This policy explains how One Big Media Company (“OBMC”, “we”) handles information when you use Author Out Loud (the “Service”). See also our Terms of Service.
1. The short version
2. What we collect
Information you give us
- Account details — name, email, password (handled by our authentication provider), optional pen name, phone and photo.
- Book content — setup choices, answers you speak or type, voice recordings and memos you upload, edits, cover images and design choices.
- Orders and shipping — names, shipping addresses and phone numbers for printed copies.
- Payments and payouts — handled by Stripe; we receive limited details such as the last four digits of a card and payout status, not full card or bank numbers.
- Messages — what you send us through contact or enterprise forms.
Information collected automatically
- Device and usage information needed to run and secure the Service (for example, browser type, app version, and log data).
- [Analytics tools, if any, and cookie details — to be confirmed before launch.]
3. How we use it
- To create your outline, questions, chapters, designs and book files.
- To transcribe voice recordings into text.
- To print and ship copies you order, and to sell books you choose to publish.
- To bill you, pay you your earnings, and keep required financial records.
- To send reminders and service emails you can control in your account settings.
- To keep the Service secure, prevent abuse, and fix problems.
4. AI and your answers
Your answers are sent to an AI model to draft your chapters. Drafts are written only from your answers, and details we're unsure about are marked for you to check. We currently use Anthropic's Claude API for this; in the future we may run AI models on our own infrastructure. We do not use your content to train AI models, and we choose providers whose terms do not allow training on your content. [Confirm vendor data-retention settings before launch.]
5. Who processes your information
We rely on these service providers to run the Service. They may only use your information to provide their service to us.
- Google Firebase — accounts, database, file storage, hosting and server functions.
- Anthropic (Claude API) — drafting outlines, questions and chapters.
- [Transcription provider] — turning uploaded voice memos into text.
- Stripe — payments, billing and author payouts.
- Lulu Press, Inc. — printing and shipping copies (receives your book files and the shipping address for each order).
- Bowker — ISBN registration (receives your book's title, author name and format when you publish).
- [Email provider] — sending account and service emails.
6. When information is shared
- When you publish — your book, title, author name, description and author page become public, as you choose.
- With co-authors — on co-authored books, the content of that book is shared between its authors.
- For legal reasons — if required by law, or to protect people's safety or the Service.
- Business transfers — if OBMC is involved in a merger or sale, subject to this policy.
We do not sell your personal information.
7. Security and content protection
Information is encrypted in transit and stored with access limited to your account and a small number of authorized staff. On free plans, the Service limits copying, printing, screenshots and screen recording where the platform allows. On our mobile apps this uses operating-system features that block capture of the app's screen.
8. Your choices and rights
- Access and download — on a paid plan you can download your answers, recordings, chapters and book files.
- Correct — update your profile and book content any time.
- Delete — delete your account from Account → Your data; this permanently removes your books, answers, recordings and files.
- Emails — choose which reminders and emails you receive in your account settings.
- [State-specific rights (e.g. California) and how to make a request — to be completed by counsel.]
9. How long we keep information
We keep your content while your account is open. When you delete your account, we delete your book content and files. We keep order, payment and tax records, and ISBN registration records, for as long as the law requires — with your book content removed. [Backup retention period — to be confirmed.]
10. Children
The Service is not intended for children under [13/18]. [Policy for minors as co-authors or subjects — to be decided.]
11. Changes and contact
We'll post any changes here and tell you about significant ones. Questions or requests: [privacy contact email], One Big Media Company, [Company address], or our contact page.