Licenses
Publishing on Nightscribe means deciding not only what you share, but also how others may use your work. A license defines the rules under which your story may be shared, adapted, or reused.
This page explains the available license options in clear, practical terms so you can make an informed choice that fits your intentions, without legal jargon or guesswork.
Creative Commons Licenses
Nightscribe uses Creative Commons (CC) licenses. Creative Commons is a globally recognized nonprofit organization that provides free, standardized, and legally robust licenses for creative works.
All Creative Commons licenses allow you to retain full ownership of your story. The license you choose simply determines what others are allowed to do with it.
License Details
CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution – NonCommercial – ShareAlike)
Official license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
What this allows
Others may remix, adapt, and build upon your work for non-commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license any derivative works under the same terms.
Good choice if you want
To encourage remixing and collaboration, while ensuring all derivatives remain non-commercial and shared under identical conditions.
CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution – NonCommercial – NoDerivatives)
Official license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
What this allows
Others may share your work unchanged and non-commercially, provided they credit you. Modifications and adaptations are not permitted.
Good choice if you want
Your story to be shared in its original form only, without edits or commercial reuse.
CC BY-NC (Attribution – NonCommercial)
Official license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
What this allows
Others may remix, adapt, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you. Derivative works do not need to use the same license.
Good choice if you want
To allow non-commercial adaptations while giving others flexibility in how they license their derivative works.
CC BY (Attribution)
Official license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
What this allows
Others may share, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, including for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you.
Good choice if you want
Maximum reach and reuse of your work, including commercial use, while still being credited as the author.
CC0 (Public Domain Dedication)
Official legal text: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
What this allows
You waive all copyright and related rights, placing your work in the public domain. Anyone may use, modify, and distribute it for any purpose, without attribution.
Good choice if you want
Your work to be completely unrestricted and freely usable by anyone.
How to Choose the Right License
When deciding, ask yourself:
Attribution: Do I want to be credited whenever my story is reused?
Commercial use: Am I comfortable with others making money from my work?
Derivatives: Do I want to allow adaptations, remixes, or reinterpretations?
Your answers will naturally point you toward the license that best reflects your intentions.
Still Unsure?
There is no single “correct” choice. Each story, and each author, is different.
If you'd like step-by-step guidance, Creative Commons offers an official interactive license chooser:
Creative Commons License Chooser: https://chooser-beta.creativecommons.org/
The chooser walks you through a few simple questions and recommends a license based on your preferences.
Your story is your legacy. Choose the license that lets it live on exactly the way you intend.