Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Reading Schedule
Nominations
Challenges
Folder Rundown
Authors/Bloggers, Researchers, and Other Professionals
Group Harassment Policy
Group Dictionary
Original Rules

**Reading Schedule**

A quick rundown:

1. 2 new books a month (one of each genre).
2.Spoiler free discussion threads posted on the 1st of the month
3. Spoiler threads posted on the 1st of the month
4. Re-reads posted on the 15th of the month

The details:

We read one fantasy book and one science fiction book that are not already on our bookshelf a month. Each month we alternate between a theme with books nominated by our members, and a curated "random" selection from the mods. Ex. If we read a Time Travel Science Fiction book this month, there will be a curated selection for the fantasy novels, and next month there will be a member populated fantasy theme and a curated science fiction selection.

For book club reads only, we have 2 threads. Due to the limitations of the use of spoiler tags on the app, we have one thread that is for surface level thoughts only and one for spoilers. Think of the spoiler free thread as a sort of hot/cold read. Things like "As of 30% I'm really enjoying it," or "I'm really enjoying the author's writing" or "this is not at all what I expected" is fine. "That scene in chapter three was scary!" or "Aw, John Smith is really just too nice" are probably now veering into spoiler thread territory. You can say whatever you want in the spoiler thread as long as it's on topic.

Unsure what a spoiler is? Click the spoiler. (view spoiler)[Spoilers are any specifics about the book that cannot be ascertained from the first page of the book or the cover. This includes what the book ISN'T or where it deviates from expectations if those expectations are substantive. (hide spoiler)]

Appropriate for comments are whether or not you're enjoying it, what aspects (characters/plot/writing) that you like and other notes about how you're experiencing the book, rather than what other readers might expect to find.

Also on the 15th of the month, we change our re-reads. These are books that we have read previously that some subset of the group has expressed an interest in reading again, either as a book they missed the first time, or to enjoy re-reading a favorite.

All reads are optional! We only send one email a month and it will contain our upcoming reads as well as a reminder to go vote in the polls and any other information of note.

**Nominations**

Every month, one of our reads is member generated. This means that anyone can nominate a book, and second one other book. Nominations are done a month and a half prior to the month we intend to read the book.

Nominations must be for books:

-Within the appropriate genre and theme
-At least 160 pages long through the majority of editions
-That are not graphic novels, anthologies/collections, or children's books
-That are not your own book
-By an author we have not read in the past two years*
-That are the first in their series unless they are stand-alone or the theme specifically allows sequels

Note: Only one book per author can make it to each monthly poll. The book with the higher number of votes will stay on the poll, and the other will be removed.

The themes are often also pulled from readers. You can volunteer new themes here

*Shelf is sortable.

**Voting**

Voting begins the month prior to the month we intend to read the book. The polls are filled with either the five assorted books curated by the mods or the five books with the most seconds from the nominations, depending upon the month and genre. Except for the very rare occurrence of a mod-selected read, all members receive one vote per poll, and the book with the most votes wins.

Four times a year we vote on the re-reads for the next three months. A mod will share a link to a Google Poll listing all eligible books. Vote for as many as you'd like.

**Challenges**

We have a variety of year-long challenges to encourage people to set fun goals and find community to support them in their pursuit. Generally we have in the neighborhood of four challenges.

-Read All the Books: Every year, there is a standing challenge to try to read all of the books off of the group bookshelf. Everyone may select how many they will attempt to read. Books presently on the shelf and added throughout the year all qualify.

-TBR Challenge. Almost every year, there is some form of a challenge to help us cull our "To Be Read" Shelves. You can sign up to read a certain number of books, or simply cross things off as you get to them.

-Other challenges and events. Generally, each mod selects another challenge or event they would like to explore with the group. Past events have included: Book Monopoly, Inclusive Book Bingo, and an Owned Book Challenge. These can all be found in their most current iteration in the SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge folder.

**Folder Rundown**

Group Business: This is a series of threads started by the mods containing information the group should have.

SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge: This contains all of the challenges and threads in support of the challenges.

Discussion Folders (no link as it changes monthly): Each group read will get a discussion folder with a first impressions spoiler free thread and a full spoilers thread. THESE ARE THE ONLY BOOKS THAT GET TWO THREADS! All other books must be condensed to one thread. Please mark spoilers in tags or on the discussion topic so that people are able to avoid spoilers if they so choose.

What Else Are You Reading?: Here you'll find a rundown of what everyone is presently reading, other questions about books people are reading, and buddy reads. Anyone can start threads here.

Monthly Bookshelf Rereads: This folder revives old discussion threads for our monthly rereads.

Member's Chat: This folder is for any chitchat members have that doesn't really belong elsewhere. Book stats, pictures of our pets while we read, hopes for future years, this is the folder for all of that. Start a conversation!

News: Book sales (for books not your own), cool stuff in science, Award ceremonies... this is the folder you'll find information on happenings in books and things related to books. Anyone can start a thread.

Recommendations and Lost Books: Looking for something new to try? Post here! Can't remember the name of a book you're looking for? Ask! Please ask with as much specificity as possible. Recommendations work best when everyone can see your shelves or you post authors/books you definitely do like and maybe some you don't. Every possible detail you recall can spark a memory in someone else for those hunting for forgotten books. Anyone can start a thread.

TV and Movie Chat: Just like it says on the tin. Talk visual media! Anyone can start a thread.

All About Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ: This folder contains news and questions about the website, rather than group activities. Anyone can start a thread!

GoodReads Author's Discussion: This is the ONLY THREAD authors are allowed to talk about their own books, or the process of writing (unless it's a club-sponsored Q&A). Tell us about new publications, sales, ask for feedback on covers or blurbs, or discuss the craft with your fellow authors. If you want to ask authors about writing, do it here. It's not allowed elsewhere.

NOTE: Please do not link or share pirated or illegal e-book sites.

**Authors/Bloggers, Researchers, and Other Professionals**

This is primarily a group for readers. All discussion of the craft of writing, blogging/vlogging or authoring (as opposed to admiring another author's writing) must be confined to the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Author folder. This includes answering questions or addressing topics "as a writer" vs. as a reader. We love that many of our members are also authors and content creators. We enjoy hearing about active members' new works, and offering new reads to our members. However, we police this very strictly to prevent book-whacking, spam, and scams.

If your Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ username or photo is promotional, in that it is clearly advertising your work via a company name or a job title, (ex. The ABC Publishers or John Smith, Author) your posts must be confined to the welcome thread and the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' Authors Folder. Even on-topic posts elsewhere will be deleted and you will risk expulsion from the group.

Authors

All sales, promotions and new book announcements by authors in the group must be posted in the Member-Author Sales and Promotions thread.

1. Authors must contain all discussion of their book or their writing process to the GoodReads Author's Discussion folder.
2. Authors should not request reviews or feedback on their books.
3. Any request for personal information such as email addresses will be deleted, even if it's to send a book. Sorry, nothing against you, it's just that there are too many phishing schemes out there and we don't want to be the vehicle by which someone's information gets stolen.
4. Please tell us about the book. Please include a link to the GR or bookseller page, and a description. Anything that is just a link will be deleted.
5. Posts for giveaways or sales outside of the appropriate thread will be deleted.
6. Please do not bump or delete and repost your promotional post. Authors are allowed one promotional post a week. Abusive practices that annoy our readers will cause the author to be banned.
8. We view all requests for readers, bloggers, and reviewers with suspicion. Anyone else drumming up viewership, readership, or other work-related help must adhere to the spirit of these rules.
9. Moderator discretion always applies. Please contact one of us directly if you have questions about what is or is not acceptable.

Words of advice--take them for what they're worth!

-We are an extremely friendly, active group. We make friends and like supporting our friends. People are more interested in promotions by people they already know and like than strangers just looking to sell things. Our members do notice when people are trying to subtly call attention to themselves. This includes using phrases "As an author," "In my writing," and any other indicators that you're not here to discuss what you've read--people will see your profile if they're interested!

-This is not a terribly good group to sell to. Threads in the Author Folder tend to get less than 1/5th the views of all other threads--generally fewer than 20 views despite the size of our membership. Other groups around the website are much more conducive to finding an audience.

-It's a passionate group. If you ask for feedback, you'll get it and it will be honest. We do not tolerate personal attacks on anyone, and will step in if it heads in that direction. However, we suggest you be prepared for blunt answers, and do not engage in defensive responses yourself.

-It is painfully obvious to us which accounts are spoofs used to hide the identity of an author looking to promote their own works, and it just annoys the moderators who have to confirm suspicions before blocking people. Please, don't do this.

-There is a huge uptick of new authors joining our group for obvious promotional purposes around the first of the year and just after NaNoWriMo. Please consider this when devising your marketing plan.

We would like good reasons to be excited about new authors. Please help us find them!

Researchers

We are passionate about furthering the cause of science. We are less interested in providing free insight for commercial gain. Due to the number of surveys and monitoring requests we get, we now require the following:

-Communication with the moderators explaining the purpose of the study, and what, if any, PII will be compiled.

-A statement from the study monitor or the EC/IRB approving this study for ethical completion by willing participants.

-A link to the EC/IRB overseeing the study.

If this is simply an assignment for class and is not actually subject to ethical review, we do not allow ANY collection of PII (such as email addresses, name, or other contact info) to be requested from a link posted on our site. You may word your survey so that nothing sensitive is being requested, or submit the study for review by your institution. Otherwise it will be removed from our group.

Publishers, Distributors, Promoters etc.

Bloggers, podcasters, booktubers and all other online content creators, you may inform folks of your blog here. As with authors, this is the only space for promotion.

**Group Harassment Policy**

This group is welcoming to all people, so long as they come here to discuss books with kind words and open minds. We actively seek to read books by different people from all walks of life, and take the safety of our group members very seriously. We will ban anyone who is abusive to other members and will shut down threads that become overly contentious. Please note that while we encourage discussion and the sharing of ideas, the primary focus of this group is to discuss books and our experiences as fans of science fiction and fantasy. Topics beyond this which cause strife, dispute, anger or other negative opinions of fellow readers, or posts containing generalizations that disparage entire groups (regardless of moderator opinion) will be deleted.

If you are ever feeling threatened or attacked, we encourage you to immediately flag the comment for a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ staff member to investigate under their Community Guidelines. You are also encoraged to message a moderator in this group so that we can either correct the behavior or be on the lookout for other patterns of abuse which may include swift and discreet banishment. We are always here for you. You are seen. Your comfort matters and we're listening.

If you see any posts that break the rules and that are not addressed within 24 hours, please let us know.

Note: As gendering can be difficult on the internet, please correct us if someone makes the incorrect assumption.

**Group Dictionary**

BR: Buddy Read. Unofficial discussions between two or more people who wanted to read a book together.
Clubhouse: An ongoing joke about the benefits of reading more than 100 books off the group shelf.
DNF: did not finish
DTB: Dead Tree Book (i.e. a physical book)
Necropost: To comment in a thread that had been dormant for a considerable amount of time. (Highly encouraged!)
TBR: To be read
WTR: Want to read

[Historical post]

Original group rules (Thanks to Penny)


Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!

Authors Take Note!

If you've got a new book you'd like to tell the group about please start a thread in the GoodReads Author's Books folder! Please read the rules for this folder and be sure to follow them. Posts that don't adhere to the rules will be deleted as will book promotions that are put in other folders.

Members

If you're new to the group introduce yourself! See how many of the book club books you've read and keep track of them by voting on the listopia list. Let us know what you're currently reading and see what everyone else is busy with.

Please feel free to dive into any and all discussions or start you own in the appropriate folder! Want to chat about a book you're reading â€� start a thread in What Else Are You Reading? Please tag spoilers or include *spoilers* in the name of the thread if you plan to give spoilers. Want to discuss something reading related? Member's Chat is a good place for that. For conversations about Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ - All About Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. Looking for suggestions or want to recommend your favourite books? Suggestions and Forgotten Books is the place for that.

Check out our polls. Please refrain from using our group to illegally share e-Books or direct others to pirated copies.

Monthly Book Club Books

This book club reads two books every month, one science fiction book and one fantasy book. These are chosen by a majority vote of group members via polls that are open from the 1st to the 15th of the preceding month. Each month, one of the two genres is themed and the books featured on the poll are chosen by way of nomination. The other poll is called 'random' and the selection of books is put together by the moderators. This process alternates between scifi and fantasy every month.

We have a list of themes for each genre which is updated and added to as members contribute via the Give Us Your Themes! thread. After a theme has been chosen we begin the nomination process. We run the nominations for one week during either the 3rd or 4th week of the month preceding the polling. In other words, the nominations for March would be held in the last weeks of January since the poll would be open in the first two weeks of February.

We have a few rules for nominations that are laid out in the first post of our nominations thread and typically reiterated in the second post. Here they are again:

1. All members can make only one nomination each.
2. Nominations must be in the format [book link] by [author link] and must include a brief reason why the book is nominated for the theme.
(Eg. I nominate Magician by Raymond E. Feist for the theme of fantasy dealing with multiple worlds. Set on the world of Midkemia it deals with an invasion of aliens from the world of Kelewan via rifts in space and time.)
3. Nominations which do not include those two requirements will not be accepted.
4. The poll will be posted after the thread is closed and nominations checked.
5. Nominations cannot include books already read by the group or books which are not the first in a series, or a standalone, unless allowed by the theme.
6. Each member can second one nomination. There is no need to re-nominate a book. You can change your second by editing your original post.
7. After 7 days the books with most seconds that meet the requirements will go into the poll. The amount of books in the poll will depend on how many are nominated and seconded but will be no more than 7.

The current list of authors read in the last 12 months (as of May 2014) and hence not eligible to be nominated are: (I'll do my very best to keep this up to date)

Andy Weir
Brent Weeks
Jonathan Lethem
Brian McClellan
Ursula K. Le Guin
Joe Abercrombie
Daniel Abraham
Octavia E. Butler
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
Andrzej Sapkowski
H.G. Wells
David Gemmell
Patrick Rothfuss
Ann Leckie
Paolo Bacigalupi
Peter S. Beagle
Neil Gaiman
John Scalzi
Brandon Sanderson
Terry Pratchett
Stephen Baxter
Arthur C. Clarke
Lauren Beukes
Philip K. Dick
China Miéville


We don't allow two books written by the same author onto one poll and in the case that two are nominated, the one with more seconds will make the poll. We no longer allow authors to nominate their own books. We polled members and the results were very clearly against the idea.

Miscellaneous

We try not to send out too many emails and tend to keep it to one a month. On the first of each month we send out a group message to remind everyone what the book club has chosen to read that month and to ask you to vote on the polls for the following month.

Discussions are clearly labelled with either *spoilers* or *no spoilers* to avoid any potential confusion.

*Flagging* a post goes directly to the GR admins. If there is a post you'd like to bring to our attention please message myself or Kim directly to let us know. We keep a good eye on things but don't pick up every "bad" post. I'd ask that you give us the benefit of the doubt and give us a day or two to find and delete spam, we're all on different time zones and have lives outside of GoodReads, before sending us a gazillion messages :) Thanks!

I would like to take a moment to remind folks that this post exists! Not only is it full of good information about how our club selects books, info for folks hoping to do marketing or research and other helpful tips, it also, importantly, has a group Harassment Policy, which we enforce, and a link to Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ' Community Guidelines, which are enforced by Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ staff members. Please take a look if you need a refresher, and remember that we are committed to maintaining a safe and friendly place for readers to enjoy our collective hobby!