Author Distribution Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026 · Version 2026-09-27

This Author Distribution Agreement (the "Agreement") is a contract between you and Tydbyts Media, the operator of tydbyts.com ("Tydbyts," "we," "us"). It explains how you can list and sell your books on Tydbyts, what rights you give us, how you get paid, and what each of us is responsible for. Please read it carefully. We wrote it in plain English so it is easy to understand, but it is a binding legal agreement.

This Agreement is not legal advice. You may want to talk to your own lawyer before accepting it.

1. Definitions

In this Agreement:

1. "Creator," "you," "your" means the person (or, under the Publisher Addendum, the publisher organization) who accepts this Agreement and lists Works on the Platform.
2. "Platform" means tydbyts.com, its related websites, apps, reader, dashboards, and services operated by Tydbyts Media.
3. "Work" means a book or other content you submit to the Platform, in any format, together with its cover, title, description, metadata, samples, and related materials.
4. "Format" means a specific edition type of a Work: ebook, audiobook, paperback, hardcover, or PDF.
5. "Listing Choice" means the royalty option you pick for each Work under Section 6. It applies to every Format of that Work sold on the Platform.
6. "Net Receipts" has the meaning in Section 7.
7. "Content Policy" means the Tydbyts Content & Copyright Policy, which is part of this Agreement.
8. "Dashboard" means your creator account area on the Platform.
9. "Customer" means a person who buys or accesses a Work through the Platform.

2. Eligibility and your account

1. You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a contract.
2. You must give us accurate, complete, and current information (including your legal name, contact details, and payout details) and keep it up to date.
3. Each person may have only one creator account, unless you are operating a publisher organization under the Publisher Addendum.
4. You may not use the Platform if you are barred from doing so under U.S. law or the laws of your country, or if we previously terminated your account for breach.
5. You are responsible for everything that happens under your account. Keep your password and sign-in methods secure, do not share them, and tell us right away at support@columbinepub.com if you think your account has been compromised.

3. You keep your copyright

You (or your licensors) keep all ownership of, and copyright in, your Works. Nothing in this Agreement transfers ownership of your Works to Tydbyts. The only rights we receive are the license rights described in Section 4.

4. The license you give Tydbyts

1. Grant. For each Work you submit, you give Tydbyts Media a worldwide, royalty-bearing license (non-exclusive, except for the limited format exclusivity you may choose in Section 6) during the term of this Agreement to:
   1. host, store, copy, and reproduce the Work;
   2. convert the Work into the file formats needed to deliver it (for example, EPUB, PDF, print-ready files, audio streaming formats), and make technical changes that do not alter the substance of the Work;
   3. distribute, sell, deliver, and make the Work available to Customers, including through our reader, downloads, and print-on-demand partners;
   4. display the cover, title, description, excerpts, your author or pen name, and your approved author photo and biography (your "name and likeness") to market and promote the Work and the Platform, on the Platform, in email, in advertising, and on social media;
   5. create and display previews and samples of the Work (generally up to 10% of the text or a short audio clip, or as you set in the Dashboard); and
   6. let our service providers (hosting, payment, printing, shipping, and similar vendors) do any of these things on our behalf.
2. Customers. Customers who buy a Work receive a personal, non-transferable right to read, listen to, or use it under the Tydbyts Terms of Service. That right continues after this Agreement or the listing ends (see Section 14).
3. Marketing materials. Marketing materials we create that include parts of your Work (such as ads or social posts) may stay online after a Work is removed, but we will not create new marketing for a removed Work.

5. Submitting Works, review, and our approval right

1. You submit Works through the Dashboard. Nothing you submit is public until we approve it.
2. Tydbyts may accept, reject, delist, remove, or decline to promote any Work, author profile, or listing at any time, at our sole discretion, including for policy, legal, quality, customer experience, or business reasons. We will usually tell you why, but we are not required to.
3. We may make minor, non-substantive adjustments to metadata (such as categories, formatting of descriptions, or keywords) so listings meet our standards.
4. Changes you make to a live Work may be held for review before they appear.

6. Listing Choice and royalty rates

For each Work, you choose one of two Listing Choices in the Dashboard before you submit it. Your choice applies to every Format of that Work that you list on Tydbyts:

1. Exclusive (90%). You earn 90% of Net Receipts from sales of the Work. In exchange, each Format of the Work that you list on Tydbyts must be exclusive to Tydbyts in that Format for 30 days starting on the date that Format is first published (made publicly available) on Tydbyts (its "Exclusive Period"). During an Exclusive Period you must not sell, give away, or make the Work available in that Format anywhere else (including your own website, other retailers, subscription services, or free promotions). Formats you do not list on Tydbyts are not restricted.
2. Non-exclusive (85%). You earn 85% of Net Receipts from sales of the Work, and you may sell it anywhere else at any time.
3. Breach of exclusivity. If you make a Work available in an exclusive Format elsewhere during its Exclusive Period, then (a) the royalty rate for that Work automatically becomes 85% for all sales of all its Formats, retroactively to its first sale, and we may deduct the difference from future royalties; and (b) we may delist or remove the Work.
4. After the Exclusive Period. When a Format's 30 days end, the Work keeps the 90% rate, and you are free to sell that Format elsewhere. The exclusivity obligation does not renew automatically.
5. Changing your choice. You cannot switch a Work from Non-exclusive to Exclusive after any of its Formats has been published. You may switch from Exclusive to Non-exclusive at any time; the new rate applies to sales after the switch, and the switch does not end any obligations you already had during the Exclusive Period.

7. Net Receipts

1. "Net Receipts" means the amount Tydbyts actually receives from a Customer for a sale of your Work, minus:
   1. sales tax, VAT, GST, and similar taxes collected or owed on the sale;
   2. payment processing fees (for example, Stripe card fees) attributable to the sale; and
   3. for print Formats, the print cost, shipping, and handling that we actually pay to the printer or fulfillment partner for that order.
2. Refunds and reversals. If a sale is refunded, charged back, reversed, or cancelled, the royalty on that sale is reversed. If the royalty was already paid, we will deduct it from future royalties (see Section 9).
3. Bundles and promotions. If a Work is sold in a bundle or with other items, Net Receipts are allocated in proportion to the list prices of the items in the bundle, unless the Dashboard shows a different agreed allocation.
4. Currency. Royalties are calculated and paid in U.S. dollars. Sales in other currencies are converted at the rate our payment processor uses for the transaction.

8. Pricing

1. You set the list price of each Format in the Dashboard, within the minimums and maximums the Platform allows at the time.
2. Print prices must cover the print, shipping, and handling cost. We may refuse or pause a print listing whose price does not cover those costs, or whose costs change so that the price no longer covers them.
3. Tydbyts may run promotions, discounts, coupons, or sales that include your Work. If we discount a Work without your consent, we will calculate your royalty as if the Customer had paid your full list price (so the discount comes out of our share, not yours). With your consent (for example, by opting into a promotion in the Dashboard), your royalty is calculated on the discounted price actually paid.
4. Prices may display in local currencies and may include or exclude taxes as local law requires.

9. Payment

1. Schedule. We pay royalties monthly through Stripe Connect. Royalties on a sale become payable after a 30-day hold following the sale, which covers the refund and chargeback window.
2. Minimum. We pay when your payable balance is at least $25. If it is less, it rolls over to the next month until it reaches $25.
3. Your Stripe account. To be paid, you must create and keep in good standing a Stripe Connect account linked in the Dashboard. You are responsible for the accuracy of your Stripe account information and for complying with Stripe's terms. If you have not connected an account, or payouts are not yet enabled on the Platform, your royalties keep accruing and will be paid once payouts are possible.
4. Taxes. You are responsible for all taxes on your royalties. Stripe collects tax forms (such as IRS Form W-9 or W-8) and issues tax information returns (such as Form 1099) on our behalf where required. We may withhold amounts when the law requires us to (for example, backup withholding or withholding for non-U.S. creators) or when you have not provided required tax information.
5. Offsets. We may deduct from future royalties any amount you owe us, including overpayments, reversed royalties from refunds and chargebacks, exclusivity adjustments under Section 6.3, and amounts owed under Section 12.
6. Statements. Your Dashboard shows your sales and royalty statements. Statements are final unless you dispute them in writing to support@columbinepub.com within 90 days after the statement is posted. We will review disputes in good faith and correct genuine errors.
7. Holds for investigation. If we reasonably suspect fraud, artificial sales, infringement, or a serious breach, we may hold related royalties while we investigate.

10. Your promises (warranties)

You promise that, for every Work you submit and for as long as it is listed:

1. the Work is your original work, or you own or have cleared all rights needed to grant the license in Section 4 (including rights in the text, cover art, fonts, images, quotations, music, and narration);
2. the Work does not infringe anyone's copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights, and is not defamatory, obscene under applicable law, or otherwise unlawful;
3. the Work's title, author name, description, categories, content rating, and other metadata are accurate and not misleading;
4. you have disclosed any AI-generated content as required by the Content Policy;
5. the Work and your listing comply with the Content Policy;
6. you have not granted anyone else rights that conflict with this Agreement (including any exclusive rights during an Exclusive Period); and
7. you will comply with all laws that apply to you and your Works.

11. Our promises and disclaimers

1. We will make reasonable efforts to operate the Platform, deliver Works to Customers, calculate royalties accurately, and pay you as described in this Agreement.
2. As-is platform. Except for the promises in this Agreement, the Platform is provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent allowed by law, we disclaim all other warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
3. No sales guarantee. We do not promise any level of sales, placement, promotion, visibility, or income.
4. Availability. The Platform may be unavailable at times for maintenance, outages, or reasons outside our control. We may change, add, or remove Platform features.

12. Indemnification

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Tydbyts Media and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, and service providers from and against any third-party claims, and the resulting losses, damages, penalties, costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from:

1. any claim that a Work, or our use of it as allowed by this Agreement, infringes or violates intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;
2. any claim about the content of a Work (including defamation or unlawful content);
3. taxes you owe on your royalties; or
4. your breach of this Agreement or the Content Policy. We will tell you about a claim promptly, let you control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to us, and cooperate at your expense. You may not settle a claim in a way that admits fault by us or imposes obligations on us without our written consent. We may take part in the defense with our own counsel at our own expense.

13. Limitation of liability

1. To the fullest extent allowed by law, neither party will be liable to the other for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or lost data, even if told they were possible.
2. To the fullest extent allowed by law, Tydbyts Media's total liability to you for all claims relating to this Agreement or the Platform is limited to the total royalties we paid you in the 12 months before the event that gave rise to the claim.
3. These limits do not limit our obligation to pay royalties you have properly earned, and they do not limit your obligations under Section 12 or liability for your infringement or fraud.

14. Term and termination

1. Term. This Agreement starts when you accept it and continues until either party ends it.
2. Ending by notice. Either party may end this Agreement, or end the listing of any Work, for any reason by giving 30 days' notice (you through the Dashboard or by email to support@columbinepub.com; we by email or Dashboard notice). An Exclusive Period obligation that has already started continues until it ends.
3. Immediate suspension or termination. We may suspend your account, hold royalties under Section 9.7, or delist Works immediately, and may terminate this Agreement immediately, if you breach this Agreement or the Content Policy, if we receive a credible legal complaint, or if we reasonably believe that continuing creates legal, financial, security, or reputational risk to Tydbyts or others.
4. Delisting timeline. After a termination or removal takes effect, we will stop offering the Work for new sale within about 10 business days. Removing it from caches, feeds, and partner systems may take longer, and we are not responsible for copies held by third parties.
5. Customers keep access. Customers who bought a Work before it was removed keep access to it (including re-downloads and our reader), and the license in Section 4 continues as needed to provide that access.
6. Final payment. We will pay accrued royalties on the normal schedule (after the 30-day hold, subject to the $25 minimum, which we waive for your final payment if it is at least $1), except royalties forfeited because of fraud, artificial or manipulated sales, or your material breach, and subject to offsets under Section 9.5.
7. Survival. Sections 3, 7, 9 (for amounts accrued), 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.5–14.7, 16, and 19–22, and any other terms that by their nature should survive, survive termination.

15. Account security

You must use a strong, unique password, keep your email address current and verified, and not share access to your account except through features we provide (for example, publisher team roles). We are not responsible for losses caused by unauthorized use of your account that results from your failure to keep it secure.

16. Confidentiality

Non-public information we share with you about the Platform (for example, unreleased features, internal sales or pricing data beyond your own, partner terms, or security details) is confidential. You will not share it or use it except to use the Platform. This does not cover information that is public, that you already knew, or that you must disclose by law. Your own sales data is yours to use as you wish.

17. Changes to this Agreement

1. We may update this Agreement or the Content Policy. We will give you at least 30 days' notice of changes by email to your account address or in the Dashboard, and post the new version with a new version date.
2. If you keep using the Platform after the change takes effect, you accept the new version.
3. For material changes (for example, changes to royalty rates, payment terms, or the license you grant), we will also ask you to re-accept in the Dashboard. Until you do, we may pause new submissions or changes, but your existing listings and accrued royalties continue under the prior terms until the end of the notice period. If you do not agree, you may end this Agreement under Section 14.2.
4. Changes required by law or to address illegal content or security may take effect sooner.

18. Independent contractors

You and Tydbyts are independent contractors. This Agreement does not create a partnership, joint venture, employment, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Neither party may bind the other.

19. Assignment

We may assign or transfer this Agreement, in whole or in part, including as part of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or part of our business or assets, and we will give you notice. You may not assign or transfer this Agreement or your royalties without our written consent; any attempt to do so without consent is void.

20. Electronic signature and notices

1. Electronic signature. You agree that checking the acceptance box and typing your full legal name in the Dashboard is your electronic signature, has the same effect as a handwritten signature, and satisfies any writing requirement under the U.S. Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-SIGN Act) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) as adopted in Colorado. We record the date, time, version, a fingerprint of the text you accepted, your IP address, and your browser information. You consent to receive this Agreement, statements, tax information (as permitted), and notices electronically. You can download or print this Agreement from its public page at any time.
2. Notices to us must be sent by email to support@columbinepub.com (for copyright notices, see the Content Policy).
3. Notices to you will be sent to the email address on your account or posted in the Dashboard, and are effective when sent or posted.

21. Dispute resolution and governing law

1. Governing law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Colorado and applicable U.S. federal law, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.
2. Informal negotiation first. Before starting any lawsuit, the party with a dispute must send a written description of it to the other (to the notice addresses in Section 20), and both parties will try in good faith to resolve it for 30 days.
3. Courts. If the dispute is not resolved, it must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the City and County of Denver, Colorado, and both parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
4. Individual claims only. To the fullest extent allowed by law, each party may bring claims against the other only in its individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative action.
5. Injunctive relief. Either party may seek an injunction or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property or confidential information, without first going through Section 21.2.
6. Time limit. To the extent allowed by law, any claim must be brought within one year after it arises, except claims for unpaid royalties, which follow Section 9.6 and applicable law.

22. General terms

1. Entire agreement. This Agreement, the Content Policy, any addendum you accept (such as the Publisher Addendum or Merch Creator Addendum), and the Tydbyts Terms of Service make up the entire agreement between you and Tydbyts about the Platform, and replace any earlier understandings. If they conflict, this Agreement and its addenda control over the Terms of Service for your creator activities.
2. Severability. If any part of this Agreement is found unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum extent possible and the rest stays in effect.
3. No waiver. If we do not enforce a right, that is not a waiver of it.
4. Force majeure. Neither party is liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond its reasonable control (other than payment obligations).
5. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." Questions? Email support@columbinepub.com.