Ultra planUltra plan
Use your own OpenRouter and ElevenLabs keys for writing and narration
Ultra subscribers can connect an OpenRouter key for writing and an ElevenLabs key for narration. You choose the model, the provider bills your account directly, and each action costs 1 AIBookWriter credit.
Which work uses your keys
Two providers, two kinds of work. Everything else in your books stays exactly as it is.Chapters and outlines on OpenRouter
Write chapters and generate outlines through your own OpenRouter account, using the model you picked in settings.
Your choice of model
Pick from a short list of writing models available on OpenRouter, and change it whenever you want to try another.
Narration on ElevenLabs
Run Audiobook Studio narration through your own ElevenLabs account.
1 credit per action
Work that runs on your key costs 1 AIBookWriter credit per action instead of the platform price for that action.
Encrypted at rest
Keys are stored encrypted and decrypted only for the request or job that uses them. They're never sent back to your browser.
Only the last four characters shown
Settings show enough of the key for you to recognize it, and nothing more.
Setting up a key
Setup takes a few minutes, and you can do it for one provider or both.Move to Ultra
Bring-your-own-key is part of the Ultra plan, $120 a month billed yearly or $149 month to month.
Create a key with the provider
Make an API key in your OpenRouter or ElevenLabs account and copy it.
Paste it into settings
AIBookWriter checks the key with the provider before saving it, so a typo shows up right away rather than in the middle of a chapter.
Pick a model, then write
For OpenRouter, pick the model you want to write with, then run chapters and outlines on your key.
Platform credits or your own key
Both routes write the same way, against the same outline, recaps and writing sample. What changes is who runs the model and how it's billed.| Platform credits | Your own key | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Every plan | Ultra |
| Who runs the model | AIBookWriter | Your OpenRouter or ElevenLabs account |
| Credits per chapter | 15, 20 or 30, by tier | 1 per action |
| Credits for narration | 1 per 12.5 characters, plus 20% for multi-voice | 1 per action |
| Model choice | Swift, Balanced or Literary | A model from the OpenRouter list in settings |
| Model usage billed by | Included in your credits | The provider, to your account |
Why a failing key stops the job
Keys stop working for ordinary reasons. A balance runs out, a key gets revoked, a provider rejects a request. When that happens there are two ways a service can respond: switch to its own models and charge you for them, or stop and tell you. AIBookWriter stops.
If the provider refuses a request on your key, the job ends with that provider's error, and nothing is moved over to platform credits behind your back. Fix the key or top up the account with the provider, then run the job again.
This is deliberate. People connect their own keys for specific reasons: a model they prefer, model spending they want to see in one place, or limits they manage themselves. A silent fallback would undo every one of those without asking.
The same thinking applies to storage. Keys are encrypted at rest and decrypted only for the request or job that needs them. They're never returned to the browser, and the settings page shows only the last four characters so you can tell which key is connected. Before a key is saved, it's checked with the provider.
Everything else about your books works the same on your key. Chapters are written against the outline and recaps of earlier chapters, drafts are offered next to your text instead of replacing it, and every save is kept in the version history.
When your own key makes sense
You have a preferred model
Write chapters with the OpenRouter model you like best, chosen from the list in settings.
You want one bill for model usage
Keep model spending in your OpenRouter or ElevenLabs account, alongside your other projects.
You write at volume
Chapters at 1 credit each leave more of Ultra's 25,000 monthly credits for covers, formatting and reviews.
You narrate long books
Audiobook narration runs on your ElevenLabs account at 1 credit per action, instead of being priced per character.
Frequently asked questions
Which plan includes bring-your-own-key?
Only Ultra. It costs $120 a month billed yearly ($1,440 a year) or $149 month to month, and includes 25,000 credits a month plus everything in Pro: print formatting, translation, audiobooks, author pages, visual books and series. Free, Plus and Pro accounts use platform credits for all AI work.
What can I run on my own key?
With an OpenRouter key, you can write chapters and generate outlines using the model you chose in settings. With an ElevenLabs key, you can run audiobook narration. Work that doesn't run on your key is charged in platform credits at the usual prices. Your key is used only for the jobs you choose to run on it.
How much does an action on my key cost?
Each action that runs on your key costs 1 AIBookWriter credit. For comparison, a chapter on platform credits costs 15, 20 or 30 credits depending on the tier. The model usage itself is billed to you by OpenRouter or ElevenLabs, under your own account and its pricing.
How are my keys stored?
Keys are encrypted at rest and decrypted only for the request or job that uses them. They're never sent back to your browser; the settings page shows only the last four characters so you can tell which key is connected. Before a key is saved, it's checked with the provider so a typo is caught immediately.
What happens if my key stops working?
The job stops and shows the error from the provider. AIBookWriter never switches a failed job to platform credits on its own, so you won't find a chapter charged at the platform price because your key ran out. Fix the key or its balance with the provider, then run the job again.
Which models can I choose?
Settings offer a short list of writing models available through OpenRouter. Pick the one you want to write with; you can change it later and compare how different models handle the same chapter. Your choice applies to chapters and outlines that run on your key.
Put your own keys to work
Start free, plan your book, and move to Ultra when you want writing and narration to run on your own OpenRouter and ElevenLabs accounts.