Authors must affirm their manuscript passes muster legally. This means it does not commit
plagiarism. If fiction, it must not represent real events or people in ways that could be deemed libelous. If nonfiction, it must not misstate or omit any fact that would libel people or result in them being placed in a false or damaging light.
The work must not infringe the copyright, trademark, or privacy of any third party. The author affirms ownership of any trademarks or trade names associated with the work.
Manuscripts submitted for editing to Andy Scheer should not contain content that:
- is offensive, indecent, or suggestive
- attacks Christian doctrines
- advocates a sexual or racial bias
- is sexually explicit
As was done in films made prior to the 1960s, offensive and explicit material can happen off-screen—but not be shown close-up and in slow motion.
Likewise dialogue’s illusion of actual speech should be achieved without use of profanity, obscenity, and vulgarity—or their substitution with asterisks, stars, ampersands, and other typographic symbols.