Last Updated: 27th Janurary  2026
 
🧠 How & Why We Use AI
At Dark Holme, we use artificial intelligence as a strategic tool to fulfill our mission while honoring our principles. Our use falls into two clear categories:

1. For Our Operations & Outreach
AI assists our small team with efficiency in non-creative tasks, allowing us to focus our resources on our core work. This includes:

• Drafting and optimizing marketing copy.

• Brainstorming content ideas for social media.

• Refining newsletter outlines and campaign headlines.

• Supporting SEO strategy for web content.

• Occasionally sourcing imagery for promotional materials (though we always prioritize ethically sourced visuals from trusted platforms).
   

2. For Our Microstory Magazines: A Bridge to the Future
For our publications like Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond and ShadowBound, we use AI-generated imagery to create unique, story-specific illustrations.

• The Why: As a small independent publisher, this allows us to bring every human-written tale to life with a custom visual that matches its tone and essence—a level of bespoke artistry that is not currently feasible for us through other means.

• The How: Every image is prompted, selected, and curated by our human editorial team. AI is the tool, but the creative vision and final choice are ours.

• The Future: Our goal is to grow to a point where we can regularly commission and showcase artists from our community. Supporting our magazine today directly helps us build towards that future of collaborative human artistry.

❌ What We Do Not Use or Accept
AI ForAI is never used to write or create the core creative content we publish. This means we do not use AI to write stories, design book covers for our authors, or create interior artwork for novels. (Note: For Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond and ShadowBound Magazines, AI may be used as a tool to generate supporting illustrations for human-written fiction, under strict human curation.)
 
In addition, we have a strict policy on submissions:
 We do not accept any AI-generated content for consideration.
This includes:

• AI-written fiction, poetry, or nonfiction

• AI-generated artwork or book covers
   

All submissions to Dark Holme must be the original, human-created work of the author or artist. Work created with the assistance of generative AI tools will be disqualified.

🔐 Client Work, Data & Privacy
We do not feed client manuscripts, notes, or private communications into any AI system.
All editorial and publishing services are conducted manually by experienced human editors. Your creative work is handled with discretion, confidentiality, and professional integrity.

💡 Our Philosophy
Dark Holme is built on a foundation of trust, creativity, and personal expression. We believe that:

• Great stories come from real human experiences

• Art should reflect the intention, skill, and soul of its creator

• Ethical publishing requires transparency and clear boundaries

While AI may offer speed, it cannot replicate the nuance, emotion, and vision that define true storytelling. We remain committed to honoring and protecting that difference.

Dark Holme will continue to monitor the evolving landscape of creative technology. However, our commitment is clear:
 
We are a house built by humans, for humans—dedicated to real voices, crafted words, and meaningful art.
If you have any questions about this policy or wish to clarify a submission, please don’t hesitate to contact us.