Welcome to Underlined! You probably have a lot of questions before embarking on your journey with us. We’re here to help. Please note: We’ve updated our Terms of Use.
Below is a list of answers to the questions we have received so far. Please don’t hesitate to comment below if you have additional questions so we can continue to update you.
Questions About the Terms of Use
We understand that Terms of Use can be confusing—even for us! Legal jargon is a writing category all on its own, so we had our legal team help answer some of the questions you’ve raised.
Who owns my writing?
You do! You wrote it, so you own it. Posting to the site means your work will be visible to others, in accordance with your privacy settings, until you decide to take it down. Posting here does NOT mean you are giving up ownership of your work. Please see the full “User Submissions” section of our Terms of Use for more information.
What exactly is owned by PRH regarding Underlined?
Underlined is a community and content provider. All content posted and created by Underlined is owned by PRH. This does not include user-generated content. All user stories are owned by the individual creator.
Are you going to change the Terms of Use at any point?
While we do not plan to make regular changes to these Terms of Use, sometimes changes to the terms may be required due to new laws, regulations or for other reasons. We will never change the Terms of Use with respect to your ownership of your content without first obtaining your consent.
Will PRH use my writing outside of this writing community?
No! If Team Underlined would like to feature you or your writing in any way, you will be asked for your permission. For example, we might like to feature users in spotlight articles or Q&As to celebrate you and your great work. However, we understand that your writing is personal and we will never use it without your explicit permission.
Questions About My Writing
How do I update/edit/change a story?
When you’re signed in, click on or hover over your username and select “Writing.” This will take you to the writing section of your profile, where you will see all your work. In the upper right-hand corner of each story, there is an edit button. Clicking the edit button will allow you to edit, update, or delete your work.
Can I update/edit/change tags on my story?
Of course! You can do this the same way you edit your story. Tags can be found in “Step 2: Describe” of the writing editor. Please see above for more information on how to edit.
How can I review others’ work and receive reviews on my stories?
While there is no official review section on user stories on Underlined, we welcome user swaps, edits, reviews, and comments in the comment section. The comments are separated by chapter, to facilitate editorial conversations as you write. If you’re looking to meet someone to swap stories with, check out our discussion here.
How do I control who sees my work?
While we’d love to see all of your work, we understand that writing is personal, and you may wish to control who sees it. When you’re signed in, click on or hover over your username and select “Account Settings.” By selecting “My Privacy,” you will be able to control who sees everything on your account from your stories to your personal bio. At this time, you are unable to change the privacy settings on an individual story basis, but this is something we are looking into updating for the future. As an alternative, if you want to keep a particular story hidden, drafts are ALWAYS only visible to you. You will not be able to receive comments or feedback on a draft. However, you’re more than welcome to publish work chapter by chapter and edit your story as you receive feedback.
Can I delete my stories?
Of course! Please see above.
Please note, once you delete your story, we have NO way of recovering it, so make sure you have your work saved somewhere safe, offline.
How can I add cover art to my writing?
Personalized cover art is not required. We have several generic covers to choose from that you can use at your discretion. If you do have a personalized cover, you can upload it in “Step 3: Decorate” in the writing editor. The specs are 300px by 448px, with a maximum file size of 2MB.
Please note: plagiarism, or posting another person’s work as your own without the proper permissions, will not be tolerated.
What if someone is impersonating me on the site?
Let us know by sending an email to community@getunderlined.com and we will get to the bottom of it. Catfishing is not cool.
Why can’t I use swear words in my writing or comments?
While our intention is not to censor you, Underlined is for everyone, and the safety of our community is our first priority. If there is a blocked word, phrase, or paragraph that you feel should be allowed, please send the full word, phrase, or paragraph to community@getunderlined.com so that we can look into it.
Please ask us your questions in the comments below!
