Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Our summaries are created using advanced AI technology. This allows us to deliver high-quality, consistent summaries at a fraction of the cost and time of traditional human-written summaries.

Standard and Featured tier authors can edit book metadata (title, description, cover, retailer links) and all summary fields (key takeaways, chapter summaries, notable quotes, Who Should Read This) from their author dashboard. Standard and Featured authors also get one audio regeneration. Free tier books cannot be edited after submission — please contact support at hello@bookgist.ai if you need a change to a Free tier listing.

Each summary targets approximately 3,000–3,500 words — roughly a 15-minute read. The audio version is produced to match that length and is also about 15 minutes long.

You can choose your preferred narrator voice during the book submission process — select from the voice dropdown on the upload form. We offer multiple AI narration voices to suit different tones and styles. Examples include: Alloy (neutral), Ash (warm), Ballad (melodic), Coral (friendly), Echo (resonant), Fable (refined), Nova (bright — default), Onyx (powerful), Sage (calm), Shimmer (expressive), and Verse (versatile). Voice availability may vary over time; if audio generation is temporarily unavailable we will publish the text summary first and notify you by email when narration becomes available.

We publish the text summary as soon as it is ready and add AI-narrated audio when it becomes available. Audio can be delayed if our AI narration service is temporarily unavailable or if there is an issue generating audio for your specific file. If audio is not available immediately we will email you when narration is ready — or contact support with your order email and book id if you need an expedited check. If you prefer, we can requeue the audio generation job once the service is available.

It is simple: upload your book file (PDF, EPUB, or DOCX), choose your tier, and pay a one-time fee. Our AI reads your book and generates a comprehensive summary — both as a readable ebook and a professionally narrated audio version. Your summary is then published to our free library.

Most summaries are generated and published within minutes of successful payment and upload. During busy periods or if the file has extraction issues (DRM, scanned PDFs, very large files), processing can take longer. Audio generation can also be delayed if third-party TTS services are temporarily unavailable. We'll notify you by email when your summary is ready and will provide next steps if we need a corrected upload.

Yes — if you have a book published on SelfPublishing.pro, you can import it in one click from the submission form at /submit/upload. Select the SelfPublishing.pro tab, find your title in the list, and click Import. We pull the manuscript file and metadata automatically so you do not need to upload manually. Your BookGist account email must match your SelfPublishing.pro account email, and the book must have a PDF, EPUB, or DOCX source file available.

Every summary includes key takeaways, a chapter-by-chapter summary, notable quotes, a "Who Should Read This" section, and a link to buy the full book. Standard and Featured tiers include AI-narrated audio (when available), editing, analytics, and an SEO-optimized summary page. Featured also adds social media quote cards and an "As seen on BookGist" badge. Note: audio generation depends on third-party TTS services and may occasionally be delayed; when audio is unavailable we publish the text summary immediately and notify you by email as soon as narration is ready.

Think of your summary as a 15-minute preview for your book. Readers who enjoy the summary are primed to buy the full version. Plus, every summary page is SEO-optimized, so readers searching for topics in your book can discover you organically.

We accept PDF, EPUB, and DOCX files. For best results upload a clean, text-based file (not a scanned image PDF). Maximum upload size is 50MB. Files must be DRM-free; if your file is DRM-protected please provide a DRM-free copy.

Standard and Featured authors can add buy links to up to 8 major bookstores directly from their dashboard: Amazon/Kindle, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Scribd, Google Play, and eBookIt. You can provide a direct URL for each store, or leave it blank and we will generate a search link using your book title or ISBN. Links appear as store logos on your public summary page, making it easy for readers to buy your book wherever they prefer to shop. Free tier books do not include retailer links.

Yes — on the book submission form, paste your Amazon book page URL into the "Amazon URL" field and click the lookup button. We will automatically fill in your title, author name, book description, cover image, and genre hints. You can review and edit all fields before submitting. Amazon short links (a.co / amzn.to) and most international Amazon pages are supported.

BookGist.ai is an AI-powered platform that transforms full-length books into engaging ~15-minute summaries. Authors pay a one-time fee to have their book summarized, and the result is published to our free public library for anyone to read or listen to.

BookGist.ai serves two audiences: Authors who want a powerful marketing tool to help readers discover their books, and Readers who want to quickly explore new books and find their next great read — completely free.

Yes! Our entire library of book summaries is 100% free for readers. No subscription, no account required, no paywall. Just browse and read (or listen).

Social media quote cards are shareable image graphics featuring notable quotes from your book, formatted for Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. Four quote cards (square and vertical formats) are automatically generated for Featured tier books. They appear in your dashboard once processing is complete and can be downloaded for your marketing campaigns. This feature is not available on Free or Standard tiers.

Yes — visit bookgist.ai/audio-book-summaries to see all published summaries that include AI-narrated audio. Each listing shows the cover, estimated listen time, and a read-time estimate, and links to the full summary page. Only summaries with a completed audio file appear here.

Yes — you can sign in using your Google account. Click the "Sign in with Google" button on the login page. If we don’t already have an account with that email we will create one for you and sign you in automatically.

You can read the full BookGist.ai Terms and Conditions at bookgist.ai/terms. These site-specific terms cover author submissions, AI-generated summaries, audio narration, public library listings, payments, refunds, and privacy of your submitted manuscript. They supplement the Archieboy Master Terms and Conditions. By submitting a book, creating an account, or completing a checkout, you agree to both sets of terms.

If you signed up using Google, you can keep signing in with Google. To create a local site password, use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page and follow the instructions to set a password for your account. If that flow doesn't work, contact support and we'll help.

Yes — you can upgrade a submitted book at any time from your author dashboard. Go to your Dashboard, find the book, and click "Upgrade." You will be taken to a checkout page where you pay the one-time upgrade fee (Free → Standard: $49; Standard → Featured: $99). Once payment is confirmed, your book is moved to the higher tier and audio narration and additional features are generated automatically.

If you have trouble with the contact form, please email us directly at hello@bookgist.ai and include your name, email, and a brief description of the issue so we can respond quickly.

Yes — every author with at least one published summary gets a public author page at bookgist.ai/library/author/[author-name]. The page lists all of that author's published summaries and shows total reader views. Author pages are discoverable via search and link from each summary page.

If your summary has not yet been generated, you are eligible for a full refund. If the summary is already published, we first offer re-processing or corrections at no charge; if you still prefer a refund after publication we will process it via your original payment method (now typically via Stripe) and remove the summary from the library. Please contact support with your order details (email, transaction ID or a screenshot) so we can investigate and act quickly.

Yes — authors may request removal at any time by contacting us. We will remove the summary from the public library promptly (typically within 24 hours). Note that removal does not automatically entitle the author to a refund if the summary has already been generated; please contact support to discuss options.

Yes — authors retain full copyright of their original work. By submitting a book you grant BookGist.ai a limited license to create and publish a summary and an AI-narrated audio version. Authors may request removal of their summary at any time; contact support with your order details and we will remove the summary from the public library and discuss refund options if applicable.

Our one-time prices are: Free = $0 (ebook summary only, no audio, no editing); Standard = $49 (includes AI-narrated audio, editing from your dashboard, analytics, and an SEO-optimized library page); Featured = $99 (includes everything in Standard plus social media quote cards, an "As seen on BookGist" badge, and priority placement). Payments are processed securely via Stripe Checkout. If you were charged an unexpected amount, please contact hello@bookgist.ai with your order email and any transaction details so we can investigate and make it right.

No. BookGist.ai charges a one-time fee per book. Once your summary is published, it stays in our library permanently at no additional cost.

We accept major credit and debit cards processed securely via Stripe Checkout. Stripe is our primary and sole payment processor for card payments. If you have trouble completing a payment, please contact support at hello@bookgist.ai and include a screenshot of any error message so we can help promptly.

We're sorry if you were charged incorrectly. Please contact us at hello@bookgist.ai (or use the support form) and include your order email, transaction ID, and a screenshot of the charge. We'll investigate promptly and refund or credit any overcharge while we fix the issue.

Payments on BookGist are processed securely via Stripe Checkout. Our current prices are: Free = $0 (no payment required), Standard = $49 (one-time), Featured = $99 (one-time). You will receive an email receipt after payment. If you see an unexpected charge, please contact hello@bookgist.ai with your order email and any transaction details so we can investigate promptly.

Every author account starts with 10 free submission slots. You can earn additional free slots when you purchase paid tiers: each Standard purchase grants +10 free slots and each Featured purchase grants +25 free slots. Your account dashboard shows your total allowed, used, and remaining free slots before you upload. If you have questions about your quota, contact hello@bookgist.ai with your account email and we will verify it.

We're sorry for the confusion. Our prices are: Free = $0, Standard = $49 (one-time), Featured = $99 (one-time). Payments are processed securely via Stripe Checkout. If you were charged an unexpected amount, please contact hello@bookgist.ai with your order email and a screenshot or transaction ID and we'll investigate and correct any error promptly.

Refunds processed via Stripe typically appear on your bank statement within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank. We will email you when the refund is complete — if you need faster help, contact hello@bookgist.ai with your order email and any transaction details.

Yes — payments on BookGist.ai are processed securely via Stripe Checkout. We do not store your full card details on our servers; Stripe handles card information and payment authorization. If you have any questions about a charge, contact hello@bookgist.ai with your order email and any transaction details and we will investigate.

After uploading and paying, your book moves through these statuses: Pending (queued for processing), Processing (AI is generating your summary), Published (live in the library), or Failed (an error occurred). You can check the current status at any time from your author dashboard at /dashboard. If your book shows "Failed," please contact hello@bookgist.ai and we will re-process it at no charge.