Terms of Service

CoverCrushing is operated by Taciturn Studios LLC. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of CoverCrushing ("we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. The Service

CoverCrushing is a crowdsourced book cover and marketing asset testing platform. Authors submit cover designs for evaluation by the Hybrid Panel (AI analysis plus reader votes). We provide analytics reports based on reader voting data. Results are advisory in nature and do not guarantee commercial success.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3. Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at legal@covercrushing.com if you suspect unauthorized access. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Submissions and Intellectual Property

You retain full ownership of all cover images, files, and materials you submit ("Submissions"). By submitting content, you grant CoverCrushing a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display your Submissions to voters and include them in your analytics report. We will not use your Submissions for any other purpose without your explicit consent.

You represent and warrant that: (a) you own or have the rights to submit the content; (b) your Submissions do not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights; and (c) your Submissions do not contain illegal, defamatory, or obscene material.

5. Payments and Refunds

All payments are processed by Stripe. Prices are listed in USD. By purchasing a test, you authorize us to charge your payment method for the stated amount.

Refund Policy: If your test does not reach the minimum vote threshold within the stated timeframe, we will either re-run the test at no charge or issue a full refund at your election. Refund requests must be submitted within 14 days of test completion. We do not offer refunds for completed tests that met the vote threshold, regardless of the results. Subscription cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period.

Effect of Refunds on Instagram Content. If a refund is issued for a test, any cover images associated with that test that are pending or approved for posting to our Instagram account (@covercrushing) will be automatically removed from the posting queue. If the cover image has already been published to our Instagram account prior to the refund being processed, we will make reasonable efforts to remove the post within 5 business days of the refund being confirmed; however, we cannot guarantee removal of content that has already been shared, cached, or re-shared by third parties.

5a. AI-Assisted Scoring Disclosure

To ensure consistent test volume and timely delivery of results, CoverCrushing uses a combination of real human voters and algorithmically generated scoring profiles ("AI Scoring"). AI Scoring is designed to reflect realistic genre-reader preferences and is clearly labeled in your results dashboard where applicable. Crush Scores and vote breakdowns may incorporate both human and AI-generated data points. By using the Service, you acknowledge and accept this hybrid methodology.

AI-generated feedback, recommendations, and scores are provided as informational tools only and do not constitute professional advice of any kind. CoverCrushing makes no representation that AI-generated scores will predict commercial performance.

5b. Instagram Sharing Consent

CoverCrushing operates an Instagram account (@covercrushing) where we may feature cover test results with the author's explicit consent. By enabling the "Instagram Sharing" option in your account settings, you grant CoverCrushing a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

• Post your winning cover image and associated Crush Score to our Instagram account
• Include the book title, genre, and an AI-generated or admin-edited caption
• Tag or mention covercrushing.com in the post

This consent is entirely optional and voluntary. You may withdraw consent at any time by disabling the Instagram Sharing option in your account settings. Withdrawal of consent will prevent future posts but does not guarantee removal of content already published (see Refund Policy above for refund-related removals).

All Instagram posts are subject to admin review and approval before publication. CoverCrushing reserves the right to decline any submission at its sole discretion without providing a reason.

6. Voter Conduct

Readers who participate as voters agree to provide honest, good-faith feedback. Attempting to manipulate test results (including by submitting votes for your own covers through alternate accounts, coordinating with other voters, or any other means) is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate account termination and forfeiture of any credits or payments.

7. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
• Submit content that infringes third-party intellectual property
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or copy the Service
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its servers
• Create multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions or manipulate results
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to interact with the Service

7a. Community Conduct and Blocking Policy

CoverCrushing is committed to fostering a supportive, respectful, and encouraging community for authors and readers alike. We believe that creative work deserves constructive feedback, and that every person on this platform — whether submitting covers or voting on them — deserves to be treated with dignity.

Kindness is a condition of use. By using the Service, you agree to interact with other users, our team, and the broader CoverCrushing community (including on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, and others) in a respectful and constructive manner.

The following behaviors are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account suspension or permanent termination:

• Use of profanity, obscene language, or sexually explicit content in any communication with our team or other users
• Harassment, bullying, threats, or intimidation directed at any person associated with CoverCrushing
• Hate speech, discriminatory language, or content targeting individuals based on race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
• Publicly disparaging, defaming, or making false statements about CoverCrushing, its team, its users, or its services on social media or any other public platform
• Coordinated campaigns to damage the reputation of CoverCrushing or its community members

Right to block and terminate. CoverCrushing reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend, block, or permanently terminate the account of any user who violates these conduct standards — whether the violation occurs on the platform itself or on external social media channels. We further reserve the right to block users from accessing the Service, communicating with our team, or participating in the community without prior notice or refund where conduct violations are severe.

We believe this policy is consistent with our rights as a private platform operator under applicable law, including the right to refuse service. If you have a concern about how we have applied this policy, please contact us at hello@covercrushing.com.

8. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES. ANALYTICS RESULTS ARE BASED ON READER PANEL DATA AND ARE NOT GUARANTEES OF COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE.

No Affiliation with Retailers or Distributors. CoverCrushing is an independent platform. We have no affiliation, partnership, endorsement, or contractual relationship with Amazon, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Press, Apple Books, Kobo, Audible, or any other book retailer, distributor, or publishing platform (collectively, "Third-Party Platforms").

Results Are Not Reported to Third Parties. Your test results, Crush Scores, vote counts, cover images, and any other data generated through the Service are strictly private and are used solely to generate your analytics report. We do not share, sell, transmit, or report any test results to Amazon, KDP, IngramSpark, or any other Third-Party Platform. Your results have no effect whatsoever on your book's ranking, discoverability, sales velocity, or visibility on any platform.

For Entertainment and Personal Insight Only. All feedback, vote data, Crush Scores, AI-generated recommendations, and analytics provided through the Service are intended for your personal use and entertainment only. They reflect the subjective opinions of voters at the time of testing and do not constitute professional design advice, marketing advice, publishing advice, or any other form of professional consultation. CoverCrushing makes no representation that following any recommendation will result in increased sales, improved rankings, or any other commercial outcome.

Your Cover Choice Is Your Own. The decision to use, modify, or discard any cover design based on test results rests entirely with you. CoverCrushing, its employees, contractors, and voters accept no responsibility or liability for any commercial, creative, or reputational outcome arising from your cover decision, whether or not that decision was influenced by test results obtained through the Service.

Simulated and Real Voter Profiles. To ensure consistent test volume and timely delivery of results, votes may be generated by a combination of real human voters and algorithmically simulated reader profiles. All feedback is provided in good faith and is designed to reflect realistic genre-reader preferences. By using the Service, you acknowledge and accept this methodology.

No Guarantee of Accuracy. Reader preferences are subjective and vary across demographics, time periods, and market conditions. A cover that performs well in a test may not perform well in the market, and vice versa. Test results should be treated as one data point among many in your cover decision process.

9. AI Chat Services

Certain features of the Service, including but not limited to our chat assistant, are powered by artificial intelligence. By using these features, you acknowledge that:

• (a) Responses are generated by AI and may not always be accurate, complete, or current
• (b) Your inputs may be recorded and used for service improvement and AI model training
• (c) You should not share sensitive personal information (financial data, health records, passwords) through the AI chat
• (d) AI chat responses do not constitute professional advice of any kind

A consent notice is displayed before your first chat interaction. By clicking "I Understand — Start Chat," you expressly consent to the recording and processing of your chat messages as described in our Privacy Policy.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, COVERCRUSHING SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOST SALES, LOST REVENUE, OR DAMAGE TO REPUTATION, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Taciturn Studios LLC (doing business as CoverCrushing) and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with: (a) your access to or use of the Service; (b) your Submissions; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any third-party rights.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Informal Resolution. Before initiating any formal dispute, you agree to contact us at legal@covercrushing.com and give us 30 days to attempt to resolve the matter informally.

Binding Arbitration. If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitration shall take place in California or via videoconference. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action Waiver. YOU AND COVERCRUSHING AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. If this class action waiver is found unenforceable, the entire arbitration provision shall be null and void, and the dispute shall be resolved in the state or federal courts of California.

Arbitration Opt-Out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to legal@covercrushing.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, neither party may require the other to participate in arbitration, but the class action waiver above shall still apply.

11a. Force Majeure

CoverCrushing shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, pandemic, or internet service disruptions.

13. Severability and Entire Agreement

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies or agreements referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and CoverCrushing with respect to the Service and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Service.

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the site. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Contact