Short version: Be polite. This blog is widely read. We have people of all genders, ages, and ethnicity and we hope you will help us do our best to make everyone welcome.
Long version:
- Don’t be mean.
- Don’t belittle or shame other readers based on their sexual preferences, politics, religion, or their reading tastes.
- Don’t link to fanfic.
- Don’t link to pirate sites.
- Don’t take it upon yourself to tell us how to write or demand that we censor ourselves on your account.
- Don’t take it upon yourself to correct grammatical errors or typos in the blog posts or others’ comments.
- Don’t bash other authors. “I didn’t like Author A’s book” is okay. “Author A is a hack” is not okay.
Moderation queue
Sometimes people break the rules. If you are one of those people and your comment doesn’t appear on the blog right away, it’s because it’s held in the moderation queue. Once it’s determined that it complies with blog’s guidelines, it will be released into the wild.
Things that usually land you in moderation:
- insulting other readers
- shaming other readers for their views on politics, sex, or religion
- demanding that the authors censor themselves or alter the book to your liking
- continuing an argument after another reader asked you to stop
- linking to a pirate site
- hate speech, such as using racial or ethnic slurs or threatening violence
Please be aware that moderation is temporary and in most cases will be immediately lifted upon receiving an apology to the injured party. It has to be a real apology though. None of that “I’m sorry you feel that way” stuff. 🙂
Moderation doesn’t mean that we are mad at you or we don’t like you. It just means that you said something that wasn’t well-thought out. Everyone does this once in a while, including us. It happens.
Fanfiction Policy
We don’t mind if you write fanfiction, but we don’t want to see it for legal and creative reasons. Please do not post links to it or discuss it on this site.
Mental Health Policy
Unfortunately, we are not equipped or trained to assist with mental issues. To keep this space healthy for everyone, we will remove some references to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and other topics that can contribute to someone’s crisis. It’s not that those things can’t be mentioned, but if someone links to a Twitter post, where someone discusses the benefits of self-harm, that kind of comment will be moderated.
Emergency Medical Services—911
If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by calling 911, available 24 hours a day.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Live Online Chat
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained crisis workers are available to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your confidential and toll-free call goes to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals.
SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline, 1-877-SAMHSA7 (1-877-726-4727)
Get general information on mental health and locate treatment services in your area. Speak to a live person, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
More resources available at Mentalhealth.gov.
