We’ve received multiple questions on the topics of simultaneous submissions and stories which exceed the word count limit, so we’ve updated the rules on details page.
Regarding simultaneous submissions, we consider it only fair authors be able to do so. The inconvenience we experience with such a withdrawal, is more than offset by the knowledge the author has found paid work, which is a good thing in and of itself.
Word count winds up being a bit more complicated in practice. It is a judgment call as to whether the story absolutely needs the extra words. A great story will trump the rules. We’ve limited the advance to $150, which corresponds to the 5K word count limit, however the downstream royalty calculation would take into account the actual word count for larger stories.
As an example, a selected story of 6,000 words would generate a $150 advance plus a pro rata authors’ share of downstream royalties. Assuming a total word count of 75,000; the story would be accorded an 8% share of the Contributor’s Pool (6000/75000). Details contained within the model contract.
If there are additional questions, please feel free to contact us.