Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account on, accessing, or using the Books.by platform at books.by (the "Service"), you agree to be legally bound by these Terms & Conditions (the "Terms"). These Terms constitute a binding agreement between you and For Authors, Inc (ABN [number]) ("Books.by", "Company", "we", "us", or "our").

If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a business, organisation, or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not create an account or use the Service. Your continued use of the Service following any update to these Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Definitions

Throughout these Terms, the following definitions apply:

• "Author" means any registered user who publishes or lists books for sale through the Service.
• "Reader" or "Customer" means any person who purchases a book through an Author's storefront on Books.by.
• "Content" means any material uploaded to or created on the Service, including but not limited to book manuscripts, cover artwork, author biographies, storefront designs, and product descriptions.
• "Storefront" means the personalised online bookstore hosted by Books.by for each Author at a books.by URL or custom domain.
• "Print-on-Demand" or "POD" means the printing model whereby physical books are manufactured individually upon receipt of a customer order.
• "Royalty" means the net amount an Author earns on a sale after deducting printing costs, shipping costs, and payment processing fees from the retail price.
• "Subscription" means the recurring annual fee paid by Authors for access to the Service.

3. Description of Service

Books.by is a direct-to-reader self-publishing platform that enables Authors to:

• Create and customise a personal online bookstore (Storefront);
• Upload, format, and list print books for sale;
• Receive free ISBNs for published titles;
• Sell books directly to Readers worldwide at Author-set prices;
• Have books printed and shipped on demand through third-party print partners;
• Receive royalty payments directly to their nominated bank account;
• Access sales analytics, order tracking, and customer data; and
• Use built-in tools including the cover builder and storefront customisation features.

Books.by does not take any commission or revenue share on book sales. Authors keep 100% of the difference between their retail price and the combined cost of printing, shipping, and payment processing (the "Royalty").

4. Account Registration & Eligibility

4.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age (or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction) to create an account and use the Service. By registering, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement.

4.2 Account Information

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information to keep it accurate, current, and complete. This includes your legal name, email address, mailing address, and bank account or payment details.

4.3 Account Security

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at support@books.by if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.

4.4 One Account Per Person

Each individual may maintain one Books.by account. Multiple accounts operated by the same person may be consolidated or terminated at our discretion. Authors who publish under multiple pen names may manage all pen names within a single account.

5. Subscription, Fees & Billing

5.1 Subscription Plan

Books.by operates on an annual subscription model. The current subscription fee is published on our Pricing page. The subscription includes access to all platform features, unlimited book listings, free ISBNs, and royalty payouts on dispatch.

5.2 Billing & Renewal

Subscriptions are billed annually in advance via credit card, debit card, or other accepted payment method. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each annual billing period at the then-current subscription price unless you cancel before the renewal date.

We will send a renewal reminder via email at least 14 days before your subscription renewal date.

5.3 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription pricing with at least 30 days' written notice. Price changes will take effect at your next renewal date. You may cancel your subscription before the new price takes effect if you do not agree to the change.

5.4 No Per-Sale Fees

Books.by does not charge any commission, royalty share, or per-sale fee on book sales. The only recurring cost to Authors is the annual subscription fee. Printing costs, shipping costs, and payment processing fees are deducted at the point of sale and are not retained by Books.by.

6. Money-Back Guarantee & Refunds

6.1 100-Day Money-Back Guarantee

New subscribers are eligible for a full refund of their subscription fee within 100 days of their initial subscription purchase, for any reason. To request a refund, contact support@books.by.

6.2 Refund Processing

Approved refunds will be processed within 10 business days and returned to the original payment method. The 100-day guarantee applies only to the initial subscription purchase and does not apply to subscription renewals.

6.3 Renewal Cancellation

If you cancel your subscription before renewal, you retain access to the Service until the end of your current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused portions of a subscription term after the 100-day guarantee period has passed.

6.4 Reader Order Refunds

Refund and return policies for book purchases made by Readers through Author Storefronts are governed separately. See Section 12 for details.

7. Author Content & Intellectual Property

7.1 Ownership

You retain full ownership and all intellectual property rights in your Content. Books.by does not claim any ownership, copyright, or proprietary interest in Author Content, including book manuscripts, cover artwork, author biographies, or any other material you upload.

7.2 Licence Grant

By uploading Content to Books.by, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

• Host, store, reproduce, and display your Content as necessary to operate the Service;
• Transmit your Content to our print-on-demand partners for the purpose of printing and fulfilling orders;
• Display your Content on your Storefront and in search results, promotional pages, and marketing materials related to the Books.by platform; and
• Create thumbnail images and previews of your book cover and interior for the purpose of facilitating sales.

This licence terminates when you remove your Content from the Service or close your account, except where copies are required for order fulfilment already in progress or for legal compliance.

7.3 Representations & Warranties

By uploading Content, you represent and warrant that:

• You are the author, rights holder, or have obtained all necessary licences and permissions to publish and sell the Content;
• Your Content does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of any third party;
• Your Content does not violate any applicable law, regulation, or the rights of any person (including rights of privacy and publicity); and
• You have the right to grant the licence described in Section 7.2.

7.4 Books.by Intellectual Property

The Books.by name, logo, branding, website design, software, and all related intellectual property are owned by For Authors, Inc or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not use our trademarks without prior written consent, except to accurately describe your use of the Service (e.g., "Published on Books.by").

8. Content Standards & Prohibited Content

8.1 Content Guidelines

All Content published on Books.by must comply with applicable laws and these Terms. We reserve the right to review Content and remove or restrict access to any Content that violates these standards.

8.2 Prohibited Content

The following categories of Content are prohibited on Books.by:

• Content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of any third party;
• Content that is defamatory, libellous, or constitutes hate speech targeting individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics;
• Content that depicts or promotes child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or the exploitation of minors in any form;
• Content created primarily to harass, threaten, or intimidate a specific individual;
• Content that constitutes or promotes fraud, phishing, or deceptive practices;
• Content that contains malware, viruses, or any harmful code;
• Spam, duplicate listings, or Content created solely to manipulate search rankings or platform visibility;
• Content that violates any applicable law or regulation in your jurisdiction or the jurisdiction of the intended reader.

8.3 Enforcement

We may remove Content or suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Content Standards. In cases of severe or repeated violations, we may do so without prior notice. We are not obligated to provide reasons for content removal decisions but will endeavour to notify you where practical.

8.4 Reporting

If you believe that Content on Books.by violates these standards, please report it to support@books.by with details of the Content and the basis for your concern.

9. ISBNs

9.1 Free ISBNs

Books.by provides free ISBNs for books published on the platform. These ISBNs are allocated by For Authors, Inc and will list "For Authors, Inc" (or its designated imprint) as the publisher of record in ISBN databases.

9.2 Books.by-Issued ISBNs

ISBNs issued by Books.by are for use exclusively on the Books.by platform. If you wish to use the same ISBN on other platforms or distribution channels, you must purchase your own ISBN from your national ISBN agency (e.g., Thorpe-Bowker in Australia, Bowker in the United States).

9.3 Author-Owned ISBNs

You may use your own ISBN for books published on Books.by. In this case, your publishing imprint will appear as the publisher of record. Books.by is not responsible for the accuracy of metadata associated with Author-owned ISBNs.

9.4 ISBN Portability

ISBNs issued by Books.by may be used on other platforms and are not restricted to Books.by. Each ISBN is tied to a specific edition (format, binding type) and the publisher of record remains "For Authors, Inc" regardless of where the ISBN is used.

10. Printing, Fulfilment & Shipping

10.1 Print-on-Demand

Books.by uses third-party print-on-demand partners to manufacture and ship books. When a Reader places an order, the book is printed and shipped directly to the Reader by our print partner. Books.by does not hold physical inventory.

10.2 Print Quality

We strive to maintain high print quality standards through our print partners. However, Books.by does not directly control the manufacturing process. If a Reader receives a book with printing defects (e.g., misprints, damaged pages, binding issues), we will arrange a replacement or refund at no cost to the Author.

10.3 Shipping

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on the destination, shipping method, and book specifications (size, weight, page count). Shipping costs are paid by the Reader and are not included in the Author's Royalty calculation beyond being deducted from the sale price. Shipping times vary by destination and method.

10.4 Proof Copies

Authors may order proof copies of their books at printing cost plus shipping. Proof copies are for review purposes and may include a "proof" watermark or indicator.

10.5 Author Copies

Authors may order copies of their own published books at printing cost plus shipping through their Books.by dashboard.

11. Royalties & Payouts

11.1 Royalty Calculation

Your Royalty on each sale is calculated as:

Books.by does not deduct any additional commission, platform fee, or revenue share. You keep 100% of the Royalty. Full details of printing costs and the royalty calculation model are available on our Royalties page.

11.2 Payout Schedule

Royalties are processed on the day the book dispatches and paid to your nominated bank account via Stripe Connect (or another supported payment processor). Payouts are subject to standard bank processing times, which are typically 1–3 business days depending on your bank and country. There is no minimum payout threshold.

11.3 Payout Information

You are responsible for providing accurate bank account details for royalty payouts. Books.by is not liable for payouts sent to incorrect accounts due to Author-provided errors.

11.4 Currency

Retail prices may be displayed to Readers in their local currency. Royalties are calculated and paid out in the currency configured in your account settings, subject to applicable exchange rates at the time of payout.

11.5 Holds & Adjustments

We reserve the right to hold, delay, or adjust royalty payments in cases of suspected fraud, chargebacks, excessive refund rates, or violation of these Terms. We will notify you if a hold is placed on your payouts and the reasons for the hold.

12. Reader Purchases & Customer Data

12.1 Merchant of Record

For Authors, Inc (operating as Books.by) acts as the merchant of record for all Reader purchases made through the platform. Books.by processes payments, handles refunds, and manages the transaction on behalf of the Author.

12.2 Reader Refunds & Returns

Readers may request a refund or replacement if they receive a book with manufacturing or printing defects. As print-on-demand books are custom-manufactured products, returns for reasons other than defects are handled at our discretion. We aim to process Reader refund requests within 5 business days.

12.3 Customer Data

When a Reader purchases from your Storefront, Books.by provides you with order information necessary for your business purposes, which may include the Reader's name, shipping address, and order details. You agree to:

• Use customer data solely for purposes related to your book sales and legitimate author-reader relationship;
• Comply with all applicable privacy and data protection laws (including the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and GDPR where applicable) in your handling of customer data;
• Not sell, rent, or share customer data with third parties without the customer's explicit consent; and
• Provide a mechanism for customers to opt out of marketing communications.

12.4 Communication with Readers

You may communicate with Readers who have purchased your books for purposes related to your book sales (e.g., new release announcements, series updates). All communications must comply with applicable anti-spam and marketing laws, including the Australian Spam Act 2003 and the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act.

13. Storefronts & Custom Domains

13.1 Storefront URL

Upon registration, you receive a Storefront at books.by/[yourname]. Storefront URLs are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to our naming policies. We reserve the right to reclaim or reassign Storefront URLs that are inactive, misleading, or violate our naming policies.

13.2 Custom Domains

Authors may connect a custom domain to their Storefront. You are responsible for domain registration, DNS configuration, and renewal of any custom domain. Books.by is not responsible for domain-related issues outside the platform.

13.3 Storefront Content

You are responsible for all content displayed on your Storefront, including book descriptions, author biographies, and any custom content. All Storefront content must comply with Section 8 (Content Standards).

14. Copyright Infringement & DMCA

14.1 Respect for Copyright

Books.by respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects Authors to do the same. We respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement in accordance with applicable law, including the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Australian Copyright Act 1968.

14.2 Filing a Complaint

If you believe your copyrighted work has been published on Books.by without your authorisation, please send a written notice to our designated agent at legal@books.by containing:

• Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed;
• Identification of the material on Books.by that you claim is infringing, with sufficient detail to allow us to locate it;
• Your contact information (name, address, telephone number, email);
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or are authorised to act on behalf of the copyright owner; and
• Your physical or electronic signature.

14.3 Counter-Notice

If your Content is removed in response to a copyright complaint and you believe the removal was in error, you may submit a counter-notice to legal@books.by in accordance with applicable law.

14.4 Repeat Infringers

Books.by will terminate the accounts of Authors who are found to be repeat copyright infringers.

15. Taxes

15.1 Author Tax Obligations

You are solely responsible for determining and fulfilling your tax obligations arising from income earned through Books.by. This includes, but is not limited to, income tax, goods and services tax (GST), value-added tax (VAT), sales tax, and any other applicable taxes in your jurisdiction.

15.2 Tax Information

We may require you to provide tax-related information (such as a Tax File Number, ABN, W-9, or W-8BEN form) as a condition of receiving payouts. Failure to provide required tax information may result in withholding of payouts or account restrictions.

15.3 Sales Tax & GST

Books.by collects and remits applicable sales tax, GST, or VAT on Reader purchases where required by law. The tax treatment of transactions may vary depending on the Author's location, the Reader's location, and the nature of the product.

15.4 Tax Reporting

Books.by will provide Authors with annual earnings summaries to assist with tax reporting. We may also be required to report Author earnings to tax authorities as required by applicable law.

15.5 No Tax Advice

Books.by does not provide tax advice. We recommend consulting a qualified tax professional regarding your specific tax obligations.

16. Privacy & Data Protection

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Our Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information.

By using Books.by, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in our Privacy Policy.

17. Third-Party Services

Books.by integrates with and relies on third-party services to operate the platform, including but not limited to:

• Print-on-demand partners for book manufacturing and fulfilment;
• Stripe for payment processing and royalty payouts;
• Cloud hosting providers for infrastructure and data storage; and
• Analytics and support tools for platform improvement and customer service.

Books.by is not responsible for the acts or omissions of third-party service providers. Your interactions with third-party services may be subject to their own terms of service and privacy policies.

18. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service, other user accounts, or related systems;
• Use automated scripts, bots, or crawlers to access, scrape, or interact with the Service without our prior written consent;
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
• Create fake orders, artificially inflate sales metrics, or engage in any form of sales manipulation;
• Use the Service to distribute unsolicited communications (spam); or
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service.

19. Service Availability & Modifications

19.1 Availability

We strive to maintain the Service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or circumstances beyond our control.

19.2 Modifications

We reserve the right to modify, update, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes that affect your use of the Service. Where possible, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before discontinuing core features.

19.3 Data Portability

If we discontinue the Service or any material part of it, we will provide Authors with reasonable access to their Content and sales data for a minimum of 90 days from the date of the discontinuation notice.

20. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

20.1 "As Is" Provision

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

20.2 No Guarantee of Sales

Books.by provides a platform for Authors to sell books. We do not guarantee any level of sales, traffic, revenue, or visibility. The success of your books depends on factors outside our control, including the quality of your content, your marketing efforts, and market conditions.

20.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, For Authors, Inc and its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, and agents shall not be liable for any:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages;
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities;
• Damages arising from your reliance on the Service or any information provided through the Service; or
• Damages arising from interruption, suspension, or termination of the Service.

In no event shall our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with these Terms or your use of the Service exceed the amount you have paid to Books.by in subscription fees in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the liability.

20.4 Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy conferred by the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) or any other applicable consumer protection legislation that cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified by agreement.

21. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless For Authors, Inc, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your use of the Service;
• Your Content, including any claims of intellectual property infringement;
• Your breach of these Terms;
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or
• Your misuse of Reader data.

22. Termination & Account Closure

22.1 Voluntary Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription and close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting support@books.by. Upon cancellation:

• Your Storefront will be deactivated at the end of your current billing period;
• Any outstanding royalties will be paid out in your next scheduled payout;
• You retain all intellectual property rights in your Content;
• We will retain your Content and data for 90 days after account closure to allow for reactivation, after which it will be permanently deleted unless otherwise required by law.

22.2 Termination by Books.by

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe that:

• You have violated these Terms or our Content Standards;
• Your account is associated with fraudulent activity;
• Your continued use of the Service poses a risk to Books.by, other users, or third parties; or
• We are required to do so by law, regulation, or court order.

In cases of termination for cause, we may withhold outstanding royalties pending investigation. If no violation is confirmed, withheld royalties will be released.

22.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 7, 8, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 23) shall survive.

22.4 Outstanding Orders

If orders are pending at the time of account termination, Books.by will fulfil those orders and pay any resulting royalties to the Author.

23. Dispute Resolution

23.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

23.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute resolution proceeding, you agree to first contact us at support@books.by and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for a period of at least 30 days.

23.3 Jurisdiction

If informal resolution is unsuccessful, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Service shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

23.4 Class Action Waiver

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action.

24. General Provisions

24.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Books.by regarding your use of the Service and supersede all prior agreements, communications, and understandings.

24.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

24.3 Waiver

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

24.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms, or any rights or obligations hereunder, without our prior written consent. Books.by may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets.

24.5 Notices

We may provide notices to you via email to the address associated with your account, through the platform dashboard, or by posting on our website. You are responsible for keeping your contact information current.

24.6 Force Majeure

Books.by shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform any obligation under these Terms if the delay or failure results from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, war, terrorism, labour disputes, government actions, power failures, or internet or telecommunications outages.

24.7 Amendments

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email and/or a prominent notice on our website at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

25. Contact

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

For Authors, Inc
2/65 Dover Street, Cremorne
VIC 3121, Australia

General enquiries: support@books.by
Legal & copyright: legal@books.by