Community Guidelines

A space for honest readers.

Vellichor exists because books change lives — and the right book at the right moment is a quiet act of grace. These guidelines protect that.

What Vellichor Is

A library, not a platform.

Vellichor is a hand-curated catalog of Christian and faith-adjacent books, built for readers who want trusted guidance — not an algorithm. Every book is here because a human being decided it belonged. Every note is written by a real reader who has actually read the book.

This is not a review aggregator. There are no star ratings, no follower counts, no viral lists. The only metric that matters here is whether a reader finds the right book.

Vellichor is

✓A curated catalog of Christian and faith-minded books
✓A place for honest reader reflections and testimonies
✓A resource for readers across many Christian traditions
✓A welcoming space for new and experienced readers alike
✓A place where God speaks to people differently — and that's honored

Vellichor is not

✕A debate forum for theological disputes
✕A promotional platform for authors or publishers
✕A place for negative reviews intended to discourage readers
✕A social network or follower-based community
✕A general spirituality database or "clean reads" catch-all
For Readers

Your voice matters here — use it well.

Reader Thoughts are reflections and testimonies, not reviews. They exist because a reader's honest experience of a book can be the thing that helps another reader pick it up — or wait for the right season. Here's how we ask you to use that privilege.

01
Write from your own experience
Share what this book meant to you personally — how it affected you, what it made you think about, what you'd want another reader to know. Your honest experience is more valuable than a recommendation. Don't write what you think you're supposed to say.
02
Be kind to other readers
Theological disagreement is fine. Criticism of a book is fine. Unkindness toward another person — whether a reader, an author, or anyone else — is not. Comments that demean, mock, or attack will be removed. This applies regardless of the theological position being defended.
03
No promotional content
Reader Thoughts are for genuine personal reflection, not for promoting books, authors, websites, ministries, or products. If your reflection reads more like a blurb or an advertisement, it will be removed. This applies even if you love the book sincerely — write about your experience, not the marketing.
04
No spoilers without warning
If your reflection reveals a significant plot event — an ending, a death, a major twist — note it clearly at the start. Other readers deserve to discover those moments for themselves.
05
One account per person
Accounts are for individual readers. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent removed content or manipulate the catalog is grounds for permanent removal.
For Authors

Your work is welcome here — on honest terms.

Vellichor genuinely wants to include books by Christian authors, including independent and self-published authors. If your book belongs here, we want it here. The submission process exists to make that easy while protecting the catalog's integrity.

01
Submit through the form, not through pressure
Every book is considered on its merits against the curatorial standard. Submitting your book through the proper channel is the right way to be considered. Reaching out privately to request inclusion, or asking readers to pressure the curator, is not — and will not result in faster or better consideration.
02
Be honest about your book's content
The submission form asks about faith content, audience, and content flags. Answer them honestly — your readers deserve accurate information. Books found to have been misrepresented in submission will be unpublished pending review.
03
Curator notes are editorial, not promotional
If your book is accepted, the curator note is written in Vellichor's voice — honest, specific, and for the reader, not the author. We do not publish marketing copy. We may reach out if we have questions, but the editorial voice stays ours.
04
Declining a submission is not a judgment on you
Not every book fits this catalog. A book may be declined because the faith content doesn't meet the threshold, because the audience isn't right, or because the catalog already has strong representation in that subgenre. A decline is a curatorial decision, not a verdict on your writing or your faith.

Ready to submit your book?

Create a free account and use the Submit a Book option in your account menu. You'll fill out the details yourself — which means the information is accurate, complete, and in your words. The curator reviews every submission personally before it goes live.

Create an Account Read the Curatorial Standard
Content Standard

What belongs here — and what doesn't.

Vellichor is a Christ-centered catalog. That means some books won't belong here regardless of how much someone loves them. The following content is not listed and cannot be submitted:

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Occult, New Age, or non-Christian spiritual content
Witchcraft, divination, astrology, energy healing, chakras, or any spiritual framework outside orthodox Christianity — even in a fantasy or allegorical context.
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Non-Christian religious traditions
LDS / Mormon, Christian Science, Scientology, Jehovah's Witnesses, or any tradition that does not affirm the triune God and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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Explicit sexual content
Graphic sexual scenes or erotica of any kind. The "no spice" standard is a core promise to Vellichor readers and applies across every faith spectrum level.
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Books that mock or undermine Christian faith with no redemptive purpose
A book whose clear conclusion is that Christianity is harmful, false, or foolish — with no honest examination and no redemptive arc.

Books that portray faith as causing harm — abuse, manipulation, spiritual damage — may belong here if the story has a redemptive arc or honest purpose. That is handled case by case in the curatorial review.

Flagging

How the flag system works.

Flagging is how readers and the catalog keep each other honest. Both books and Reader Thoughts can be flagged. The curator reviews every flag — but a flag is not a vote for removal. It's a signal that something deserves a second look.

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Flagging a book
Use the flag button (⚠) on any book in the catalog. Flag for: a wrong Faith Spectrum level, a factual error in the description or metadata, content that conflicts with the catalog standard, or a book that doesn't belong here. Be specific — the more detail you include, the more useful the flag is to the curator.
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Flagging a Reader Thought
Use the flag icon (⚑) beside any Reader Thought. Flag if a reflection is promotional, unkind toward another person, contains a spoiler without warning, or otherwise violates the reader guidelines. Reader Thoughts are community-moderated — the curator reviews flags but is not monitoring every submission in real time. Readers are trusted to help keep this space honest.
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What happens after you flag
Every flag reaches the curator. Not every flag results in a change — some flags are disagreements about curation, not errors, and both can be valid. But every flag is read. If a book or thought is removed or corrected as a result, no public explanation is owed. If you flagged something, you can trust it was seen.
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What flagging is not for
Flagging is not for expressing disagreement with a curatorial decision, disputing another reader's theological interpretation, or retaliating against someone. Patterns of bad-faith flagging may result in account review.
Questions

Something not covered here?

If you have a question about a specific situation, a removed comment, a declined submission, or anything else — reach out. We read everything.

curator@faithinvellichor.com