The Rules

In order to have a tight running ship, SRC has a few rules to follow. For members to-be, make sure your blog doesn't violate any of the rules before applying. For current members, please read these and check back often for updates.

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Rule #1: Your blog must be in English.
Unfortunately, I am not accepting blogs that have to be translated to read. Sometimes that Google translator doesn't work quite right and it's not fair to the blogger assigned to your blog or you if something goes horribly awry from a translation fail.

Rule #2: You must have at least 100 recipes.
This is to ensure that you have enough variety of recipes for the person to pick from who is assigned your blog each month. I will not make any exceptions. Not 99 recipes, 100, please!

Rule #3: Your blog must be at least a year old.
Your blog is pretty well established at one year of age. You have your writing style down and your posts and pictures will be better developed than if you just started out a month ago.

Rule #4: Your blog must contain a recipe index.  
Updated 11/16/2015
This is not a drop-down archive on the sidebar or a category cloud at the bottom. A recipe index should be a page that lists all the names of your recipes on your blog in a list. Recipage is okay, a link to a Pinterest board is fine too, as long as the titles of the recipes are in the descriptions. Having categories listed that brings the reader to a series of pages of your trunucated posts tagged with that category DOES NOT count as a recipe index. A page that has a list of categories that links to separate pages of a list of your recipes (like a separate page of just dessert recipes or just breakfast recipes) is fine. If you use pictures, please utilize the recipe name as well. It's hard to tell by picture what something is.

Sarah of The Pajama Chef shared how to make a recipe index on Wordpress: HERE.
I shared how to make a simple recipe index on Blogger: HERE.

Rule #5: To stay in the club, you must post regularly.  
Updated 11/16/2015
Please post at least one new recipe post per week, not one meal plan post, not one cookbook review post - it has to be a recipe. This gives more options for future assignees who don't want to make the same recipe four other SRC members have already recreated for SRC. Plus regular posting=regular readers.

Rule #6: Posting ON TIME with all necessary requirements.
We post at 12:00am EST. No exceptions. If you keep posting late, you will be removed. You are required to have three links (SRC website, assignment's website, chosen recipe), at least one picture of the recipe you made that you took, and the blog hop included in your reveal day post. Although not required, it is strongly recommended that you make the post about your assigned blog and the fabulous recipe you made, not you. You can slightly adapt the recipe you choose to make to fit dietary needs or what you have on hand, but try to stay true to the recipe you pick. You are basically featuring someone else's recipe and blog. This also means to not pick a recipe that they made for Secret Recipe Club for a reveal day!

Rule #7: Removal and Rejoining.
Updated 6/8/2015
There are four ways you can be removed from SRC. 1) You filled out the participation form and said please remove me from the club. 2) You failed to fill out the participation form as stated in the rule that follows this one. 3) You did not participate for 3 months in a row. 4) You signed up, but did not post, therefore leaving your assigned blogger an "orphan".
  • If you are removed for #1, you are welcome to rejoin SRC at any time, if you want.
  • If you are removed for #2, you are also welcome to rejoin. However, if you violate the participation form rule again, it will be a permanent removal. 
  • If you are removed for #3, you are also welcome to rejoin. However, if you violate the participation rule again, it will be a permanent removal.
  • If you are removed for #4, you will not be allowed to rejoin SRC. We take it very seriously when a member is basically left out of reveal day because someone "forgot" about posting. Most times, you have about a month to pick ONE recipe and make it. Most of us cook daily, so this shouldn't be a hassle or an inconvenience, even in busy times. It's ONE recipe and ONE blog post.

Rule #8: The Participation Form.
On the 1st of each month, the participation form opens up. The participation form allows for myself and the hostesses to know if you will be participating or not, or if you would like to be removed from the club. It allows us to keep track of what’s going on. You have until the 15th of each month to fill it out. No late entries are accepted. We fill out the participation form two months in advance (i.e. you fill out if you will participate in August in the month of June). If something comes up between the time you fill out the form and the reveal day, please let your hostess know immediately that you can no longer participate, so that someone can cover your assignment.

You may sit out two months, but you must participate the third month or you will be removed from the group. It isn’t fair to those on the waiting list when we have members who continuously don’t participate.

If you miss filling out the participation form two months in a row, or three times in a calendar year (i.e. missed May, filled out June, missed July, filled out August & September, missed October), you will be removed from SRC. You can reapply, but if you are removed two times from the club for the same offense, you will be removed permanently.

Rule #9: Copyright.
We take copyright seriously, too. Please do not violate copyrighted material. Do not copy/paste a recipe. You can keep the ingredients the same (they cannot be copyrighted in a recipe), however, you must reword the instructions. Do not copy/paste or upload your assignment's photograph or pay for a stock photo of something similar to it. Take your own picture. Copyright violations will get a warning, but after one warning if you continue to violate copyright, you will be removed permanently from SRC. This needs to be said, although we have a great group of bloggers who rarely have this issue. In all other areas of your blog, if you have not developed that recipe, give your source! If you can't find it, say "source unknown" - at least acknowledge that it isn't your recipe, your work, your material. If it is something you developed, notate that it is. I like to say "Original Fantastical Recipe" on my blog, but you can and should claim YOUR recipe! :)

Rule #10: Name.

Please include your first name in your “About” section or bio. Unless you are in a situation where it is critical for your safety to stay anonymous, including your name helps people connect to you, makes your blog more personal, and makes it easier for those of us writing about your blog to create an intriguing intro that makes our readers want to visit to your site. And that is the goal! If you find it necessary to not reveal your real name, a nickname is perfectly acceptable! 
 

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IF AT ANY TIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR NEED CLARIFICATION, PLEASE EMAIL ME (SARAH E.) AT FANTASTICALSHARING1 AT GMAIL DOT COM. THANKS!

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