Community Guidelines

BookNest is a home for readers. These guidelines help keep discussions thoughtful, welcoming, and safe so everyone can discover and share a love of books.

Core Principles

  • Be respectful — assume good faith and disagree constructively.
  • Stay on topic — keep reviews and discussions about the books and themes.
  • Make BookNest better — report issues and help maintain a welcoming space.

Reviews, Ratings, and Spoilers

Share honest, good‑faith opinions. Focus on your reading experience, themes, and craft. Personal attacks on authors or other readers are not allowed.

  • Mark spoilers clearly and use spoiler‑safe UI when available.
  • No review brigading or vote manipulation.
  • No plagiarized content; write your own reviews and summaries.

Clubs and Discussions

Clubs thrive on trust and curiosity. Help facilitators keep conversations inclusive and on schedule.

  • Welcome newcomers; avoid gatekeeping and elitism.
  • Use content warnings where appropriate; don’t shock for attention.
  • Respect event times, reading milestones, and moderator directions.

Content and Safety Rules

  • No harassment, hate speech, or threats, including indirect or coded forms.
  • No sexually explicit content involving minors; no sexualization of minors.
  • No spam, scams, or undisclosed promotions. Affiliate links must be disclosed.
  • No piracy: do not request, share, or link to illegal copies of books.
  • Respect privacy; do not share private information without consent.

Reporting and Moderation

If you see something that violates these guidelines, use the Report option on reviews, comments, or profiles. Our moderation team reviews reports, may remove content, limit features, or issue account actions.

  • Misuse of reporting (e.g., mass‑reporting to silence others) is not allowed.
  • We prioritize safety and repeat‑offense patterns when making decisions.

Bans and Appeals

Accounts may be temporarily or permanently restricted for serious or repeated violations. If you believe an action was made in error or you have remediated the issue, you may submit an appeal.

To appeal, visit /appeal. Provide context and any relevant evidence. Frivolous or abusive appeals may be ignored.

Enforcement Scope

These rules apply to all public content on BookNest and, where relevant, private club spaces. Off‑platform activity may be considered if it poses a credible safety risk to our users.

Updates

We may update these guidelines as BookNest evolves. Substantive changes will be noted here. Continued use of BookNest indicates acceptance of the latest version.

Questions? Contact support or consult our policy documents. You can also learn more about appeals on theAppeal page.