Talescape Originals

Talescape Originals are officially commissioned stories produced in collaboration with selected authors and published under the Talescape Originals account. They serve as flagship releases that demonstrate Talescape’s creative and technical potential.

This page explains how Talescape Originals are selected, produced, and distributed.

Who Can Apply

Talescape Originals is designed for cohesive writer–illustrators or established writer–artist teams. We do not commission standalone illustrators or outsource visual production. Applications are accepted globally and evaluated in English.

Funding Disclaimer

The Talescape Originals program depends on external public funding. While applications and shortlisting are open now, no commissions or payments can be guaranteed until the funding for 2026 is officially approved.

Shortlisted applicants will be notified only after funding is secured, and contracts will be issued at that stage.

You are welcome to apply and prepare your pitch in advance. Early submissions help us plan the slate and demonstrate interest to the funding institutions.

Selection & Shortlisting

The application process has two stages:

1. Shortlist Stage
   • From all submissions, Talescape selects a small pool of promising candidates based on strength of writing, clarity of vision, and consistency of visual identity.
   • Being shortlisted does not guarantee commissioning.
2. Funding-Approval Stage
   • Only after public funding is officially approved are shortlisted creators contacted.
   • At that point they may be invited to submit a full, formal pitch.
   • Contracts and milestone planning begin only once funding is confirmed.

Shortlist Stage Application

To be considered for the shortlist, please include:

• A short introduction
• Writing samples (comics, children’s stories, narrative excerpts are all fine)
• Illustration portfolio
• The types of themes you enjoy creating
• (Optional) Your usual fee range for orientation
  (Final budgets for Talescape Originals are set within the €5k–€15k program range.)

Important: Writing samples and illustration portfolios must be publicly verifiable (website, portfolio platform, or social account). Unverifiable work or anonymous file drops cannot be considered for the shortlist.

Funding-Approval Stage Pitch

A complete application includes:

• Story Pitch (1–2 pages)
  Your premise, themes, tone, and narrative structure.
• Writing Sample
  Ideally from an existing narrative, interactive, or comic project.
• Estimated Scope
  Projected word count, any branching structure, and your desired visual style.
• Short Bio
  Relevant experience, past works, and your creative background.
  Optional: moodboards, rough sketches, or script fragments.
• Estimated Quote (Required)
  A non-binding estimate of your requested commission fee in EUR.
  Quotes help us evaluate feasibility during the 2026 funding round.
  Final budgets will be negotiated only after selection and only once funding is secured.

Budget Framework (2026 Slate)

Talescape is an independent studio operating with limited public funding.
For 2026, the Talescape Originals programme is expected to operate within a total funding pool of roughly €20,000 – €50,000, divided across multiple projects.

Individual commissions are typically expected to fall between:

• €5,000 – €15,000
  (depending on length, complexity, and artistic scope)

Smaller or exceptionally strong proposals outside this range may be considered, but projects cannot exceed the total annual funding capacity.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Applicants should not pause other work while waiting. If a shortlisted creator is busy with another project when funding is approved, Talescape will simply postpone or skip the slot without pressure.

Talescape Originals should focus on timeless, broadly relatable themes that can resonate across cultures and years. Stories can be emotional, introspective, hopeful, tragic, or mysterious, but they should avoid content that ages poorly or creates unnecessary division.

Recommended:

• Human emotions, memory, connection, loss, wonder, exploration, identity.
• Morally challenging but empathetic narratives.
• Symbolic or philosophical subjects that invite reflection.

Discouraged:

• Current political or religious conflicts.
• Partisan messages or inflammatory real-world commentary.
• Purely shock-oriented or exploitative content.

Talescape Originals should endure. Write the kind of story people will still talk about ten years from now.

Submissions are evaluated on:

• Narrative strength and clarity of voice.
• Emotional depth and thematic coherence.
• Feasibility within available budget and timeline.
• Alignment with Talescape’s tone and audience.

• Promising authors will be contacted for a short discussion.
• Selected applicants receive an invite code in Q1 2026 to access the Talescape Editor and learn its workflow.
• Commissioning and production begin once Talescape’s funding is approved.
• Authors will be added as collaborators to a project hosted inside the official Talescape Originals account.

The production of each Original is divided into four stages:

Talescape provides creative and technical feedback at each stage to ensure consistency and accessibility.

Standard Model (Commission)

Talescape Originals are produced as fixed-fee commissions. Authors are paid for their creative work, not through ongoing revenue sharing.

Payment schedule:

• 25 % on contract signing (Concept Approval)
• 25 % after Vertical Slice delivery
• 25 % after Content Lock
• 25 % on final delivery and acceptance

Payments are made via invoice within 14 days of milestone approval. All payments are handled by Aureola / Talescape Originals, outside the regular Bard revenue system.

• All Talescape Originals are published from the Talescape Originals Bard account.
• The commissioned author is invited as a collaborator with full editing access.
• The author retains full IP rights.
• Talescape receives a non-exclusive license for global distribution, marketing, and archival.
• After an agreed exclusivity period (usually 12 months), the author may distribute elsewhere while maintaining the Talescape Original credit.

Credit Format

Published by Talescape Originals
Written by [Author Name]

• Only human-created stories are eligible (no AI-generated text, art, or audio).
• All stories undergo automated checks and manual review before release.
• Talescape provides editorial feedback to maintain consistency with its creative vision.

All Talescape Originals are preserved permanently within the platform archive. Even if the author’s account is removed or the project ends, Originals remain playable for future generations of Dreamers.

Questions, pitches, or partnership inquiries:

• 📩 contact@talescape.com
• 💬 or message Christian (Aureola) directly via Discord