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How it works

From a blank page to a printed book in about 48 hours

Here is exactly what happens, including the bits most companies do not tell you.

  1. 1

    You fill in the brief

    2 minutes

    Six short screens. Who the book is for, what they are like, the hobby they will not stop talking about, the story the family always brings up, and who they consider their nemesis. The more specific you are, the funnier the book gets: "argues about fonts" beats "likes design" every time.

    Nothing is compulsory except their name. Skip anything you do not know.

  2. 2

    You pick a genre and a tone

    20 seconds

    Ten genres, each with its own world: locations, villains, vehicles and disasters. Then the tone dial: wholesome, cheeky or savage. This matters more than people expect. Savage is genuinely savage.

    Buying for a colleague? Cheeky. Buying for your nan? Wholesome. Buying for your brother? You already know.

  3. 3

    You upload one photo

    10 seconds

    A clear, well-lit photo of their face works best. It goes on the cover and appears through the book as illustrated plates. One photo is plenty.

    Only upload photos of people who would be happy to be in a book. See our content policy.

  4. 4

    We write the book

    About a minute

    The story engine plots twelve chapters, writes every one of them around your answers, and illustrates each chapter. You watch it happen on a progress screen. There is no waiting list and no "we will email you in three days".

    Same brief, same book, every time. The preview you read is exactly the book we print.

  5. 5

    You read two chapters free

    As long as you like

    The full cover, the blurb, the dedication and the first two chapters, free, before you spend anything. If it does not make you laugh, close the tab. We would rather that than a refund.

    You can regenerate with a different genre or tone as many times as you want.

  6. 6

    We print it and post it

    2 days printing, then delivery

    Perfect-bound paperback or case-bound hardback, printed on cream stock in the UK. Digital edition arrives instantly either way, so you have something to show if the post is slow.

    Free UK delivery over £60.00.

A note on what the book actually is

Every Bookabra book is generated. A story engine plans the plot and writes the prose using the details you give us, and the illustrations are rendered from your photo and the genre palette. Nobody is pretending a novelist sat down for a fortnight. The joke works because it is enormous, fast and specific to one person.

What we do promise: the book is complete, it reads properly from beginning to end, and it is genuinely about the person on the cover. You read a real chunk of it before paying, so there are no surprises.

Try it, free to preview

Ten genres to choose from

Airport Thriller

Codewords, safe houses and a hero who has absolutely no business being there. The one people buy for their dad.

Regency Romance

Bonnets, balls and barely-contained feelings. Perfect for anyone who has ever shouted at a period drama.

Fantasy Quest

Swords, taverns and a chosen one who was chosen mostly by accident.

Space Opera

Faster-than-light travel, slower-than-light decision making.

Heist Caper

A crew, a vault and a plan with several holes in it.

Office Saga

Restructures, biscuits and a photocopier that knows too much. For the colleague who is leaving.

Survival Epic

Wind, rain and a hero who packed the wrong shoes.

Christmas Special

Tinsel, family and a fire hazard. The one you buy in November and give in December.

Detective Noir

Somebody did something. Our hero will find out, eventually, after a sandwich.

Underdog Sports Story

The final, the rival and a team held together by orange slices.