TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Agreement to Terms

By commissioning services, approving project estimates, making deposits, or accessing https://mirrorstonepublishers.com/, you ("Client", "Author", or "You") agree to be legally bound by these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree with any portion of these terms, you should not commission artwork or submit materials to Mirror Stone Publishers ("Studio", "We", "Us", or "Our").

These Terms apply to all children's picture book illustrations, chapter book art, character design sheets, book formatting, cover layouts, and publication guidance.

2. Scope of Creative Services

Mirror Stone Publishers provides custom, human-drawn artistic and publishing services outlined in your official Project Proposal or Invoice. Deliverables may include:

• Original Character Design Turnaround Sheets (front, side, expressions, and wardrobe).
• Manuscript Scene Planning, Storyboard Thumbnails, and Compositional Layouts.
• Full Double-Page Spreads, Single-Page Art, and Spot Vignettes in chosen styles.
• Final High-Resolution Master Files delivered at 300+ DPI in CMYK/RGB formats (PDF, TIFF, PSD, or PNG).
• Book Cover Design with full spine and back cover dimensions tailored to your chosen printer.

3. Production Milestones & Workflow

To maintain strict artistic consistency and eliminate surprises, our children's book projects follow a sequential 4-stage pipeline:

• Stage A — Concept & Character Design: Establishing character anatomy, facial expressions, and signature colors.
• Stage B — Storyboard & Scene Layouts: Rough compositional sketching mapping out typography safe zones, margins, and bleed lines.
• Stage C — Clean Line Art: Defined ink drawings finalizing all poses, backgrounds, and intricate story details.
• Stage D — Color, Texture & Lighting: Rendering full lighting, depth, shadows, and final print export.

4. Revision Policy & Sign-Offs

We believe collaboration creates magical books. Every milestone includes dedicated review rounds:

• Included Revisions: Up to two (2) rounds of constructive revisions are included at each production stage (Sketches, Line Art, and Coloring).
• Milestone Sign-Offs: Once a stage is officially approved by the author in writing, artwork moves to the next phase. Major compositional changes requested on previously approved stages (e.g., changing a complete pose after final coloring has begun) may incur an additional adjustment fee.
• Author Revisions vs. Scope Creep: Revisions include adjustments to expressions, colors, clothing details, and scenery. Adding new characters, scenes, or rewriting story portions outside the initial agreed manuscript constitutes an expanded scope and will be estimated separately.

5. Intellectual Property & Copyright Ownership

We value authors and protect your exclusive ownership rights:

The author retains full freedom to publish, print, license, distribute, create merchandise, and sell their book worldwide with zero royalty demands from Mirror Stone Publishers.

Portfolio Display Rights: Unless the author specifically requests strict confidential embargo under an NDA, Mirror Stone Publishers reserves the non-exclusive right to display sample artwork in our professional portfolio, website gallery, and social media solely to demonstrate our creative capabilities once the book is officially launched or published.

6. Fees, Deposits & Payment Terms

Project pricing is based on illustration quantity, art complexity, and publishing scope:

• Deposit: A non-refundable initial deposit (typically 30% to 50% depending on project scale) is required to secure illustrator scheduling and begin character design.
• Milestone Invoices: Remaining balances are disbursed across agreed production milestones or prior to the release of high-resolution print files.
• File Delivery: High-resolution print-ready masters (unwatermarked, 300 DPI) and source files are released upon settlement of the final invoice.

7. Client Responsibilities & Materials

To keep book production smooth and within schedule, the author agrees to:

• Provide a finalized, proofread manuscript before final illustration begins.
• Supply character references, ethnic traits, specific attire instructions, or thematic notes early in Stage A.
• Provide timely feedback during review windows (typically within 3–5 business days) to prevent project pauses.
• Guarantee that submitted story text and reference photos do not infringe on any third-party copyrights or trademarks.

8. Project Timelines & Schedules

Children's book illustrations require hand-crafted dedication. Standard picture books (24 to 32 pages) typically take between 6 to 12 weeks from initial concept sketches to final print preparation.

Estimated completion dates are provided in good faith. Mirror Stone Publishers is not liable for schedule delays caused by extended client review cycles, manuscript revisions mid-production, or unforeseen Force Majeure events.

9. Cancellation & Refund Policy

Either party may terminate a project contract with written notice under the following conditions:

• Work-in-Progress Settlement: In the event of early termination by the client, Mirror Stone Publishers shall be compensated for all work completed up to the cancellation notice date based on hourly rates or completed milestone percentages.
• Deposits: Initial scheduling deposits are non-refundable as they reserve dedicated artist time and cover exploratory character development.
• Artwork Ownership upon Cancellation: In the event of contract cancellation, copyright to uncompleted or unreleased draft artwork remains with the Studio until all completed phases are settled.

10. Zero AI & Human Art Guarantee

Mirror Stone Publishers stands behind authentic illustration:

• We warrant that all delivered illustrations are created by skilled human illustrators using professional digital tablets and artistic software (such as Photoshop, Procreate, or Clip Studio Paint).
• We do not generate your artwork using automated text-to-image AI generators.
• You receive unique, copyrightable creative assets legally recognized by the US Copyright Office and international intellectual property registries.

11. Limitation of Liability

Mirror Stone Publishers guarantees that all digital print files meet technical specifications provided by the author for their chosen printer (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press, or offset printers).

However, we do not guarantee commercial sales volume, bestseller rankings, or reader reception. Authors are strongly advised to order a physical proof copy from their printer before launching mass distribution. In no event shall Mirror Stone Publishers' total legal liability exceed the total fees paid by the client for the specific service under dispute.

12. Governing Law & Contact Information

These Terms & Conditions shall be interpreted, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which Mirror Stone Publishers operates.

For any contractual questions, bespoke enterprise publishing agreements, or formal inquiries, please contact our team: