1. Agreement
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of michaelloucks.com, the mailing list at lists.michaelloucks.com, and the Patron Vault at patrons.michaelloucks.com (together, the “Services”), operated by Michael Loucks (“I,” “me,” or “my”).
By accessing or using the Services — including subscribing to the mailing list or purchasing a Patron Vault membership — you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
The Privacy Policy describes how personal information is handled and is incorporated by reference.
2. The Services
- Author hub — a public directory of links to books, community resources, and related sites.
- Mailing list — optional email announcements. Subscription is free. You may unsubscribe at any time.
- Patron Vault — paid memberships that provide access to advance chapters, archives, and related member materials according to the tier and entitlement rules described at checkout and on the vault site.
Linked third-party sites and services (for example Discord, Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee, Amazon, ZBookstore, and companion wikis) are not part of the Services and have their own terms.
3. Eligibility
You must be able to form a binding contract in your jurisdiction to purchase a membership. You may not use the Services if doing so would violate applicable law. The Services are not directed to children under 13.
4. Accounts and access
Patron Vault access is tied to the email address used for membership. You are responsible for keeping access to that email secure and for activity under your membership. Notify me promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.
I may suspend or terminate access if these Terms are violated, if payment fails or is reversed outside the refund policy, or if needed to protect the Services or other users.
5. Memberships, pricing, and payment
Patron Vault memberships are offered in tiers (for example Gold, Platinum, Collaborator, and Benefactor) on monthly or annual billing intervals. Prices, benefits, and promotions shown at checkout control the purchase you make. Annual plans may include promotional pricing (for example two months free) as advertised.
Payments are processed by Stripe. By purchasing, you authorize Stripe to charge the payment method you provide for the selected plan and for recurring renewals until you cancel. Taxes may apply where required.
Unless cancelled, paid memberships renew automatically at the then-current rate for the same interval. You may cancel renewal through the available billing tools (including the Stripe Customer Portal where offered) or by contacting me. Cancellation stops future renewals; it does not by itself entitle you to a refund outside the refund policy below.
6. Refund policy
You may request a full refund within seven (7) days of a successful payment. “Successful payment” means the charge for that membership period has been completed by the payment processor.
- Refund requests must be made within that 7-day window for the payment you want refunded.
- Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method via Stripe when possible.
- After a refund, Patron Vault access for the refunded period may be ended immediately.
- Except as required by law, payments are not refundable after the 7-day period.
To request a refund, email support@michaelloucks.com (or any published membership support address) with the email used for the membership and the approximate payment date.
7. Content and intellectual property
All fiction, text, files, branding, and other materials provided through the Services (the “Content”) are owned by Michael Loucks or licensors and are protected by copyright and other laws.
While your membership is active and in good standing, you receive a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and download Content solely for your own private reading and use, according to your tier’s entitlements. You may not:
- Resell, rent, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Content
- Publicly repost, redistribute, or share member-only files or advance material
- Remove copyright or proprietary notices
- Use the Content to train machine-learning models or similar systems, unless I give prior written permission
Except for the limited license above, no rights are granted by implication or otherwise.
8. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Attempt unauthorized access to accounts, systems, or non-public areas of the Services
- Interfere with or disrupt the Services, including by automated scraping beyond ordinary browser use
- Share login access in a way that circumvents individual membership limits
- Use the Services for unlawful purposes
- Misrepresent your identity in a way that harms the Services or other users
9. Availability and changes
I aim to keep the Services available but do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. Features, tiers, pricing, and Content may change. I may update these Terms by posting a revised version with a new effective date. Continued use after changes means you accept the revised Terms. Material changes to paid memberships will be handled fairly where practical (for example, applying new prices at the next renewal).
10. Disclaimers
THE SERVICES AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Fiction and related materials are for entertainment; they are not professional advice of any kind.
11. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, I AM NOT LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES OR CONTENT. MY TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SERVICES IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE PATRON VAULT MEMBERSHIP IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS; IN THOSE CASES, THE LIMITATION APPLIES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED.
12. Indemnity
You will defend and indemnify me against claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your misuse of the Services, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any rights of another person, to the extent permitted by law.
13. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Courts located in Illinois have exclusive jurisdiction, except that I may seek injunctive relief in any jurisdiction to protect intellectual property or the Services.
14. Miscellaneous
If any provision of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. These Terms are the entire agreement between you and me regarding the Services and supersede prior agreements on the same subject. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without my consent; I may assign them in connection with a transfer of the Services.
15. Contact
Questions about these Terms, memberships, or refunds:
Michael Loucks
Email: support@michaelloucks.com