Purpose.
The Reader Council will advise on whether proposed themes, articles and reader journeys feel clear, relevant and respectful. It will help the publication hear a range of women rather than treating one experience as universal.
What the council will review.
Members may comment on tone, clarity, missing perspectives, practical usefulness, questions worth exploring and whether content recognises the realities of women’s lives. The council will not provide clinical approval, legal advice or individual medical guidance.
Composition.
The initial council is intended to include five to eight women across different midlife ages, backgrounds, locations, relationships, work situations, caring responsibilities and family circumstances. No individual member will be expected to represent a whole community.
Appointment and term.
Prospective members will receive the framework, expected time commitment, payment, privacy information and conflict questions before accepting. Initial appointments are expected to be time-limited and reviewed after a pilot period, so participation remains useful to both members and the publication.
Payment and independence.
Council members will be paid for agreed work or structured sessions. Payment recognises time and contribution; it does not purchase positive feedback, testimonials or product endorsement. Members must be free to disagree with the publisher.
Consent, privacy and attribution.
Private experiences will not be published merely because they were shared with the council. Separate, explicit permission will be required before quoting, naming or identifying a member. Sensitive medical information should not be requested or collected unless a future process has a clear, lawful and necessary purpose.
Conflicts and commercial boundaries.
Members should disclose relationships that could affect a topic under discussion. Reader Council participation does not imply endorsement of Stelimasa, its books, supplements or commercial partners, and membership must not be used as a disguised testimonial.
Editorial responsibility.
The council is advisory. The publisher retains responsibility for final editorial decisions, factual checks, professional review, corrections and commercial disclosures. Where advice is not adopted, no member should be represented as having approved the final material.
Expressions of interest.
A dedicated expression-of-interest process will open after the pilot terms and payment are confirmed. Opportunities may be announced through The Nourished Years Letter. Newsletter subscription does not itself constitute an application, and marketing consent will remain separate from council participation.