Terms and Conditions | Vivien Reis

Terms & Conditions

If you ever have any questions concerning these terms and conditions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

An overview of the process

For custom design services (this process can take anywhere for 2 weeks to over a month):

Upon agreement of a project start date, a 50% deposit is due to secure your place in my calendar.
A brief is filled out by you to share any desires or relevant information that may help me with your design.
Two concepts are sent for the ebook/front of the print book (usually within a week after the start date). You select one to move forward with. If neither are satisfactory, another concept may be provided. Note: concepts are usually unpolished drafts, so the quality of the cover will improve the closer to the final cover we get.
Upon final approval of the ebook/front of the print book, the remaining balance will be paid to receive the final ebook files.
If a print or audiobook cover is requested, work for those will commence after all balances are paid for the ebook. One concept is sent for the print and unlimited changes, within reason, are allowed.
Files for the final print or audiobook covers will be sent upon final approval by you.

For premade covers (this process usually takes less than a week):

Select a premade cover you would like to purchase
Fill in the contact form, specifying which cover you would like and any additional services
I'll send an invoice for the full amount and, once paid, will begin with your customizations
Once the cover is approved, files for the final product will be sent
If additional services were ordered, work will begin on those, and once approved will be sent

Cover design services

For ebook, print, and audiobook covers, a 50% deposit of the design package selected is due upon scheduling for services.

For ebook cover design services, you are paying for:

One complete ebook cover design as a high-resolution jpeg file to use for your ebook
A 3D rendering of your book cover
A png file of the title and author name to be used for the interior

For print cover design services, you are paying for:

The design of one complete paperback print cover design, provided as a high-resolution print-ready PDF file, and laid out according to one template provided by CreateSpace, Ingram Spark or Lightning Source, or your own printing company. Note: The fee includes the provision of the final print-ready file for only one of those service providers. Any additional files will incur additional costs.
The corresponding ebook cover for the same book, supplied as a high-resolution jpeg file, as well as a 3D rendering of your book cover and title png.

In designing your cover, I purchase the license for royalty-free stock used in your design. Usage of these images in any other way, other than as part of your final book cover design, is prohibited.

After the time of booking, if additional services or a change of design package is desired, those additional services may require a separate start date to the original project, pending my availability. If those services are required within 14 days of the original start date (ex: for deadlines), a rush fee may be applied.

Payments

All payments are made securely via PayPal invoicing.

For custom design services:

A 50% deposit is due at the time of booking. My services are limited, so slots will be booked per available start dates. If those start dates do not align with your deadlines, feel free to contact me and we can try to work something out. Rush fees may be added if the start date is within 14 days of booking. If you have contacted me for cover design services and I do not have availability at that time, I can notify you if any slots open up within 30 days of the date requested.

Once a final ebook cover has been approved, I will invoice you for any remaining fees owed on the project as a whole. Once payment is received, I will provide the ebook deliverables paid for in the design package selected. If there are additional services beyond the ebook that were requested, or if there are additional services included in the design package beyond the ebook, work will then start on those services after full payment is received and after the ebook cover is finalized.

For premade design services:

The premade cover is to be paid in full upfront. Changes made to that cover will be limited to minor color adjustments, title and author text, subtitles, taglines, author accolades and minor element adjustments as needed to suit those changes. Once the final cover is approved, I will send you the final high-res ebook cover, 3D rendering and a png for the title image. If additional services are requested and paid for in full upfront, those services will begin upon approval of the final cover. An initial draft of the print or audiobook cover is usually sent within a week of final ebook cover approval. Print and audiobook services for a premade cover will be rendered in the same manner as custom covers. See below for more information.

Note: All final files and images will be sent only after full payment is received.

Custom design process

For all design packages, we’ll begin with the ebook or front cover. I’ll provide at least 2 cover concepts upfront.

Changes are permitted to ONE concept, modified within a reasonable time, pending the scope of the changes and my immediate availability.

Changes cannot be made to both concepts but changes to one concept will be made until you are happy, with some limitations.

If neither concept suits you, I will provide a new concept, usually with more input to your desires or reasons for your dislike of the previous concepts. If that draft still does not suit you, I may, at my sole discretion, provide another concept or cancel the project and refund any moneys already paid.

Once a concept has been chosen, and we have made changes or begun finalizing the project, all other concepts are no longer available for use or modification. An additional fee will be applied if you would like to switch to a previously rejected concept.

Once you have selected a concept, I will make unlimited changes for that cover, within reason. I will always strive for client satisfaction with the final cover, but in the rare case that a final design cannot be settled on, or if I cannot do what you are looking for, I reserve the right to cancel the project and refund any moneys already paid.

Reasonable changes are ones that:

Do not significantly deviate from the approved concept
Follow the original brief
Can be done using stock imagery

Examples include: changes to font or text placement, colors and individual elements.

Print/Audiobook Covers

Once the ebook cover/front cover is approved, we will start on the print/audiobook cover. This utilizes the approved ebook cover with minor changes, as well as the design of a spine and back cover for printing.

The following is required for print covers:

Final trim size
Final page count
All text you would like on the back cover
The printer you are using (Kindle Direct Printing, Ingram Spark or Lightning Source)
The paper color you are using
Your ISBN if printing with Ingram Spark or Lightning Source
If you are printing with another company, I will require a template from your printer

There will be additional costs if these details change after work has begun on the print cover.

I will send one print cover draft based on the above information, and make unlimited changes within reason as per the “Custom design process” section.

Once the print cover is approved, I will send you an invoice for any outstanding fees, and once paid, I will send you the final high-resolution print ready file in the form of a CMYK PDF.

Copper Hound Press is not responsible for distributing this file to your printer or obtaining a printed proof. Copper Hound Press is not liable for any errors or losses of any kind that may arise from the printing of your cover. Upon approving a cover for ebook, print or audiobook, you agree that you’re satisfied with the cover as is, even if any errors or defects are later discovered.

Licensing

Upon final payment, you have an exclusive license to use the finalized cover design artwork for your ebook, print book, interior files, audiobook and any marketing materials. Alterations to the cover design are not permitted unless approved in writing by, or supplied by, Copper Hound Press.

You may not use any of the earlier drafts and concepts in any way. You are not permitted to use the final cover or interior files until all fees have been paid in full.

Upon approving a cover for ebook, print or audiobook, you agree that you’re satisfied with the cover as is, even if any errors or defects are later discovered.

Copper Hound Press is not liable for any losses or penalties arising from your usage of the cover.

Additional licensing details can be found here: https://depositphotos.com/license.html and https://www.shutterstock.com/license

Cancellation and Rescheduling

If the design process doesn’t appear to be working out for any reason, Copper Hound Press reserves the right, at any time, to cancel the project. All payments made up until that point would be refunded.

Design services are based on a brief filled out by the client at the time of booking. If the brief changes during the design process, Copper Hound Press reserves the right to cancel the project.

If you would like to cancel the project, a full refund of all fees paid up to that point requires the following conditions are met:

You have paid a 50% deposit of the project value, and
Changes have not been made to a concept (i.e. you have not chosen a concept in the initial stage of design), or
You have requested a cancellation no less than 14 days prior to your project start date

If you wish to cancel the project

after changes are made to a concept, you agree to forfeit 50% of the deposit paid
after the final ebook cover/front cover has been approved, you agree to forfeit 100% of the cover design fee

Any cancellation from myself or the client requires all designs sent to the client be destroyed by the client. The client retains no rights to these designs.

If you would like the reschedule services (i.e. move your start date), you must give notification no less than 14 days prior to your project start date.

Correspondence

All correspondence to and from Copper Hound Press (Vivien Reis) will be via e-mail. There are no exceptions.

Confidentiality

All client information and materials shared with Copper Hound Press are considered confidential and will only be used to fulfill the services purchased by the client. No information or materials will be shared with any third party unless specifically requested by the client.

Copper Hound Press may, at their discretion, display the final cover design in their portfolio only after the client has made public their design.