Enrichment · Arts and Creativity

Know where every piece is,
and what you agreed to.

Sending writing out is a numbers game, and it gets messy fast: which story went where, which contest wanted it exclusively, which deadline is next and what rights you signed away. Add a record for each submission with the limit, deadline, fee, rights and status. The tracker flags anything over the limit, late or asking for your copyright, and warns when one piece is out at two places that do not allow it.

Add a submissionWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 38 items.

Submissions

The worked example is made up: three pieces sent to five places. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$5

What you finish with
A record per submission: piece, genre, word or line count, contest, limit, deadline, date sent, fee, simultaneous submissions, rights asked for, status, four checks and notes. Shows pieces out now, results won or placed of those decided, fees paid and any piece out at two or more places when one does not allow simultaneous submissions; flags a piece over the limit, a late submission, a contest asking for all rights, an entry fee and rules silent on simultaneous submissions.
Who it is for
Middle school, high school and college writers entering contests and submitting to magazines; creative writing teachers and club sponsors who help students submit.
Format
Browser tracker with a saved record per submission. Prints one record, the whole tracker in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Before you send, read the rules and fill in the limit, deadline, fee, rights and simultaneous rule.
  2. Fix the flags, or pick another contest.
  3. Mark the date sent and keep a copy of exactly what you sent.
  4. When a piece is taken somewhere, withdraw it from every other place the same day.
  5. Update the status when results come in.

Add a submission

What contest rules mean for you

Read the rules for these five thingsIn the rulesLook forWhy it mattersEligibilityAge, grade, where you liveAn ineligible entry is not readLengthWords or lines, and what countsOver the limit is often outRightsFirst rights, or all rightsAll rights can lock the piece upSimultaneousAllowed, or one place at a timeWithdraw fast if it is takenFeesFree, or what the fee pays forFees add up across a seasonRead the rules for these five thingsEligibilityLook for: Age, grade, where you liveWhy it matters: An ineligible entry is not readLengthLook for: Words or lines, and what countsWhy it matters: Over the limit is often outRightsLook for: First rights, or all rightsWhy it matters: All rights can lock the piece upSimultaneousLook for: Allowed, or one place at a timeWhy it matters: Withdraw fast if it is takenFeesLook for: Free, or what the fee pays forWhy it matters: Fees add up across a season
You own the copyright in your writing from the moment it is written down. A contest only gets the rights you agree to in its terms.

Your copyright

Under U.S. law, you own the copyright in your writing as soon as it is fixed in a file or on paper. Most contests and magazines ask only for first publication rights. A contest that asks for all rights or your copyright is asking for much more; read the terms with a parent or teacher.

Simultaneous submissions

Many magazines and contests allow you to send the same piece to several places at once, as long as you withdraw it everywhere else as soon as one accepts. Some do not. Track it, because a piece published twice can cost you both.

Fees and red flags

Plenty of reputable contests are free for young writers. Be careful with high fees, prizes that require you to buy an anthology, or anyone who will not say who judges. Writer advocacy groups keep lists of warning signs.

Sources

  1. U.S. Copyright Office: Circular 1, Copyright Basics (copyright.gov).
  2. Writer Beware, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association: contests and rights grabs (writerbeware.blog).
  3. Poets & Writers: databases of literary magazines and writing contests, with fees and deadlines (pw.org).
  4. National Council of Teachers of English: resources on student publishing (ncte.org).

The worked example is made up, including the contests. This is not legal advice about rights; when terms are unclear, ask the contest and a trusted adult. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.