TERMS & CONDITIONS
Dark City Designs
1. Premade Covers & Logos
Premades are first come, first serve. There will be no holds on premade covers. To see new covers join the Dark City Designs Group and turn on group notifications. CHANGES WILL NOT BE MADE TO PREMADE COVERS.
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2. Custom Covers
A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the estimated cost will be due upon booking the project to secure the client's date. The remaining balance will be due before work begins on the client's project.
3. How Custom Covers Work
Email darkcitycovers@gmail.com for custom design inquiries.
The client provides and purchases the main image to ensure the client holds the rights to their cover image. If the client provides an image of their own, the designer reserves the right to request proof of licensing prior to use.
The designer must approve all images to be used in the design to insure the best possible quality of the cover. Low DPI images or awkwardly arranged photos will not always translate into a quality cover for your book. Please trust Dark City Designs to have your best interests in mind during the approval process.
Additional images such as design elements, secondary images, etc. will be provided by the designer.
If the client wants a specific font and the designer does not have it, an additional fee (the price of the font) will be added to their custom cover total. Dark City Designs possesses licensing for more than 2000 fonts, so this may not be the case. If the client is unwilling to pay the additional fee, the designer will try to match the font to the best of their ability.
4. Proofs
Dark City Designs may send 1-3 proofs unless otherwise discussed. If the client has specific concept in mind, the designer may send one proof and go through alterations from there.
5. Alterations
There will only be 3 changes total to be made to the cover after the client picks a proof. Any additional changes are granted for a fee of the designer's hourly rate of $50 per hour, with 1 hour minimum charge. This will include font changes, color changes, theme changes, hair color, eye color, etc, or whatever the designer deems a change.
6. Changes After Approval
The client understands that the final product may NOT be altered or changed in any way except by the designer, Jodi L. Cobb (DBA Harper L. Jameson), at Dark City Designs.
7. Pricing and Payment Plans
Payment plans are subject to designer's discretion. Time limit is worked out between the designer and client with a maximum of 3 months to pay. If a client fails to complete a payment plan, client will not be eligible for future payment plan arrangements.
8. Turn Around Time
Custom covers may take up to 4-6 weeks depending on how long it takes the client to inspect each proof, and how many changes are requested. Allow ample time when booking your project prior to release as the designer’s schedule may have limited availability. Rush orders are subject to an additional fee.
Should Dark City Designs take longer to complete a project than originally indicated i.e. family emergency, acts of nature, any emergency whatsoever, Dark City Designs will contact the client and notify them to discuss a new completion date
9. Cancellations
The client understands that they have to notify Dark City Designs as soon as possible if there is a cancellation. If the client has paid the 50% nonrefundable down payment to secure the project date, the designer reserves the right to not grant a refund based on the amount of work already completed on the cover. Please notify the designer before the work has begun where possible. The designer reserves the right to sell the un-purchased custom cover as a premade cover.
10. Attribution
Dark City Designs requires that “Cover Design by Dark City Designs” is stated in your paperback copy and ebook. In any ebook platform Dark City Designs also requires you to list “Dark City Designs” as your cover designer/illustrator. This last part is up to you: If you do a cover reveal, please notify Jodi L. Cobb (DBA Harper L. Jameson) so that she can share with her group and with her friends. Please list Dark City Designs on your cover reveal the first time you reveal your cover. Tagging is appreciated.
11. Liability
Dark City Designs is not responsible for any damages, loss of files, or loss of data. Dark City Designs is also not responsible for reputation damages or loss of revenue, or any other damages believed to be caused from any design contracted by the client. Dark City Designs is not responsible for any injury, damages, claim, or inaccuracies appearing on Dark City Designs website or the clients’ books, ebooks, or written words once the cover is finalized.
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12. Moral Designer Code & Copyright
Dark City Designs makes original covers to the best of our ability. Some of our covers are exclusive. Premades are created using stock photos. We try to make a unique design fit for your book and brand. Dark City Designs is not responsible if another client or designer uses the same stock photo.
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All covers are copyrighted and belong to Jodi L. Cobb (DBA Harper L. Jameson) at Dark City Designs. The cover may NOT be copied, nor the CONCEPT of the design. Altering the design is prohibited. The design may be altered only by Dark City Designs. Dark City Designs will pursue legal action if there is a violation in copyright or any violation of the Terms and Conditions.
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Dark City Designs reserves the right to refuse a cover proposal based on the book's content. Dark City Designs WILL NOT ACCEPT contracts to cover books containing objectionable material including, but not limited to, rape (AKA "non-con" or "non-consensual") erotica, pedophilia, incest or pseudo-incest, bestiality, and/or exploitative horror (AKA "torture porn"). Acceptance of these terms and conditions guarantees that a client's story does not violate these content restrictions. If a client attempts to retain a cover contract for such a work from Dark City Designs using subterfuge, the client will forfeit any deposit made and the contract will be terminated.
13. Project Suspension
Dark City Designs request that you trust us to do the job the client has contracted and that the client will take on board suggestions, and ideas, to be in your their interests. Dark City Designs takes pride in our work and are not art-workers, therefore, any form of micro-managing, or forced art direction during the development of the project will not be tolerated.
We reserve the right to keep the nonrefundable deposit, and suspend any project if a Client: interferes with excessive micromanaging, demonstrates a continued lack of trust and inability to move forward after showing more than a reasonable number of unique book cover ideas/concepts, and/or shows reluctance in paying the final payment.
Fair notice will be given with fair chance to remedy the situation without resorting to project suspension or termination. Any suspension, or termination, will not result in any refunds and all designs and work thus developed remain the full ownership of Dark City Designs DBA.
14. Limited Permitted Use
Dark City Designs grants the client limited permitted use of the final cover upon completed contract. This use includes animations, book trailers and advertisement images that do NOT alter elements of the cover design or change the design in any way.
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15. Continuation of Series
Once Dark City Designs has created a series for a client, the client MAY NOT continue the series with another designer using the style and format created by Dark City Designs without written permission from Dark City Designs.
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16. Returns and Refunds
ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
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Exchanges and or credits are handled on a case by case basis at Dark City Designs' discretion.
17. Terms and Conditions Acceptance
Payment constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions in their entirety and without exception. No other agreements are applicable unless agreed to in writing by the client and the designer.
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Terms & Conditions by Emma Rider – Moonstruck Cover Design. Used with permission.