Publication Agreement

This Agreement is non-exclusive unless otherwise stated in a separately executed publishing contract. The Author retains ownership of all copyrights to the submitted Work, and StoryCrest Media LLC claims no ownership of the Author’s intellectual property except for the limited rights expressly granted for the purpose of providing the contracted services.
Either party may terminate this Agreement by providing written notice.
If the Agreement is terminated by the Author before production work begins, any unearned portion of prepaid fees may be refunded, less applicable administrative and consultation fees.
If production work has commenced—including, but not limited to, editing, formatting, cover design, interior layout, ISBN registration, marketing preparation, or other contracted services—fees for completed work are non-refundable.

If StoryCrest Media LLC terminates the Agreement without cause, the Company will refund any prepaid fees for services not yet performed.

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Fees & Payments

Publishing fees include only the services specifically outlined in the signed proposal, invoice, or service agreement.
Additional services requested after project commencement—including revisions beyond the agreed scope, expedited production, additional design work, marketing upgrades, or custom services—may incur additional charges.
All invoices must be paid according to the payment schedule stated in the Agreement.
Failure to make timely payments may result in suspension of services until the account is brought current.

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Refund Policy

Because publishing and creative services require significant time and professional expertise, payments for completed services are non-refundable.
Examples of non-refundable services include:

* Editorial evaluations
* Developmental editing
* Copyediting
* Proofreading
* Cover design
* Interior formatting
* Illustration work
* Website development
* Author branding
* Marketing materials
* ISBN registration
* Distribution setup
* Advertising campaigns

Refund requests will be evaluated only for services that have not yet begun.

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Author Responsibilities

The Author represents and warrants that:

* They own or control all rights necessary to publish the submitted material.
* The Work does not knowingly infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or intellectual property rights.
* The Work does not contain unlawful, defamatory, or plagiarized content.
* Any third-party material has been properly licensed or used with permission.

The Author remains solely responsible for the accuracy and legality of all submitted content.

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Intellectual Property

The Author retains full copyright ownership of their manuscript unless otherwise agreed in writing.
StoryCrest Media LLC retains ownership of proprietary templates, branding materials, workflow systems, and any original creative assets developed by the Company unless ownership is specifically transferred under the Agreement.

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Publication & Distribution

StoryCrest Media LLC will use commercially reasonable efforts to publish and distribute the Work through selected platforms.
However, StoryCrest Media LLC does not guarantee:

* Book sales
* Bestseller rankings
* Media coverage
* Film or television adaptations
* Literary awards
* Specific marketing results

Publishing success depends on many factors outside the Company’s control, including market demand, reader preferences, and the Author’s promotional efforts.

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Marketing Services

Marketing campaigns are provided on a best-effort basis.
While StoryCrest Media LLC applies professional strategies and industry best practices, no guarantee is made regarding sales volume, return on investment, or audience growth.

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Limitation of Liability

StoryCrest Media LLC shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising from the use of its services.
The Company’s maximum liability shall not exceed the total amount actually paid by the Author for the specific service giving rise to the claim.

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Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws applicable to StoryCrest Media LLC’s state of formation, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

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Acceptance

By purchasing any service, signing a proposal, or executing a publishing agreement, the Author acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.