Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information TheAuthor.io ("we," "us," or "our") collects when you use the Service, how we use it, and the choices you have. It should be read alongside our Terms of Service.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: your name, email address, and (for email/password accounts) a securely hashed password. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email, and profile picture from Google.

Payment information: subscription and purchase details are processed by our payment processor, Stripe. We do not store your full card number on our servers.

Content: the book manuscripts, outlines, chapters, and covers you create using the Service.

Usage and device data: pages viewed, features used, browser/device type, and similar diagnostic data, collected via our analytics provider.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to: provide and operate the Service (account management, generating and storing your books, processing payments); improve the Service (understanding which features are used and where visitors drop off); provide customer support; detect fraud and abuse; and, if you opt in, send you product updates. You can opt out of non-essential emails at any time.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the Service, each acting under their own privacy and security obligations, including for:

• authentication and database hosting
• payment processing and subscription billing
• transactional email delivery (account confirmations, password resets)
• product analytics (page views and feature usage; session recording is disabled)
• AI text generation, used to produce your book's content from the prompts and details you provide
• AI image generation, used to produce your book's cover from the descriptions you provide
• application hosting

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect our rights, or as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of business assets, in which case we'll notify you.

4. AI-Generated Content and Your Data

The prompts, topics, and details you provide are sent to our AI text and image generation providers solely to produce your book's content and cover. We do not use your specific prompts or generated content to train AI models, and we do not share your book content with other users.

5. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and remember preferences (like your theme). Analytics cookies are off by default and only load after you accept them in the cookie banner shown on your first visit; you can change your choice at any time below, or block cookies entirely through your browser settings — blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the Service from working correctly.

6. Data Retention

We retain your account and book content for as long as your account is active. If your subscription ends and is not renewed, your book library (generated manuscripts, covers, and exported files) is permanently deleted 30 days later unless you resubscribe first — resubscribing at any point before that window closes restores full access and keeps your library intact. This does not affect your account or login, which remain active either way.

Separately, if you request account deletion, we will delete your personal information and remaining content within 30 days of that request, except where we're required to retain certain records (for example, payment records for tax or accounting purposes). This is a different 30-day period from the one above: the first is how long a lapsed subscriber's library is kept before automatic deletion; this one is how quickly we act on an explicit deletion request.

7. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (TLS) and access controls on our systems. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; correct inaccurate information; request deletion of your information; object to or restrict certain processing; and receive a copy of your data in a portable format. To exercise any of these rights, email support@theauthor.io — we aim to respond within 30 days.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to, and is not intended for use by, anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn we have done so, we will delete it promptly.

10. International Users

Your information may be processed and stored in countries other than your own, including the United States, by the service providers listed above. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer and processing.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll post the updated version here with a new "Last updated" date, and notify you by email if changes are material.

12. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy, or requests to access, correct, or delete your data, can be sent to support@theauthor.io.