AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines

Online Chat & Message Board Services Guidelines Agreement

MidTown Publishing Inc., a New York Corporation, (“MidTown Publishing”) welcomes you to AuthorlogChat™, a community for writers that has platforms for online chat (“Online Chat”) and a message board with numerous forums (“Message Board”) collectively (“Online Chat & Message Board Services”). This AuthorlogChat™ Online Chat & Message Board Services Guidelines Agreement (“Agreement”) between MidTown Publishing and you (“You” or “Member”) contains all of the provisions (“AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines”) that govern Member’s use of the Online Chat & Message Board Services platform.  Moreover, by agreeing to these AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines, You agree to MidTown Publishing’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy that are incorporated herein and made a part hereof for all purposes. The AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines may be modified from  time-to-time, or terminated at MidTown Publishing’s sole discretion.

By clicking the “Yes” button below, You agree to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement.  In addition, by posting your manuscript or chapters of your manuscript on AuthorlogChat™, You authorize MidTown Publishing to display your work to others on the AuthorlogChat™ Message Boards. You retain copyright and full ownership of your work.

AuthorlogChat™ is intended for users 18 years of age and older. By posting work or engaging in activities on AuthorlogChat™, You affirm that You are of the appropriate age. In the event MidTown Publishing determines that You don’t meet the minimum age requirements, Your membership will be revoked, and you will be banned from further participation in AuthorlogChat

AuthorlogChat™ is designed to benefit and support MidTown Publishing writers.  We encourage our Members to participate in our Online Chat and Message Board activities with a mindset of creativity, collaboration, and encouragement. You manifest the goals of AuthorlogChat™ in the manner in which You interact with others. Although we recognize your right to disagree with another AuthorlogChat™ Member in the comments or forum threads, MidTown Publishing standards require respectful and polite discourse. No personal attacks, comments designed to provoke hatred or to incite violence will not be tolerated.

Should You observe any comments that You believe violate the letter or spirit of these principles, you are encouraged to flag such comments by using “Report Abuse” buttons that are strategically placed within AuthorlogChat™.

Copyright & Copyright Infringement

You affirm that the work that You post on AuthorlogChat™ is Yours, and You own the copyright to such work.  You further represent that Your work does not plagiarize or pirate any other work or infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary right.

Writing Peer Reviews

You agree to the following AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines when writing a peer review:

  • Critique the writing not the writer.
  • Constructive reviews further the purposes of AuthorlogChat™.
  • Use specific comments on an author’s work, not generalities.
  • Respond to those areas of the author’s work sought for peer review.
  • If You believe areas of author’s work needed review, but were not sought by the author, You can put comments to that effect in the general feedback portions of your review
  • Observe the Golden Rule when giving your peer review.
Using the Discussion Forums

AuthorlogChat™ Online Forums have suggested topics for chat.  Members are encouraged to use these topics to ask specific writing and publishing questions and to jump start conversations. Here are some additional guidelines:

  • If You start a thread, attempt to ask a specific question within the thread title.
  • Use Your best efforts to stay on topic.
  • Avoid self-promotion.  This topic is restricted to the “Tell Us About Yourself” and the “Member News and Announcements” discussion areas in AuthorlogChat™
  •  No personal agenda diatribes are allowed in a thread.
  • Offensive posts that, in the sole judgment of MidTown Publishing, are posted with the intent to offend or belittle another Member, may be removed from  AuthorlogChat™ at anytime at the sole and exclusive discretion of MidTown Publishing.

MidTown Publishing will consider adding a topic or category for our AuthorlogChat™ Online Discussion Forums.  Got suggestions?  Click on the Topics Page.

Content Guidelines

When You post comments in AuthorlogChat™ including, but not limited to, Your author profile, author reviews, book details, and discussion threads (collectively “Post” or “Posts”), You agree to adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Your Post does not plagiarize or pirate any other work or infringe upon any copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
  • Your Post does not contain multiple hyperlinks to advertisements or affiliate marketing pages.
  • Your Post does not contain any advertisements of content that is primarily intended to advertise, promote products or services, or solicit funds.
  • Your Post does not contain content that incites someone to violence or to commit a criminal act.
  • Your Post does not violate any right of privacy, is not defamatory or libelous, and does not infringe upon the rights of any Member, person or entity.
  • Your Post does not contain language that is abusive, harassing, threatening, obscene, or pornographic.
  • Your Post does not violate state and federal laws or advocate illegal activities.
  • Your Post does not advocate hateful, discriminatory or racist views or actions toward others.
  • Your Post does not solicit personal information from another Member.
  • Your Post does not contain viruses or malware.
  • Your Post does not attempt to impersonate anyone.
  • Your Post is not a public domain work (unless You are the true author) and is not sourced or copied, either in part or in entirety, from commercial services, articles, or information sources which have been licensed to others.

Should you believe any Posts violate the foregoing AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines, You may flag the Post with MidTown Publishing’s “Report Abuse” button.

The membership of an AuthorlogChat™ Member who violates any of the foregoing AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines is subject to revocation at the sole discretion of MidTown Publishing.

Privacy

As a Member of AuthorlogChat™, You are required to use your best efforts to protect Your privacy as well as the privacy of other AuthorlogChat™ Members. This privacy requirement means You are prohibited from posting anyone’s personal information (“Personal Information”) on AuthorlogChat™. Personal Information includes, but is not limited to, phone numbers,  street or mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, e-mails, texts, or anything other Personal Information that You are not authorized to share. Moreover, You are prohibited from distribution of any Member’s Posts in other online venues without that Member’s permission.

AuthorlogChat™ Members who violate the AuthorlogChat™ Guidelines or MidTown Publishing’s Privacy Policy risk revocation of their membership in AuthorlogChat™. For more information about our Privacy Policy, click here.

Member Safety

MidTown Publishing believes Your safety as an AuthorlogChat™ Member is very important. If You have reason to believe that another AuthorlogChat™ Member is exhibiting predatory behavior (including, but not limited to, stalking, threats, harassment or intimidation) toward You or another AuthorlogChat™ Member, please contact us immediately. MidTown Publishing strongly recommends that you take no action to confront the Member or Members on your own.

Our  AuthorlogChat™ Mission Statement

AuthorlogChat™ was created to enhance the skills of our authors, to offer opportunities for Members to communicate with each other, to advance the cause of good writing, and to assist fellow AuthorlogChat™ Members in perfecting their craft.  We hope you will become involved in all facets of AuthorlogChat™.   Share your writing, review the work of fellow Members, (recommend it to others, if you’re impressed), open up a thread, give thread comments, take part in chat rooms.  We hope you enjoy the AuthorlogChat™ experience.