How it works
How a personalized book comes to life.
Turning a story template into someone's own book takes four guided steps, with a free preview before you ever pay for the full book.
Pick a story
Browse the gallery and choose a template that fits the person you're celebrating — filter by age and cast size, then open the one that feels right.
Add photos and details
Upload a few photos of each person and tell us their name and what they love. That's all the story needs to become theirs.
See a free preview
Before you pay anything, we generate your cover illustration and the full story text to read. Use Show another page to unlock interior scenes with generation tokens. Every account gets 2 free previews each calendar month; once those are used, a saved preview credit or a small one-off fee covers the next one.
Unlock the full book
Love it? Choose the digital PDF or a printed, bound hardcover — see pricing for current rates. Payment starts full-book generation; the PDF becomes downloadable once every page is illustrated, and hardcovers move to print once the book is complete. A digital purchase is credited toward a later hardcover. Once the digital book is ready, you can share it online with loved ones via an unlisted gift link, or add a dedication or colouring book.
Digital or hardcover
- Digital PDF
- Ready to download once full-book generation finishes; credited toward a hardcover if you upgrade later.
- Printed hardcover
- A premium casewrap hardcover, printed on demand and shipped to your door once the book is complete.
Note: The preview is milestone-based, not the whole book
It always includes your cover illustration and the full story text to read — unlock more interior scenes with generation tokens before you buy every illustration.
What to expect: The PDF follows full generation, not payment
Buying the book starts full-book generation; the file is ready once every page finishes, and you'll get an email either way.
Limitation: Ordering a hardcover finalises the book
Once you order a printed hardcover, that project's text and illustrations are locked in.
Keep reading
Common questions
- How do I pick a story template?
- Browse the gallery at /books and filter by age range and cast size. Each template page shows the story's tone, length, and starting price before you begin.
- What photos should I upload?
- Upload the photo angles the template asks for — usually one clear face photo per person who appears in the book. Photos are used only to keep that person's likeness consistent across the illustrations.
- What details do I add?
- You enter the hero's name, age, and a few interests or facts the story can use, plus names for any other cast members the template needs.
- What happens during generation?
- Onceling writes the personalized story and illustrates every page from your photos and details. You can watch progress on the project page and get an email when it's ready.
- Is the preview really free?
- Yes, within your monthly allowance. Every account gets 2 free previews each calendar month — a cover illustration plus the full story to read — before you pay anything. Use Show another page to unlock interior scenes with generation tokens. Extra previews use a saved preview credit or a small one-off fee.
- How do I unlock the full book?
- From the project page, choose a digital PDF or a printed hardcover; see the pricing page for current rates. Payment starts full-book generation — the PDF becomes downloadable once every page is illustrated, not the instant you pay. If you already own the digital edition, its price is credited toward a hardcover.
- Can I give the finished book as a gift?
- Yes. After purchase you can create a gift link — an unlisted URL that lets the recipient read the digital book online without signing in. It isn't listed in the story gallery or searchable on Onceling, so only people you share it with will find it, and you can revoke it at any time. A printed hardcover ships separately, to whatever address you enter at checkout.