Family Books / Terms
Terms
What you can expect from us, and what we ask of you, when you start a book.
Last updated November 8, 2026.
The plain version
The first page is free, with no obligation. The whole book is $129 for two hardcover copies, with US shipping, paid on Stripe’s page from the Order button on your first page. We make the whole book, a person at Family Books looks it over, and then we send you the link to read it. You can change its text, then approve it or send it back, and nothing is printed until you approve it. If it still isn’t right after you’ve sent it back twice, you get a full refund.
Who we are
Family Books is part of HermesWrite, a writing-software company. On this page, “we” and “us” mean Family Books from HermesWrite. You can reach us at admin@hermeswrite.com.
The first page
Filling in the story form and getting your first page, the text and the picture, costs nothing. It doesn’t oblige you to order.
The book and the price
A custom hardcover picture book, 8 by 8 inches, of about 14 spreads and about 600 words, written for children ages 4 to 8. We don’t make books for babies or toddlers.
The book costs $129, including two hardcover copies of the same book and shipping to a US address. During this first run we ship to US addresses only, and our printer can’t deliver to APO, FPO or DPO addresses. Two copies come with every order, and we don’t sell more for now. We don’t offer gift certificates.
How you pay
Your first page has an Order button. You pay on Stripe’s page, which also asks for your shipping address. We never see your card number.
How the book is made
The text is drafted with AI from your answers, and the pictures are made with AI image tools from written descriptions. Before you get the link, a person at Family Books looks over the whole book, including the text, pictures, cover, title and end pages, and may fix a picture or a word. They also see it if you send it back or ask us for help. We don’t ask for photos, and no photograph of anyone is given to an AI.
The pictures follow your written descriptions as closely as we can make them. They are illustrations, not portraits, and we can’t promise a likeness.
Approval and changes
After you order, we make the whole book and send you a private link to read it. Until you approve it, you can change the text on any page, the title and the dedication. The page that says how the book was made stays as it is.
When you approve it, you have two hours to undo that, from the book’s page or the email we send you. Then we print both copies and ship them.
If you send it back, a person at Family Books reads your notes, fixes the book and sends it back to you, usually within two working days. You can send it back twice. A person at Family Books also looks over every book before you first get its link.
If you don’t approve the book or send it back within 60 days of it being ready, we refund you in full and don’t print it. We remind you before then.
If you’re not happy
If the finished book still isn’t right after you’ve sent it back twice, or we can’t fix it, you get a full refund. Nothing is printed until you approve the book, so that is the time to send it back. We print the text you approve, including any changes you made.
If the finished book isn’t ready to read 3 days after the date we gave you when you ordered, we offer you a full refund instead of waiting. If we can’t finish your book, we refund you in full. If you ask us to delete everything before the book is printed, we refund you first.
A refund goes to the card you paid with. It usually appears on your statement within 5 to 10 business days.
If a copy arrives damaged or misprinted, or doesn’t arrive, use the link in our shipping email and we’ll send a free replacement. It works once, for 60 days after delivery. Because the book is printed only after you approve it, we don’t replace a copy because of something in the book you approved.
Timing
Our times are aims, not guarantees: your first page usually within an hour, the finished book usually within 2 days of your order (we email the date we expect when you pay), and about two to three weeks from your order to delivery. They depend on how quickly you approve the book or send it back, and on the carrier.
Christmas
Only a few books can arrive before Christmas. To have yours by Christmas, send the form by the end of (US Pacific time) and tick the Christmas box. We may close the Christmas option sooner, when the places are full or if it turns out there isn’t time, and if you asked for Christmas and haven’t ordered yet, we tell you. We give you the last day to order for Christmas, on your first page or by email. A Christmas book also depends on how quickly you approve the finished book, and on whether you send it back. If a delay on our side, such as a send-back we return late, puts a Christmas book at risk, we pay for faster shipping.
Your story
When you send the form, you tell us that you are the child’s parent or guardian, or have a parent’s or guardian’s permission, and that you have the right to share the story and the names in it. We use your story only to make your book.
Privacy
The privacy page says what we do with your answers, who else sees them, and how long we keep them.
Changes to these terms
If we change these terms, we’ll change the date at the top. The terms on this page when you order are the ones that apply to your book.