Plain-language summary
De qué va esta página
Este resumen explica, en lenguaje llano, las reglas para usar AskAuthor. El texto completo en inglés que aparece más abajo es el que tiene valor legal para ti y para nosotros.
Tu cuenta
Debes tener al menos 13 años. Una cuenta por persona — crear duplicados para esquivar sanciones es motivo de cierre. El inicio de sesión es solo con Google OAuth o enlace mágico por correo; no hay contraseñas.
Tu contenido
Conservas la propiedad de todo lo que publicas. Nos concedes una licencia no exclusiva para mostrar, distribuir y promocionar ese contenido en la plataforma. Los autores pueden borrar sus propias respuestas; las preguntas de lectores suelen quedarse publicadas aunque se retire la respuesta. Está prohibido contenido ilegal, acoso, suplantación, spam, malware, material que sexualice a menores y cualquier cosa que infrinja derechos de autor de terceros.
Dinero — Spotlight, Propinas, Pro
Spotlight permite a los lectores pagar para destacar una pregunta en la cola de un autor verificado (mínimo 1 USD, máximo 50 USD). Los pagos de Spotlight son por regla general definitivos y no garantizan respuesta — aunque podemos emitir reembolsos a nuestra discreción en supuestos como cobros duplicados o errores del procesador, o cuando la ley lo exija. Tras las comisiones de Stripe, el autor recibe el 50% y AskAuthor el 50%.
Las propinas (tips) van directamente a los autores verificados, descontadas solo las comisiones de Stripe. AskAuthor se queda con el 0% de las propinas. Las propinas no son reembolsables en los mismos términos que Spotlight.
Pro cuesta 14,99 USD/mes o 119 USD/año, facturado por Stripe. Puedes cancelar en cualquier momento desde los ajustes; el acceso continúa hasta el fin del periodo pagado. No hay reembolsos parciales por tiempo no usado (salvo cuando la ley lo exija). Avisamos con al menos 30 días de antelación antes de subir precios.
Si tienes una incidencia de facturación, escríbenos a hello@askauthor.io antes de iniciar un chargeback con tu banco. Los chargebacks reiterados pueden conllevar la suspensión de la cuenta.
Los autores son responsables de sus propios impuestos sobre los ingresos.
Verificación
La insignia de autor verificado requiere una comprobación de identidad por DM en las redes sociales oficiales del autor. Podemos aprobar o rechazar cualquier solicitud por cualquier motivo. Suplantar a un autor está prohibido y puede acarrear acciones legales.
Moderación y sanciones
Podemos retirar contenido o suspender cuentas a nuestra discreción si se incumplen los Términos. Puedes apelar escribiendo a hello@askauthor.io. La decisión en la apelación es definitiva. Las retiradas por derechos de autor siguen nuestra política DMCA.
Puntos legales clave
El servicio se ofrece "tal cual", sin garantías. No garantizamos que un autor responda. Nuestra responsabilidad total hacia ti está limitada al importe mayor entre 100 USD o lo que nos hayas pagado en los últimos 12 meses. Las disputas pasan primero por contacto informal y luego por arbitraje individual vinculante bajo las Reglas de Arbitraje del Consumidor de la AAA, en Delaware — se renuncia a las acciones colectivas. Se aplica la ley del estado de Delaware.
Contacto
hello@askauthor.io para consultas generales, privacy@askauthor.io para privacidad, dmca@askauthor.io para derechos de autor.
Terms of Service
Last updated: May 10, 2026
AskAuthor (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates a platform that connects readers with authors through public Q&A. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of AskAuthor, including all features, content, and services available at askauthor.io. By creating an account or using the platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms in their entirety. If you do not agree, do not use AskAuthor.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using AskAuthor, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, our Cookie Policy, and our DMCA Takedown Policy, all of which are incorporated by reference into these Terms.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated as described in Section 19. Your continued use of AskAuthor after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
By creating an account, you consent to receive all communications from AskAuthor electronically, including legal notices, account notifications, privacy updates, and dispute-related correspondence. You agree that electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
2. Account Registration & Eligibility
Age requirement
You must be at least 13 years old to create an account on AskAuthor. By registering, you confirm that you meet this age requirement. Users between 13 and 18 should use the platform with parental awareness and supervision. If we learn that a user is under 13, we will terminate their account and delete their data promptly.
Authentication methods
Account registration is available through Google OAuth and Magic Link email authentication via Supabase Auth. We do not support traditional username/password sign-up. You are responsible for maintaining the security of the authentication method linked to your account.
One account per person
Each person may maintain only one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions, bans, or platform rules is prohibited and grounds for immediate termination of all associated accounts. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
Truthful information and account security
You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your profile information updated. You are responsible for safeguarding the authentication method (Google account or Magic Link email inbox) tied to your AskAuthor account and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us promptly at support@askauthor.io if you suspect any unauthorized access to or use of your account.
3. User-Generated Content
Content you create
AskAuthor allows users to submit questions, answers, comments, and profile information (“User Content”). You retain full ownership of the content you post. By posting User Content, you grant AskAuthor a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable license to use, display, reproduce, distribute, modify, and create derivative works of that content on the platform and in associated promotional materials (such as social media posts, newsletters, or marketing pages).
Content persistence
Authors may delete their own answers at any time. Questions submitted by readers will remain on the platform even if the associated answer is removed, unless the question itself violates these Terms. Deleted content may persist in backups for a reasonable period before permanent removal.
Prohibited content
You may not post User Content that:
- Is illegal, obscene, defamatory, threatening, or harassing
- Infringes on intellectual property rights of any third party
- Contains personal or private information of another person without consent
- Constitutes spam, unsolicited promotions, or repetitive content
- Contains malware, phishing links, or other harmful code
- Impersonates any person, author, or AskAuthor staff
- Sexualizes minors in any way
- Promotes violence, self-harm, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin
You are solely responsible for the accuracy and legality of content you post. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms without prior notice.
4. Author Verification
Authors who wish to claim their profile and receive a verified badge must complete our identity verification process. Verification is conducted via direct message (DM) through the author's official social media accounts to confirm their identity and confirm that they are a published author of the works associated with their AskAuthor profile.
AskAuthor has sole and absolute discretion to approve or reject any verification request, for any reason, without obligation to explain. Approval is not guaranteed. Misrepresenting your identity during the verification process constitutes fraud and will result in immediate and permanent account termination.
Impersonating an author — whether through the verification process or by creating a profile that misleadingly suggests official authorship — is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action in addition to account termination.
5. Payments — Spotlight Questions
Spotlight lets readers pay to elevate a question for premium visibility in the relevant book or author discussion queue. Spotlight is available whether or not the author has claimed, verified, or connected a payout account. The minimum Spotlight payment is US$ 1.00, with a maximum of US$ 1,000.00. Payments are processed securely through Stripe.
If you choose Spotlight while asking a new question, the public question is created only after Stripe confirms successful payment. If the checkout is cancelled, fails, expires, or is unpaid, no public Spotlight question is posted. You may also upgrade an existing eligible free question to Spotlight.
After Stripe's processing fees are deducted, the remaining Spotlight revenue is allocated as follows:
- Verified author with an active Stripe Connect payout account: 50% to the author and 50% to AskAuthor.
- All other cases (unclaimed author profile, unverified author, or verified author without a connected Stripe payout account): 100% to AskAuthor and 0% to the author. The author receives no payout from these Spotlight payments even if they later verify or connect Stripe.
The applicable split is disclosed at the time of payment so readers can make an informed choice before contributing.
Spotlight payments are final and non-refundable, except (a) where required by applicable law, or (b) at AskAuthor's sole discretion (for example, in cases of duplicate charges, processor errors, or confirmed fraud). Paying to prioritize a question does not guarantee that the author will respond. Spotlight is a voluntary tool for prioritizing a question and, when the author is payout-ready at the time of payment, supporting that author — it is not a guaranteed service. By submitting a Spotlight payment, you acknowledge and accept this non-guaranteed nature.
6. Payments — Tips
Readers may tip verified authors who have completed Stripe Connect payout setup as a token of appreciation. Tips are processed through Stripe. 100% of the tip amount, minus Stripe's standard processing fee (currently 2.9% + US$ 0.30 per transaction), is passed directly to the author.
AskAuthor does not retain any portion of tips — the platform fee for tips is 0%. Tips are voluntary and non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or at AskAuthor's sole discretion (for example, in cases of duplicate charges, processor errors, or confirmed fraud). Authors are responsible for any applicable taxes on income received through tips.
7. Payments — Pro Subscriptions
AskAuthor offers verified authors a Pro subscription plan that provides enhanced features. Pro is available at US$ 14.99/month or US$ 119.00/year (a savings of approximately 34% compared to monthly billing). Subscriptions are billed through Stripe on a recurring basis.
Automatic renewal. Pro subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period (monthly or annual) at the then-current price. Your payment method on file will be charged on each renewal date until you cancel. By subscribing, you authorize AskAuthor and Stripe to store your payment method and to charge it on a recurring basis for this purpose.
Cancel at any time. You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. The cancel flow is designed as a two-step path: (1) open Settings → Subscription, and (2) click Cancel subscription and confirm. No phone call, email, or support ticket is required. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you will retain access to Pro features until your paid period expires. No partial refunds are issued for unused time within a billing period, except where required by applicable law.
We reserve the right to change subscription pricing with at least 30 days' advance notice. Price changes will apply to your next billing cycle after the notice period. If you do not agree with a price change, you may cancel before it takes effect.
8. Author Payouts
Authors receive payouts through Stripe Connect. To receive payouts, authors must complete Stripe's onboarding process, which includes identity verification and tax information as required by applicable law.
Payout timing and methods are determined by Stripe's standard schedule and the author's Stripe Connect configuration. AskAuthor is not responsible for delays caused by Stripe, banking institutions, or incomplete onboarding.
Authors are solely responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes on earnings received through AskAuthor, including income from Spotlight questions and tips. Stripe may collect tax information and issue tax forms (such as Form 1099-K) where required by U.S. law; AskAuthor may also retain or provide payment records where required to meet tax, accounting, or legal obligations.
8B. Third-Party Processors
To deliver the platform we rely on a small number of third-party service providers. By using AskAuthor you acknowledge that your data may be processed by the following sub-processors in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies:
- Stripe — payments, subscription billing, and Stripe Connect payouts. See Stripe Privacy Policy.
- Supabase — authentication, database, and hosting of user data. See Supabase Privacy Policy.
- Resend — transactional and notification email delivery. See Resend Privacy Policy.
- Vercel — hosting, deployment, edge routing, and request processing. See Vercel Privacy Policy.
- Cloudflare — bot detection through Turnstile. See Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
- Plausible Analytics — privacy-preserving aggregate analytics. See Plausible Privacy Policy.
- PostHog — consent-gated product analytics. See PostHog Privacy Policy.
- Sentry — error monitoring and performance diagnostics. See Sentry Privacy Policy.
A more detailed description of the data shared with each processor is available in our Privacy Policy.
9. Platform Support Contributions
AskAuthor may offer readers the option to make voluntary contributions to support the platform directly. These contributions help fund ongoing development and operations.
AskAuthor is a for-profit business. Platform support contributions are not tax-deductibleand are not charitable contributions. No goods, services, or special privileges are provided in exchange. Contributions are non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or at AskAuthor's sole discretion (for example, in cases of duplicate charges or processor errors).
10. Intellectual Property
Platform ownership
AskAuthor, its logo, visual design, source code, features, functionality, and all related intellectual property are owned by AskAuthor and protected by copyright, trademark, and other applicable laws. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in the platform itself, its trademarks, or its proprietary technology. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the platform without our prior written consent.
User content license
As described in Section 3, you retain ownership of your User Content but grant us a license to display and distribute it on the platform. This license survives account deletion only to the extent necessary to maintain the integrity of existing Q&A threads (for example, an answer referencing a deleted question may retain context).
Affiliate links
AskAuthor participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates, Bookshop.org, and Libro.fm. When you purchase a book through a link on our platform, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence which books or authors we feature. We disclose affiliate links where required by applicable law.
11. Content Moderation
Our right to moderate
AskAuthor reserves the right — but has no obligation — to review, edit, remove, or disable access to any User Content at our sole discretion, for any reason, including content that we determine violates these Terms, is harmful to users or authors, or is otherwise objectionable. We may also remove content in response to valid legal requests or DMCA takedown notices.
Reporting
Users may report content or accounts that they believe violate these Terms. Reports can be submitted through the platform's reporting features or by contacting support@askauthor.io. We will review reports promptly but are not obligated to take action or disclose the outcome of any review.
Appeals
If your content is removed or your account is suspended, you may appeal by emailing support@askauthor.io with the subject line “Content Appeal” or “Account Appeal.” Include a description of the action taken and your reasoning for the appeal. We will review appeals within 14 business days. Our decision on appeal is final.
Platform Role and Safe Harbor
AskAuthor operates as an interactive computer service that hosts and displays user-generated content. We are not the publisher or speaker of any User Content. Pursuant to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (47 U.S.C. § 230), AskAuthor is not liable for content created, posted, or shared by its users. Our voluntary content moderation activities — including reviewing, editing, or removing content — do not constitute adoption of, or responsibility for, any User Content.
12. Copyright & DMCA
AskAuthor respects intellectual property rights and expects users to do the same. If you believe content on our platform infringes your copyright, please review our DMCA Takedown Policy and submit a takedown notice to dmca@askauthor.io.
Designated DMCA agent. Our registered DMCA agent with the U.S. Copyright Office is A. C. Monteiro (registration number DMCA-1071139), reachable at dmca@askauthor.io. Full takedown and counter-notice procedures are described on the DMCA Takedown Policy page.
We maintain a repeat infringer policy. Accounts that receive three substantiated copyright strikes will be permanently terminated. Counter-notices may be submitted in accordance with the process described in our DMCA Policy.
13. Prohibited Conduct
In addition to the content restrictions in Section 3, you agree not to:
- Harass, threaten, or bully other users or authors
- Impersonate any person, author, or AskAuthor staff
- Attempt to circumvent or manipulate the author verification process
- Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to extract platform data without explicit written permission
- Interfere with or disrupt platform infrastructure or other users' access
- Create fake accounts or misrepresent your identity
- Use the platform to engage in any form of fraud, money laundering, or other illegal financial activity
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the platform's software
- Use the platform in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our servers or networks
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any accounts, systems, or networks connected to AskAuthor
Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination at our sole discretion, without prior notice.
14. Termination
Termination by us
We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account at any time if we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated these Terms, engaged in fraudulent activity, or acted in a way that harms the platform, other users, or authors. We are not required to provide advance notice or justification before taking action, though we will endeavor to communicate the reason when practical.
Termination by you
You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Upon deletion, your profile will be deactivated and your personal data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Content you posted — including questions — may remain visible on the platform in anonymized form to preserve the integrity of Q&A threads.
Effect of termination
Upon termination, your right to access and use AskAuthor ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including but not limited to: content licenses (Section 3), intellectual property (Section 10), limitation of liability (Section 16), indemnification (Section 17), and dispute resolution (Section 18).
15. Disclaimer of Warranties
AskAuthor is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. We specifically disclaim all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
We do not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or free of harmful components. We do not guarantee that any author will respond to any question, whether or not a Spotlight payment has been made. Author participation is entirely voluntary.
We are not responsible for the quality, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any content posted by users or authors. Any reliance on User Content is at your own risk.
16. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, AskAuthor and its operator, employees, agents, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to your use of or inability to use the platform, including but not limited to loss of data, revenue, profits, goodwill, or other intangible losses.
Our total aggregate liability to you for any and all claims arising from these Terms or your use of the platform is limited to the greater of one hundred U.S. dollars (US$ 100) or the total amount you have paid to AskAuthor in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
17. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless AskAuthor and its operator, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of or access to the platform; (b) User Content you submit, post, or transmit through the platform; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights; or (e) any dispute between you and a third party arising from your use of AskAuthor. We reserve the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate with our defense of such claims.
18. Dispute Resolution
Informal resolution first
Before initiating any formal proceeding, you agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at support@askauthor.io. We will make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute within 30 days. Most concerns can be resolved quickly through direct communication.
Binding arbitration
If informal resolution fails, you and AskAuthor agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the platform shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. Arbitration will be conducted on an individual basis in Delaware, United States, or remotely by mutual agreement. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Class action waiver
You agree that any arbitration or proceeding shall be conducted only on an individual basis and not as a class, consolidated, or representative action. If this class action waiver is found unenforceable, then the entirety of this arbitration provision shall be null and void, and disputes shall proceed in court.
Exceptions
Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement or misappropriation of intellectual property rights. Claims eligible for small claims court may also be brought in small claims court instead of arbitration.
Chargebacks and payment disputes
If you have a billing concern, you agree to contact us at support@askauthor.io before initiating a chargeback, payment reversal, or dispute with your card issuer or bank. Initiating a chargeback without first attempting informal resolution, or initiating repeated chargebacks across multiple transactions, may result in suspension of your account, loss of Pro access, and forfeiture of any unused credits or benefits. AskAuthor retains records of your use of paid features (including Spotlight questions, tips, and Pro access) and may submit this evidence to payment processors when responding to chargeback inquiries.
19. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles. To the extent that litigation is permitted under these Terms (as an exception to or in the absence of arbitration), you and AskAuthor consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Delaware.
20. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes — those that meaningfully affect your rights or obligations — we will provide at least 30 days' advance notice via email or a prominent notice on the platform. Minor changes (such as typographical corrections or clarifications that do not alter your rights) may be made without advance notice. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Your continued use of AskAuthor after any change takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree, you must stop using the platform and delete your account.
21. General Provisions
- Entire agreement — These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and DMCA Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and AskAuthor regarding your use of the platform.
- Severability — If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
- No waiver — Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of that right or provision.
- Assignment — You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.
- Force majeure — We will not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, strikes, power outages, or internet disruptions.
22. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to these Terms of Service, please contact us:
- General inquiries: support@askauthor.io
- Legal notices other than copyright: legal@askauthor.io
- Privacy requests: privacy@askauthor.io
- Copyright / DMCA: dmca@askauthor.io
We aim to respond to all inquiries within 5 business days.