Terms & Privacy

The Esthetic Apostle is a literary and arts publication operated by The Esthetic Apostle, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company ("we," "us," "our"). These Terms & Privacy govern your use of estheticapostle.org (the "Site"), our printed editions, and any submissions you send to us. By using the Site or submitting work, you agree to these terms.

1 · Submissions & Copyright

Contributors retain full copyright in everything they submit. We make no claim of ownership over your work.

By submitting a piece — whether through email, our contact form, or any other channel — you grant The Esthetic Apostle, LLC a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to:

• publish the work on the Site and in our archives;
• include it in printed editions of the magazine;
• reproduce excerpts and thumbnails in promotional materials, newsletters, and social media for the purpose of promoting the work, the contributor, or the publication;
• store and display the work indefinitely as part of the historical archive.

We do not claim first-publication exclusivity. You're welcome to submit work that has appeared elsewhere, and you're free to publish the work elsewhere after we publish it. We ask only that subsequent publications credit the original appearance in The Esthetic Apostle when reasonable.

2 · Editing

We may apply minor copy-edits — typography, punctuation, obvious typos, formatting consistency. Substantive edits — anything that changes meaning, structure, or voice — will be sent to you for approval before publication.

3 · Compensation

We do not pay contributors for work appearing in the magazine, either online or in printed back issues. The magazine is a non-commercial labor of love and any proceeds from print sales offset production costs.

For standalone books we publish through our Catalogue (under "Books of Poetry" or "The Esthetic Apostle Editions"), royalties are shared with the author on a 60% author / 40% Esthetic Apostle basis, calculated on net receipts (sale price less printing costs, retailer fees, and shipping). Royalty terms for individual book contracts are confirmed in writing before publication and supersede this default if they differ.

4 · Takedown

If you want a piece removed from the Site, email team@estheticapostle.org from the address you used to submit it (or otherwise verifying you are the author). We will remove it from the public Site on a best-effort basis, normally within 30 days.

We will also remove it from any future printings of the magazine. We cannot recall printed copies that have already been shipped or sold; once paper has left the building it has its own life.

5 · Pen Names

Pseudonyms and pen names are welcome. The editor will keep your real identity on file privately for correspondence and royalty purposes (where relevant); we will publish only the name you choose.

6 · Age Requirement

Contributors of any age are welcome to submit. Contributors under 18 must include a parent or guardian's email on the submission so we can confirm consent before publication. We will not publish work from a minor without that confirmation.

7 · What We Collect

We collect only what you actively give us:

• Contact form / submissions: the name, email, and message you provide. The form is processed by FormSubmit (formsubmit.co) before being forwarded to our inbox.
• Email correspondence: anything you send us directly.

We do not use cookies that track you across other sites. We do not sell, rent, or share your information with anyone outside of the small editorial team.

8 · Analytics

The Site uses Cloudflare Web Analytics to count page views and understand which articles draw interest. This is a privacy-respecting analytics service:

• no cookies are set;
• no cross-site tracking;
• visitor IP addresses are not stored or made identifiable to us;
• no personal data is collected.

9 · Third-Party Services

The Site is hosted on Cloudflare Pages; the contact form is processed by FormSubmit; web fonts are served by Google Fonts. Each of these has its own privacy practices governing data they collect when you load the Site. Books and magazine issues are sold through Amazon under their terms; we don't see any of your purchase information beyond aggregate sales totals.

10 · Data Retention & Deletion

Submission emails are retained indefinitely as part of the editorial archive, unless you ask us to delete them. To request deletion of your contact information or any personal data we hold, email team@estheticapostle.org and we'll comply on a best-effort basis within 30 days.

11 · Disclaimers & Liability

The Site and its contents are provided "as is," without warranty of any kind. The opinions expressed in published pieces belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Esthetic Apostle, LLC. We are not liable for any damages arising from your use of the Site or reliance on its content.

12 · Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Illinois.

13 · Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms occasionally; the "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be noted on this page. Continued use of the Site or further submissions after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

14 · Contact

For any question about these terms, your work, takedown requests, or anything else, write to team@estheticapostle.org.