Private books versus shared or community books
When you create a book on Next Chapters, one of the most important decisions you make is whether the book will be private or shared. This choice affects who can participate, how the book is managed, and how collaboration works.
You choose the book type during the first step of the book creation process. Once a book is created, its type cannot be changed.
Private books
Private books are intended for solo writing.
If you create a private book, you are the only person who can access it. No other authors can be invited, and no one else can view or contribute to the book.
Private books are commonly used for personal projects, drafts in progress, or manuscripts you plan to develop independently.
Next Chapters does not claim any ownership or intellectual property rights over private books. Everything you write in a private book remains fully yours.
Private books are available to users with a paid subscription.
Community books
Community books are designed for open collaboration.
Anyone can create a community book, including users on free accounts. Community books allow multiple contributors to participate under shared guidelines.
Because community books involve more than one writer, they include tools for inviting contributors, reviewing submissions, and managing chapter approvals.
Community books are not automatically published or sold. Monetization only happens if the contributors choose to move forward together and ask Next Chapters to assist.
If a community book is monetized, contributors are paid according to the Author Payment Policy.
Group books
Group books are shared projects with controlled participation.
Unlike community books, group books are limited to invited contributors only. This allows a defined set of writers to collaborate without opening the project to broader participation.
Group books are available to users with a paid subscription and are often used for co-authored projects, classes, or writing groups that want structured collaboration. Free members are able to be invited to join in on a group book.
Choosing the right option
Private books are best when you want full control and no collaboration.
Community books work well for open, collaborative projects.
Group books are ideal when you want collaboration with a specific set of invited authors.
No matter which type of book you choose, Next Chapters does not take ownership of your writing. Publishing and monetization services are optional and only used when authors request them.