Verified Texas Author Program (VTAP)

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Preserving Authentic Voices in an Artificial World

AI can write words — but not truth.
In a world overflowing with AI-generated content, it’s getting harder for readers to know what’s real. The Verified Texas Author Program (VTAP), created by the Texas Authors Museum, helps real Texas writers stand apart by verifying authentic human authorship and preserving their legacy for generations to come.


What the Program Is About

VTAP gives readers confidence that your stories come from experience, emotion, and truth — not algorithms. Through a simple, respectful verification process, authors confirm their identity, Texas connection, and authorship while joining the Museum’s growing archive of verified voices.

Our mission:

To honor genuine Texas authors and protect the integrity of human storytelling in the age of AI.


What You Get

Every verified author receives:

  • An official Verified Texas Author Certificate (digital + mailed copy)

  • Listing in the Texas Authors Museum Archive (digital and/or physical)

  • The right to display the Verified Texas Author logo on your book covers, website, and marketing materials

  • A short, one-on-one Zoom or in-person verification session confirming your authorship

  • Optional inclusion in promotional features, social media campaigns, and museum exhibits

Members of the Texas Authors Museum save up to 50%, and Level 4 Members receive Gold Verification free.


Why It Matters

AI has blurred the line between real and fake authorship.
VTAP exists to restore trust between readers and writers by ensuring authenticity, transparency, and ethical storytelling.

When you display your Verified Texas Author badge, you’re saying:

“My stories come from lived experience — not artificial intelligence.”


How the Process Works

Step 1: Apply by Emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the application.
Complete a short application form and sign the Ethics & Authorship Pledge.

Step 2: Verify Your Work
Provide proof of publication (ISBN, publisher link, or equivalent).

Step 3: Meet a Real Person
Schedule a brief Zoom verification or meet us at a live Texas Authors Museum event.

Step 4: Get Certified
Receive your digital certificate immediately and your physical certificate by mail within two weeks.

Verification lasts for three years and can be renewed easily.


Pricing & Tiers

Tier Non-Member Price Member Price (Level 3–4) Description
Bronze $75 $40 Signed ethics pledge and Texas connection confirmation.
Silver $125 $65 Includes Bronze benefits + work verification and mailed certificate.
Gold $175 $85 Includes Silver benefits + live video verification and archive highlight.

Level 4 members receive Gold verification FREE.
Each tier includes digital and/or mailed certificates (with postage included).


Why Choose VTAP Over Other Services

Unlike online seals or self-verified memberships, VTAP offers:
✅ Human verification — every author is personally confirmed by museum staff.
✅ Cultural credibility — backed by the Texas Authors Museum, a trusted institution.
✅ Archival preservation — your verified status and work become part of Texas literary history.
✅ Regional pride — recognition as an authentic Texas storyteller.
✅ Clear “No AI” stance — we verify human creativity, not machine-generated output


Our Pledge on AI

The Texas Authors Museum recognizes that some authors use AI for grammar, formatting, or idea organization — that’s fine. But full AI-generated writing is not eligible for verification.

Our goal is to celebrate the human spirit of storytelling and protect creative authenticity in an increasingly artificial world.


Ready to Be Verified?

Take your place among the authentic voices of Texas.
The process is quick, professional, and meaningful — and your verification becomes part of the Museum’s permanent record.

Apply today at: TexasAuthorsMuseum.org/Verified
Or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to learn more.

No AI can fake Texas heart.
Be a Verified Texas Author.

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Key Takeaways for Authors

  • If you want regional identity, archival legitimacy, and human-verified authorship, VTAP gives you a stronger, more credible credential.

  • The “no AI” angle is present in both, but VTAP ties it to a museum-backed verification process and Texas-specific authenticity.

  • TAI offers a simpler membership model at lower cost, which may appeal for volume, but lacks some of the structural depth and regional focus VTAP brings.

 

Feature / Service

VTAP (Texas Authors Museum)

TAI (Authenticity Initiative) (The Authenticity Ini)

Focus on a specific region (Texas writers)

✅ Dedicated to Texas authors and their authentic regional voice

❓ Generic global scope; not region-specific

Verification beyond membership

✅ Multi-tiered verification (Identity, Work, Ethics) with video or in-person verification

✅ Membership + “audit” of author platform, then seal provided (The Authenticity Ini)

Verification of published work & authorship

✅ Requires verification of published work, authorship and optional AI-use disclosure

❓ Focus appears membership + platform audit; details of authorship/originality verification less clear

Human verification via video or in-person

✅ Yes — written statement + Zoom or live event verification session

❓ Not mentioned (TAI: “audit each author that joins our catalogue to verify their author platform” only) (The Authenticity Ini)

Preservation/archiving of work in museum context

✅ Inclusion in TAM’s archival records (digital + physical) for preserving legacy

❌ No equivalent museum archival service mentioned

Strong “No AI” / authenticity emphasis

✅ Clear message: “NO AI can fake Texas heart” + human credentials

✅ Yes — “Authors protecting their original voices against AI-generated publications” noted (The Authenticity Ini)

Physical certificate mailed + digital certificate

✅ Yes (digital + mailed certificate included)

✅ Certificate of membership offered (The Authenticity Ini)

Tiered badge levels (Bronze/Silver/Gold) with varying rigor

✅ Yes — tiered verification with corresponding badge levels

❓ Appears flat membership model (“unique TAI seal”) with no documented tiering

Pricing tied to cost-recovery and value

✅ Clear cost-recovery model with transparency

✅ One-time payment ($50) for lifetime membership (The Authenticity Ini)

Institutional credibility & legacy

✅ Operated by a museum with archival mission and regional anchoring

❓ Independent initiative with less institutional history/region-specific identity

Premium benefit for members of the organizing body

✅ Level 4 members of TAM get free Gold verification as part of membership

❓ Not applicable

Use of logo/badge by verified authors

✅ Yes — exclusive use of Verified Texas Author logo for badge holders

✅ Yes — “unique TAI seal” offered (The Authenticity Ini)

Supporting, Spotlighting, and Protecting Texas Authors

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The Texas Authors Museum & Institute of History (TAMIH) is dedicated to helping Texas authors promote their work, protect their creative freedom, and connect with readers across the state and beyond. Through membership programs, contests, festivals, publications, and advocacy, TAMIH offers a full range of services designed to strengthen authors’ visibility, credibility, and success.

Membership

TAMIH provides tiered membership opportunities tailored to fit every author’s needs. From free basic listings with photos and bios to advanced Authorpreneur packages with magazine features, monthly promotions, and event discounts, members receive tools and exposure that scale with their commitment. Low-income author grants ensure no writer is left behind.

Book Marketing & Contest Programs

Authors can elevate their visibility and credibility through TAMIH’s professional marketing services. The Best of Texas Book Awards celebrates outstanding works judged by librarians, while the Manuscript Mastery Assessment offers unpublished authors constructive feedback. Texas Authors Magazine provides both advertising space and feature opportunities, reaching readers and industry professionals alike.

ReadSafe Ratings Program

The ReadSafe Ratings system is TAMIH’s innovative defense against censorship and book bans. Authors can classify their books using a clear six-tier rating scale and optional content labels, signaling transparency while protecting their work. Affordable packages include digital badges, directory listings, stickers, press release templates, and social media spotlights. This program builds trust with librarians, educators, and readers while ensuring books remain accessible.

Publications & Media Exposure

Through Texas Authors Magazine, social media campaigns, newsletters, and video interviews, TAMIH gives authors consistent exposure across multiple platforms. Whether in print, online, or on screen, members benefit from features and spotlights that keep their names and works in front of new audiences.

Events & Festivals

TAMIH connects authors and readers through large-scale events like the Texas Author & Reader Con and the Lone Star Festival. These events include panels, book signings, performances, and vendor opportunities. TAMIH also sponsors themed short story contests and campaigns, offering authors the chance to gain recognition and be published in anthologies.

Sales & Retail Exposure (Coming Soon)

With the Texas Authors Online Bookstore and branded merchandise opportunities, TAMIH extends author visibility directly into the marketplace. These outlets give readers convenient access to Texas writers’ works while amplifying author presence beyond traditional sales channels.

Verified Texas Author Program (VTAP)

The Verified Texas Author Program (VTAP) is TAMIH’s answer to the chaos of AI, scams, and fake identities in publishing. VTAP verifies that a book’s primary creator is a real, human Texas author and confirms basic professional standards, giving librarians, bookstores, festivals, and readers confidence in who they’re supporting. Verified authors receive a VTAP seal for their books, directory recognition, and priority consideration for TAMIH programs and events. Over time, VTAP aims to become the gold-standard credential for authentic Texas authorship—making it easier for decision-makers to say “yes” to Texas books and harder for bad actors to crowd the shelves.

Texas Authors Press (TAP)

Texas Authors Press (TAP) is a mission-driven publishing house built by and for Texas authors, blending the best of traditional publishing with the museum’s educational and advocacy focus. TAP offers selective, contract-based publishing with real editorial guidance, professional production, and integrated marketing support—not pay-to-play packages. Every TAP title is tied back to the Texas Authors Museum through archiving, promotion, and long-term legacy planning, so an author’s work doesn’t just launch and vanish; it becomes part of Texas literary history. For qualified authors who want a serious partner, not a vanity press, TAP provides a clear path from manuscript to market backed by the credibility of TAMIH.

 

Manuscript Marketing Assessment

The Manuscript Marketing Assessment is designed to help Texas authors bridge the gap between “finished draft” and “market-ready book.” Instead of line-editing the prose, this program evaluates your manuscript’s marketability—identifying target audiences, genre fit, comparable titles, sales hooks, and core messaging. You receive feedback on your title, subtitle, back-cover copy, keywords, and positioning, along with practical recommendations for formats, pricing, launch timing, and marketing angles. The goal is simple: to help you turn a good manuscript into a book that actually moves in the marketplace, with a clear plan for how to present and sell it.

Community Outreach & Advocacy

TAMIH is committed to preserving and promoting Texas literature. Through partnerships with libraries, universities, bookstores, and literacy initiatives, the museum ensures authors remain visible and their stories accessible. With advocacy programs like ReadSafe Ratings, TAMIH defends creative freedom while fostering a stronger, more supportive literary community.

 

✨ TAMIH stands as both a guardian of Texas literary history and a champion for its living authors. By joining, you gain not only visibility and marketing tools but also a powerful ally in protecting your voice and amplifying your story.

Books Outlast Toys Holiday Campaign

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Join the Books Outlast Toys Holiday Campaign – Boost Sales, Get Extra Promotion with ReadSafe

This holiday season, cheap toys aren’t cheap anymore. Tariffs and inflation have doubled the cost of toys, while books remain the affordable, lasting gift for families. That’s why the Texas Authors Museum & Institute of History (TAMIH) is launching the Books Outlast Toys campaign—uniting Texas writers to show that books outlast toys in value, meaning, and impact.

Here’s How It Works

  • Buy a Children’s Book, Get a Free eBook
    Families who purchase a print children’s book from a Texas author will also receive a free eBook, (of their choice from the list provided) from a Texas author. Two stories for the price of one toy—double the value.

  • Revenue & Legacy
    Authors receive their normal share of sales, with 20% of each sale dedicated to TAMIH expenses, supporting our mission to preserve and promote Texas writers and cover our expenses. (This applies to both children’s and eBook authors.  Every author makes money from this program.)

  • Extra Promotion with ReadSafe
    Titles listed in the ReadSafe Ratings program will receive priority promotion in ads, press releases, and social media. Families want books they can trust, and ReadSafe gives them that confidence.

 

Why Join?

  • Exposure in a statewide holiday marketing campaign.

  • Inclusion in gift set bundles and social media promotions.

  • Priority placement if your book is ReadSafe-rated.

  • The opportunity to be part of a campaign that highlights the value of books over inflated toy prices.

 

Next Step

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to participate. You’ll receive:

  • Details on how to include your book(s).

  • Marketing assets (graphics, hashtags, sample posts).

  • Not enrolled in ReadSafe Ratings program, click here to begin the process.

 

Together, we can show Texans that while toys break, books build futures—and last a lifetime.

News & Updates

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As this program continues to grow, more information for each item below will be added.

Blog Posts

Stay up to date with the latest insights, tips, and conversations around book freedom and the power of choice.

Topics we cover:

  • Why transparency matters for authors and readers

  • Updates on new rating categories and program enhancements

  • Best practices for authors marketing their rated books

  • Library and community spotlights

[Read Our Blog]

Success Stories

We’re proud to share the stories of authors, librarians, and communities using ReadSafeRatings to stand up for creative freedom.

Discover how:

  • Authors have used ratings to build trust and reach new readers

  • Libraries have used ratings to confidently stock and defend diverse titles

  • Communities are finding new ways to celebrate the power of books

[Read Success Stories]

Program Updates

ReadSafeRatings is a living, growing program—driven by feedback from authors, librarians, and readers like you.

Here you’ll find:

  • The latest features and updates to our rating system

  • Expanded content labels and clearer definitions

  • Roadmap milestones and future plans

  • Announcements about events, webinars, and partnerships

[See What’s New]

  1. Author Resources
  2. For Librarians & Booksellers
  3. FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
  4. Directory of Rated Books

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