Questions, answered
What exactly do I get?
One complete illustrated book in the format you choose — a branching adventure (up to 20 sections, the endings you defined) or a classic chapter book (up to 20 chapters, the ending you defined) — with a cover, character portraits, and every section illustrated in your chosen style. You can read it online, share it by link, and download an EPUB. It stays in your library, and there's no subscription. Starting a book and building its story outline is free; you pay when you approve the outline — $12.99 to $19.99 depending on the size of the book you designed, shown on the approve button. A printed, posted copy is an optional add-on from the finished book, $19.99–$79 by binding.
What kinds of books can I make?
Two kinds. A branching adventure: the reader makes the choices and shapes the story, and you define 2–8 endings every route must land on. Or a classic chapter book: one story read start to finish, building to the single ending you define. Priced the same way — by the book's total size — with the same review checkpoints and the same illustrated exports. You pick the format when you start a book.
What ages is it for?
You pick an audience band when you start — ages 3–5 (picture-book simple), 6–8 (early readers), 9–12 (confident readers), teens, or adults for a grown-up gift book — and the story's vocabulary, sentence length, and themes are written to it. The same premise makes a very different book at 4 than at 10.
How long does it take?
Usually 10–20 minutes of machine time end to end, split around your two review steps: the story map arrives in a couple of minutes, the full draft a few minutes after you approve the map, and illustrations render after you approve the draft. On a busy day the illustrations can take up to an hour. You can close the tab and walk away — it saves its progress, and we email you when the book is ready.
Do I control the story?
More than you'd expect. You set the premise, the audience, the tone, standing author notes the AI must obey, the named characters (with exact appearance), and the ending or endings. Then you get two checkpoints — the story map (or chapter outline) and the complete draft — where you can edit any text, regenerate any image with a note, or re-spin entirely before anything renders.
Is it AI-generated?
Yes — the writing and illustrations are generated by AI, working strictly from your premise, your characters, and your endings. The drawing is automated; the book is yours. You choose the premise, the heroes and exactly how they look, the tone, the age band, and every ending it's allowed to reach — then you get two approval checkpoints where you can edit every word and regenerate any image, free retries until it's right, and nothing renders until you've approved the full draft. A one-of-a-kind illustrated book used to mean commissioning an illustrator for hundreds of dollars and waiting weeks. This is what makes it a Saturday afternoon instead.
Is this the "Choose Your Own Adventure" brand?
No. "Choose Your Own Adventure" is a registered trademark of Chooseco LLC, and we're not affiliated with them. Stories You Shape makes original, personalized branching storybooks in the same beloved format that interactive fiction has used for decades.
Who owns the book?
You do, for all personal use — read it, print it, gift it, share it. Your premise and inputs are yours. See the terms for details.
Is it safe for kids?
The books are written to the audience you specify, and our content policy prohibits harmful content outright. Accounts belong to adults; kids read the books, the grown-ups in their lives make them — parents, grandparents, teachers, friends. We collect nothing about any child beyond what you choose to write in the story itself.
Can I make more books with the same characters?
Yes. Characters you create are kept in your library, and choosing one for a new book brings back both the description and the original reference portrait — so faces stay identical from book to book. Villains are kept in their own list, because a recurring villain is usually the point.
What if I don't like the result?
First, use the free tools — rewrite any section with a note, regenerate any image, or re-spin the map before rendering. If you're still unhappy, email us within 14 days and we'll make it right or refund you. See the refund policy.
Can I print it as a real book?
Yes. From your finished book's last page you can order a printed copy and we post it to you — a stapled booklet ($19.99), a paperback ($39), a hardcover ($59), or a linen hardcover with a dust jacket ($79). The options shown match your book's real page count, and extra copies print at the same price. Every printed copy also unlocks that book's print-ready files — a 6×9 interior PDF with the fonts embedded, plus a full cover wrap sized to your page count — so you can also reorder from a print-on-demand service yourself. Made to order: allow about three weeks door to door.
Something else? Email support@storiesyoushape.com — a person answers. Also see terms · privacy · refunds.