Terms of service

TERMS OF SERVICE

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By placing an order, submitting a deposit, purchasing a premade cover, purchasing a branding package, submitting a final payment, or otherwise accepting a quote or invoice from Cover Me Darling, the Client acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). These Terms constitute a binding agreement between the Client and Cover Me Darling (“CMD,” “Cover Me Darling,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not place an order or submit payment.

1. SERVICES & PRICING

Cover Me Darling provides professional graphic design services, including but not limited to custom book cover design, premade book covers, branding packages, logos, promotional graphics, and related design services.

All prices are listed in U.S. Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated.

Prices listed on the Cover Me Darling website, social media, invoices, or promotional materials are subject to change at any time. The price applicable to a Client's project will be the price agreed upon at the time the project is booked or purchased.

Any work requested outside the scope of the purchased package may be subject to additional charges.

2. PAYMENT TERMS

Custom Design Packages

A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to book a custom book cover design package or custom branding package.

The remaining 50% balance is due upon approval of the cover design, with the exception of the final print wrap information being sent, including, blurb, and page count.

The Client may provide the blurb and final page count at any point during the project. The final print wrap will be prepared within approximately 7 days of receiving the final print specifications, provided the project balance has been paid.

Premade Covers & Branding Packages

Premade covers, logos, branding packages, and other products designated as being sold in full are paid in full at the time of purchase.

Final Files

No final files will be released until all outstanding balances have been paid in full.

Ebook and Title & Author Name PNG files will generally be delivered within 7 days of receipt of final payment.

Print-ready files will be delivered according to the specifications of the purchased package and after all required information has been received.

3. BOOKING & PROJECT TIMELINES

Custom projects are booked for the month indicated at the time of purchase or booking.

Projects are completed on a first-come, first-served basis within the scheduled month.

If the Client has a specific deadline, publication date, cover reveal date, or other time-sensitive requirement, this must be communicated before booking whenever possible.

Cover Me Darling will make reasonable efforts to accommodate requested deadlines but does not guarantee a specific completion date unless that date has been expressly agreed upon in writing.

Cover Packs

Cover Packs do not have a fixed expiration date and may be used at any time, subject to Cover Me Darling's current availability.

After purchasing a Cover Pack, the Client should email covermedarling@yahoo.com to reserve the desired month(s).

Purchasing a Cover Pack does not guarantee immediate availability for a particular month. Scheduling is subject to availability.

4. CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE & PROJECT INFORMATION

Cover Me Darling will provide the Client with a design questionnaire or information form before beginning work.

The Client is responsible for providing accurate and complete information, including, when applicable:

Book title
Author name
Genre and subgenre
Synopsis or blurb
Desired mood and aesthetic
Character or setting information
Required text
Publisher or retailer specifications
Print dimensions
Page count
ISBN/barcode information
Any other information reasonably necessary to complete the project

Delays in providing information, feedback, approvals, or required materials may delay the project timeline.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for missed deadlines caused by incomplete, inaccurate, or late information provided by the Client.

5. DESIGN & PROOFING PROCESS

Initial Concept

Cover Me Darling will provide one initial design concept based on the information provided by the Client.

The initial concept is intended to establish the overall creative direction and determine whether Cover Me Darling and the Client are aligned regarding the project's vision.

Following the initial concept, the Client may request revisions or, when appropriate, a substantially different concept. The process will continue as such until the Client is 100% satisfied with the final design.

Revisions

The standard custom design package includes up to 10 revisions following the initial concept.

Revisions may include, but are not limited to:

Font changes
Typography changes
Color changes
Image changes
Mood or atmosphere changes
Layout changes
Element placement
Combining elements from previous proofs
Minor design adjustments

A “revision” is a requested change to an existing design or concept. A request for an entirely new creative direction may be treated as a new concept and may require additional fees depending on the circumstances.

Any revisions beyond the included 10 revisions will be billed at $25 per additional revision, unless otherwise agreed upon, and at Cover Me Darling’s discretion.

Cover Me Darling reserves the right to determine whether a request constitutes a revision, a new concept, or work outside the scope of the original package.

6. APPROVALS

Once the Client approves a design, the Client is responsible for confirming that all information appearing on the design is correct.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Spelling
Author name
Book title
Series information
Taglines
Quotes
Publisher information
ISBNs
Page count
Blurb
Barcode information
Dimensions
Other supplied text or specifications

Once a design has been approved, Cover Me Darling is not responsible for errors that were present in the approved proof.

The Client is strongly encouraged to carefully proofread all text and information before providing approval.

Approval may be provided through email, messaging, an online approval system, or another written form of communication.

7. PROJECT TIMELINES & DELAYS

The average custom cover design process takes approximately one week from the initial concept to completion. This is an estimate and is not a guaranteed turnaround time.

Actual completion time depends on:

Client communication
Number and complexity of revisions
Timeliness of approvals
Availability of required materials
Payment timing
Changes in project scope
Client-requested delays
Unexpected circumstances

Additional revisions or substantial changes may extend the completion timeline.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for missed publication dates, cover reveals, launches, advertising schedules, or other deadlines caused by Client delays, additional revisions, late payments, late approvals, or late submission of required information.

If Cover Me Darling experiences a significant delay caused by illness, family emergency, natural disaster, technical failure, or another circumstance outside of our reasonable control, the Client will be notified, and a revised completion date will be established when reasonably possible.

8. CLIENT COMMUNICATION

The Client is responsible for monitoring the email address and/or communication method provided to Cover Me Darling.

Clients should respond to requests for information, approvals, or revisions in a timely manner.

If a Client becomes unresponsive for an extended period, the project may be placed on hold or rescheduled.

If a project remains inactive for 30 consecutive days due to lack of Client communication, Cover Me Darling reserves the right to consider the project abandoned.

If a project is abandoned, any amounts already paid remain non-refundable, and resuming the project may require a new booking date and/or additional fees.

9. CANCELLATION & REFUNDS

Custom design deposits are non-refundable.

If the Client cancels a project before design work has begun, no additional balance will be owed. At Cover Me Darling's discretion, the deposit may be transferred to a future project.

If design work has already begun, the remaining project balance becomes due upon cancellation.

All payments are final and non-refundable once submitted, except where a refund is expressly required by applicable law.

Cover Me Darling does not provide refunds based on a Client changing their mind, changing the direction of their book, changing their publication plans, disliking a design after approving it, purchasing the wrong package, or deciding not to use the completed design.

Nothing in this section limits any non-waivable rights the Client may have under applicable law.

10. CHANGES AFTER APPROVAL

Once a design has been approved, no person other than Marisa Black of Cover Me Darling may alter, modify, edit, recreate, or otherwise change the design, in whole or in part, without written permission from Cover Me Darling.

This includes alterations to:

Layout
Typography
Images
Color
Effects
Composition
Design elements
Cropping
Placement
Other elements of the original design

Changes requested after approval may incur additional charges.

Changes requested after final files have been delivered begin at $50 and may increase depending on the complexity and number of files requiring modification.

11. IMAGES, STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY & CLIENT-SUPPLIED MATERIALS

Cover Me Darling may use properly licensed stock imagery from DepositPhotos and other legitimate stock-image providers as part of the design process.

Unless otherwise stated, the cost of included stock imagery from DepositPhotos solely, is covered by Cover Me Darling.

Cover Me Darling does not transfer ownership or copyright of stock imagery to the Client. Stock imagery remains subject to the license terms of the applicable stock provider.

The Client may provide their own images or artwork for use in a project, provided the Client has obtained all necessary rights, permissions, and licenses.

This may include:

Personally created photography
Purchased stock photography
Licensed artwork
Artwork commissioned from another artist
Images licensed from photographers or other rights holders

The Client represents and warrants that they have the legal right to provide and authorize Cover Me Darling to use all Client-supplied materials.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other legal claims arising from materials supplied by the Client.

Images taken from Google, Pinterest, social media, websites, or other sources without appropriate permission or licensing may not be used.

Cover Me Darling reserves the right to refuse to use any image or material that appears to infringe upon another person's intellectual property rights.

12. IMAGE QUALITY

Client-supplied images should be of sufficient quality for the intended final product.

For print projects, images should generally be provided at a minimum of 300 DPI at the required final dimensionswhenever possible.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for poor print quality caused by low-resolution or poor-quality materials supplied by the Client.

AI-generated artwork, including artwork created wholly or partially through generative artificial intelligence, is not accepted as a Client-supplied asset and will not be incorporated into Cover Me Darling designs.

13. AI-GENERATED ARTWORK POLICY

Cover Me Darling does not use AI-generated artwork in any capacity, whether in whole or in part, in the creation of Client designs. This includes AI-generated images, AI-generated characters, AI-generated backgrounds, AI-generated elements, AI-generated composites, or artwork created or substantially modified using generative artificial intelligence.

All original design work created by Cover Me Darling is produced through traditional graphic design methods and/or incorporates properly licensed third-party materials.

Cover Me Darling will not knowingly incorporate AI-generated artwork into a Client's project, even when such artwork is supplied by the Client or requested by the Client.

Client-supplied artwork must be legally obtained and must comply with the requirements outlined in the Images, Stock Photography & Client-Supplied Materials section of these Terms.

Cover Me Darling reserves the right to refuse any Client-supplied image or artwork that it reasonably believes to be AI-generated, improperly licensed, or otherwise unsuitable for use in the project.

14. COPYRIGHT & OWNERSHIP OF DESIGN

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Cover Me Darling retains copyright and ownership of the original graphic design, creative concepts, layouts, compositions, typography treatments, design elements, and original artwork created as part of the project.

Payment for a design does not constitute a transfer of copyright ownership.

The Client receives a limited license to use the completed final design for the purpose for which it was purchased, such as publishing and marketing the associated book.

The Client may not:

Resell the design
License the design to another party
Claim authorship of the design
Recreate the design
Commission another designer to recreate the design
Create derivative versions of the design
Remove or alter design elements
Use the design as a template for another project
Use the design for a different book or product without permission
Sell or distribute the original design files

Any expanded, exclusive, or transferred rights must be negotiated separately in writing and may require an additional fee.

15. WORKING FILES

Final files are provided in flattened formats such as JPEG, PNG, and/or PDF, depending on the purchased package.

PSD, AI, INDD, vector, layered, editable, or other working files are not included unless specifically stated in the package description.

Working files and source files remain the property of Cover Me Darling.

Clients interested in purchasing working files or additional rights may contact Cover Me Darling for a separate quote.

16. PREMADE COVER TERMS

Premade covers are sold as completed designs and are provided on a first-purchased basis.

Once a premade cover has been purchased, Cover Me Darling will not sell that same premade design to another Client.

A premade cover may not be altered, recreated, or modified by another designer.

Cover Me Darling may make reasonable text changes included with the premade purchase, such as changing the title, author name, or other agreed-upon text.

The underlying design, artwork, composition, and creative concept remain the property of Cover Me Darling unless separate rights have been purchased.

Premade covers are licensed for use with the specific book or project for which they were purchased and may not be transferred to another book or author without written permission.

17. UNUSED CONCEPTS & PROOFS

Concepts and proofs that are rejected by the Client remain the property of Cover Me Darling.

Rejected concepts that are substantially different from the Client's final design may be repurposed by Cover Me Darling as future premade covers, design concepts, or work for other Clients.

Cover Me Darling will not intentionally reuse a rejected concept in a manner that directly reproduces the Client's final design.

18. SELF-PROMOTION & PORTFOLIO RIGHTS

Cover Me Darling retains the right to display completed designs, and portions or representations of the design, for legitimate business purposes including:

Portfolio display
Website display
Social media
Advertising
Marketing
Promotional materials
Client galleries
Industry examples

The Client grants Cover Me Darling permission to display the completed design for these purposes.

If a Client has a legitimate confidentiality concern, such as a cover that must remain confidential until a specific release date, the Client should notify Cover Me Darling before the project is completed.

19. DESIGN CREDIT

Where reasonably possible, Cover Me Darling requests and requires design credit in the following form:

“Cover Design by Marisa Black of Cover Me Darling.”

The credit should appear in the Client's ebook and/or paperback edition where the publishing platform and format reasonably permit such attribution.

Cover Me Darling understands that some publishing platforms or formats may not provide a practical location for attribution.

20. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTENT

The Client is solely responsible for the content and subject matter of their book and all text supplied to Cover Me Darling.

The Client represents that they have the right to use all text, names, photographs, logos, trademarks, quotations, characters, and other materials supplied for inclusion in the design.

Cover Me Darling does not verify the legal ownership or accuracy of Client-supplied content.

The Client is responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions, releases, licenses, or approvals.

21. PRINTING & PUBLISHING SPECIFICATIONS

Cover Me Darling will prepare files according to the specifications provided by the Client and/or the publishing platform specified by the Client.

The Client is responsible for providing accurate printing specifications.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for printing errors, color differences, cropping, formatting changes, or other issues caused by:

Incorrect specifications supplied by the Client
Changes made by a printer or publishing platform
Platform-specific processing
Printer settings
Paper or printing processes
Client alterations to final files

The Client is responsible for reviewing the final files before submitting them to a printer or publishing platform.

22. CLIENT ALTERATIONS & THIRD-PARTY EDITING

Once final files are delivered, the Client may not provide them to another designer or third party for alteration, editing, or recreation without written permission from Cover Me Darling.

This restriction does not prevent a printer or publishing platform from performing ordinary technical processing required to reproduce or distribute the file.

If alterations are required, Cover Me Darling should be contacted to perform the requested work.

23. LIABILITY

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Cover Me Darling will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including loss of income, revenue, profits, business opportunities, reputation, publication opportunities, sales, data, or other losses arising from or related to the services provided.

Cover Me Darling is not responsible for errors or inaccuracies in Client-supplied information after the Client has approved the design.

Cover Me Darling's total liability arising from a project will not exceed the amount actually paid by the Client for the specific project giving rise to the claim, except where such limitation is prohibited by applicable law.

24. FORCE MAJEURE

Cover Me Darling will not be considered in breach of these Terms for delays or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to:

Illness
Family emergencies
Natural disasters
Fire
Power outages
Internet or technology failures
Government actions
Acts of war
Labor disruptions
Platform outages
Other circumstances beyond reasonable control

When reasonably possible, Cover Me Darling will notify the Client and provide an updated estimated timeline.

25. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Cover Me Darling is committed to maintaining a professional working relationship with Clients.

Harassment, threats, abusive communication, discrimination, intimidation, repeated hostile communication, or other inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated.

Cover Me Darling reserves the right to terminate a project or decline future services if a Client engages in abusive, threatening, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate behavior.

If a project is terminated due to Client misconduct, amounts already paid remain non-refundable and any outstanding balance for completed work may become immediately due.

26. TERMINATION BY COVER ME DARLING

Cover Me Darling reserves the right to refuse or terminate a project if:

The Client requests unlawful or infringing material
The Client repeatedly violates these Terms
The Client engages in abusive or threatening behavior
The Client provides fraudulent or unauthorized payment
The project substantially exceeds the scope of the purchased service
Continuing the project would create a conflict with Cover Me Darling's professional or legal obligations

If Cover Me Darling terminates a project for reasons unrelated to Client misconduct, Cover Me Darling will work with the Client to determine an appropriate resolution based on the amount of work completed and payments received.

27. FAIR PRACTICE & CLIENT REPRESENTATIONS

Cover Me Darling represents that, to the best of its knowledge, original artwork created by Cover Me Darling is created as original work or incorporates materials that Cover Me Darling has the right to use.

The Client agrees not to use the completed design or any materials supplied by Cover Me Darling in a manner that infringes upon the rights of another person or entity.

The Client is responsible for ensuring that their book content and Client-supplied materials do not violate copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other applicable laws.

28. DISPUTES & GOVERNING LAW

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, the parties agree to make a good-faith effort to resolve any dispute directly.

Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from exercising rights or remedies that cannot legally be waived or limited.

29. SEVERABILITY

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or removed only to the extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

30. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Terms, together with the applicable order, invoice, package description, quote, and any written project-specific agreement, constitute the entire agreement between Cover Me Darling and the Client regarding the applicable project.

If a project-specific written agreement conflicts with these Terms, the project-specific agreement will control only with respect to the conflicting provision.

Any modification to these Terms or a project agreement must be made in writing.

31. ELECTRONIC ACCEPTANCE

The Client acknowledges that electronic acceptance of these Terms, including checking an agreement box, submitting an order, signing electronically, submitting payment, or otherwise proceeding with the purchase of services, constitutes acceptance of these Terms.

The Client agrees that electronic records and electronic acceptance may be used as evidence of the agreement between the parties.

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32. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By submitting payment, placing an order, purchasing a premade cover, booking a custom project, or otherwise proceeding with Cover Me Darling's services, the Client confirms that they:

Have read these Terms of Service;
Have had an opportunity to ask questions regarding these Terms;
Understand the terms and conditions contained herein;
Agree to be legally bound by these Terms; and
Understand that payment constitutes acceptance of these Terms.

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Cover Me Darling reserves the right to update these Terms of Service from time to time. The version of the Terms accepted by the Client at the time of purchase will govern that project, unless otherwise required by applicable law or expressly agreed upon in writing.