Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

Welcome to BookAuth. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the BookAuth platform at bookauth.com and related services (collectively, the "Service"). BookAuth is a product of Vuxtra LLC, a Florida, U.S.A. company. In these Terms, "BookAuth," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Vuxtra LLC and its operators of the Service.

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. Description of Service

BookAuth is a platform connecting authors, readers, and publishing professionals. Our Service includes:

• For Authors: Tools to publish and sell books (digital and physical, including print-on-demand), create Advance Reader Copy (ARC) campaigns, manage pricing, discounts, shipping, and returns, build an author profile and a customizable author website, send newsletters to subscribers, and receive payments for sales.
• For Readers: Discover and purchase books, apply for ARC campaigns, write reviews, build a reader reputation, join book clubs, and manage a personal library.
• Professional Services Marketplace: Authors can discover and engage publishing professionals (editors, designers, marketers, and others) under our Professional Services Agreement.
• Newsletter & Email: Authors can send newsletters to their subscribers under our Newsletter & Sending Terms.
• Discovery Hub: aggregated book and author information to help readers find books and authors.
• AI-Assisted Features: optional tools (e.g., review insights, content suggestions) subject to our AI Features Terms.
• Community Features: reviews, ratings, book clubs, and other user-generated content subject to our Community Guidelines.

Certain features carry additional terms, which are incorporated into these Terms by reference: the Seller Agreement, Professional Services Agreement, Newsletter & Sending Terms, Acceptable Use Policy, Cookie Policy, DMCA / Copyright Policy, and our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Addendum.

3. Account Registration

3.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service, and you must be at least 18 years old (and the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to use commercial features — including selling books, receiving payouts, engaging professionals, sending paid newsletters, or making purchases. If you are under 18 and otherwise eligible, you must have parental or guardian consent to use non-commercial features, and you represent that any such consent has been obtained. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these eligibility requirements. The Service is not directed to children under 13; see our Privacy Policy for our children's-privacy practices.

3.2 Account Creation

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and update your information as needed
• Keep your account credentials secure and confidential
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account

3.3 Account Types

BookAuth offers different account types with distinct features and responsibilities:

• Author Accounts: For individuals publishing and selling books on the platform
• Reader Accounts: For individuals discovering, purchasing, and reviewing books

4. Author Terms

4.1 Publishing Rights and Content Ownership

By publishing content on BookAuth, you represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the legal right to publish the content
• The content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights
• The content does not violate any applicable laws or regulations
• You have obtained all necessary permissions, licenses, and releases for any third-party content included in your work

You retain full ownership of your content. By publishing on BookAuth, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide license to display, distribute, and promote your content as necessary to operate the Service.

4.2 Pricing and Sales

Authors may set their own prices for books, subject to:

• Minimum and maximum price limits established by BookAuth
• Applicable tax and regulatory requirements
• Platform fee structures as communicated to authors

4.3 Payments and Payouts

Book sales are processed through Stripe. Authors will receive payouts according to our payout schedule, minus applicable platform fees. You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate payment information through Stripe Connect
• Complying with Stripe's terms of service
• Reporting and paying any applicable taxes on your earnings

4.4 Advance Reader Copy (ARC) Campaigns

Authors may create ARC campaigns to:

• Distribute free copies of books to readers in exchange for honest reviews
• Set eligibility requirements for ARC applicants
• Review and approve/reject ARC applications
• Set review deadlines and requirements

Authors may not require positive reviews as a condition of ARC participation. All reviews must be honest and unbiased.

4.5 Author Websites

Authors may receive a customizable author website (subdomain.bookauth.com). These websites are subject to our content guidelines and may be suspended or terminated for violations.

5. Marketplace and Selling Platform

5.1 Author as Merchant of Record

When you purchase a product (digital or physical) from an author on BookAuth, the sale is between you and the author. The author is the merchant of record for that transaction. BookAuth provides the technology platform that facilitates the sale but is not a party to the transaction between buyer and seller.

This means:

• The author is responsible for product quality, fulfillment, and customer service
• The author sets their own prices, returns policies, and shipping methods
• Payments are processed through Stripe on the author's connected account
• BookAuth charges a platform fee for providing the storefront, payment processing, and delivery infrastructure
• BookAuth is not liable for seller performance, product quality, or fulfillment delays

5.2 Product Offers and Fulfillment Methods

Authors may create multiple offers per book with different fulfillment methods:

• Digital Auto-Delivery: Download available immediately after purchase. No returns after delivery.
• Digital Manual Delivery: The author sends the download link after confirming the purchase, typically within 24 hours.
• Physical (Author Inventory): Physical books shipped by the author from their own inventory. Shipping times and tracking provided by the author.
• Print on Demand: Books printed and shipped by a third-party print provider on the author's behalf. Production takes 3-5 business days before shipping.

5.3 Shipping

For physical products, the author sets shipping rates, methods, and the destinations they are willing to ship to. Shipping costs are displayed at checkout before you complete your purchase. BookAuth provides shipping rate calculation tools to authors but is not responsible for carrier performance, delivery delays, lost or damaged packages, or customs duties. Tracking information is provided by the author when available.

Shipping is non-refundable. Once a shipping label has been purchased and your order has shipped, any shipping charges you paid are non-refundable. If you are issued a refund after shipment, the original shipping cost and any return postage will be deducted from your refund amount. Shipping is only refundable when an order is cancelled before the label is purchased or before the package enters the carrier's possession.

Each author may restrict shipping to specific countries or set their store to domestic-only. BookAuth also maintains a global list of prohibited destinations (see Section 5.8). If your shipping address is in a country the author does not serve, or in a prohibited destination, you will be unable to complete checkout for that physical offer.

5.4 Returns and Refunds

Returns and refund policies are set by each author per offer. Before purchasing, the applicable returns policy is displayed on the checkout page. General guidelines:

• Digital Auto-Delivery: No returns or refunds after delivery due to the nature of digital content.
• Digital Manual Delivery: Refund requests may be submitted before the author delivers the file.
• Physical Products: The author's stated returns window applies. If the author accepts returns, you may request a return within the specified period.
• Disputes: If you cannot resolve an issue with the author, you may contact BookAuth support. BookAuth reserves the right to intervene in disputes, including issuing refunds on the author's behalf in cases of clear non-delivery or fraud.

5.4.1 Physical Returns Procedure

To return a physical book, follow this procedure:

1. Contact the author within the stated returns window (shown on the checkout page at the time of purchase) to request a return. Use the order confirmation email or the order page in your account.
2. Receive a return approval. The author reviews the request and, if eligible, provides a return shipping address and any instructions. Do not ship the item back before receiving approval.
3. Ship the item back in its original condition within 14 days of approval using a trackable method. Keep your tracking number.
4. Refund issued. Once the author confirms the returned item is received in original condition, a refund for the book price is issued to your original payment method. As described in Section 5.3, original shipping and return postage are not refundable.

Items returned damaged, used, or without prior approval may be refused, and no refund will be issued. If the author does not respond to a return request within a reasonable time, you may escalate to BookAuth support.

5.5 Sales Tax

As the author is the merchant of record, applicable sales tax is calculated and collected on the author's Stripe account using Stripe Tax. Tax amounts are displayed at checkout before you complete your purchase. BookAuth does not collect or remit sales tax on behalf of authors.

5.6 Seller Agreement

Authors who wish to sell on BookAuth must accept the BookAuth Seller Agreement. The Seller Agreement is separate from these Terms of Service and governs the author's selling activities, including fees, fulfillment obligations, returns handling, and prohibited activities.

5.7 Chargeback Policy

A chargeback is a payment dispute initiated by a buyer with their card-issuing bank, reversing a transaction. If you initiate a chargeback for a purchase made on BookAuth:

• You should first attempt to resolve the issue directly with the seller or via BookAuth support. Chargebacks filed without first attempting resolution may be contested by the seller.
• The seller (author) is financially responsible for chargebacks on their sales and may submit evidence (tracking, delivery confirmation, communications) to dispute invalid chargebacks.
• BookAuth may, at its discretion, suspend accounts that initiate a pattern of abusive, fraudulent, or "friendly fraud" chargebacks (filing a chargeback for goods legitimately received).
• If a chargeback is reversed in the seller's favor after evidence is submitted, the original transaction amount may be re-charged.

5.8 Prohibited Destinations

BookAuth maintains a global list of prohibited shipping destinations, which includes countries subject to U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, embargo, or other export restrictions. BookAuth and its sellers do not ship physical products to prohibited destinations.

• Attempts to ship to a prohibited destination by providing false address information violate these Terms and may result in order cancellation without refund and account termination.
• The prohibited-destinations list is updated as sanctions change. Sellers may also set their own, narrower destination restrictions per Section 5.3.
• BookAuth is not liable for orders seized, delayed, or refused by customs in any destination.

6. Reader Terms

6.1 Purchases

When you purchase a book on BookAuth, you receive a license to access and read the content for personal, non-commercial use. You may not:

• Redistribute, resell, or share purchased content
• Remove or circumvent any digital rights management (DRM) if applicable
• Use purchased content for commercial purposes without permission

6.2 Refunds

Digital purchases are generally non-refundable due to the nature of digital content. Refund requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis for:

• Technical issues preventing access to purchased content
• Duplicate purchases
• Fraudulent transactions

Physical purchases are governed by the seller's stated returns policy (see Section 5.4 and the Physical Returns Procedure in Section 5.4.1). Refunds for returned physical books cover the book price only; original shipping and return postage are non-refundable (see Section 5.3). If an item never ships, is lost in transit, or arrives materially not as described, you may request a full refund including shipping through BookAuth support.

6.3 ARC Participation

When participating in ARC campaigns, readers agree to:

• Read the book within the specified timeframe
• Submit an honest, thoughtful review by the deadline
• Not share or distribute the ARC copy
• Disclose that they received a free copy when posting reviews elsewhere

Failure to complete ARC commitments may affect your reader reputation score and eligibility for future ARC campaigns.

6.4 Reviews and Reputation

Reviews must be:

• Honest and based on your actual reading experience
• Respectful and constructive, even when critical
• Free from personal attacks, hate speech, or harassment
• Your own original work (not copied from other sources)

Your reader reputation is based on review quality, completion rates, timeliness, and other factors. Reputation scores help authors identify reliable ARC readers.

7. Content Guidelines

7.1 Prohibited Content

The following content is not permitted on BookAuth:

• Content that infringes intellectual property rights
• Illegal content or content promoting illegal activities
• Content depicting sexual exploitation of minors
• Hate speech, harassment, or content promoting violence
• Misleading or fraudulent content
• Spam or commercial solicitation outside permitted channels
• Malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Content that violates privacy rights

7.2 Content Moderation

We reserve the right to review, remove, or restrict access to any content that violates these Terms or our content guidelines. We may also suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate our policies.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 BookAuth Property

The BookAuth name, logo, website design, and all software, features, and functionality of the Service are owned by BookAuth and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our permission.

8.2 User Content License

By posting content (reviews, comments, profile information), you grant BookAuth a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content in connection with operating and promoting the Service.

8.3 DMCA Compliance

We respect intellectual-property rights and respond to notices of alleged infringement as described in our DMCA / Copyright Policy, which includes the takedown notice requirements, a counter-notice procedure, and our policy of terminating repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances. Submit notices to [email protected]. A notice must include your contact information, identification of the copyrighted work, identification of the infringing material and its location, a statement of good- faith belief that use is not authorized, a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate (and that you are authorized to act), and your physical or electronic signature.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Use the Service for unauthorized commercial purposes
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service
• Use automated means to access the Service without permission
• Manipulate reviews, ratings, or reputation scores
• Engage in price manipulation or fraudulent transactions
• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Circumvent any security or access controls

10. Termination

10.1 Termination by You

You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Upon termination:

• Your access to the Service will end
• Your public content (reviews, published books) may remain on the platform but will be anonymized
• Pending payouts will be processed according to our normal schedule

10.2 Termination by BookAuth

We may suspend or terminate your account at our discretion, with or without notice, for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Conduct harmful to other users or the Service
• Extended inactivity
• Any other reason at our sole discretion

11. Disclaimers and Limitations

11.1 Service Availability

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

11.2 User Content

The Service contains user-generated content (books, reviews, book-club posts, profiles, messages, and author-site content) created by others. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, legality, or quality of any user-generated content, and we are not the publisher or speaker of such content. You acknowledge that you may be exposed to content that is inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable, and you agree that BookAuth and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents will not be liable for any damages you allege to incur as a result of such content. BookAuth may, but is not obligated to, monitor, restrict, or remove content (see our Community Guidelines and DMCA / Copyright Policy). To the extent permitted by law (including 47 U.S.C. § 230), you access and use such content at your own risk.

11.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BookAuth shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Service.

Our total liability for any claims arising from your use of the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to BookAuth in the twelve months preceding the claim, or, if you paid us nothing in that period, USD $100. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so these limits may not apply to the fullest extent in your jurisdiction; nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law (for example, liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or where consumer-protection law forbids the limitation).

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BookAuth and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your content or activities on the platform
• Your violation of any third-party rights

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal dispute, you agree to contact us at [email protected] to attempt informal resolution for at least 30 days.

13.2 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, U.S.A., without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. The Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA), Fla. Stat. ch. 501, may apply to Florida consumers. The Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR), Fla. Stat. ch. 501.173, applies only to controllers that meet its (high) revenue and data-volume thresholds; to the extent BookAuth does or ever does meet those thresholds, BookAuth will comply with the FDBR and honor the rights it grants Florida residents.

13.3 Arbitration Agreement

Except for disputes that may be taken to small-claims court (Section 13.6), any dispute or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (or Commercial Arbitration Rules if you are a business user), including the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes where applicable. Arbitration will be held in Florida (Palm Beach County or as the parties agree), U.S.A., or by telephone/video if the parties agree. The arbitrator, not any court, has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this arbitration provision (including the class-action waiver), except that any claim that this arbitration provision or class-action waiver is unenforceable may be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction.

13.4 Class Action & Mass Arbitration Waiver; Jury Waiver

Class-action waiver. You and BookAuth agree that each party may bring claims against the other only on an individual basis, and that claims may not be brought as a plaintiff or class member in any class, consolidated, representative, or private attorney-general action.

Mass arbitration. If multiple similar arbitrations are filed, the parties agree to use AAA's mass-filing or batching procedures (or a similar process) to manage and resolve them efficiently, including staged/batched proceedings and a discovery and hearing protocol, so that the costs of mass individual filings are not used as leverage.

Jury waiver. To the extent any dispute is litigated in court rather than arbitrated, each party irrevocably waives any right to a trial by jury.

13.5 30-Day Opt-Out

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement and class-action waiver by sending a written notice to [email protected] (or to our postal address in Section 15) within 30 days after you first accept these Terms (or the updated Terms containing this provision). The opt-out notice must include your name, address, email, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the courts described in Section 13.2; all other Terms still apply.

13.6 Small-Claims Court & Authority of Arbitrator

Either party may bring an individual action in small-claims court (or equivalent) for claims within that court's jurisdiction. The arbitrator may award the same damages and relief a court could, including injunctive relief and attorneys' fees where authorized. Judgment on the arbitrator's award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. This Section 13 survives termination of the Service or your account.

14. General Provisions

14.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and BookAuth regarding the Service.

14.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

14.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

14.5 Force Majeure

BookAuth is not liable for any delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, epidemics or pandemics, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes, internet or telecommunications failures, power outages, government actions, or failures of third-party providers (including payment, shipping, hosting, or AI providers).

14.6 Electronic Communications & Signatures (ESIGN/UETA)

You agree to transact with us electronically and that electronic records (including these Terms, the Seller Agreement, and notices) have the same legal effect as paper records, to the fullest extent permitted by the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA), and equivalent laws. You confirm you can access and retain these records electronically. Where you accept an agreement or authorize a charge through the Service, that action constitutes your electronic signature.

14.7 Survival

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination — including ownership, indemnification, limitation of liability, dispute resolution, confidentiality, and any accrued payment obligations — survive termination of your account or these Terms.

14.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries

These Terms are for the benefit of you and BookAuth only. Unless expressly stated, no third party (including other users, buyers, or sellers) is a beneficiary of or may enforce these Terms.

14.9 Export Control & EU/UK Digital-Content Withdrawal

Export controls. You agree to comply with all applicable U.S. and international export-control and sanctions laws (see the Seller Agreement and OFAC provisions for sellers). You may not use the Service where prohibited.

EU/UK digital-content withdrawal. Consumers in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and certain other jurisdictions have a statutory right to withdraw from distance contracts, generally within 14 days. For digital content delivered automatically upon purchase (e.g., ebooks, downloads, immediate digital delivery), you consent to delivery beginning immediately and acknowledge that by accessing/downloading the content you expressly waive your right of withdrawal to the extent permitted by applicable law (e.g., Directive (EU) 2011/83, UK Consumer Contracts Regulations). This waiver is captured at checkout. Statutory rights that cannot be excluded remain unaffected.

15. Contact Us

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