Terms & Conditions

Version 2.0 -- Effective March 25, 2026

What is Columbia Publication?

Columbia Publication is a professional book publishing services company operated by Columbia Publishing LLC, registered in Wyoming and based in Arlington, Virginia. The firm serves independent authors and professionals worldwide, offering services ranging from manuscript editing and ghostwriting to book design, printing, global distribution, and marketing.

Columbia Publication is a trading name of Columbia Publishing LLC, a limited liability company registered in the State of Wyoming, United States of America. Our mailing and operational address is 1550 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209, United States. Our primary contact email is support@columbiapublication.com.

Columbia Publication is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Columbia University Press or any other publisher using the Columbia name.

Who is eligible for Columbia Publication services?

Any individual aged 18 or older with the legal capacity to enter a binding agreement is eligible to use Columbia Publication services. This includes independent authors, professionals, and business representatives worldwide. If you are acting on behalf of an organization, you must hold proper authorization to engage on its behalf.

What services does Columbia Publication offer?

Columbia Publication provides professional book publishing services including but not limited to: manuscript editing and proofreading, book cover design, interior formatting, ghostwriting, audiobook production, children's book publishing, book illustrations, book translation, author website development, book printing, print-on-demand setup, global distribution, and book marketing services.

The specific scope, deliverables, timeline and fees for each project are set out in the written agreement or statement of work agreed between Columbia Publication and the client prior to commencement. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and a written project agreement, the written project agreement takes precedence for that specific project.

How do orders, quotes and agreements work?

All quotes provided by Columbia Publication are valid for 30 days from the date of issue unless otherwise stated. A project is considered confirmed when: (a) the client has accepted the scope and fees in writing; and (b) payment has been received. Verbal discussions, preliminary enquiries and draft quotes do not constitute a binding agreement.

Columbia Publication reserves the right to decline any project at its discretion prior to payment. After payment has been received and a project confirmed, Columbia Publication is bound to deliver the agreed scope in accordance with these Terms and the project agreement.

How does payment and billing work?

Payment is required in full before work begins unless a milestone or installment plan has been agreed in writing. All transactions are processed securely through trusted platforms like Stripe, PayPal, and Square, and fees are quoted in US Dollars. Clients outside the US should note they are responsible for any currency conversion charges from their bank.

All fees are quoted and charged in United States Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated in writing. Clients outside the United States are responsible for any currency conversion fees or charges imposed by their bank or card issuer. Columbia Publication is not responsible for exchange rate fluctuations between the date of quote and the date of payment.

Late payment on agreed milestone or instalment plans may result in a suspension of work until outstanding amounts are settled. Columbia Publication will provide written notice before suspending work for non-payment.

What is the refunds and cancellations policy?

Refunds and cancellations at Columbia Publication follow a stage-based policy, meaning any refund is calculated according to the work already completed at the time of cancellation. Payments made 90 or more days before a refund request are non-refundable. Approved refunds are processed within 14 business days, and payment processing fees are deducted unless prohibited by law.

Key points from the Refund Policy that clients should note:

• Refunds are stage-based and assessed on the work completed at the point of cancellation.
• No refund is available for any payment made 90 or more days before the refund request is received.
• Clients in the EU and UK may have statutory cooling-off rights -- see the Refund Policy for full details.
• Refund processing takes up to 14 business days from the date of approval.
• Payment processing fees are non-recoverable and will be deducted from approved refunds except where prohibited by law.

What is communication consent under TCPA compliance?

By submitting your contact details through any form on our website, you consent to receive communications from Columbia Publication relating to your enquiry or project, including via email, SMS and telephone. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by replying STOP to any SMS, clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, or contacting us at support@columbiapublication.com.

Where our forms include an express consent checkbox, ticking that checkbox constitutes express written consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to receive automated or pre-recorded calls and SMS messages from Columbia Publication, even if your number is listed on a Do Not Call registry. Standard message and data rates may apply. You are not required to provide this consent as a condition of purchasing any service.

Who owns the intellectual property rights?

You own the intellectual property rights to your original manuscript and all materials you bring to the project. Once full payment is received, Columbia Publication assigns all IP in the deliverables produced for your project back to you, including edited manuscripts, cover designs, formatted interiors and ghostwritten content. Columbia Publication retains only a limited portfolio reference right unless you request.

Columbia Publication's IP

All content on the Columbia Publication website -- including text, graphics, logos, layouts, images and digital materials -- is the property of Columbia Publishing LLC and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. No content from this website may be reproduced, distributed, adapted or used commercially without prior written permission.

Client IP -- Manuscripts and Source Materials

You retain full ownership of your original manuscript, source materials and any pre-existing intellectual property you provide to Columbia Publication for the purposes of a project. By providing materials to Columbia Publication, you grant Columbia Publication a limited, non-exclusive licence to use those materials solely for the purpose of delivering the agreed services.

Deliverables -- Transfer of IP

Upon receipt of full payment for a completed project, Columbia Publication assigns to the client all intellectual property rights in the deliverables produced specifically for that project (including edited manuscripts, cover designs, formatted interiors, ghostwritten content and similar work product), except as set out below. This assignment is conditional on full payment being received.

Columbia Publication retains the right to reference the completed project as part of its portfolio of published work, with the client's name and book title, unless the client requests in writing that the project be kept confidential. Columbia Publication does not claim co-authorship or co-ownership of any published book.

Partially Refunded Work

IP rights in partially completed work that is subject to a partial or full refund are governed by the Refund Policy, Section 9.

Copyright Representations

By submitting a manuscript or other content to Columbia Publication, you represent and warrant that: (a) you are the original author or have full rights to the content; (b) the content does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party; (c) the content does not contain defamatory, obscene or unlawful material. Columbia Publication accepts no liability for copyright infringement or legal claims arising from content submitted by the client.

What are my responsibilities as a client?

You are responsible for:

• Providing accurate, complete and timely materials, information and approvals required for your project.
• Responding to communications from your dedicated specialist within a reasonable timeframe (typically 5 business days) to keep the project on schedule.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on deliverables within the timeframes set out in the project agreement.
• Ensuring that any content you provide does not infringe third-party rights or violate any applicable law.
• Maintaining the confidentiality of any login credentials or account access provided for project management platforms.

Delays caused by the client's failure to meet these responsibilities do not affect Columbia Publication's right to payment for work completed. See also Section 8 of the Refund Policy regarding client-caused project abandonment.

How does confidentiality work?

Your manuscript, personal details, and all project materials are treated as strictly confidential from the moment you engage with us. We never share client work with outside parties unless it is essential for delivering your services, legally required, or approved by you in writing. Every team member and contractor is bound by formal confidentiality obligations, ensuring your intellectual property stays.

Clients agree to keep confidential any proprietary methodologies, pricing structures, internal processes or business information disclosed by Columbia Publication during the course of a project.

What should I know about results disclaimers?

Results disclaimers clarify that no publisher can promise specific commercial outcomes like bestseller rankings, sales volumes, or review counts. Columbia Publication guarantees completion of all agreed service deliverables, including editing, design, formatting, and platform listing. However, market performance depends on reader behavior, platform algorithms, and broader industry forces that remain outside any service provider's control.

Publishing timelines may be affected by third-party platform review and approval periods (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Apple Books, Kobo, etc.) which are outside Columbia Publication's control. Columbia Publication will communicate platform-caused delays promptly and will not be in breach of its delivery obligations as a result of platform-imposed delays outside its reasonable control.

What are the limitation of liability terms?

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Columbia Publication's total liability to the client for any claim arising from or related to these Terms or any services provided shall not exceed the total fees paid by the client for the specific service that is the subject of the claim in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Columbia Publication is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, loss of business opportunity or reputational damage, whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, even if Columbia Publication has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Nothing in these Terms limits Columbia Publication's liability for: (a) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; (b) death or personal injury caused by negligence; or (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by applicable law.

What does indemnification mean for me?

Indemnification means you accept financial responsibility if your actions cause legal trouble for Columbia Publishing. If you violate our terms, submit content that infringes on someone else's rights, or misuse our services, you agree to cover any resulting claims, damages, legal fees, and related costs that arise from those actions.

How do third-party platforms and services work?

Third-party platforms and services operate independently under their own terms, conditions, and royalty structures. When Columbia Publication distributes your book to retailers like Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or Apple Books, each platform governs its own listing requirements, royalty rates, and availability policies. Similarly, payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal handle transactions under their own service agreements. These external providers may.

Payment processing is handled by third-party processors (Stripe, PayPal, Square). Their terms of service and privacy policies govern their handling of your payment data. Columbia Publication is not responsible for service interruptions or errors occurring on third-party payment platforms.

What are the website use guidelines?

Website use guidelines require all visitors to engage with the Columbia Publication site strictly for lawful purposes. Users must not attempt unauthorized access, transmit harmful or offensive material, deploy automated scraping tools, or impersonate staff. Columbia Publication reserves the right to modify or suspend any part of the website without prior notice.

Columbia Publication makes no warranty that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free or free from viruses. We reserve the right to modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the website at any time without notice.

How is my privacy protected?

Columbia Publication's collection, use and protection of personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, available at columbiapublication.com/privacy-policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using our services or website, you agree to the collection and use of your data as described in the Privacy Policy.

How does dispute resolution work?

Columbia Publication is committed to resolving client concerns promptly and fairly. If you have a concern about any service, please contact your dedicated specialist or email support@columbiapublication.com in the first instance. Most concerns are resolved within 5 to 10 business days through direct communication.

Pre-litigation requirement: Before initiating any formal legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt resolution through good-faith direct negotiation for a minimum of 30 calendar days from the date the dispute is first raised in writing. This requirement does not prevent either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief where necessary to prevent imminent irreparable harm.

Payment processor disputes: Clients retain the right to raise disputes through their payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, Square) or card issuer (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) under those providers' own buyer protection programmes. Columbia Publication will cooperate fully with any such dispute process and will not take action against a client solely for exercising their legitimate right to raise a payment dispute. Columbia Publication strongly encourages direct resolution before a processor dispute is initiated, as direct resolution is faster for both parties.

Arbitration: For disputes not resolved through direct negotiation, the parties may agree to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association as an alternative to court proceedings. Either party may propose arbitration in writing; the other party has 14 days to agree or decline.

Which governing law and jurisdiction applies?

These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States of America, without regard to conflict of law principles. Subject to the dispute resolution process in Section 17, any legal proceedings arising from these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of competent jurisdiction in Wyoming.

For clients resident in the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada or any other jurisdiction with mandatory consumer protection laws that cannot be contractually excluded, those mandatory laws apply to the extent they conflict with Wyoming law, and the client retains all statutory rights available under their local law.

What is severability in these terms?

Severability is a legal safeguard ensuring that if any single clause in these terms is ruled invalid or unenforceable by a court, it is separated from the rest of the agreement. The remaining provisions stay fully intact and enforceable. Where possible, the invalid clause is adjusted minimally to preserve its original intent while meeting legal requirements.

What does the entire agreement include?

The entire agreement includes the Terms and Conditions, the Refund Policy, the Privacy Policy, and any written project agreement or statement of work signed between you and Columbia Publishing LLC. Together, these documents cover everything related to the subject matter and replace all earlier discussions, representations, or agreements, whether written or verbal.

How do changes to these terms work?

Changes to these terms take effect once Columbia Publication posts the revised version on its website with a clearly noted effective date. Updates are never applied retroactively to projects already governed by an earlier version. By continuing to use any of our services after a revision goes live, you accept the new terms in full.

How can I contact Columbia Publication?

For any questions about these Terms and Conditions: