Terms of Service

These terms form a binding agreement between you (“Client”) and AuthorWings (“we,” “us,” “our”), a company based in New York, United States. By placing an order, making a payment, or using our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to everything outlined below.

These terms work alongside our privacy policy and refund policy. Where those policies cover a topic in more detail, the specific policy applies.

Services we provide

AuthorWings offers ghostwriting, book editing, book design (cover design, formatting, illustration), book publishing, book marketing, and book coaching services. The specific deliverables, timelines, and scope for your project are defined in your project agreement, which is created when you place an order. Your project agreement is part of these terms.

If a service is not listed in your project agreement, it is not included in your project. Additional services can be added at any time by mutual written agreement and may require additional payment. For a full overview of available services and current pricing, visit our services page.

Your responsibilities

A successful project requires participation from both sides. As the Client, you agree to the following.

Provide accurate and complete information when placing your order, including your name, contact details, and project specifications.

Supply all necessary materials (manuscripts, outlines, notes, images, brand assets, platform credentials) within the timeframes agreed in your project agreement.

Respond to requests for feedback, approvals, and revisions within a reasonable timeframe. If we request feedback on a deliverable and do not hear from you within 14 days, we may proceed based on our best professional judgment. Repeated delays in feedback may result in extended timelines, and we are not responsible for missed deadlines caused by late responses on your end.

Review all deliverables carefully during revision rounds and provide clear, specific feedback. Vague or contradictory feedback may extend your project timeline without creating grounds for a refund.

Ensure that all content you provide to us (personal stories, research, reference material) is either your own original work or material you have the legal right to share. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide. We are not liable for factual errors in content supplied by you.

Intellectual property and ownership

All original work created by AuthorWings for your project becomes your property upon full payment. This includes manuscripts, edited documents, cover designs, illustrations, formatted files, and any other deliverables specified in your project agreement. Once ownership transfers, you may publish, modify, distribute, and profit from the work under your own name without crediting AuthorWings.

Until full payment is received, all work remains the intellectual property of AuthorWings. We reserve the right to withhold final deliverables until your account balance is settled in full.

You grant AuthorWings a limited, non-exclusive right to reference your project in general terms for portfolio and marketing purposes (for example, “a 70,000-word memoir” or “a children’s picture book series”). We will not use your name, book title, or specific content without your explicit written permission. If you would like to be featured as a case study or provide a testimonial, we will request your consent separately.

Payment terms

Payment is due according to the schedule outlined in your project agreement. Payment plans are available based on your total project cost.

Projects under $1,000 require payment in full before work begins. Projects between $1,000 and $4,999 may be split into two installments (50% upfront, 50% at midpoint). Projects between $5,000 and $9,999 may be split into two or four installments, or structured as a three-month plan. Projects between $10,000 and $19,999 may be split into two or four installments, or structured as a six-month plan. Projects of $20,000 or more may be split into two or four installments, or structured as a 12-month plan.

The specific payment schedule is confirmed in writing before work begins. Work on each milestone begins only after the corresponding payment is received.

Late payments may result in paused work until the balance is current. If a payment remains outstanding for more than 30 days past its due date, we reserve the right to suspend the project and retain all completed work until payment is received. Persistent non-payment (60 days or more) may result in project termination, forfeiture of completed deliverables, and referral to a collections agency.

All prices are listed in US dollars unless otherwise stated in your project agreement. Applicable taxes, if any, are the responsibility of the Client.

Project timelines

Estimated timelines are provided in your project agreement. We make every reasonable effort to meet them, but they are estimates and not guarantees. Timelines may shift due to project complexity, revision volume, client response times, or unforeseen circumstances.

We will notify you in writing if a significant delay is anticipated on our end and provide a revised timeline. Delays caused by late client feedback, missing materials, or scope changes are not considered delays on our part and do not entitle you to a refund or discount.

Revisions and scope

Each service tier includes a defined number of revision rounds, stated in your project agreement. Revisions are based on the original project brief. Changes that fall within the agreed scope and brief are included in your revision rounds at no additional cost.

Changes that fall outside the original scope (for example, adding chapters, changing the genre, requesting a completely new design direction after the concept was approved, or increasing the word count target) are considered scope changes. Scope changes may require a revised quote and additional payment. We will notify you in writing before any additional charges are applied.

“Unlimited revisions,” where offered, refers to revisions within the documented project scope. It does not mean unlimited changes to the project’s direction, concept, or specifications.

Confidentiality

We treat all client information, project materials, and manuscript content as confidential. Your files are shared only with the team members assigned to your project. We do not disclose your personal information, project details, or creative content to anyone outside our team without your written consent, except where required by law.

If you require a formal non-disclosure agreement beyond the confidentiality protections in these terms, please let us know. We are happy to execute one at no additional cost.

Third-party services

Some of our services involve coordination with third-party vendors and platforms. These include (but are not limited to) publishing platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Kobo, and Draft2Digital; review services; advertising platforms; printing vendors; book fair organizers; and media outlets.

When we coordinate with third parties on your behalf, our service price covers our work: strategy, design, preparation, outreach, and project management. Third-party costs (platform fees, ad spend, printing costs, review placement fees, booth registrations, and similar) are paid by you directly and vary by vendor, market, and availability.

We do not guarantee outcomes that depend on third-party editorial discretion. Acceptance by publishing platforms, review outlets, media contacts, podcast hosts, award committees, and similar parties is determined by those parties, not by us. We will make every reasonable effort to secure the best possible outcome, but final decisions rest with the third party.

Use of AI tools

Our position on AI is detailed in our AI policy. In summary: a human writes your manuscript, a human edits it, and a human makes every creative decision. AI tools are used only for mechanical tasks (grammar checks, research lookups, formatting consistency) and never for drafting, creative judgment, or content generation. Your manuscript is never used as training data for any AI tool.

Limitation of liability

AuthorWings is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from the use of our services. Our total liability for any claim related to a project is limited to the amount you paid for that specific project.

We are not liable for losses caused by third-party platforms, delays caused by your inaction or incomplete information, market performance of your published book, or technical issues on platforms outside our control.

We do not guarantee specific sales outcomes, bestseller status, or income from your published work. Results vary by genre, market conditions, audience, and effort applied to ongoing marketing.

Termination

Either party may terminate a project by providing written notice. If you terminate, the refund terms described in our refund policy apply. Completed milestones are non-refundable. Unstarted milestones are fully refundable. In-progress milestones are assessed proportionally.

If we terminate (for example, due to persistent non-payment, abusive conduct, or a fundamental disagreement that cannot be resolved), we will refund any payments for milestones not yet started and deliver all completed work upon settlement of any outstanding balance.

Termination does not affect intellectual property rights for fully paid deliverables. Work you have paid for in full remains yours.

Dispute resolution

If a dispute arises, we ask that you contact us directly before taking any external action. Send a written description of the issue to our team through our contact page, and we will respond within 10 business days.

If we cannot reach a resolution through direct communication, both parties agree to pursue good-faith mediation before initiating formal legal proceedings. The cost of mediation is shared equally unless otherwise agreed.

If mediation does not resolve the matter, either party may pursue legal action. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, and any legal proceedings shall be brought in the courts of the State of New York.

Modifications to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page. If changes materially affect active projects, we will notify affected clients by email. Continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. Changes do not apply retroactively to projects already under contract at the time of the update.