Effective Date: October 8, 2026
Last Updated: October 8, 2026
By requesting a quote, executing a Service Agreement, submitting a manuscript, or purchasing any Service from American Author Hub, you ("Client," "Author," or "you") agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to all of these Terms, you may not access or use our Services.
1. Scope of Services
American Author Hub provides independent self-publishing assistance, professional editing, ghostwriting, book cover design, interior layout formatting, printing coordination, audiobooks, and marketing consulting services.
- Service Agreements: Specific deliverables, timelines, formatting specifications, and package pricing will be outlined in an individual Scope of Work ("SOW"), proposal, or invoice provided to you prior to project commencement.
- Independent Self-Publishing: Unless explicitly agreed upon in writing, American Author Hub acts as a service provider assisting with self-publishing. The Author remains the publisher of record on third-party distribution platforms (e.g., Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press).
2. Intellectual Property & Manuscript Ownership
A. Client Retains 100% Ownership
You retain full ownership, copyright, and all associated intellectual property rights in and to your raw manuscripts, creative concepts, outlines, notes, characters, and underlying work submitted to us. Submitting a manuscript to American Author Hub does not transfer copyright or ownership to the Company.
B. Work-for-Hire Deliverables
All custom deliverables created by American Author Hub specifically for your project including custom ghostwritten content, developmental editing revisions, original book cover art, and interior page layout designs are treated as "Work-for-Hire." Upon full and final payment of all agreed-upon project fees, American Author Hub assigns and transfers all rights, title, and intellectual property in the completed deliverables to the Client.
C. Royalties & Revenues
American Author Hub takes 0% of your book royalties. You retain 100% of all sales revenues, royalties, and rights generated from the commercial distribution of your completed book.
3. Client Representations & Warranties
By submitting any text, image, manuscript, or material ("Client Content") to American Author Hub, you represent and warrant that:
- You are the sole creator and copyright owner of the Client Content, or possess all necessary legal permissions, licenses, and releases to utilize and publish the material.
- The Client Content does not infringe upon any third-party copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or privacy right.
- The Client Content is not illegal, defamatory, libelous, or in violation of any applicable federal, state, or international laws.
- You will indemnify and hold harmless American Author Hub, its officers, employees, and contracted specialists against any claims, damages, liabilities, or legal fees arising from a breach of these warranties.
4. Payment Terms, Milestones, and Invoicing
- Pricing & Quotes: Prices for publishing packages and individual services are set forth in your invoice, Scope of Work ("SOW"), or project proposal. All fees are in US Dollars (USD).
- Upfront Payment Required: Unless explicitly agreed upon in writing through a custom written agreement, 100% advance payment of all total project fees is required prior to project commencement and the start of any editorial, design, writing, or publishing work.
- Deliverable & Account Access Release: Final print-ready PDFs, ePub files, original cover vector source files, or completed distribution account transfers will only be released upon complete verification of cleared funds.
5. Revisions and Acceptance Criteria
To ensure clarity and steady progress, all editorial, design, and formatting services include specific revision thresholds:
A. Editorial & Writing Services
- Proofreading and editing deliverables include up to two (2) rounds of revisions focused on corrections based on original project scope. Major structural rewrites or scope additions after initial manuscript approval will incur additional service fees.
- Ghostwriting projects require section-by-section approval (e.g., chapter by chapter). Once a chapter or section is reviewed and approved by the Client, subsequent structural changes to that section will be billed as additional work.
B. Cover & Interior Design
- Cover designs include up to three (3) rounds of design revisions based on the initial design brief provided by the Client. Requesting a completely new design concept outside the original brief after mockups have been presented will be treated as a new design contract.
C. Final Review Period
Upon receipt of completed draft files, the Client has fourteen (14) calendar days to review the work and submit written feedback or revision requests. If no feedback or approval is received within 14 days, the project will be deemed accepted and complete.
6. Refunds and Cancellation Policy
- Cancellation Before Work Begins: If you cancel a project before any editorial, writing, or design work has commenced, you are eligible for a refund minus a 5% administrative and transaction processing fee.
- In-Progress Work: Because our services involve customized creative labor, refunds for active or in-progress projects are calculated based on the percentage of work completed at the time written cancellation is received.
- Completed Services: Once a milestone, draft, or final project deliverable has been reviewed, approved, or delivered, fees associated with that portion of work are strictly non-refundable.
- Third-Party & Administrative Setup Fees: American Author Hub assists authors with the setup, account configuration, administrative submissions, and formatting required for ISBN applications, copyright registrations, and third-party platform publishing. Any third-party fees paid directly to external registries (e.g., Bowker, US Copyright Office, distribution platforms), as well as dedicated administrative setup fees for these assistance services, are strictly non-refundable once processing or application setup has been initiated.
7. Third-Party Publishing & Distribution Platforms
- Platform Compliance: While American Author Hub assists with formatting, uploading, and setup on third-party distribution platforms (such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Google Play Books, or Apple Books), each platform operates independently under its own Terms of Service and content policies.
- Platform Account Ownership: The Client is solely responsible for creating and maintaining their author/publisher accounts on third-party platforms. American Author Hub is not responsible for platform account suspensions, algorithm changes, pricing policy adjustments, or distribution delays caused by third-party retailers.
- Physical Print Proofing: The Client is strongly advised to order and physically review an author print proof before making books available for public distribution. American Author Hub is not liable for print defects resulting from platform-side printing variations.
8. Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure
American Author Hub agrees that all manuscripts, outlines, correspondence, and creative materials shared during consultations or project execution are strictly confidential. We will not share, sell, distribute, or publicly display any part of your unpublished manuscript without your prior written authorization. (For details on data privacy and cookie usage, please review our Privacy Policy).
9. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:
- IN NO EVENT SHALL AMERICAN AUTHOR HUB, ITS DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR PARTNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, BOOK SALES, DATA, OR GOODWILL ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OUR SERVICES.
- THE TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF AMERICAN AUTHOR HUB FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING UNDER THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY THE CLIENT TO THE COMPANY FOR THE SPECIFIC SERVICE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM DURING THE SIX (6) MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE CLAIM.
10. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
- Governing Law: These Terms and any disputes arising out of or related to our Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
- Informal Resolution: Before initiating legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute, claim, or controversy informally through direct communication.
- Jurisdiction: Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms shall be instituted exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Harris County, Texas. Both parties irrevocably consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.
11. Termination
Either party may terminate a Service Agreement at any time by providing written notice. Upon termination, the Client shall pay American Author Hub for all work completed up to the date of termination, and American Author Hub will release all completed or in-progress work product corresponding to paid fees.
12. Modifications to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Any changes will be posted directly to this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of our website or services following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes.
13. Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or notices regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us at:
American Author Hub
Website: americanauthorhub.com
Email: info@americanauthorhub.com
Address: 15155 Richmond Ave., Houston, Texas 77082, United States