All Sales Are Final. There are no returns, refunds, or exchanges.
Due to the nature of the products and services we provide, Covers and Cupcakes LLC is not at liberty to provide refunds in any way, shape, or form.
You are required to agree to these Terms of Service prior to purchasing from Covers and Cupcakes LLC and you will be held to them.
GRAPHICS
Full payment is required upon booking for premade designs, adverts, bookmarks, paperback/hardback exterior formatting, and other miscellaneous promotional materials. Custom Logo Designs require a 50% deposit to hold an appointment slot. Full payment is required within 24 hours of project completion.
All bookings with Covers and Cupcakes LLC include three revisions\proof copies. You must request alterations to your proof copies within 24 hours (from send time) after which your last sent proof copy will be considered your final graphic and alteration fees may apply. If a proof copy has been sent and no request for changes/revisions/alterations is made within 24 hours, the most recent proof copy will be considered your final graphic.
PREMADE COVERS
Once an invoice has been issued, full payment is required within 24 hours unless you are fully vetted and approved for our 3 month payment plan. In the event that full payment is not provided, the premade design will be released immediately back into the gallery and you will not be given a second opportunity to purchase it.
You will receive a “Premade Customization” form to customize your premade design with your author name and title once your total due is paid in full. We put premade customizations on our priority list, and handle these on a first-come, first-served basis. Generally, turnaround time is 3-5 days, but please be aware that during our busy season, the wait time can increase to two weeks. Please inquire about turnaround time at the time of purchasing.
Premades are completed designs that only await your title, tagline (if applicable) and author name for customization. If you would like to request changes to the overall design of your premade (including typography,) please do so before purchasing and be aware that additional fees may apply.
Because premade designs are required to be paid in full, the proof copies you will receive will be unwatermarked.
All bookings with Covers and Cupcakes LLC include three revisions/proof copies and a single final graphic. Additional design alterations/proof copies will incur additional costs (these will be discussed prior to completion.) Any alteration that requires drastic changes to the original design will require additional costs. Alteration prices are subject to fluctuation depending on complexity. Please request changes to your proofs within 24 hours or the last proof sent will be considered your final graphic and alteration fees will apply.
Final premade eBook designs will be sent in JPG format. Final paperback wraps will be sent in PDF format. Once a final graphic has been sent, further alterations will require additional costs at $45/hour with a one hour minimum.
CUSTOM COVERS
Covers and Cupcakes LLC accepts bookings on a first come, first served basis. We do not offer guaranteed turn around times at this time (only approximate turn around times unless otherwise discussed.)
Once an invoice has been issued, a 50%, nonrefundable booking payment is required within 24 hours for custom designs. Invoices will be adjusted to reflect the price of the entire project once a project has been completed. (You will see your deposit removed from your final total.)
All custom cover design bookings with Covers and Cupcakes LLC include three revisions/proof copies and final graphics in high, medium, and low resolutions. Custom Designs from Covers and Cupcakes LLC are a blend of photomanipulation and illustration, and are often heavily layered. Possible revisions once a rough concept has been approved include color changes, adding or removing facial hair or blemishes, and minor object/fabric placement adjustments. Additional, or complex design alterations will incur additional costs (these will be discussed prior to the work being completed.) Any alteration that requires drastic changes to the original design will require additional costs (this includes model swaps when a design is already close to completion.) Alteration prices are subject to fluctuation depending on complexity but generally reflect an hourly rate of $45/hour with a one hour minimum.
Package bookings are non-transferable and require a 50% nonrefundable deposit.
Final eBook designs will be sent in JPG format. Final paperback wraps will be sent in PDF format. Final graphics will be delivered via email once full payment has been made. Once a final graphic has been sent, further alterations will require additional costs at $45/hour with a one hour minimum.
PAPERBACKS/HARDBACKS/DUST JACKETS ETC.
You may add an exterior wrap to any eBook design for a discounted price of $55 if purchased with an eBook cover design. (Your eBook and Paperback (or etc.) must be checked out on the same invoice to receive this discount.) You may purchase an exterior wrap separate from an eBook design for $75.
Exterior cover wraps are specifically formatted to your book’s interior page count, trim size, and interior page color (we use these specs to calculate the size of your book’s spine and the overall size of the front and back cover in relation to the spine to give you a perfect fit.) We cannot format your exterior book cover without your interior page count and color, and your preferred trim size. You may purchase a wrap in advance, and have it formatted any time within the next three years if your book is not yet complete. Wrap requests submitted after three years will be subject to a $55 file retrieval fee. Please allow for a two week turn around once you have submitted your final specs.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC currently offers cover wraps for KDP and Ingram Spark, but the formatting for KDP and Ingram Spark is different, so if you need both you must purchase TWO paperback wraps- one for Ingram Spark and one for KDP. We also offer Books on Demand, Bookvault, and Draft2Digital exterior covers upon request.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC is not responsible for the fluctuations with your chosen printer’s print quality and alignment. If you receive paperbacks that have misaligned spines, but your Paperback PDF fits perfectly on the print preview, please discuss these with your printer’s customer service.
If you have changes to your page count after your final PDF is approved and delivered, you will be required to pay an alteration fee of $55 for re-formatting.
RUSH FEES
We occasionally offer the option of paying a rush fee (30% of your project total) in order to decrease your wait time. These appointments are subject to availability. Please be aware that the rush fee increases to 50% of your project total during scheduled times off. A Rush Fee also applies whenever a commissioned project requires work outside of normal operating hours. If a project requires intensive work hours, a $45/hr fee with a one hour minimum may also apply.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION AND FILE RETRIEVAL
Covers and Cupcakes LLC makes every effort to retain access to client files indefinitely, however, it is entirely possible for files to become corrupted or damaged. Once final ebook files have been sent, Covers and Cupcakes LLC does not guarantee that they will always be accessible in the future. We will always do our very best to keep all project files safe!
After three years of inactivity, project files are migrated onto a separate hard drive. Requests for alterations or exterior cover formatting on projects that are more than three years old will be subject to a $55 file retrieval fee, plus an hourly rate of $45/hr with a one hour minimum.
EXPANDED LICENSING FOR TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS AND PSD FILES
Cover designs from Covers and Cupcakes LLC are licensed for their intended use only. PSD files can be purchased with an extended license for an additional cost. These files may only be used for promotion and materials related to the selling of the book for which they were commissioned unless otherwise stated.
Additional licensing may be purchased by a publisher if:
1.) the originally commissioned cover art is being converted for mass-market paperback
2.) the author has sold/signed over the rights to the audiobook or large print version of their book
3.) the author has sold/signed over the rights to their entire manuscript and it is now being published by an entirely new entity
4.) a traditional publisher would like to add additional licensing to an ongoing project
INTERIOR FORMATTING
A 50% deposit is required for all interior formatting projects before any design slots will be held. In the event that a 50% deposit is not made, your booking will immediately be released. Your interior formatting booking includes three revisions/proof editions of the formatting. Content changes are not included. Please ensure that you have provided your designer with the final draft of your manuscript before your interior formatting begins.
In the event that full payment is not made within 24 hours after the final invoice has been sent, all design rights will revert back to Covers and Cupcakes LLC, ALL contracts with that client will be terminated (including contracts and licenses purchased and formed during previous commissions,) and purchaser/client/author will not be given the option to purchase from Covers and Cupcakes LLC in the future. The 50% deposit on any interior formatting project is non-refundable.
Final (un-watermarked) graphics and interiors will be sent to the client/purchaser/author’s email once full payment has been made.
Once a final graphic/interior has been sent, further alterations will require additional costs at $45/hour with a one hour minimum.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC agrees to make all needed formatting modifications (within reason) if a formatting error should be discovered after final graphics/interiors are sent. An error (or even multiple errors, should they accidentally occur) with your formatting does not entitle a client to a full refund. Covers and Cupcakes LLC will see to it that any formatting errors are remedied.
CLIENT COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS
Clients of Covers and Cupcakes LLC are required to provide responses to all emails within 24 hours during an ongoing project. If a project should exceed its allotted timeframe (3-5 days per design) due to a lack of client communication, Covers and Cupcakes LLC retains the right to cancel or reschedule the appointment at the designer’s convenience. Re-scheduled appointments will be subject to a $100 rescheduling fee.
Clients are expected to maintain a polite and courteous working environment at all times. Failure to do so, even in the event of a disagreement, will result in client termination.
PAYMENT/ PAYMENT ISSUES/FEES
Final payment is due within 24 hours of design completion. In the event that full payment is not made within 24 hours after the final invoice has been sent, the client will be subject to a late fee of $25 per day.
In the event of nonpayment (including a refusal to pay, a payment retraction, a bounced check, an un-authorization of payment from the client’s bank, or any situation in which the client’s payment is either retracted or withdrawn due to a transaction issue or dispute) the client will be held accountable for any fees that may occur. This includes fees from third-party payment processors, fees from financial institutions (banks handling the payment transfers,) and late fees from the designer (Covers and Cupcakes LLC/Josephine Blake) at $25.00 USD per day until the issue of non-payment has been resolved.
If payment cannot be collected within two weeks from the time of the final invoice being sent, all design rights will revert to Covers and Cupcakes LLC, ALL contracts with that client will be terminated (including contracts and licenses purchased and formed during previous commissions, and the Client will not be given the option to purchase from Covers and Cupcakes LLC in the future.
CLIENT TERMINATION
In the event that the client violates these terms, creates a hostile working environment, requests unreasonable services, or refuses to pay for services rendered, Covers and Cupcakes LLC retains the rights to all design work and will attempt to sell the artwork to recoup any and all losses. All licenses purchased to use artwork created by Covers and Cupcake LLC, including artwork created under previous commissions, will be rendered null and void in the event of client termination.
PROHIBITED USES
None of the artwork from Covers and Cupcakes LLC is provided with a license to re-create, copy, or modify. Cover designs are licensed as a whole, and for single use only. Series continuations must be licensed under a secondary contract.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC retains the right to refuse or revoke licenses to our artwork if it is being used to promote any product or work that violates the moral integrity or branding of the designer.
AI-GENERATION RESTRICTION
Clients of Covers and Cupcakes LLC agree not to use the designer’s work–whether in part or in whole–as input, prompt, training data, reference material, or stylistic guide for any AI-based image generation tools or services.
All Sales are Final.
There are no returns, refunds, or exchanges.
Intense modifications to a near-complete design will require additional costs.
Additional changes to the final product will require additional costs.
Prices are subject to change without prior notice.
Copying or Modifying Artwork from Covers and Cupcakes LLC is not permitted.
Clients are expected to respond to emails and pay invoices within 24 hours.
Clients are expected to maintain a polite and courteous working environment at all times.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC retains all copyrights and the right to refuse or revoke licenses that are deemed inappropriate for their brand.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC does not permit the use of their artwork in AI generative tools or services for any reason.
When providing images to use in a cover design, author/purchaser/client agrees to do their own due diligence, insuring they have procured these images in a legal manner and that they hold the copyright/license to said images. Covers and Cupcakes LLC, JB Publishing and its designers will not be held responsible.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC reserves the right to refuse service to any client for any reason. Please maintain polite and courteous communication at all times. Unwarranted personal attacks or creation of a hostile working environment may result in contract termination.
In the case of a project or contract termination, Covers and Cupcakes LLC reserves the right to retain any earnings from said project that are equal to amount of work completed as determined by the designer. All licensing will immediately be revoked upon the termination of any contract, and author/client/purchaser will not be given the option to purchase the design for a second time. (This includes ALL current and previous licenses negotiated from Covers and Cupcakes LLC/Josephine Blake.)
What are you purchasing when you order a cover design from Covers and Cupcakes LLC?
When you purchase a cover design from Covers and Cupcakes LLC, whether it be a custom design or a premade design, you are purchasing a license to use the completed book cover design on your book cover and the related promotional material.
You are not purchasing rights to the layout, individual elements or concept of the design. You are purchasing licensing rights to the final cover design in its entirety. Please do not attempt to re-create designs by Covers and Cupcakes LLC in your own style with the elements that were used in your design, whether they be for promotional, commercial, or personal use.
So, what does your license include?
Your respective license (eBook license, paperback license, audiobook license or any combo) includes unlimited reproductions of the completed cover. Which means that no matter how many books you print or how many eBooks you sell, your license never expires. HOWEVER. Most cover designs from Covers and Cupcakes LLC are created with LICENSED stock images, and you are bound by the limitations of those licenses. Occasional use of images listed beneath the creative commons does not apply.
If you would like to retain a copy of those licenses for your records, please email the creator at: jo@coversandcupcakes.com.
You may not attempt to re-create elements of your cover design for any reason, not even for promotional use. If you have questions on this, it never hurts to ask. 🙂
You may use your completed cover design on any related promotional material, but you may never resell the design itself. That means that you may not sell the promotional material, or the license you have purchased to another author. You may not, for example, place your book cover on a mug and sell the coffee mugs on your website without specific written permission from the designer. You may, however, give the mug away for free as promotional material. The exceptions to this rule are logo designs or graphics made specifically for resale purposes (as determined by the designer.)
Does Covers and Cupcakes LLC use AI?
To the very best of our ability, we avoid all AI generatated images, as well as any tools used for AI generation. We believe that all artists (whether they be an author, photographer, model, or designer) deserve to be paid and appreciated for their creativity, and thus only choose to license stock images that feature human derived works.
What about the copyright?
Cover art commissioned for professional use in the writing/publishing industry can usually be defined in one of two categories. ( 1 ) The cover artist uses their own pictures or assets (such as drawings or illustrations) to create the cover design or ( 2 ) The cover artist uses photography licensed from a stock image provider such as Adobe Stock or Shutterstock.
No matter which category your new cover art falls under, it is important to know that the copyright to said art does not belong to the author who commissioned the piece. The cover artist owns the copyright to this design, and unfortunately, Covers and Cupcakes LLC does not currently offer the option for an author to purchase the copyright to any designs sold.
Among other things, this means that you may not alter, change, or replicate, or pay another designer to alter, change, or replicate any cover art you have purchased from Covers and Cupcakes LLC. This includes licensing only the eBook version of a cover, and then paying another designer to convert it for audiobooks and paperback or altering the design on your own to fit audiobooks or paperbacks when you have not purchased those additional usage rights. This also means that you may not attempt to copy or alter the artwork, or pay another designer to alter or copy the artwork for any reason, even for use on promotional images for your book. If you would like the license to create promotional graphics that include various concepts of your cover design (such as blank artwork or promotional backdrops for images promoting your book) you will need to speak to your designer about additional licensing.
As an author or client of Covers and Cupcakes LLC, please be aware that licensing a design from Covers and Cupcakes LLC comes with certain limitations.
Covers and Cupcakes LLC will do everything possible to ensure that any design you commission is beautiful and marketable. We strive to uphold the values of the Independent Publishing Industry, celebrating authors and the fabulous skills with which they have been gifted. 🙂
Thank you!!