Terms and Conditions

2024 -2025 Celebrate Lit Blogging Program Terms & Conditions

 

Blogging Program Requirements

By submitting your name for a blog tour, you are agreeing to:

  1. Read at least 80 percent of the book unless otherwise noted.
  2.  Complete a kind, well thought out, honest review (not a summary) that is no less than 150 words by noon EST on the day you are assigned during the tour.
  3. Post a review on consumer website of your choice including but not limited to Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Nobles, etc.
  4. Complete the tour submission form in its entirety with correct links prior to 11:59 PM PST on the last day of tour.
  5. Your site can not contain any questionable sexual content or language.

 

Blogging Requirements in line with FTC Requirements

Even though Celebrate Lit is run as a ministry, I wanted to be sure that we are in compliance with FTC requirements. Here is some important information for bloggers to be aware of & follow to maintain good standing in the group:

 

  1. A book is being given in exchange for a fair and honest review. Per FTC guidelines, Celebrate Lit cannot change your review, require a good/bad review nor can we require you to remove a review. This is against the law. If any group/publisher, etc is requiring this of you, you can file a complaint with the FTC.

 

  1. Per FTC guidelines, your standing as a team member will not be affected due to a negative review.

 

  1. Celebrate Lit can and will hold you to the terms and conditions of a blog book tour and team membership.  These terms and conditions include but are not limited to: reading a minimum of 80 percent of the book before completing your reviews (unless otherwise noted), posting your review on your required day and not selling or distributing books you have received through Celebrate Lit, and following the rules of the FB group.

 

  1. Celebrate Lit can and does ask that your review be fair, honest and done with kindness.  Please remember, an author has worked hard on these books and will be reading your reviews. A fair review should be more than just “I liked the book,” or “I didn’t like the book.” It should explain why you liked/disliked a book, with kindness. Although we don’t believe in karma, this is a great article on reviewing: https://centralavenuepub.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/a-publishers-thoughts-on-book-reviews/

 

  1. In the terms and conditions authors agree to, they understand they are giving bloggers a book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 

  1. Due to logistical reasons, Celebrate Lit does not usually preview books we tour.  The authors that contract with us must agree to that there is no foul language, sexual or questionable content in their books.  Questionable content varies from person to person.  It is of up most importance to Celebrate Lit that we never cause someone to stumble or violate their conscience.  If you are ever uncomfortable with content, please contact us to be excused from the tour at celebratelitbloggingteam@gmail.com

 

It is important to us to look out for our bloggers so we want to mention to you that you MUST include that you received the book for free for any book you receive.  If the FTC finds this missing, you can be fined up to $250 for each infraction. Please read more on the FTC rules and regulations here:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

 

Policies

By participating in the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team you understand and agree to the following:

  1. It is imperative for your post to be completed by noon EST on the day assigned. If a tour date is missed, you will be sent an email inquiry to obtain the reason. The blogger will be moved to inactive status and have 3 days to complete the post before being removed from the team. If the post is completed within the 3 days, the team member will be moved to probationary status for three months. If all posts are made on time during the three-month period, the blogger will be moved back to active status
  2. Three tardy posts may result in removal from the team.
  3. There is no plagiarism allowed. You receive the book in exchange for your honest review.
  4. Rude and discouraging behavior will not be tolerated and will result in removal from the team.
  5. Physical books cannot be sold, and ebooks cannot be distributed. Doing either will result in removal from the team.
  6. No foul or rude language should be in any review for the Celebrate Lit team.
  7. Reviews should honor the fact that the author has given their work to you for free. A good review will be at least 150 words and should contain why you liked or disliked the book. It should NOT be a summary of what happened in the book and should contain no spoilers.
  8. It is up to the blogger to keep track of the dates of their tour. Due to the number of bloggers we have, Celebrate Lit is unable to look up if you signed up for a tour. Celebrate Lit tries to send a courtesy reminder the day before your post.
  9. Signing up for a tour does not guarantee your spot on the tour.
  10. The sign-up form must be filled out completely to be counted as signing up for the tour (correct & full physical address, 3 dates chosen, etc).
  11. Spaces for tours can fill up quickly. Those who are actively participating in the group will receive top priority for popular tours. Tours are released first to the Facebook blogging group, then released via email the following business day.
  12. Review submission form should be filled out completely and correctly for each tour participated in. If a form is not completed, you will be unable to participate in any tours until we receive a confirmation that the form has been completed.
  13. Questions regarding a tour or books should not be sent to authors or publishers, or to us through Facebook Messenger but to celebratelitbloggingteam@gmail.com. Contacting Celebrate Lit authors can result in removal from the team – this includes both authors we tour for the publicity side and authors that publish with us. Exceptions: You are personal friends with the author and/or you are on the author’s street team.
  14. If you see grammatical/editing error in a book, we encourage you to make a list of them and send them to celebratelitbloggingteam@gmail.com for us to forward to the author. Please remember that books bloggers receive are ARC copies unless otherwise noted and may contain grammatical errors.
  15. Unless otherwise specified, all information shared within the Celebrate Lit blogging team is confidential. For example, prayer requests, unless otherwise stated, are confidential and are not to be shared outside the team.
  16. Spamming other members of the team or contacting members of the team to promote your outside business is not allowed.
  17. These polices, terms and conditions, and FTC regulations can change. If they do so, I will send an email letting the team know. It is up to each blogger to know the terms & conditions of the team. All terms and conditions are clearly stated in this document; therefore, any violations of the terms and conditions will not be tolerated. It is important that you familiarize yourself with these terms and conditions.
  18. The Facebook blogging group name “Celebrate Lit Bloggers” is for all things Celebrate Lit. Posts of your reviews for Celebrate Lit are encouraged so all bloggers can support each other. Prayer requests, praises, encouraging posts, etc., are encouraged. To keep the feed easy to read, we do not allow reviews and/or information regarding outside books/tours in this group.
  19. Because our spaces are limited, this group is open to active participants only. Bloggers/reviewers who are not participating in tours for an extended period of time may be removed. If you are in a position where you need to take a leave of absence, please let us know and we will keep you on the active team.
  20. All correspondence for the Celebrate Lit team should be done through email. Because of FTC requirements that we keep our correspondence available for audit, messages sent through Facebook messenger regarding Celebrate Lit will not be answered. Facebook does change and does have glitches. Therefore, if you post a question in the Facebook blogging group, we may not see it. The best way to get a response is to send us an email at celebratelitbloggingteam@gmail.com.
  21. If you move, please let us know right away. Books may have already been sent or may already be in the que to be sent. If this is the case, we cannot update the address. An ebook will be offered instead and you will still be responsible for your review.
  22. Paperback books from large publishers can arrive as late as one week prior to the tour. Although we strive to have books to you at least a month in advance, Celebrate Lit is not responsible for sending out books. Please keep this in mind when signing up for tours.
  23. Non-compete clause. During the next year and for a period of 3 years after the blogger/reviewer is no longer part of the Celebrate Lit Team, the blogger/reviewer will not, directly or indirectly, either as proprietor, stockholder, partner, officer, employee or otherwise, distribute, sell, offer to sell, or solicit any orders for the purchase or distribution of any products or services which are similar to those distributed, sold or provided by the Company. If blogger/reviewer violates any covenant contained in this Agreement, the Company shall have the right to equitable relief by injunction or otherwise, in addition to all other rights and remedies afforded by law.
  24. By participating in tours, you confirm your agreement to these terms and conditions.

 

Inactive Status

If a member is moved to inactive status, they will be sent an email explaining why they were moved and how they can be moved back to active status. Once moved back to active status, members will be on probation for a 3-month period. During this time, they may only request 2 books a month and must meet all guidelines, terms & conditions, requirements, and policies of the group. Once the probationary period is complete, bloggers will be moved to permanent active status,