains:
- Graphic gore, mutilation, or dismemberment
- Prolonged torture scenes
- Sexual violence (must also tag R-18 Sexual Content)
- Other highly graphic depictions of harm
Explicit Tagging Rule:
- If a work contains both explicit sexual content and extreme violence, both tags must be applied.
- NovelCult may, at its discretion, determine if content exceeds platform standards for gratuitous, exploitative, or shock content.
Tagging Enforcement:
- Incorrect or missing R-18 tags may result in warnings, content removal, or account penalties, at NovelCult's sole discretion.
10. Advertising and AdSense Eligibility
Some public content pages may include Google AdSense or other advertising. Ad serving is separate from whether a story may remain hosted on NovelCult.
NovelCult may exclude ads from:
- R-18, mature, sexually explicit, shocking, or otherwise restricted content.
- Fanfiction, translations, derivative works, or other copyright-risk content unless separately approved for ad-supported monetization.
- Stories, chapters, or accounts with pending user reports, copyright complaints, or moderation review.
- Low-value inventory, including empty pages, very short chapters, unpublished stories, navigation-focused pages, or pages without substantial original content.
- Content that violates Google Publisher Policies, Google Publisher Restrictions, or NovelCult platform rules.
Ad eligibility may change without notice after moderation review, rights review, policy changes, or account-side ad platform requirements. Authors should not assume that publication approval means a story is approved for advertising revenue.
11. Fiction Disclaimer
For works referencing real events or people:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, governments, organizations, or events is purely coincidental or fictionalized for narrative purposes.
12. DMCA & Repeat Infringer Policy
- NovelCult complies with DMCA and equivalent international takedown laws.
- Verified legal complaints will be investigated promptly.
- Accounts of repeat infringers (two or more verified violations) may be restricted or terminated.
13. Geo-Restriction & Regional Compliance
- NovelCult reserves the right to restrict access to certain works in specific jurisdictions where legal, regulatory, or market conditions require it, without removing the work globally.
- Authors are responsible for ensuring their work complies with the laws of their country of residence and any regions where their work is distributed.
14. No Endorsement Statement
- Views and opinions expressed in works published on NovelCult are those of the authors and do not reflect the positions or opinions of NovelCult.
15. Responsibility & Liability
Publishing on NovelCult means:
- You accept full legal responsibility for your content.
- NovelCult may remove works that create legal risk without notice.
- NovelCult is a neutral hosting service, not a publisher, and assumes no liability for author works.
16. Enforcement & Discretion
- Violations may lead to warnings, removals, suspension, or bans.
- NovelCult reserves absolute discretion over what content is hosted.
- Where possible, NovelCult will provide a brief reason for content removal to help authors adjust their work.
- Guidelines may be updated at any time to meet legal or platform needs.
17. Author Code of Conduct
NovelCult is built on creativity, respect, and originality. Every author contributes to the environment experienced by readers, other writers, moderators, editors, and staff.
Be Respectful
Healthy discussion and useful criticism are encouraged. Harassment, hate speech, discrimination, threats, personal attacks, or retaliation against readers, authors, moderators, or staff are prohibited.
Publish Original and Authorized Content
Publish only stories, translations, artwork, and other material that you own or have permission to publish. Plagiarism, unauthorized translations, and reposting another creator's work without permission are prohibited.
Present Your Work Honestly
Do not use misleading titles, deceptive descriptions, unrelated tags, duplicate publications, spam, or excessive self-promotion. Disclose required content information accurately, including novel type, mature themes, and applicable AI assistance.
Engage Constructively
Respond to readers and other authors respectfully. Authors may disagree with feedback, but must not harass reviewers, manipulate ratings, coordinate abuse, or pressure readers over legitimate reports, refund requests, or payment disputes.
Cooperate With Moderation
If content or conduct is reviewed, respond through the available support or appeal channel and provide accurate information. Attempts to evade restrictions, destroy relevant evidence, or retaliate against a reporter can result in further action.
Help Build the Community
Authors are encouraged to support peers, participate in good-faith discussions, share accurate knowledge, and help readers discover stories without manipulating platform systems.
18. Content Review Guidelines
NovelCult may review published content, metadata, cover art, links, monetization, and account conduct at any time to maintain platform safety, rights compliance, and quality.
What We Review
- Originality and the right to publish the work.
- Compliance with the Terms of Use and this Content Policy.
- Accurate mature-content warnings, ratings, genres, and tags.
- Copyright and trademark concerns.
- Cover-image suitability and media permissions.
- Titles, descriptions, links, and other metadata.
- Spam, deceptive publication, artificial engagement, and monetization abuse.
Content That May Be Restricted
Content may be restricted, returned for changes, demonetized, or removed for reasons including:
- plagiarism, stolen work, or copyright infringement;
- prohibited hate speech, exploitation, or illegal material;
- illegal activity presented as instruction or encouragement;
- malware, phishing, deceptive links, or credential theft;
- spam, duplicate publication, or promotional abuse;
- misleading metadata or missing required content warnings; or
- prohibited AI-generated spam or other low-effort automated content.
Mature Content
Mature themes may be allowed when they comply with this policy and are accurately labeled and presented responsibly. Explicit sexual content involving minors, sexual exploitation, and illegal material are strictly prohibited.
Review Outcomes
After review, NovelCult may:
- approve the content;
- request corrections or additional labeling;
- temporarily restrict discovery, monetization, advertising, or access;
- remove content for a policy or rights violation;
- warn, suspend, or terminate an account; or
- preserve records needed for an appeal, fraud review, dispute, or legal obligation.
Repeated or severe violations may result in stronger account action. Where an appeal path is available, use the official support channel and include the relevant novel, chapter, decision, and evidence.
Related policies
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- DMCA and Copyright
- Refunds, Cancellations, and Disputes
- Contact NovelCult
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