As most of you know, I no longer write or share new work on Wattpad. Heck, I don't even log in here most of the time. The one exception I typically make for the past couple of years, has been for the ONC or the Open Novella Contest. I've always enjoyed the experience and community that rallies. It makes me very sad to say I will not be entering this year, and I warn you all about doing the same.
For the first time ever, the terms of entry and winning make me sick to my stomach. Many of you might have glossed over the fact that the winners will be signing away rights to their story, including intellectual rights, for nothing. THIS IS HUGE!
Imagine my surprise and horror when I logged on for the first time in forever, to see if ONC is posted, and read the terms for this year. Not even publishers ask writers to give away their intellectual rights over a story and its contents. Know that you can participate in the prompts without submitting to the contest. I encourage you to do this, because it's really fun. But please, do not foolishly give away your rights, especially intellectual rights, to your story to Naver for nothing.
What it means is, if you win, they can steal. Yes, it is stealing because they are counting on people not knowing their rights, and or not having or putting any real value on their work, to give away their work and ideas. It means they can take your ideas, characters, ect, alter them, use them to make movies, games, other stories, ect, without paying you a dime for those rights.
This is extremely predatory and make me sad to see Wattpad going down this road. You might not believe your story or ideas are worth anything, and you would probably be wrong. Don't put yourself in this position for an interview, cover, and premium Wattpad. It's absolute ludacrousy.
