Terms of Service

Version 1.1.0. Last updated September 8, 2026.

Welcome to Writers Grove. By accessing or using our services (“Services”), you agree to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). Please read them carefully.

0. Our Legal Position

Writers Grove is a U.S.-based company located in Michigan, with servers located in Ohio.
We do not market to, advertise to, or actively solicit customers in the UK, EU, or Canada. We do not recognize those jurisdictions as having authority over us.

That said, we recognize frameworks such as GDPR (EU/UK), UK Data Protection Act, and Canada’s PIPEDA as best practices. While not legally obligated to follow them, we voluntarily align our practices with their principles where reasonable, in the interest of transparency and consumer trust.

All disputes will be governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, United States.

1. Accounts

  • You must provide accurate information when creating an account.
  • You are responsible for keeping your email account and your signed-in sessions secure.
  • You must be at least 13 years old to use our Services.
  • We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.
  • Email Communications: Marking legitimate emails from Writers Grove as spam may result in a permanent ban. If you no longer wish to receive emails from us, use the unsubscribe option provided in our emails rather than marking them as spam.

2. Content and Ownership

  • Your Content: You retain full ownership of all works you publish on Writers Grove.
  • License to Us: By publishing on Writers Grove, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to host, display, and distribute your works on our platform.
  • Export Rights: You may export your works as Markdown at any time for backup or use elsewhere.
  • Removal: You may delete your works or your account at any time. Deleted data will be permanently removed from our servers after a 30-day grace period.

3. Payments and Subscriptions

  • Subscription Fee: Authors may subscribe for $14.99 a month after a 30-day free trial.
  • Free Tier: Free users are supported by advertising revenue. Ads may be shown on free-tier pages.
  • Paid Tier: Paid authors keep 100% of their monetization (ads, tips, Stripe, PayPal).
  • Refunds: We do not provide prorated refunds. You may cancel anytime and retain access until the end of your billing period.
  • Billing Questions: All billing or payout questions should be directed to billing@writersgrove.net.

Chargebacks, Refunds, and Account Suspension

We take chargebacks very seriously because they impose costs and legal risks on the platform.

  • Immediate Suspension: If a chargeback is initiated, the associated account will be immediately suspended and locked. While suspended, the account will have only two options:
    1. Download Content & Delete Account
    2. Contact Support to Resolve the Dispute
  • 14-Day Resolution Window: The account holder has 14 days from the suspension date to contact us at support@writersgrove.net to resolve the issue.
  • After 14 Days: If no contact is made, the account and all of its content will be permanently deleted.
  • Refunds: If you believe a payment was made in error, contact us directly. Refunds may be granted at our discretion. Do not initiate a chargeback; doing so triggers the suspension process above.
  • Ban: Accounts deleted due to unresolved chargebacks will be permanently banned and ineligible for new accounts or referral earnings.

4. Referral Program

  • Commission: Earn 10% of subscription fees (after payment processor fees) for each paying author you refer.
  • Lifetime Rule: Commissions remain valid for the lifetime of the referred account, even if they cancel and later resubscribe.
  • Attribution: First referrer is locked in. Referrals cannot be stolen or reassigned.
  • Pending Period: Commissions are pending for 90 days to protect against chargebacks/refunds.
  • Payout Cycle: Matured commissions are paid monthly via PayPal MassPay.
  • Minimum Payout: $25.
  • Fraud Prevention: Self-referrals, duplicate accounts, or fraud result in forfeited commissions and possible account suspension.

5. Content Guidelines and Moderation

General Policy

  • Writers Grove is designed as a platform for free expression. We do not actively moderate content beyond what is legally required.
  • Content moderation occurs in two ways:
    1. Legal Compliance: DMCA notices, valid court orders, or law enforcement requests.
      Law enforcement may contact us at support@writersgrove.net.
    2. Community Reports: Users may report content. Reported content is reviewed by a person and may be hidden or removed.

Illegal Content

  • Child Harm Content: Any content depicting the exploitation or harm of children will be immediately deleted and reported to authorities.
  • Other Illegal Content: Removed if required by law (terrorism, hate speech incitement, etc.).

DMCA Compliance

We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

  • Takedown Notices: Send to dmca@writersgrove.net.
  • Counter-Notices: Authors may submit a counter-notice if they believe the takedown is in error. If not challenged, the content remains removed.

6. Community Guidelines

  • Stories vs. Community: Stories are not moderated beyond the rules above. Community spaces (forums, comments, etc.) are moderated for conduct.
  • No Drama Policy: Hate speech, harassment, or disruptive behavior is not tolerated. Warnings and bans may be issued.

7. Privacy

Our handling of your data is explained in the Privacy Policy. By using Writers Grove, you agree to its terms.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

  • Writers Grove is provided on an “as-is” and “as available” basis.
  • We do not guarantee uptime, availability, or revenue.
  • We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

  • Writers Grove shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.
  • Our total liability shall not exceed the greater of $100 or the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim.

10. Termination

  • You may terminate your account at any time.
  • We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms, engage in fraud, or create legal risks for us.

11. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

  • These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, United States.
  • Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the state courts located in Washtenaw County, Michigan, or the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

12. DMCA Complaints

We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Our process is designed to be transparent and fair for both copyright holders and creators, following a model similar to YouTube’s.

DMCA Process

  1. Initial Takedown
    • When we receive a valid DMCA complaint, the reported content will be immediately locked (unavailable to the public).
    • The author will be notified of the complaint and the reason provided by the complainant.
  2. Author Options
    The author may then choose one of the following:
    • Delete the content permanently.
    • Modify the content to address the complaint.
    • Contest the complaint by filing a counter-notice.
  3. Counter-Notice Procedure
    • If a counter-notice is filed, we will notify the original complainant with the author’s response.
    • The complainant then has 14 days to either withdraw the complaint or pursue legal action.
    • If the complainant withdraws or does not respond within 14 days, the content will be reinstated.
  4. If the Complainant Continues
    • If the complainant insists on the takedown, the author will be notified and given a final choice:
      • Withdraw the content permanently.
      • Maintain the content and proceed to legal resolution.
    • At this stage, the complainant will need to provide a valid court order for the content to remain locked or permanently removed.

Notes

  • Abuse of the DMCA process (false or malicious claims) may result in suspension of the complainant’s ability to file future claims.
  • Repeated copyright violations by an author may result in account suspension or termination, as required by the DMCA.
  • All DMCA notices and counter-notices must comply with the requirements of 17 U.S.C. § 512.

Contact for DMCA Notices: dmca@writersgrove.net

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via email or prominent notice on our site. Continued use of the Services after changes means you accept the new Terms.

14. Disclosures

To ensure clarity and protect both authors and readers, certain types of content must be clearly disclosed:

  • NSFW Content: Any content that contains adult themes, sexual material, graphic violence, or otherwise not suitable for all audiences must be clearly marked as NSFW. Failure to properly label NSFW content may result in the content being hidden or removed.
  • AI-Generated Content: Any content substantially generated or assisted by artificial intelligence tools must be clearly labeled as AI-Generated. Authors are responsible for accurate disclosure. This allows readers to make informed choices about the works they engage with.

Writers Grove reserves the right to hide or remove content that fails to meet these disclosure requirements.

15. Contact Information

Phone: 1-888-836-5902
Email: privacy@writersgrove.net (privacy/data requests)
Email: billing@writersgrove.net (billing, payments, referral payouts)
Email: support@writersgrove.net (general support, refunds, law enforcement contact)
Email: dmca@writersgrove.net (DMCA notices & counter-notices)