diff --git a/src/cmd/utils/author_file_utils.go b/src/cmd/utils/author_file_utils.go
index 2d3986d..0fdd93b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/utils/author_file_utils.go
+++ b/src/cmd/utils/author_file_utils.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package utils
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -23,53 +24,55 @@ func Find_authorfile() string {
 	}
 }
 
-func CheckAuthorFile() string {
-	var cocommit_folder string
-	authorfile := Find_authorfile()
-	if _, err := os.Stat(authorfile); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		println("Author file not found at: ", authorfile)
-		println("Would you like to create one? (y/n)")
-		var response string
-		_, err := fmt.Scanln(&response)
-		if err != nil {
-			println("Error reading response")
-		}
-		if response == "y" {
-			parts := strings.Split(authorfile, "/")
-			cocommit_folder = strings.Join(parts[:len(parts)-1], "/")
-
-			// create the author file
-			if _, dirErr := os.Stat(cocommit_folder); os.IsNotExist(dirErr) {
-				err := os.Mkdir(cocommit_folder, 0766)
-				if err != nil {
-					fmt.Println("Error creating directory: ", err, cocommit_folder)
-					os.Exit(1)
-				}
-			}
-			file, err := os.Create(authorfile)
-			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Println("Error creating file: ", err)
-				os.Exit(1)
+func CheckAuthorFile(input io.Reader, output io.Writer) (string,error) {
+    var cocommit_folder string
+    authorfile := Find_authorfile()
+    
+    if _, err := os.Stat(authorfile); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+        fmt.Fprintf(output, "Author file not found at: %s\n", authorfile)
+        fmt.Fprintf(output, "Would you like to create one? (y/n)\n")
+        
+        var response string
+        _, err := fmt.Fscanln(input, &response)
+        if err != nil {
+            fmt.Fprintln(output, "Error reading response")
+        }
+        
+        if response == "y" {
+            parts := strings.Split(authorfile, "/")
+			if len(parts) > 1 {
+				// remove the last part of the path
+         		cocommit_folder = strings.Join(parts[:len(parts)-1], "/")
+			} else {
+				cocommit_folder = "."
 			}
 
-			defer file.Close()
+            // create the author file
+            if _, dirErr := os.Stat(cocommit_folder); os.IsNotExist(dirErr) {
+                err := os.Mkdir(cocommit_folder, 0766)
+                if err != nil {
+					return "", fmt.Errorf("error creating directory: %v %s", err, cocommit_folder)   
+                }
+            }
+            
+            file, err := os.Create(authorfile)
+            if err != nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("error creating file: %v", err)
+            }
+            defer file.Close()
 
-			// write the header to the file
-			json_string := 
-			`{
-	"Authors": {
-	}
+            // write the header to the file
+            json_string := `{
+    "Authors": {
+    }
 }`
-
-			file.Write([]byte(json_string))
-
-			fmt.Println("Author file created. To add authors please launch the TUI with -a  and press 'C'")
-		} else {
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-	}
-	// This string output is mostly for convenience can mostly be ignored
-	return authorfile
+            file.Write([]byte(json_string))
+            fmt.Fprintln(output, "Author file created. To add authors please launch the TUI with -a and press 'C'")
+        } else {
+            os.Exit(0)
+        }
+    }
+    return authorfile, nil
 }
 
 func CreateAuthor(user User) {