How we handle your data
Last updated October 2026
Everything you write is encrypted
All creative content — manuscripts, character profiles, locations, lore entries, brainstorming messages, and project descriptions — is encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM before it touches the database.
This is not optional and not a premium feature. Every piece of creative content is encrypted for every user on every tier.
What we send to AI
When you use an AI feature, we send only the context needed for that specific action. For example:
- Brainstorming: your recent messages and project context
- Prose generation: the current chapter, nearby chapter summaries, and relevant Story Bible entities
Content is decrypted in memory for the duration of the AI call, then the plaintext is discarded.
Our AI provider
AI requests are routed through OpenRouter. OpenRouter's default policy is no training on user content. They disassociate inputs and outputs from your user ID and do not store prompt or completion text beyond what's needed to fulfill the request.
AuthorBuilder does not opt into any training data programs with any provider.
Your work is never used to train models
Your creative content is never used to train AI models — not by AuthorBuilder, and not by our AI providers. This is not a marketing claim. It is how our infrastructure is configured.
No real name required
No real name is required anywhere in the app. Your email address is used only to sign you in.
Your data is portable
You can export any project's chapters as plain text or Markdown, and its Story Bible — characters, relationships, locations, lore, story notes and timeline — as JSON, at any time. Your work is yours — you can leave whenever you want.
Account deletion
You can request complete removal of all your data — encrypted content, embeddings, behavioral signals, and account information. Email [email protected] and we'll process it promptly.
Third-party services
Here is every external service AuthorBuilder uses and why:
| Service | Purpose | Data sent |
|---|---|---|
| OpenRouter | AI model routing | Prompt context (decrypted in memory, discarded after) |
| Amazon SES | Transactional email | Your email address (sign-in emails) |
| Honeybadger | Error tracking | Stack traces and request metadata (never prose content) |
| Hetzner | Server hosting | All data at rest (encrypted, see above) |
Questions?
Email [email protected]. We'll respond within 48 hours.