PLEASE NOTE THAT PAYMENT OF THE DEPOSIT OR FULL AMOUNT FOR ANY OR ALL PROJECTS SIGNIFIES THE CLIENT’S UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF K.B. BARRETT DESIGNS’ POLICIES AND CONDITIONS. 

FURTHERMORE, BY ACKNOWLEDGING THIS CONTRACT, THE CLIENT EXPRESSLY AGREES TO ABSOLVE K.B. BARRETT DESIGNS ENTIRELY FROM ANY LIABILITY, INCLUSIVE OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS.

Services 

K.B. Barrett Designs provides covers, graphics, illustrations, and formatting to their contracted clients. 

K.B. Barrett Designs is only liable for contracted services. If you have any questions about which services these are, please contact us. 

Clients are entitled to the deliverables detailed in the package(s) sent with the contracts. Price sheets are listed on the K.B. Barrett Designs website and are also available for download as well. 

To receive any designs from K.B. Barrett Designs, you agree to sign a contract and uphold the terms and conditions within that contract. Without a contract we will not be able to provide you with any artwork. 

Before booking with K.B. Barrett designs you agree to spend a satisfactory amount of time reviewing our work and have a reasonable expectation that we will perform the Services you are asking in a similar manner and style unless otherwise specified.

Any artwork created by K.B. Barrett Designs is the property of K.B. Barrett Designs LLC until final files have been finished and sent off to the client. All files will then transfer in ownership to the client. Use of these designs before they have been approved and sent will be considered theft and will be treated as such. All PSD files will remain the property of K.B. Barrett Designs. 

By signing your contract and reading these terms and conditions, you understand and agree that: 

  1. Every client is different, with different tastes, budgets, and needs and we will do our best to accommodate each one. However, every designer is unique as well. 

  2. Our services are often a subjective art and we have a unique vision, with an ever-evolving style and technique; please make sure that you are aware of this vision before booking with us. 

  3. Dissatisfaction with our aesthetic and design style does not result in a refund of services after the project is completed. 

Booking Steps (projects not including illustrations)

  1. Set up a consultation to begin the process. This consultation can occur before or after the booking slot is secured, and your project(s), idea(s), and marketing strategy will be discussed and will have bearing on the design process. Please make sure to be clear and direct in this consultation. Consultations are available via phone, video chat, email, or social media messenger.

  2. Set the booking date and pay your non-refundable deposit. The deposit is fifty-percent (50%) of the total invoice, and all deposits must be paid within five (5) calendar days or the booking will be canceled. Non-payment and no contact within those five (5) calendar days will result in a cancellation of the booking date.

    The booking date can occur before or after the consultation, but this is your official roster slot for a design. This is the date you will receive the first rough-draft mockups from K.B. Barrett Designs. This date is imperative in the design process, so please make sure this date is as correct as humanly possible. The calendar fills up quickly, and dates may not be able to transfer to another slot close enough for your project to be completed on time. 

    You will receive a confirmation email with this exact verbiage after your booking date is set:

    You have officially been booked into our roster for the booking dates of "Dates". This Booking date means that you will receive your rough draft mockup of your design on "this date." Final Files have an estimated timeline of 7 to 10 days after your booking date. Please be aware that any changes may extend this timeline.

  3. Two weeks before your booking date, your final payments are invoiced and due. Non-payment will result in delay or cancellation of your design.

  4. The designer begins work. Using the notes from our consultations, my research into your specific genre, sub-genre, social media accounts, and previous books (if available) in tandem with marketing strategies that work with your business, I will create a rough-draft mockup for your design. 

  5. Rough-draft mockups are delivered. On or before your booking date, you will receive the first rough-draft mockup for your design. These are sent via a secure link through our client management system.

  6. Designs are fine-tuned. This is the stage of the process where you send feedback on the initial rough-draft mockup, and the designer makes reasonable efforts to answer all concerns and questions about the design.

  7. Final files are sent. This is the final step once the designer and client agree on a design and details.

    • PDF Wraps. For projects including PDF paperback wraps in which K.B. Barrett Designs is not responsible for interior formatting, please send formatted page counts, platforms where you will publish, book trim size, and ISBN (if applicable) to kristin@kbbarrettdesigns.com. Please note that these details are due seven (7) days before you need your final wrap files. A rush fee will be applied if the file is requested before seven (7) days.     

Booking Steps (projects including illustrations)

  1. Set up a consultation to begin the process. This consultation can occur before or after the booking slot is secured, and your project(s), idea(s), and marketing strategy will be discussed and will have bearing on the design process. Please make sure to be clear and direct in this consultation. Consultations are available via phone, video chat, email, or social media messenger.

  2. Set the booking date and pay your non-refundable deposit. The deposit is fifty-percent (50%) of the total invoice, and all deposits must be paid within five (5) calendar days or the booking will be canceled. Non-payment and no contact within those five (5) calendar days will result in a cancellation of the booking date.

    This is your official roster slot for a design. This is the date your projects will start with K.B. Barrett Designs. This date is imperative in the design process, so please make sure this date is as correct as humanly possible. The calendar fills up quickly, and dates may not be able to transfer to another slot close enough for your project to be completed on time. 

    You will receive a confirmation email with this exact verbiage after your booking date is set:

    You have officially been booked into our roster for the booking dates of "Dates". This Booking date means that your project will start on the "date", and you will receive your final files by "date". You will also receive a concept rough draft sketch in that timeline as well. Please be aware that any changes may extend this timeline.

  3. Two weeks before your booking date, your final payments are invoiced and due. Non-payment will result in delay or cancellation of your design.

  4. The designer begins work. Using the notes from our consultations, my research into your specific genre, sub-genre, social media accounts, and previous books (if available) in tandem with marketing strategies that work with your business, I will create a rough-draft mockup for your design. 

  5. Rough draft mockups are delivered. You will receive the first rough draft mockup for your design. These are sent via a secure link through our client management system.

  6. Designs are fine-tuned. This is the stage of the process where you send feedback on the initial rough draft mockup, and the designer makes reasonable efforts to answer all concerns and questions about the design.

  7. Final files are sent. They are delivered approximately 4-6 weeks from your booking date. Please be aware that any changes you request will extend this timeline. This is the final step once the designer and client agree on a design and details.

Consultations

Every client is responsible for booking their own consultations a minimum of two weeks before their booking date. This can be done through messenger, email, phone, or zoom/google meet. This consultation is a requirement. 

All consultations must be booked through the calendar link in the header of this page. This link can also be found in the contact me section as well. This consultation date is for a meeting ONLY. This does not include your design. If you have a specific date in mind, please reach out to ensure I have a booking date for that time frame.

You will receive a reminder email to schedule your consultation two weeks before your booking date with a link to the schedule a consultation as well. Please follow those instructions carefully. Failure to book this consultation before your booking date will result in a cancellation of your booking with no refund. 

Booking

Booking dates are stored on our Client roster and are first come first serve. We do offer a waiting list for every month. We can not guarantee any booking date while you are on the waiting list. 

Once you have confirmed your booking with us, an email will be sent out with your booking date. Save this email for your records. 

A reminder email will also be sent two weeks before your booking date as well. 

Once your booking is scheduled and confirmed, this date can not be changed without our explicit consent. Booking dates are limited each month and we can not guarantee any dates outside of your scheduled times. 

If you miss your consultation, fail to communicate, or fail to respond to messages regarding the start of your project before your booking date, your booking will be canceled without refund. 

Designs

All designs come with one (1) concept mockup and ten (10) changes. 

Definitions of terms:

Concept mockup: This references a design concept needing to be completely reworked with none or very little of the previous design being kept. This is very uncommon. 

Change: Changes are small things: colors, fonts, positions, etc. 

Extra Concept Mockups and changes can be added on at additional expense. 

Designs created by K.B. Barrett Designs are not to be altered by anyone other than a designer employed by K.B. Barrett Designs.The client understands that he/she has no right to alter the final cover design in any way except to change size for printing or digital display. If the client desires any alterations, he/she will consult K.B. Barrett Designs. The client understands that additional payments may be required to make these alterations. 

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC retains the right to use the client’s final book cover design, name, and book title in their portfolio and in the regular discourse to market and promote our services.

Any artwork provided to K.B. Barrett Designs for the design of your project must be purchased or licensed. Proof of this purchase and license will be required to complete the design. 

Payments

A non-refundable deposit of fifty percent (50%) of your invoice is required to secure your booking date with us for all designs. The remaining balance is due two weeks before your booking date. This ensures that all payments are made before any work is started. 

Non-payment and no contact within those five (5) calendar days will result in a cancellation of the booking date.

Payment plans are available as long as the remaining balance is paid in full two weeks before your booking date. Failure to maintain good standing with your payment arrangements may result in cancellation with no refund of your fees. 

There are no refunds of any kind. 

Delivery and Loss of Product

Design Mockups will be sent via a secure link from our client management system. Any feedback or notes can be sent back to K.B. Barrett Designs securely in the form. 

Final sign off of your designs must be received via this booking form. Failure to do so, or failure to communicate your sign off for your design will result in late delivery of your projects. 

Designs and projects have an estimated time of delivery for the following after final sign off: 

Covers and Graphics: 7-10 days
Illustrated Covers and Graphics: 4-6 weeks
Illustrated Characters or NSFW Words: 4-6 weeks
Formatting: 14-20 days

These timelines vary depending on changes requested and other factors. There are no guarantees of time for any project. 

Final files will be delivered to you via a Google Drive link that will be provided to you. Once files are uploaded, you have thirty (30) days to download your files. After this thirty (30) days K.B. Barrett Designs is not responsible for any lost files.

In the event that any or all product(s) are lost, such as damage to or loss of a component of the project after final delivery to the client, Client agrees that the loss is not the responsibility of K.B. Designs LLC. and that there are no refunds due to loss of said project.

PSD Files are not included in any package. If the PSD files are required for a project, this will incur an additional fee. This covers the license of all files and fonts released with the PSD and the release of the design. A release of design form will need to be signed before PSD files will be delivered.

Cancellation, no shows, and rescheduling

If you wish to cancel your booking date, or reschedule your booking, please provide as much time as possible. Booking dates are not guaranteed. 

If at any time we are unable to contact you, if after four (4) emails and use of any other contact means have been unsuccessful, K.B. Barrett Designs has the right to reschedule or cancel your booking with no refunds. 

AI Stance

K.B. Barrett Designs’ designs are unique and can not be replicated. Therefore we exclusively and definitively refrain from using AI-generated imagery or typography. If it has been found that a design you purchased from K.B. Barrett Designs has been manipulated with AI, all future services will be terminated without refund, and you will no longer be allowed to book with K.B. Barrett Designs for design needs.

Furthermore, K.B. Barrett Designs attests that although inadvertent errors may occur, and reputable platforms might not consistently label AI accurately, we diligently strive to prevent such oversights. In the event that an unintentional mistake involves the use of an artificially generated image in our design, we are committed to rectifying the situation promptly. We will take corrective action by modifying the cover at no additional cost to the client to remove any inadvertently included AI-generated elements. Recognizing the inevitability of occasional accidents and acknowledging our human fallibility, we assure our clients that we will take the necessary steps to rectify any such occurrences promptly and professionally.

Newsletter 

By becoming a K.B. Barrett Designs client, you give consent to join our newsletter for information on upcoming bookings, giveaways, ect. 

Privacy Policy

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. All information we gather from you is used only to provide you with the product you have requested. We will not sell, distribute, or lease your personal information to third parties. Should you not wish to continue with a cover at any time, all details you have already submitted will continue to be protected.

Publishing Rights

The client acknowledges he/she has obtained all rights and permissions to publish materials to be used in the project and shall be solely responsible for the materials and the validity of copyrights, trademarks, and ownership claimed by the client. Client agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend K.B. Barrett Designs LLC and its employees and colleagues from any and all libel and copyright and permission infringement action resulting from materials the client provides. The book material the client provides must not be a public domain work (unless the client is the original author).

Ownership Rights

Upon receipt of full payment, K.B. Barrett Designs grants the client exclusive license to use the final cover design artwork in the final file formats for their book and/or e-book cover.
All PSD Files will remain the property of K.B. Barrett Designs LLC.

Attribution

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC requires the client to provide a cover design credit in the client’s book (either on the back cover or on the copyright page) as such: Cover design by K.B. Barrett Designs.

If any illustrations are used in the cover design, please also include this attribution line: Illustrations by S. Renea at K.B. Barrett Designs.

Client Responsibilities

Client is fully responsible for proofing the book cover design provided by K.B. Barrett Designs LLC. It is strongly suggested that the client requests a proof from the printer before publishing or ordering any copies of the book. At no time will K.B. Barrett Designs LLC be held financially or legally responsible for any problems, costs, fees, or expenses incurred by the client as a result of using the book cover design. The client agrees to pay additional fees as set out by K.B. Barrett Designs LLC for any additions or corrections to the cover design, including additional text, that are requested by the client after the final files have been sent.

The client is held responsible for adhering to the license terms, and is expected to read through the licensing agreements of every stock site that the images come from to prevent any legal action against them for misuse.

Stock Images & Resources

All retail stock images and resources from stock sites where K.B. Barrett Designs LLC is subscribed are included in the packages, up to one image. Additional images used in the design may incur an additional charge. Stock images from sites where K.B. Barrett Designs LLC is not subscribed may incur an additional charge. K.B. Barrett Designs LLC will supply this information upon request or during the design process.

Exclusive stock photos from photographers and models tailored to meet clients’ specific design needs are not included in any of the packages. For example, the client who does not wish to use any of the model stock already available from online stock retailers is responsible for contacting a photographer and selecting a custom photo or arranging a custom photo shoot for the book cover.
 

Project Suspension

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC reserves the right to 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

  • is tardy with regard to communication or ceases communication without explanation

  • and/or shows reluctance in paying the final payment.

Fair notice will be given with a 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 developed will remain in the full ownership of the designer.
 

FORMATTING TERMS & CONDITIONS

Publishing Rights

The client acknowledges he/she has obtained all rights and permissions to publish materials to be used in the project and shall be solely responsible for the materials and the validity of copyrights, trademarks, and ownership claimed by the client. Client agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend K.B. Barrett Designs LLC and its employees and colleagues from any and all libel and copyright and permission infringement action resulting from materials client provides. The book material the client provides must not be a public domain work (unless the client is the original author).

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC retains the right to use the client’s name and book title as well as the design for their portfolio and/or advertising on the designer’s website and/or social media to market and promote their services. This will be limited to page spreads to show design.

Attribution

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC should be credited on the copyright page or on the back cover for interior formatting in the client’s book as such: Interior formatting by K.B. Barrett Designs.

Client Responsibilities

Client is fully responsible for proofing the ebook and print file—if applicable—provided by K.B. Barrett Designs LLC. It is strongly suggested that the client requests a proof from the printer before publishing or ordering any copies of the book. At no time will K.B. Barrett Designs LLC be held financially or legally responsible for any problems, costs, fees or expenses incurred by the client as a result of using the formatting. The client agrees to pay additional fees as set out by K.B. Barrett Designs LLC for any additions or corrections to the files, including additional text, that are requested by the client after the final files have been sent.

The client is held responsible for adhering to the license terms, and is expected to read through the licensing agreements of every stock site that the images come from to prevent any legal action against them for misuse.

Formatting Services

K.B. Barrett Designs LLC’s fees for formatting are outlined in the individual packages. Each package includes ePub and PDF.

The client is required to provide a Word document (.doc or .docx) that is formatted with styles. The document should include all non-manuscript pages the client would like included within the book, including but not limited to:
•    Copyright page
•    Dedication
•    About the author
•    Also by

Formatting services include ONE round of revision after K.B. Barrett Designs delivers the final files, and all changes must be included in a single document or email. Additional emails and additional changes may incur a fee.

Changes to the manuscript after the delivery date given to you by K.B. Barrett Designs will extend the final due date for delivery for your formatting files. Each email or document containing changes adds 5-7 business days to the final delivery date.

Formatting services do not include spelling, punctuation, word changes, or any other change not related directly to formatting. The formatting design service does not include copywriting or text editing services, or creation of promotional materials, or anything else not specified in the listing.

It is the responsibility of the client to proofread all files and to request changes immediately.