Do Not Stock Policy

Romantique Books
Effective Date: January 25, 2026
Last Reviewed: January 25, 2026

Our Commitment

Romantique Books curates its shelves with intention, care, and respect for readers, creators, and community. In addition to storytelling quality, we consider author conduct, creative ethics, and alignment with our values when making buying and promotional decisions.

This policy outlines circumstances under which an author or creator may not be stocked or featured.

Our Values

We prioritize creators who demonstrate:

  • Respectful, inclusive, and ethical conduct
  • Professionalism in public and private spaces
  • Care toward readers, fellow creators, and marginalized communities
  • Accountability when harm or conflict occurs
  • Respect for human creativity, artistic labor, and original work

Grounds for Do Not Stock Status

Conduct & Ethics

An author or creator may be designated Do Not Stock if they engage in patterns of behavior that conflict with our values, including but not limited to:

  • Hate speech, discrimination, or dehumanizing language
  • Harassment, bullying, or targeted harm
  • Plagiarism, exploitation, or unethical business practices
  • Repeated public conduct that undermines community trust or safety
  • Refusal to take accountability after substantiated harm

Creative Integrity & AI Use

Romantique Books supports responsible technology use but believes art, storytelling, and creative expression should remain as human as possible.

We may decline to stock or promote creators who:

  • Present AI-generated or heavily AI-written work as fully human-created
  • Use AI in ways that replace, exploit, or devalue human artists or designers
  • Fail to disclose significant AI use when transparency is ethically expected
  • Mass-produce low-effort AI-generated content that undermines creative integrity
  • Participate in AI practices that conflict with creator rights, consent, or fair compensation

We prioritize human voice, lived experience, emotional nuance, and artistic labor, and view technology as a tool — not a substitute for creative humanity.

Scope of Policy

Creators designated Do Not Stock will not be:

  • Purchased for retail or wholesale
  • Featured in-store, online, or at events
  • Promoted in marketing, email, or social campaigns
  • Invited to collaborate or partner with Romantique Books

Existing stock may be sold through, discounted, donated, or removed at our discretion.

Decision & Review

Decisions are made internally by Romantique Books leadership using publicly available information, verified concerns, and alignment with our values. We do not publicly disclose internal deliberations.

Status may be reviewed if a creator demonstrates sustained accountability and meaningful change. Reinstatement is not guaranteed.

Public Communication

Romantique Books does not publish or debate Do Not Stock decisions.
If asked, we respond:

“We curate our shelves based on storytelling quality, creative integrity, and alignment with our community values. At this time, we’ve chosen not to carry that author.”

Final Note

This policy exists to protect reader trust, creative integrity, and community care. Our goal is not public criticism, but thoughtful, ethical curation that honors human artistry and the values behind the stories we share.