Terms of Service

1. Overview

These Terms of Service govern your use of the BeTheAuthor website and services. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to comply with these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of them, please do not use our services. BeTheAuthor provides an AI-powered platform that creates personalized books of approximately 220 or more pages based on the information and preferences you provide, and arranges for those books to be printed and delivered. You may also add an audiobook of your book, or a podcast episode about it, as described in Section 12.

We rely on third-party providers to deliver our services, including AI providers who generate book content, cover artwork, and the synthetic voices used in our audio products, and a print-on-demand partner who manufactures and ships physical books. Certain requirements in these Terms, particularly the Content Standards and Photo and Likeness Rights sections, reflect obligations those partners place on us and which we must pass on to you.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old to place an order or maintain an account
• The information you provide must be accurate, complete, and kept up to date
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account, and for keeping your login credentials secure
• You may not share your account, or use another person's account without permission

3. Use of Our Services

You agree to use BeTheAuthor for lawful purposes only. By using our services, you confirm that:

• You will not misuse the website or interfere with its operation or security
• You will not use automated tools to access, scrape, or place orders through our services except as we expressly permit
• You will not attempt to reverse engineer, copy, resell, or redistribute our platform or the technology behind it
• You will not impersonate any person or misrepresent your relationship to any person featured in a book

4. Content Standards

"Content" means everything you provide to us or ask us to produce, including photographs, names, dedications, story premises, and the answers you give about a person during the creation process. You agree that you will not provide, and will not ask us to produce, any Content that:

• Is sexually explicit — pornographic material, depictions of sexual acts, or imagery whose purpose is sexual arousal
• Promotes hatred or discrimination — content that threatens, harasses, intimidates, or promotes discrimination against any person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, age, disability, disease, or immigration status. Hate speech is not permitted
• Depicts prohibited symbols — Nazi symbolism or any symbol prohibited under section 86a of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch). Our printing partner treats violations of this rule with particular seriousness and a single violation may affect our ability to print books for other customers
• Is unlawful — content that is illegal, or that encourages, facilitates, or instructs others in unlawful activity
• Infringes the rights of others — content that infringes any copyright, trademark, right of publicity, or right of privacy
• Uses a celebrity or public figure — the name, image, or likeness of a celebrity or public figure may not be used for commercial purposes without their written authorization or that of their management
• Defames or harasses a real person — because our books are written about real, named individuals, you may not create a book that portrays a real person in a false, defamatory, degrading, or humiliating way, or that is intended to harass, intimidate, or distress its subject or recipient
• Invades privacy — content disclosing another person's private information, including medical, financial, or other sensitive details, without their permission
• Is deceptive — content that is intentionally false or misleading, including deceptive titles, descriptions, or representations

We may review Content, including by automated means, to enforce these standards. We are under no obligation to review any Content, and we do not review Content before production as a matter of routine. Responsibility for Content rests with you.

5. Your Content and the Permission You Give Us

You keep ownership. You retain ownership of the Content you provide to us: your photographs, your dedication, your answers about the recipient, and the names you supply. We do not claim ownership of them.

The permission we need. So that we can create, produce, and deliver your book, you grant BeTheAuthor a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license, sublicensable to our service providers and printing partners, to host, store, reproduce, modify, adapt, artistically render, typeset, narrate, synthesize into speech, transmit, print, and distribute the Content you provide, for the purpose of fulfilling your order and providing our services. This license lasts for as long as is necessary for those purposes and for our legitimate record-keeping and legal compliance.

Our providers. You acknowledge that fulfilling your order requires us to transmit your Content to third parties, including our AI providers for content and cover generation, and our print-on-demand partner for manufacture and delivery. Those parties process your Content under their own terms, and our printing partner requires us to grant it the rights necessary to print and ship your book.

Marketing. We will not use your book, your cover, your photograph, your dedication, your audiobook, or the podcast episode we produce about your book, in whole or in part, in our advertising or public materials without your separate, express permission. Although the podcast episode is an episode of our own show, we produce it for you and we do not publish it ourselves.

6. Photo and Likeness Rights

When you upload a photograph to be used on a book cover, a real person's likeness is artistically reproduced and printed. This is the most sensitive thing our service does, and the following applies without exception.

You represent and warrant that:

• You own the photograph, or otherwise hold all rights necessary to use it for this purpose
• You have obtained the permission of every identifiable person appearing in the photograph for their likeness to be artistically reproduced, printed on a book, and used to fulfill your order
• If any identifiable person appearing in the photograph is under 18 years of age, you are that person's parent or legal guardian, or you have obtained the permission of their parent or legal guardian
• The photograph does not depict a celebrity, public figure, or any other individual whose name or likeness is commercially protected, unless you hold written authorization to use it
• The photograph does not infringe any copyright, trademark, right of publicity, or right of privacy
• You did not obtain the photograph without the knowledge of the person depicted, and its use will not cause them distress

Photographs that are not yours are not permitted. You may not upload a photograph you found online, took from social media, or otherwise obtained without the right to use it. This applies regardless of whether the image is freely accessible.

Evidence of permission. You agree to provide us with evidence of the permissions described above within seven (7) days of our request. We may make such a request at any time, including after your book has been printed and delivered, and including where our printing partner or a third party asks us to substantiate the rights in your image.

7. Our Right to Refuse or Cancel an Order

We may refuse, suspend, or cancel any order, at our discretion and without liability to you, where we reasonably believe that:

• The Content breaches the Content Standards or the Photo and Likeness Rights section
• A permission required under these Terms has not been obtained
• The order is fraudulent, or the payment method is not validly yours
• Producing the book would expose us or our partners to legal risk
• A pricing or product description error has occurred

Where we cancel an order for any of these reasons before it has been printed, we will refund you in full.

8. Intellectual Property

All content on the BeTheAuthor website, including text, images, graphics, logos, and design, is the property of BeTheAuthor and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or use it without our prior written consent.

Your story. You own the creative content of your book: the story, characters, narrative voice, and underlying ideas. You are free to share it, quote from it, read it publicly, adapt it, or commercialize it, including by publishing it through another service.

Copyright in AI-generated text. You should be aware that in the United States and several other jurisdictions, material generated by artificial intelligence without sufficient human authorship may not be protected by copyright. We make no representation that the text of your book is registrable or enforceable as a copyright work, and you should take your own advice before relying on it commercially.

The BeTheAuthor edition. The specific formatted edition we produce, including our layout, typesetting, and cover artwork files, is our product. You may not reproduce or manufacture copies of that formatted edition through another printing service without our written permission. This restriction applies to our formatted files, not to your underlying story.

Your purchased copies. Once copies are in your hands they are yours. You may keep, gift, sell, display, or distribute them as you wish.

Your audio add-ons. If you buy an audiobook or a podcast episode, the story being narrated or discussed remains yours on the same basis as the text of your book. The recording itself is our production, in the same way as the formatted edition described above. Section 12 sets out what you may do with it.

9. AI-Generated Content

BeTheAuthor uses artificial intelligence to generate book content, chapter structures, and cover designs. While we work hard to produce high-quality, engaging books:

• AI-generated content is produced from the prompts and information you provide
• We cannot guarantee that generated content will meet every expectation
• AI-generated content may contain inconsistencies, inaccuracies, or unexpected creative interpretations
• Your preview is provided so that you can assess the cover and chapter outline before purchasing
• Books may not be unique. Books generated from similar information, in the same genre, may share themes, plot structure, character archetypes, or phrasing with books created for other customers. We do not warrant that any book, cover, title, or passage is unique to you
• Audio is generated the same way. Where you buy an audiobook or a podcast episode, the narration and the discussion are produced by AI from your book, and every voice you hear is synthetic

By using our services you acknowledge and accept the nature of AI-generated content. Books are works of fiction. Any resemblance between events described in a book and actual events is a product of the generation process, and a book should not be treated as a factual account of any person's life. The same applies to an audiobook, and to anything said about your book in a podcast episode.

10. Orders, Payment, and Finality

Your order is accepted, and a binding contract is formed, when we confirm your payment. All payments are processed securely through Stripe. BeTheAuthor does not store complete payment details on its servers.

Every book is manufactured on demand and is unique to your order. We hold no inventory, and no generic version of your book exists.

Your order is final when payment completes. On payment, your book immediately enters our automated production pipeline: the manuscript is generated, quality-checked, and transmitted for manufacture. Because production begins at once and cannot be interrupted, an order cannot be changed, paused, or canceled after payment is completed. This includes the recipient's name, the story, the cover, the dedication, the edition, the quantity, and the shipping address. The same applies to reorders.

Digital editions and audio add-ons. Generation of your book begins immediately upon payment and consumes computing resources that cannot be recovered. Audio add-ons are queued for production the moment payment completes and are produced automatically once your book text is ready, and that production cannot be interrupted once it has started. Digital editions and audio add-ons are non-refundable from the moment payment is completed, whether or not the file has been generated, delivered, or downloaded. Section 12 sets out the circumstances in which we refund an audio add-on.

Your preview is your checkpoint. Before payment we show you your chosen cover, your chapter titles and summaries, and your back cover. By completing payment you confirm that the details you provided are accurate and that you accept the book as previewed.

You are responsible for the accuracy of everything you provide, including the spelling of names and your shipping address. We cannot correct these after payment, and we are not responsible for errors in the finished product that result from inaccurate or incomplete information you provided.

Pricing: Our current pricing is:

• Digital Edition: $29 (PDF download)
• Paperback Edition: $39
• Hardcover Edition: $59
• Additional copies: $20 each (Paperback) or $30 each (Hardcover)
• Audiobook add-on: $19 (digital, one per order)
• Podcast episode add-on: $9 (digital, one per order)

Prices are subject to change. Applicable taxes and shipping costs are calculated at checkout. Nothing in this section affects your rights where a book arrives damaged or defective, which are set out in our Return & Refund Policy.

11. Shipping and Delivery

We ship physical books to addresses within the United States only. We do not currently ship physical books internationally. Digital editions are available worldwide.

Audio add-ons are delivered electronically and are never shipped. Section 12 explains how and when they are produced and delivered.

Physical books are printed and dispatched by our print-on-demand partner, Lulu Press, Inc.

• Standard — free — estimated 11-14 days
• Priority — $10 — estimated 9-12 days
• Express — $15 — estimated 6-9 days

Estimated delivery windows are calendar days, run from the date your order is placed, and cover printing and shipping together. They are estimates rather than guarantees. Delays may occur for reasons outside our control, including carrier performance, weather, and local delivery conditions.

It is your responsibility to provide a complete and accurate shipping address. Because orders cannot be modified after payment, we are unable to correct an address once an order is placed.

12. Audio Add-Ons: Audiobook and Podcast

What you are buying. When you order a book you may also buy one or both of our audio products, at the prices shown at checkout. The Audiobook is a recording of your book, narrated chapter by chapter. The Podcast Episode is an episode of our own show in which two hosts talk about your book. Both are digital products. Neither is a physical item, and neither is shipped.

How they are sold. Audio add-ons are sold only together with a book order, and no more than one of each per order. They cannot be added to an order once payment is completed, and they are not available on reorders. We may add, change, or withdraw an audio product at any time. Withdrawing one does not affect audio we have already delivered to you.

The voices are synthetic. The narrator and the podcast hosts are artificial voices generated by our AI providers. They are not human performances, and the hosts are fictional characters of ours rather than real presenters. The voices themselves remain the property of us and our providers. You may not extract, copy, clone, imitate, or train any model on them, and you may not present the audio in a way that suggests a real person spoke it.

What a podcast episode is, and what it is not. The episode is a creative work about your book. The hosts describe and react to the story you created, and the views they express are generated rather than held. As set out in Section 9, your book is a work of fiction. Anything said in an episode about the people, places, or events in it describes the book and not real life, even where your book was inspired by someone real, and nothing in an episode is a statement of fact about any real person.

What we do not guarantee. We take care with these recordings, but we do not warrant that the narration or the discussion will be free of errors, that names and invented words will be pronounced the way you say them, that the reading of your story will match your own, or that the audio will run to any particular length. Length depends on your book, and any duration we mention is an estimate. Dissatisfaction with audio that was produced as described here is not a defect.

Production and delivery. Audio is produced after the text of your book has been generated, and is checked before it is released. We will email you when it is ready, and it appears on your order page. Audio production is independent of your book: it does not delay, change, or condition the generation, printing, or shipping of the book itself, and a problem with an add-on does not affect the rest of your order.

If we cannot deliver an add-on. We will email you when your audio is ready. If we have not delivered an add-on within thirty (30) days of your payment, you may cancel it by emailing us and we will refund what you paid for it in full. We will also cancel an add-on and refund it if we are unable to produce it to the standard we consider acceptable, judged reasonably and in good faith, or if a provider we depend on becomes unavailable. And if the audio we deliver is corrupted or will not play, we will replace the file or, if we cannot, refund what you paid for that add-on.

Those replacements and refunds are your sole and exclusive remedy in respect of an add-on, and the rest of your order is unaffected. Nothing in this section limits any right of yours that cannot lawfully be limited under the consumer protection law of your state. If that remedy is held to fail of its essential purpose or is otherwise unavailable to you, the disclaimers in Section 15 and the limits in Section 16 continue to apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Refunds. Apart from those cases, audio add-ons are non-refundable from the moment payment is completed, on the same basis as digital editions and for the same reason: production is queued and starts automatically, and consumes computing resources that cannot be recovered. Our Return & Refund Policy continues to apply.

Download your files and keep them. We host your audio so that you can play it on your order page, add it to a podcast app, or download it. We will host it for as long as we reasonably can, but we do not undertake to host it indefinitely, and we may change how it is delivered or stop hosting it. Where we reasonably can, we will tell you before we do. Please download and keep your own copies. Once you have been able to download your files, later loss of access to the hosted versions is not a defect and is not a ground for a refund.

Your listening links are private, not secret. Your order page requires you to sign in, but the audio files and the private podcast feed behind it can be opened by anyone holding the link, in the same way as your digital book file. Treat those links as private. Anyone you share them with can listen to and download your audio, and we are not responsible for access obtained by a person you gave a link to. We may change or disable a link where we need to.

Listening in other apps. Podcast and audiobook apps such as Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Podcast Addict, AntennaPod, and YouTube Music are not ours. Your use of them is governed by their own terms, and they may change or stop supporting private feeds at any time. Some closed platforms, including Spotify and Audible, do not permit private content at all, so your audio cannot be added to them.

What you may do with your audio. You may listen to it, download it, keep it, and share it privately with family and friends, including by playing it at a private gathering. Adding your feed to a podcast app for your own listening, as described above, is part of what you bought. What you may not do is make it public: you may not sell it, license it, put it behind a paywall, use it in advertising, use it to train an AI model, or list, submit, or upload your feed or any audio file to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, a podcast directory, an app store, or any other public catalogue or channel. Your story remains yours under Section 8. The recording, its script and any transcript of it, our show, its format, its hosts, and its name are ours, and we may change or switch off a feed at any time. An episode may also contain music or other material that belongs to third parties and that we use under licence; that material stays theirs, and your permission to use the episode does not extend to it separately. If you would like to use your audio commercially, contact us and we will consider it.

The rest of these Terms apply. These Terms apply to audio add-ons in full, and in the same way as they apply to books. That includes, without limitation, the Content Standards in Section 4, the permission you give us in Section 5, the Photo and Likeness Rights in Section 6, our right to refuse or cancel an order in Section 7, Indemnification in Section 14, the disclaimers and limits in Sections 15 and 16, and Dispute Resolution in Section 21.

13. Returns and Refunds

Because every book is made to order, we do not accept returns or offer refunds for change of mind, or for dissatisfaction with content that matched your preview. We do provide remedies where a book arrives damaged or defective. Full details are set out in our Return & Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms. Audio add-ons are covered by Section 12 and by that policy.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BeTheAuthor, its officers, employees, contractors, and its suppliers and printing partners, from and against any claim, demand, action, loss, liability, damage, fine, penalty, cost, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Any photograph, image, name, likeness, dedication, or other Content you provide
• Your breach of these Terms, including the Content Standards and Photo and Likeness Rights sections
• Your violation of any applicable law, or of any third party's intellectual property, publicity, or privacy rights

This obligation is not subject to the limitation of liability in Section 16 and survives termination of these Terms.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

Our website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components, or that AI-generated content will meet your requirements.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, BeTheAuthor is not responsible for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from the use of our website or services, including loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of goodwill. This includes but is not limited to:

• Errors or inaccuracies in AI-generated content
• Content that does not meet your personal expectations
• Shipping delays or issues caused by third-party carriers
• Technical issues or service interruptions
• A book failing to arrive in time for a specific occasion or date
• Audio that cannot be played in a particular app or on a particular device, or hosted audio that is no longer available after you were able to download it

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to these Terms, your order, or your use of our services, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or on any other basis, shall not exceed the greater of (a) the total amount you paid for the order giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars ($100).

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

17. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to our services, and may refuse to produce any book, if we determine that you have breached these Terms or engaged in unlawful activity. Where we do so in relation to an order that has not yet been printed, we will refund you in full. You may stop using our services at any time and may ask us to close your account by contacting support.

18. Privacy

Your use of our services is subject to our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information, including photographs you upload.

19. Changes to These Terms

BeTheAuthor may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, our suppliers' requirements, or legal requirements. Significant updates will be communicated through our website, and the updated version will carry a new date at the top. Your continued use of our services after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. The Terms in force at the time you place an order govern that order.

20. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles, except that the agreement to arbitrate in Section 21 is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16.

Any claim that is not subject to arbitration under Section 21 shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wyoming, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. This does not apply to a claim properly brought in small claims court under Section 21.6.

Nothing in this section deprives you of the protection of any mandatory consumer protection provision of the law of the state or country in which you reside.

21. Dispute Resolution

Please read this section carefully. It requires you to resolve disputes by individual arbitration rather than in court, and it limits the time you have to bring a claim. You may opt out of arbitration under Section 21.8.

21.1 Notice of Dispute (required first step)

Before starting an arbitration or a court proceeding, you must first send us a written Notice of Dispute at support@betheauthor.com. The Notice must include your name, the email address and order number associated with your order, a description of the problem, and the specific relief you want. Sending a complete Notice and allowing sixty (60) days for us to resolve the matter is a required condition before any proceeding may be started. The time limit in Section 21.7 is paused while a complete Notice is pending.

21.2 Binding Arbitration

If the dispute is not resolved, you and BeTheAuthor agree that it will be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. Questions about the scope, enforceability, or validity of this Section shall be decided by the arbitrator, except that a court shall decide the enforceability of the class action waiver in Section 21.5.

21.3 Remote Proceedings — No Travel Required

All arbitration proceedings shall be conducted remotely, by written submission, telephone, or videoconference. Neither party shall be required to travel to, or appear in person at, any location for any purpose. If the arbitrator nonetheless determines that an in-person hearing is necessary, it shall be held in the county where you reside, and BeTheAuthor may appear by videoconference.

21.4 Arbitration Fees

The allocation of arbitration fees shall be governed by the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules and, where they apply, the AAA Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules. You will not be required to pay more than the filing fee you would pay to bring the same claim in your local court.

21.5 Class Action Waiver

You and BeTheAuthor agree that any dispute resolution proceeding will be conducted only on an individual basis, and not in a class, consolidated, collective, or representative action. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against BeTheAuthor. This waiver does not apply to any claim for public injunctive relief that cannot lawfully be waived, which may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction.

21.6 Exceptions

Either party may instead bring an individual claim in small claims court in the county where you reside, for any dispute within that court's jurisdiction. Either party may also seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement of intellectual property rights.

21.7 Time Limit for Bringing a Claim

ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS, YOUR ORDER, YOUR BOOK, OR YOUR USE OF OUR SERVICES MUST BE STARTED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CLAIM ARISES. A CLAIM NOT STARTED WITHIN THAT PERIOD IS PERMANENTLY BARRED. This limit applies to the fullest extent permitted by law, and does not apply where a longer period is required by mandatory law.

21.8 Your Right to Opt Out of Arbitration

You may reject Sections 21.2 through 21.6 by sending written notice to support@betheauthor.com within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms, stating your name, your order number, and that you opt out of arbitration. Opting out has no effect on any other part of these Terms, and no effect on your account or your order.

21.9 If Part of This Fails

If the class action waiver in Section 21.5 is found unenforceable as to any claim, then the agreement to arbitrate shall not apply to that claim, and that claim shall instead proceed in court under Section 20. In no circumstances shall any claim be arbitrated on a class, consolidated, collective, or representative basis. If any other part of this Section 21 is found unenforceable, the remainder shall continue to apply.

21.10 Jury Trial Waiver

If any claim proceeds in court rather than arbitration, YOU AND BETHEAUTHOR EACH WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY.

22. General Provisions

• Force majeure: We are not liable for any delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including supplier or carrier failure, outages affecting our AI or printing partners, industrial action, natural events, or governmental action
• Third-party beneficiaries: Our suppliers and printing partners are intended beneficiaries of the Indemnification section and may rely on it directly. No other person who is not a party to these Terms has any right to enforce them
• Assignment: You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them to an affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Entire agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Return & Refund Policy, form the entire agreement between you and BeTheAuthor and supersede any prior representations
• Severability: If any provision is held unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remainder will continue in force
• No waiver: Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it
• Electronic communications: You consent to receive communications from us electronically, and agree that electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing
• Survival: Sections 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, and 21 survive termination of these Terms

23. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

• Email: support@betheauthor.com
• Contact Form: Contact Us Page