Main Street Salem (MSS) is a website with one goal in mind:

To inform and enhance the lives of the folks of Salem, Va. and it’s visitors.

A high standard of quality and excellence is expected of our contributors.

MSS is not a business and holds no funds.

We welcome posts that cover a variety of topics relevant to the contributors lives and the region. If you have a guest post that is not included in this list but you feel would be a good fit for our blog, please submit your ideas as all relevant topics are welcome!

All Guest Posts must comply with the following criteria:

1. Guest Posts must be your own original work that has not been published on any other website, forum, chat or social media network that would not allow MSS to reproduce the work. Please ensure that the content, copyright and trademarks, any images and work have not be transferred to any other organization, company or individual. Contributors will hold MSS harmless against any claim for reproducing your work.
2. Plagiarism or copyright infringement is not permitted.
3. When quoting others, please make sure to properly cite your source (s).
4. Posts will acknowledge your authorship, and will remain your property.
5. If we use your guest post, you may promote it on your own website, Facebook, Twitter or other social media forums. Promoting does not mean that you post the entire article on these forums. You may include a link to your guest post and a short sentence or two explaining what the article is about.
6. Submissions should be kept between 200 – 800 words. Longer posts are allowed if it is necessary and relevant, but the final length of the article is decided by MSS.
7. Guest Post writers will receive writing credit as author of their post at the beginning of the article.
8. Guest Post writers may submit a short bio statement for inclusion on the website.
9. Guest Post writers will be allowed to have a link or links to their website or other relevant websites as part of the blog or article.
10. We do not pay for submissions. If you decide to submit a post to our site, you do so with the knowledge that you shall not be entitled to any compensation for writing the post or for any other compensation related to the post.
11. MSS welcomes images and/or video to accompany your guest post as long as they meet the following requirements:
    1. The Guest Post writer must be the copyright holder of the image/video OR the image/video must be licensed under an appropriate creative commons license or in the public domain. Proof must be submitted along with any image/video showing that it does not infringe on copyright laws.
    2. MSS reserves the right to change/edit the image/video if necessary.
    3. If people are included in the image/video, then the Guest Post writer must provide a written release allowing use of likeness.
    4. Video/image submissions must be relevant to the post.
    5. MSS reserves the right to deny or remove any image(s)/video(s) it deems inappropriate or contrary to the values of the MSS.
12.  MSS will share and promote the Guest Post on a variety of social media networks, but does not guarantee any particular site or audience reach.
13.  Links to any third-party site must be relevant to the topic and approved by MSS
14.  Search engine optimization (“SEO”) information, such as anchor text or alt tags, will be reviewed and subject to inclusion at the discretion of MSS
15. Excessive links or links that appear to be affiliated or spam related will be removed at the discretion of MSS
16. All Guest Posts are reviewed and approved by MSS prior to posting.
17. MSS reserves the right to edit Guest Posts where necessary.
18. MSS reserves the right to refuse publication or remove a Guest post without prior notice to the Guest Post Writer/Contributor.
19. By providing a Guest Post to MSS, you agree that you are in no way becoming a part of the website ownership, nor shall you hold yourself out to be a member of the MSS website.
20. If a Guest Post submission is inappropriate or needs improvements, a MSS representative will let you know and offer suggestions so that it may be published at a later time. MSS will review your submissions in a timely manner.
21. By submitting a Guest Post to MSS, you agree than you have read and understand this agreement and agree to be bound by it