From the use of artificial intelligence to endorsing products,
find all of Jami's miscellaneous policies on this page:
- Do you run guest posts? What expectations do you have?
- Do you use artificial intelligence tools? What AI rules do you have for guest posts?
- Will you endorse xyz product? What does a recommendation from you mean?
- Can I reblog one of your posts? Can I quote one of your posts for off-line use?
- Can I share your free tools with others? Can I use them in a class?
- Do you use affiliate links or testimonials? Where's your FTC Disclosures?
Privacy Policy
Privacy policies are their own kind of beast, so find my privacy policy here.
Guest Posts
I do run guest posts on my blog. However, I do not accept guest post requests (with very few exceptions). Most "I'd like to guest post on your blog" requests are from spammers who don't know me, don't know my blog, and don't know my readers. These requests are ignored and deleted.
If I know someone and if they offer a post with content I think would benefit my readers (no promo-only posts), I'm happy to consider a request. I'm very picky about who I let guest blog for the reasons I outlined in this post. I maintain the right to edit or refuse all submitted guest posts.
I expect all guest posts to consist of new content that has not already been shared elsewhere (unless cleared in advance) and to follow my A.I. Policy outlined below, as I do not allow AI-generated content. Also, I expect guest posters to wait a minimum of three months before reposting their portion of the guest blog content on their blog (or elsewhere) and, if possible, to include a link back to my blog with the notification of where the material had previously appeared.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
(This A.I. Policy also Applies to Guest Posts)
The legality, ethical implications, and morality of artificial intelligence (A.I. or AI)—such as ChatGPT and other tools—and its use in creative endeavors will be debated for years to come. In the meantime, I've developed this policy for the use of AI, AI tools/resources, and AI-generated content on my site, both for myself and for my guest posters.
In general, I allow applications that focus on AI-assistance technology, but not AI-content-generation applications that remove us from the actual writing process (or take advantage of copying/plagiarizing other creatives and their stolen content). We are writers because we write, investing our words with our unique perspectives and qualities, and our work should be a product of us.
Everyone (but especially us as creatives) should respect the work that goes into creating content and not participate in the exploitation/plagiarizing of others' creative work for AI content generation.
AI doesn't actually "create" content, as it literally doesn't have a "creative bone in its body." Rather AI has been trained on hundreds of thousands of stolen books, fanfic stories, blog posts, images, and academic articles (including much of my work) without consent, credit, or compensation for the original creators.
Essentially, all AI-generated content has been copied/plagiarized and cobbled together from original sources with minor modifications. Every "idea" or "insight" AI offers must have already existed in its training data, as it's not possible at its current technology level to come up with anything new. It can only mimic what it's seen before, so therefore, everything it generates is an imitation of a creative's stolen work.
With this in mind, the specifics of my AI Policy are as follows:
Allowed:
AI may be used to help decrease our work at the non-writing stages of the writing process, including: brainstorming, limited outlining/developing of ideas, editing feedback (such as suggestions for rewording a sentence or difficult passage), proofreading, etc. None of these stages in the writing process remove us from the actual creative act of writing.
However, even at these stages, all AI-provided suggestions must be reworked and/or rewritten in our voice and style, other than for very limited exceptions that have no other options. Although AI may be used to help our efficiency, in general, we should treat AI-provided content like material that can't be quoted, only paraphrased or reworded, as it exploits stolen content even for these uses. Rare exceptions may be made for quotes specified as being sourced from AI or for single phrases that grammatically can't be reworded another way, etc.Allowed with Caution:
AI may be used with caution in regards to research, as all information learned through AI should be verified by reading actual sources. Also keep in mind the different purposes of various AI tools: chatbots (the most common, but not reliable for serious research or sources), research-specific tools, editing and rewording tools, etc.
The current technology level of AI chatbot platforms is essentially advanced "auto-complete"—anticipating what we want. As part of that "giving us what we want" behavior, AI chatbots have been known to make up information and even sources. We must verify all AI-provided research information by reading actual accurate sources to ensure the information exists and is valid/correct.Not Allowed:
No AI-generated content is allowed on my site, as all AI-generated content exploits creatives and their original content to produce "knock-off" AI content. This restriction includes a prohibition against AI-generated images, as well as using AI-provided content at the actual writing stages.
Still not sure? Here are a few examples illustrating the difference between Allowed and Not Allowed uses of AI-Provided Content:
- Not Allowed: Using an AI tool to create content during the writing stage.
- Not Allowed: Using an AI tool to create images for this site.
- Allowed: Using an AI tool for suggestions at non-writing stages (e.g., brainstorming or proofreading), as long as any AI-provided content has been reworked/rewritten to make the idea unique to our voice, style, and perspective.
- Allowed: Using AI-provided suggestions during the writing stage to trigger our own unique ideas, which would naturally be different enough from the AI-provided content to reflect our own thoughts, insights, voice, and style. (That is, it's allowed to use an AI tool during the writing stage if no content is used, and the tool's suggestions are simply triggering our own thoughts.)
In addition to exploiting other creatives for their stolen work, AI-generated content is potentially uncopyrightable, often wordier than necessary, harmful for our SEO, etc. Therefore, my policy is simple: No AI-generated content may be used in material for this site. Any content or information must be our own or legally used from a legitimate non-AI source.
Guest posters (or potential guest posters) with questions about whether a specific AI tool, application, or use are allowed on this site should contact me directly.
Endorsements
With very few exceptions, I don't endorse publishing products (software, etc.) or services (publishers, editors, etc.) because we all need to do our own due diligence to find the publishing partners right for our goals.
When I do make recommendations based on my own experience, I try to include some of the pros and cons for when or why a product may or may not work for others. Any recommendation should be considered just a starting point for our own research.
Reblogging, Quotes, and Linking
You may quote or reblog up to three paragraphs from one of my blog posts—only if you give credit and a link back to my full post. Anything more than three paragraphs requires written permission.
Under no circumstances do I permit anyone to reblog (copy or repost) a full post (even with credit and a link). I will consider requests for offline use (such as workshops and newsletters) if a link and full credit is included, but my written permission is required prior to such use. Otherwise, I consider any use of a whole post as plagiarism and copyright infringement, and I do actively search out and use tools to find violations.
Sharing of Free Tools
For my free tools (including the worksheets, beat sheets, checklists, etc. from the Worksheets for Writers page), fair use is considered sharing information about how you use the tools or explaining how others might want to use it—as long as you give credit and a link back to the relevant page on my site.
Under no circumstances do I permit anyone to upload the actual tools themselves to other sites, and I discourage direct sharing of the tools themselves, even to individuals. (Far too many supposedly "helpful" shares have broken the tool, such as deleting the auto-math functionality of the worksheets, or the shared version never gets updated, etc.) Instead, all sharing should refer others to this site, where they may access all the free tools here, with the proper functionality.
Any use beyond fair use (including uploading to other sites or site/screen scraping) is considered plagiarism and copyright infringement, and I do actively search out and use tools to find violations.
I will consider requests for offline sharing of my free tools (such as for use in a class you've created about beat sheets) if a link and full credit is included, but my written permission is required prior to such use.
However, many of my tools work properly only in digital environments rather than printouts (where auto-math won't work, etc.), so requests regarding these tools won't be approved unless you explain your workaround. For example, perhaps you're using the tool only for display purposes and including my link for others to grab the tool for themselves.
For your convenience, most tools have hidden short URLs for easier reference in handouts and use by those needing to directly type the link, so when requesting permission, just ask about the tool you're interested in or use the short link to the Worksheets for Writers page: jamigold.com/worksheets.
FTC Disclosures: Affiliate Links & Endorsements/Testimonials
Use of Affiliate Links
As required by law to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” I disclose that I occasionally use affiliate links.
In addition to following that law, I believe that being transparent with you is the right thing to do. So this disclosure section also lets you know how I benefit from your use of my site.
If you’re using this website, then you should know:
I get "direct benefit" from every post and page on this website. Whether monetary gain or simply the joy of helping others, I acknowledge that I benefit from this site.
In addition:
- If you click on an affiliate link from this website, such as a link to Amazon, and purchase a product, I'll receive a referral commission at no-additional cost to you.
- I occasionally write about other products and websites, which leads to additional PR and exposure for those projects.
However — and most importantly — the words on this website are not influenced by any sort of compensation. As mentioned in the Endorsement section above, I only recommend products or services that I use personally and/or that I believe giving you knowledge about will be valuable to you in doing your research into various options and developing your own unique writing processes and career.
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials from Others
In accordance with the FTC guidelines concerning use of Endorsements and Testimonials in advertising, please be aware of the the following:
Testimonials appearing on this site are the result of text, audio, or video declarations made directly to this site, in this site's comments, on retailer sites, or on social media. They are individual experiences, reflecting real life experiences of those who have used our products and/or services. However, individual experiences and results vary, and I do not claim that the posted testimonials reflect typical results that others can achieve, as they may not necessarily be representative of all those who use our products and/or services.
The testimonials are displayed verbatim, except for correction of grammatical or typing errors, and may have been shortened to highlight relevant portions while maintaining the overall message and perspective of the user's declaration. I am not responsible for my users' opinions, and I may not share the opinions, views, or commentary of user declarations, as they are strictly the opinion of the user. I provide testimonials simply as a means for customers to share their experiences with one another. To prevent abuse, all testimonials are reviewed by administrators before being displayed, and I never pay for testimonials, as I want all information to be honest and true.
If you still have questions or wish to make a request, please use my Contact Form. Thank you!