Terms of business

After you describe what you need, I'll reply with a quote covering the work, the price and, where it matters, the timing. Prices on the website are a guide; the quote is what counts.

We have an agreement once you confirm the quote by email. Quotes are valid for 30 days.

Timings are my best estimate. If something outside my control holds things up, such as waiting on files, platform reviews or third-party services, I'll let you know and we'll agree a new timescale.

Prices are in pounds sterling. ThinkSentient Ltd is not VAT registered, so no VAT is added.

Unless the quote says otherwise, payment is due before the final files are delivered. Larger projects, such as website builds, may be split into a deposit and later payments; the quote will say so.

Invoices are due within 14 days. I may pause work or hold back final files while an invoice is overdue.

The quote says how many rounds of changes are included. If it doesn't, corrections that bring the work in line with the agreed brief are included.

A new direction, extra formats or work beyond the original brief is new work. I'll quote for it before starting.

If you're a business

You can cancel at any time by email. You pay for the work done up to that point.

If you're a consumer

If you're hiring me for personal rather than business reasons, UK consumer law gives you 14 days from our agreement to cancel for any reason. To cancel, email me within that time.

If you ask me to start work within those 14 days, you'll pay for the work done up to the point you cancel. If the work is finished and the files are delivered within the 14 days at your request, the right to cancel ends there.

None of this affects your legal rights if the work isn't done with reasonable care and skill.

Your material

Everything you send me stays yours: your text, images, cover artwork, logins and accounts. By sending material, you confirm you have the right to let me use it for the job.

Covers and design work

Once the work is paid for in full, you can use the finished design for the book it was made for, in every edition and format, and to promote that book and you as its author, for as long as you like. ThinkSentient Ltd keeps the copyright in the design itself, and I won't sell or license the finished design to anyone else.

Stock images and fonts

Designs may use licensed stock images and fonts. These are covered by their own licences, which I'll pass on or explain where they matter to you, such as limits on print runs or merchandise. Stock images are not exclusive; another designer can buy the same photo.

Websites

Your domain, hosting and third-party accounts stay in your name and under your control. Once the work is paid for, you can use, change and move the website I build for you. Third-party themes, plugins and services are covered by their own terms.

Showing the work

I may show finished work, such as a published cover, as an example on this website or elsewhere. I won't share anything before it's public, and if you'd rather your work wasn't shown, just say so.

A premade cover is a finished design that I personalise with your title and author name. The price includes the stock image licence and those text changes.

Each premade is sold once. Once it's reserved or paid for, I'll remove it from the gallery and won't sell it again. The ownership and licence terms above apply as they do for any cover.

Changes beyond the title and author name, such as a new image or a different layout, are quoted separately.

Please send accurate information and the files needed for the job, and let me know about any deadlines at the start.

Check proofs carefully before you approve them, especially titles, names, ISBNs and barcodes. Once you approve a proof, fixing a mistake that was in it may be new work.

Keep your own copies of your files and back up your website. Please share account access in a safe way, never as a password in an email, and change passwords when the work is done.

Retailers and platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and website hosts make their own decisions and change their rules. I'll prepare files to their published requirements, but I can't guarantee approval. If a file I supplied is rejected because of my mistake, I'll fix it at no extra charge.

ThinkSentient Ltd's total liability for any job is limited to the price you paid for it. It isn't liable for indirect losses, such as lost sales, lost profits or missed launch dates.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that the law doesn't allow to be limited, such as for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for fraud, or affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

Unpublished manuscripts and anything else you share in confidence stay confidential.

How personal information is handled is explained in the privacy notice.

If something goes wrong, please email me first and I'll do my best to put it right.

These terms may be updated from time to time. The version in place when you accept a quote applies to that job.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales deal with any dispute. If you're a consumer living elsewhere in the UK, you can also bring a claim in your local courts.

Questions about these terms: hello@writerpa.com.