Updates

What has changed on Writer's Grove, newest first.

Author notes around a chapter

Version 1.0.139 · September 19, 2026

Releases 1.0.131 to 1.0.139.

  • Chapters can carry two notes from the author: one above the text, closed until you open it, and one at the end. Unlike the story itself, a note may hold links, so release announcements and support pages work there.
  • An author can give three addresses on their profile for where their books can be bought, in print, digital or audio. They appear at the top of every chapter they have written.
  • The foot of a chapter now says who wrote it, with their picture, what they say about themselves and the rest of their fiction.
  • Content warnings are shown in one box at the top of a series, book or chapter page, grouped by where each warning was set, with a link to your Account settings.
  • Anything marked for readers 18 or older asks you to confirm your age once, and never asks again.
  • Text-to-speech is on by default for every account.
  • Referring someone now comes with an agreement of its own, and the Referrals page says plainly what a referral earns.

A Referrer Agreement, and what a referral really earns

Version 1.0.136 · September 17, 2026

Release 1.0.136.

  • The referral program has its own agreement at /referrer-terms. Setting a referral code now asks you to read and agree to it first, and your Referrals page records the version you agreed to and the date. If the agreement changes later, the page asks you to agree again before you set a new code. Your existing code keeps earning while you do, and anything you are owed is still paid.
  • The Terms of Service and the Referrals page now say plainly that only a payment earns a commission. A month the account you referred pays nothing for earns you nothing, which covers the 30-day free trial, free Premium time however it was given, and any coupon, discount or contest prize that brings the bill to $0. That was always how it worked; it was never written down.
  • Your 10% is now a true 10%, cut off at the cent. The remainder is dropped and never rounded up, so a $14.99 payment earns $1.49. Commissions already recorded keep the amount they were recorded with.
  • The Terms of Service no longer says the commission is worked out after payment processor fees. It never was: the 10% is taken from the amount of the invoice that was paid.

Text-to-speech is on unless you turn it off

Version 1.0.135 · September 17, 2026

Release 1.0.135.

  • Basic Text-to-Speech is now on for every account, existing ones included, so readers can listen to your chapters with their browser's own voices without you having to switch anything on. The switch is still yours: untick "Allow Basic Text-to-Speech" under Reader Features on your Edit Profile page and the player disappears from your chapters.

Our mailing address reads the same everywhere

Version 1.0.134 · September 17, 2026

Release 1.0.134.

  • The Terms of Service, the Privacy Policy and the Contest Terms now print our mailing address in the form the post office approved, with the unit and box number on one line. The address itself has not changed, so nothing about the documents needs agreeing to again.

Content warnings in one box, and one age check

Version 1.0.133 · September 17, 2026

Release 1.0.133.

  • A series, book or chapter that carries AI, mature or content warnings now opens with a box at the top listing them, grouped by where they are set: the series itself, books in it, or some of its chapters. The card that asked you to allow or hide each item is gone.
  • The first page you open holding mature or content-warned work asks once whether you are 18 or older. Signed in, the answer stays on your account; signed out, it is kept for an hour and moves onto your account when you sign in.
  • Hiding a content type on the Account page now also hides a series when the type is only on one of its books or chapters.
  • The box appears for mature and AI-generated work even when there are no content warnings on it, which it did not before.