Just Write! Competition Terms and Conditions
These terms and conditions govern all rounds of the Just Write! creative writing competition, operated by Liam Marshall Communications Ltd (Company No. 15676044), trading as Liam Marshall Creative, registered in England and Wales ("the Promoter").
By entering the competition, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions in full.
1. The Promoter
Just Write! is operated by Liam Marshall Communications Ltd, Company No. 15676044, registered in England and Wales. Trading address: Penny Lane Business Centre, 374 Smithdown Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, L15 5AN. Contact: hello@liammarshall.co.uk.
2. The Competition
2.1 Just Write! is a monthly creative writing competition open to entrants worldwide.
2.2 The competition runs in two categories per round: 500 words and 1,000 words.
2.3 There is no age restriction. We recommend the competition for participants aged 14 and over. Entrants under 18 should have parental or guardian consent before entering.
2.4 Employees of Liam Marshall Communications Ltd and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
3. Entry
3.1 Entry fees are £10 per entry for the 500-word category and £15 per entry for the 1,000-word category.
3.2 Entrants may submit multiple entries per category per round. Each entry requires a separate fee.
3.3 Entrants may enter both categories in the same round.
3.4 All entries must be original, previously unpublished work written in response to the round's prompt. Work that has been published, self-published, or posted publicly online in any form is not eligible.
3.5 Entries must not have been submitted to or shortlisted in any other competition at the time of submission.
3.6 Entries must be submitted by the stated submission deadline. Late entries will not be accepted and no refund will be issued for missed deadlines.
3.7 By entering, entrants confirm that the submitted work is entirely their own, does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party, and does not contain defamatory, offensive, or unlawful content.
3.8 The use of AI writing tools is permitted provided the submitted work remains the original creative work of the entrant. Entries found to consist substantially of unedited AI-generated content will be disqualified.
4. Minimum Entry Threshold
4.1 Each category requires a minimum of 25 entries per round in order to proceed.
4.2 If the minimum threshold is not reached by the registration close date, the round will not proceed and all entry fees for that category will be refunded in full within 14 days.
4.3 Entrants will be notified by email if a round does not proceed.
4.4 The Promoter accepts no liability for any costs, losses, or disappointment arising from a round not proceeding.
5. The Prompt
5.1 The prompt for each round will be delivered to all registered entrants by email on the stated prompt delivery date, following confirmation that the minimum entry threshold has been met.
5.2 All entrants in a given round receive the same prompt simultaneously.
5.3 Interpretation of the prompt is entirely at the entrant's discretion.
6. Judging
6.1 All entries are read and scored anonymously.
6.2 Entries are assessed against four criteria: prompt interpretation, originality, creative courage, and execution. Each criterion is marked out of five, giving a maximum score of 20.
6.3 Execution is assessed relative to the ability level declared by the entrant at the point of submission.
6.4 In the event of a tie, the final decision rests with the judge, Liam Marshall.
6.5 The judge's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding judging outcomes.
6.6 All scoring is subjective and reflects the judge's honest assessment at the time of reading. No scoring methodology can be entirely objective and entrants accept this as a condition of entry.
7. Prizes
7.1 Prizes are awarded per category per round as follows: first place £100, second place £50, third place £25.
7.2 The Promoter reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value in exceptional circumstances.
7.3 Prizes are non-transferable. No cash alternative will be offered.
7.4 Winners will be contacted by email within 7 days of the results announcement. Prize payments will be made by bank transfer within 28 days of the results announcement date.
7.5 If a winner cannot be contacted or does not respond within 28 days of the results announcement, the prize will be forfeited and reabsorbed by the Promoter.
8. Intellectual Property
8.1 Entrants retain full copyright and all intellectual property rights to their submitted work at all times.
8.2 Entrants are free to publish, submit, or otherwise use their work independently at any time following the results announcement.
8.3 By entering, placed entrants (first, second, and third) grant Liam Marshall Communications Ltd a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish their entry on its website, social media channels, mailing list, Substack, and in an annual collection of competition winners, at the Promoter's discretion.
8.4 This licence is conditional on the placed entrant providing explicit consent prior to publication. The Promoter will contact placed entrants directly to obtain consent. No work will be published without it.
9. Publicity
9.1 By entering, entrants agree that their name and general location (country or region) may be published alongside results announcements and winner publications.
9.2 Entrants who do not wish to be identified publicly should notify the Promoter at the point of submission. Anonymous publication can be accommodated on request.
10. Data Protection
10.1 Entry data is collected and processed by Liam Marshall Communications Ltd as data controller, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
10.2 Personal data collected during entry will be used solely for the purposes of administering the competition, communicating with entrants, and processing prize payments.
10.3 Entrant data will not be shared with third parties without consent, except where required by law.
10.4 By entering, entrants agree to receive email communications relating to the round they have entered, including prompt delivery, results announcements, and any round cancellation notices.
10.5 Entrants may request deletion of their personal data at any time by contacting hello@liammarshall.co.uk. Requests will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy, available at www.liammarshall.co.uk/privacy-notice
11. Limitation of Liability
11.1 The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries lost, delayed, or corrupted due to technical issues, network failures, or circumstances beyond its control.
11.2 The Promoter accepts no liability for any costs, losses, or damages incurred by entrants in connection with their participation in the competition, beyond the value of the entry fee paid.
11.3 Nothing in these terms shall limit the Promoter's liability for death, personal injury, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
12. General
12.1 The Promoter reserves the right to cancel, amend, or suspend any round of the competition in exceptional circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
12.2 The Promoter reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time. The version in effect at the close of registration for each round will apply to that round.
12.3 If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
12.4 These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Just Write! is operated by Liam Marshall Communications Ltd, Company No. 15676044, registered in England and Wales.