Each author who applies for the Human Verification Badge is required to answer a series of questions to explain their writing process, expand on elements within their work, as well as completing a very short rewriting exercise based on their submitted prose. Proof of the author’s writing process will also be required at this stage, although we understand that not every writer has this available; if not, you may undergo alternative assessments instead.

Our questions are designed to be easy (and even fun) for writers who want to share their authentic creative experience. Those who use A.I. will find it more difficult or produce noticeably formulaic answers

In the Story Star Standard, we already analyse every book submitted to us at a professional standard and flag anything that seems suspicious. For authors applying to a Human Verification Badge alongside a Story Star review, we will use your manuscript as your evidence of human craft.

For those applying only for the Human Verification Badge, you will be asked to submit creative writing of approximately 10,000 words to be reviewed for A.I. content. This will be analysed with a professional eye for A.I. involvement.

We fully acknowledge false positives will happen and we do not want to penalise genuine authors. If you fail our tests, or if we remain unsure, you may be asked to complete additional assessments before we can award you the badge and place on our database.