Smithbook Terms of Use

1. What is Smithbook

Smithbook is a digital showcase where authors who write books using the Smithbook platform can sell their books and audiobooks directly to readers. Smithbook is the operator of the platform, digital reader and payment processing.

2. Purchase and reading

• Payment is processed via Stripe (credit card only).
• After confirmation, you receive an e-mail with a magic sign-in link that opens your personal digital library. That link is valid for 72 hours — after that, request a new one at any time from the sign-in page, free of charge.
• The reading is done by our own reader in your library. For the sake of anti-piracy, there's no EPUB or PDF download, on any plan.

3. Refund (right of withdrawal)

You have 7 calendar days from the date of payment to request a refund, provided you have not read more than 20% of the book. To request a refund, write to support@smithbook.com, with the order ID in the subject line. This is our standard policy; it doesn't limit any additional refund right the consumer protection law of your own country may give you.

4. Contents of books

Each author is solely responsible for the content of the book they publish. Smithbook does automatic moderation (anti-spam, anti-prohibited content), but does not review every word of every manuscript. If you find plagiarized or copyright-infringing content, use our DMCA channel — notices are reviewed and answered within 5 business days.

5. Anti-piracy

Sharing screenshots, reader exports, or book content with third parties is a copyright violation and may result in account suspension and legal action, independent of the format in which it was shared.

6. Account and personal data

We handle your data under our Privacy Policy and the data protection law that applies to you (for example GDPR in the EU/EEA, or your own country's equivalent). To exercise your rights (access, correction, deletion), write to dpo@smithbook.com.

7. For authors: getting paid

• Authors keep 70% of every sale — that figure is what lands in your account; Smithbook absorbs the card-processing fee, it isn't deducted separately.
• Funds become available for withdrawal 14 days after each sale.
• Withdrawals are paid out via bank transfer, to your verified bank account, once your balance reaches the minimum withdrawal amount and identity verification (KYC) is complete. If you sell in more than one currency, each currency is withdrawn separately.
• A refund debits the corresponding sale from your balance; it appears as a distinct adjustment in your sales history, not a silent change in the total.

8. Content and publishing guidelines

Before you spend time writing a listing, know what we accept:

• You must own the rights to the book, or have clear permission from whoever does. No unlicensed translations, no scraped or plagiarized text.
• The manuscript should be complete and proofread — the store is not a place for drafts or placeholder chapters.
• No hate speech, no content sexualizing minors, no material that's illegal to sell in the country you're publishing from. Everything else is welcome, rated honestly by age suitability.
• Listings that misrepresent the book (fake reviews, a cover or description for a different book, a price that doesn't match what's delivered) get taken down; repeated violations lead to suspension (see §9).

9. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms (piracy, fraud, self-purchase with a cloned card, etc.) with or without prior notice.

10. Jurisdiction and legislation

Smithbook's governing law and jurisdiction will be published here once finalized for the company's country of incorporation.

Support: support@smithbook.com