1. Who we are
AuthorFirstLibrary ("we", "us", "the platform") is operated by Abhiraj Kumar P (trading as AuthorFirstLibrary), contactable at info@authorfirstlibrary.com. We run an online marketplace where independent authors sell books to readers. By creating an account, buying a book or selling a book, you agree to these Terms.
2. Who can use the service
You must be at least 18 years old (or have a parent or guardian's consent) to hold an account, buy, sell, or receive payments. By using the service you confirm the information you give us is true and that you're legally able to enter this agreement.
3. Your account
You're responsible for your account and for keeping your password safe. One person may hold one account; names and emails must be unique. Everything done through your account is treated as done by you, so don't share your login. Tell us promptly if you think your account has been misused.
4. Buying a book
Buying a book gives you a personal, non-transferable licence to read it within AuthorFirstLibrary. You do not receive ownership of the work, or the right to share, resell or redistribute it. Most books can be read only inside our protected reader and cannot be downloaded, copied or printed. Where an author has chosen to allow downloads, the file remains for your personal use alone, and passing it to anyone else is a breach of these Terms. Pages carry a watermark identifying the reader they were served to. Attempting to extract, record, or bypass the protection on a book is a breach of these Terms.
5. Selling a book (authors)
You keep the copyright in your work. You confirm that it is your own original creation, that you hold all necessary rights, and that it is not wholly AI-generated, in line with our publishing rules. Every book is reviewed by us before it appears in the store, and we may decline to publish work that does not meet those rules. Editing a published book returns it to review. You set the price. The author receives 100% of the sale price. We take no commission; the payment provider deducts its own processing fee before funds reach us. Withdrawals are settled monthly and reach your account by the end of the first week of the following month. Before a withdrawal can be requested you must meet the conditions published in the Author guide and shown live in your dashboard — a minimum balance, minimum readership, a verified email address, payout details on file, and no serious report awaiting a decision. Not meeting a condition delays a withdrawal; it never removes your balance, which remains yours until you qualify.
Licence you give us: so that we can actually run the store, you grant AuthorFirstLibrary a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to store, display, promote, and sell your book, and to show samples and cover art, for as long as it is listed. This licence ends when you remove the book, except for copies already sold and for records we must keep. You can unpublish a book at any time; doing so stops new sales but does not withdraw it from readers who already bought it.
6. Payments
Payments are processed by our payment provider (Razorpay). Buyers pay through the platform; author earnings are then settled to the payout details the author saves. We don't store your full card or bank credentials — those are handled by the payment provider. You're responsible for giving accurate payout details; we're not liable for payments delayed or lost because of wrong details.
7. Chargebacks and reversed payments
If a payment is reversed, charged back, or found to be fraudulent, we may cancel the related sale, revoke the buyer's access to the book, and adjust or reclaim the corresponding amount from the seller's earnings or future payouts. We may hold or delay a payout where we reasonably suspect fraud or a dispute.
8. Refunds
Because books are digital and delivered instantly, purchases are non-refundable once the book has been opened, except in the case of a duplicate charge or a clearly faulty or wrong file. To request a refund in those cases, contact info@authorfirstlibrary.com within 7 days of purchase.
9. Copyright and takedown
We respect copyright and expect our users to do the same. If you believe a book on AuthorFirstLibrary infringes your rights, email info@authorfirstlibrary.com with details of the work, the infringing listing, and confirmation that you're the rights-holder or authorised to act for them. We will review it, remove infringing work where appropriate, and may suspend or permanently ban repeat infringers. We act as an intermediary hosting user-submitted content and are not the author of books uploaded by users.
10. Acceptable use
Don't upload unlawful, infringing, or harmful content; don't upload anything that sexualises minors, incites violence or hatred, or breaks the law. Don't attempt to copy, extract, or redistribute books you've bought, don't disrupt or probe the service, and don't misuse other people's accounts or content. Breaking these rules can lead to removal of content and suspension or termination of your account.
11. Suspension and termination
You can close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate an account that breaks these Terms or the law, or where we reasonably need to protect the service or other users. If your account ends: readers keep access to books they already bought (subject to these Terms), a seller's listings are removed from sale, and any earnings properly owed are settled after any pending disputes are resolved.
12. Taxes
Amounts shown may be exclusive of taxes unless stated. Sellers are responsible for their own taxes on the money they earn — including income tax and GST where it applies. We may deduct or withhold amounts where the law requires.
13. "As is" service and liability
We work hard to keep the service running well, but it's provided "as is" and "as available", without guarantees that it will always be uninterrupted or error-free. We don't guarantee any level of sales or earnings. To the maximum extent allowed by law, AuthorFirstLibrary is not liable for indirect or consequential losses, and our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid to or earned through the platform in the three months before the claim.
14. Your responsibility to us (indemnity)
If content you upload or actions you take break these Terms or the law — for example uploading work you don't have the rights to — and that causes a claim against us, you agree to cover the reasonable costs and damages we incur as a result.
15. Privacy
How we handle your personal data is explained in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.
16. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of India, and the courts of [Bengaluru, Karnataka] have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, subject to any rights you have under consumer law.
17. Changes and general
We may update these Terms; the current version always lives at this page, and continued use means you accept the changes. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest still applies. We aren't responsible for failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control. These Terms are the entire agreement between you and us about the service.