Terms and Conditions
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When working with MerryBookRound, you agree to these terms and conditions. They are meant to guarantee a smooth and easy experience for both parts.

Confidentiality

All the information that the client shares with me is considered confidential and will only be used by MerryBookRound to provide the best service. I will not share this information with any third party unless requested to do so by the client.

Communication

We always do our best to offer prompt communication. We try to reply within 24 hours to all communications, but over busy  periods it might take up to 72 hours.

Important Information

My work is now mainly based on typography/objects covers, however upon request I can still design covers featuring human/animals figures, for an extra fee of +50USD.

They include up to 3 main figures: 2 humans + 1 big animal or 1 human + 2 big animals (like wolves, tigers, bears and so on. Ravens, mice and similar smaller critters have no number limits). If you need more please let me know first, as their cost might change,  according to their complexity. Prices should be around +10/30USD more, for each extra figure.

While my Typography/Object covers will have a flat fee, no matter how many elements are used the price won’t change.

Book Cover Design – How it works

Before starting any project I ask for a 50% deposit. 

The deposit is not refundable: once I start working on your cover, in case you’ll change your mind during the drafting phase, and decide I won’t be working on your cover anymore for reasons not related to my design, I will keep the deposit but won’t ask for the balance. 

For example if you completely change idea about the type of cover you’re looking for, not suited to my skills/style anymore and find a new designer you like even if I already started working for you, or if you decide you don’t need a new cover at all, In such scenarios, the deposit won’t be refunded.

But if you really don’t like any of the drafts I’ll show you and and we both believe I won’t be able to achieve your expectations (even if I sticked to your requests), I will refund the 50% deposit* 

*Unfortunately Paypal keeps transaction fees even if you send a refund, so that’s why I can’t refund them as well.

Accepting payments via PayPal only. I will send you an invoice a few days before the commission starts. Timescale will be discussed together. As for the balance, it must be paid as soon as you approve the final design of your cover and  are 100% satisfied with it, and before receiving your final product.

Let’s start!

  • At first, you will receive one (or more) draft(s) based on your requests. You can ask for as many changes as you want during this phase. Always remaining consistent with your original idea.
  • If you don’t like what you see, I will prepare a second/third draft with your guidance, keeping in mind your feedbacks on the previous design/render you didn’t like.
  • If your requests will be very different to one another in between drafts, (if you ask for one thing at first and then ask for a completely different or opposite solution later) we might end up working for a longer time as what first planned, and according to how much work I have to re-do from scratch, an extra fee will also be asked.
  • Once the draft is approved, I’ll start working in high resolution. You will still be able to ask for minor changes (such as element position, color or font changes). However, your requests will need to adhere to the approved draft. If you change your mind about the overall design, extra fees will be charged according to how much time I will need to re-do the job and if extra stock images need to be purchased (apart from the ones already approved during the drafting phase), those might need to be charged as well.

MerryBookRound will grant you the exclusive license for the final cover design, the ownership of said design will remain property of MerryBookRound. This means you can’t resell the cover in case you change your mind about its usage.

  • The client agrees that they have no right to alter the completed design in any way. Reselling of any kind is also forbidden*.
  • MerryBookRound will not provide the client with PSD source files.
  • The stock images used in the making of our designs are not included but I will share their license proofs.
  • All fonts used on my book covers are premium fonts, licensed for commercial purposes.

*Reselling cover designs claiming them as your own product is forbidden, but in case you won’t need the cover anymore, BEFORE proceeding, you might ask permission to re-sell it to someone else. In this case the previous and the new buyer will deal directly with one another and take care of monetary transactions privately. I will provide new titling for free. If the new buyer needs major modifications, extra fees will be needed, but those will be handled between them and MerryBooRound.

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How it works What you’ll get!

This is what you will get when ordering a book cover form MerryBookRound:

  • EBOOK COVER

    • One higher resolution file (2700×4050 pixels) at 300dpi in JPEG.
    • Narrow resolution files (1600x2560px / RGB / 300dpi) in JPEG.
    • Wider eBook resolution files (1920×2560 px / RGB / 300dpi) in JPEG.
    • One free 3D mockup (1500x1000px / RGB / 300dpi) to be used as promotional image in JPEG.

  • PAPERBACK/HARDCOVER/DUST JACKET

    Printing versions of the cover following your instruction saved in JPEG and PDF formats.
    For Amazon KPD I will only need the trim size, page count and paper color. For IngramSpark you will need to share the template they provide when asking for the ISBN number.

  • BASIC ADD-ONS

    • Blank Artwork: text free blank artwork and separated typography in PNG version.
    • AudioBook Cover: square format (4050×4050 pixels) suitable for Audiobook and Vella Covers in JPEG.
    • Social media package:
      • Facebook Group and Page Covers
      • Facebook Posts Images
      • Instagram Posts Images
      • High resolution Web Header
      • 3D Mockup with transparent background of your book

    I can work on these add-ons only if I designed your cover. These services CAN’T be purchased separately.

  • SPECIAL ADD-ONS

    • Kickstarted designs: Various banners, 3D mockups and page titles for your kick-started pages. 
    • Foiled Design: a matching design for your special printing edition. It can be similar to the main design, using shared elements. Or it can be completely different with elements on its own to be as much unique as possible.
    • Sprayed Edges: special design for your book pages, either similar to the main design or with its own style!

    I can design your special edition covers, even if I didn’t design your main cover. These services CAN be purchased separately.

  • FULL PACKAGE DEAL

    Includes eBook, Paperback and all the basic add-ons listed above. 

    Hardcovers, Dust Jacket, and the special add-ons are NOT included. They must be purchased separately.

    If you select this deal with its special price, you will have to pay for the services all at once, this mean I will send you two invoices of 250 USD each (for deposit and balance) following the same method described on “how it works”, even if you don’t need everything right away.

    If you prefer to pay for certain services only and purchase additions later, please select the single options available (so no full package).

    Any add-on can be purchased individually at a later time.

Image usage (Stock Images)

Most of the Royalty Free images used on your book cover designs come from Shutterstock.com and Depositphotos.com. While a few might come from Adobestock.com  (which I no longer use).
The price for your book cover includes the right to use these images and is limited to a print-run of 500,000 units and 500,000 e-book sales.
For unlimited usage, an additional fee is required (extended license).
Please let me know if you have this necessity.

Reselling of any kind is forbidden:

In most cases, the images used on book covers are owned by the photographers who took them, and either Shutterstock.com or Depositphotos.com manage their distribution. For this reason they cannot be used and resold in any manner other than in the book cover design itself.

These following conditions are not decided by MerryBookRound and are beyond my control:

  • You cannot sell items or give away promotional material, such as cups, t-shirt, bookmarks… with just the final design of the book cover we made for you on them. You would need an extended license of the images used to do so. Let us know if you need one.
  • You are allowed to create such items for personal use only.
  • However, you can give away material, like flyer, postcards and even bookmarks if you print your personal information on them, as if they were your business cards and if the number of printed copies is within 500k.

MerryBookRound takes no responsibility if you decide to go against these conditions.

For more information on the licensing of images, please visit www.shutterstock.com/licensing and www.depositphotos.com/license.html

Image usage (3D Renders)

I also use 3D images rendered by me using DAZ Studio. There’s no limits on the usage of our 3D renders. I provide their extended licenses included in the price of my covers. This means that covers fully designed with 3D renders, come with Extended Licenses perfect for any kind of marketing purposes.

Client responsibilities:

Please keep in mind that you should ask for a proof copy of your cover design from your printer before putting your book for sale to check the colors, paper quality and such. MerryBookRound will not be financially or legally responsible for any mistakes your printing service might make.

The client must provide the final size for their print cover, including trim size and final page count. For best results, have your printing service provide us with a template.

If you’re publishing your book through Amazon (or similar sites), just tell me the exact page count (including authors notes, table of contents or any other information you put before and after your story) and the format you chose (such us 6×9″).

I cannot take responsibility if any of the information supplied by the client is incorrect.

Revisions

After receiving a cover from us (either pre-made or custom), you will be able to ask up to 3 free rounds of updates (such as change of title/blurb/back cover text etc… or new fullwrap information, such as page count or trim size). After that, each new update will require an additional fee of $35 to be paid upfront.

Timescale
  • Pre-designed book covers require up to 3 days to be delivered.
  • Custom-designed covers: usually it takes no more than 10 working days to finalise a cover. Unless, for some reasons, the drafting phase will be longer than expected. 

*MerryBookRound will let you know, at the time of ordering, when we will be able to start working for you. You send payment only after having agreed on a timeline.

Payments

I accept payments via PayPal only.
Premade book covers are fully paid in advance.
Custom covers are split in two payments: 50% upfront, 50% before receive the final files. No payment plans are allowed. 

Refunds

You can ask for a refund only during the initial phase of the project. And for custom book cover designs only. If you change your mind in the process, we will keep the 50% deposit, but you won’t have to pay the final balance. Pre-made covers (once you received the high quality files) cannot be refunded.

So how do refunds for custom book covers work? If you don’t like any of the drafts we deliver, and you decide to terminate the project, we will provide a full refund for the 50% deposit you sent us at the beginning.

However, if you approved a draft and we begin working on the final version, we assume you are happy with what we’ve done so far. If you change your mind, you won’t need to pay the balance but we will keep the 50% deposit.

And of course, if you ask for a refund, you won’t be allowed to re-use the drafts you rejected with other book cover designers, you can’t show them what we did and start from there. If you didn’t approved those drafts, it means you didn’t like them.

If you approved the final version of your cover, and have already received the HQ resolution file, you cannot be refunded.

Attribution

Crediting is optional but very much appreciated. Client can add credits to MerryBookRound by adding  “Cover design by MerryBookRound”. Thank you!