Code of Creative Respect

By joining The Shoot System™ as an author, contributor, or supporter, you agree to uphold the principles below in all interactions within the co-op and in any use of work that flows through it.

1. Creative Sovereignty

Authors retain full creative ownership and full control over:

• Their manuscripts and stories
• Their characters, settings, and worldbuilding
• Their timeline for sharing or publishing
• Any excerpts, drafts, or content produced within the co-op

No member may disclose, share, or discuss another member’s manuscript content outside the co-op’s approved workflows without explicit permission from the author.

2. Contributor Recognition

Members who provide labor—such as editing, design, formatting, reviewing, or administrative support—have the right to:

• Accurately describe the type of work they performed (e.g., developmental edit, proofread, cover concept)
• Reference their skills, genres served, and role in the co-op in a general or anonymized way
• List completed projects in their portfolio once the author has publicly shared or published the work

Contributors do not have the right to publicly share identifiable manuscript content (such as excerpts or specific plot details) without the author’s permission.

3. Permission-Based Sharing

Any public sharing of manuscript content—including excerpts, plot details, character arcs, cover art, screenshots, or editing “before and after” samples that can be tied to a specific work—requires explicit, written permission from the author.

Authors may choose one or more of the following permissions:

• No Sharing (Default): No content from the work may be used in public-facing materials.
• Share After Publication: Content may be shared only after the work is publicly released by the author.
• Approved Excerpts Only: Specific excerpts or assets may be shared if the author approves them in advance.
• Full Promotional Partnership: The author invites the co-op and contributors to actively feature their work in co-op promotions.

Authors may update or revoke these permissions at any time by contacting the Cooperative.

4. Respect for Timelines

Creative work moves on different schedules. Members agree to respect:

• The author’s publishing timeline and privacy needs
• Contributor capacity, including editors’ and designers’ workloads
• The co-op’s queue, pacing, and workload limits

Members will not rush, pressure, or guilt others for needing more time, especially around emotionally sensitive or high-stakes creative work.

5. Confidentiality

All creative work shared inside The Shoot System™—including drafts, notes, comments, and feedback—is treated as confidential unless explicitly released by the author.

Members agree to:

• Store manuscripts and related files securely
• Avoid sharing screenshots, links, or files outside approved spaces
• Report suspected confidentiality breaches to the Cooperative

6. Ethical Contribution

Members agree to:

• Provide honest, labor-based contributions (no misrepresentation of work performed)
• Only accept tasks they are reasonably able to complete
• Communicate early if delays arise
• Follow the co-op’s quality guidelines and workflows
• Avoid submitting plagiarized, infringing, or AI-generated work as original without disclosure

7. Safe & Inclusive Collaboration

The Shoot System™ maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward harassment, discrimination, or abuse. Members agree not to engage in:

• Harassment, bullying, or intimidation
• Discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, orientation, disability, or any protected class
• Coercion, manipulation, or retaliatory behavior

Conflicts should be brought to the Cooperative in good faith for mediation or resolution.

8. Credit Integrity

Credit matters in creative work. Members agree to:

• Accurately represent their role in any project
• Give appropriate recognition to contributors where possible (e.g., acknowledgments, credit pages)
• Not claim sole credit for collaboratively developed work

While formal credit is ultimately at the discretion of the author, The Shoot System™ encourages transparent and generous recognition.

9. Accountability & Consequences

Violations of this Code of Creative Respect may result in:

• Informal reminders or coaching
• Formal warnings
• Removal from specific tasks or project queues
• Suspension or removal from the Cooperative

The Cooperative will make reasonable efforts to hear all sides of a dispute, but its primary responsibility is to protect member safety, creative sovereignty, and the long-term health of the community.