INTERIOR LAYOUT FORMATTING DEPOSIT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This agreement is made between Hillcrest Media Group, Inc. (“Hillcrest”) and the copyright holder of said book, assignee thereof, or anyone authorized to execute this Agreement ("Customer").

These terms and conditions incorporate the General Terms and Conditions for Additional Services offered by Hillcrest Media Group.

1. SERVICES INCLUDED IN INTERIOR LAYOUT FORMATTING DEPOSIT

Purchase of the Interior Layout Formatting Deposit provides Customer access to the Hillcrest Author Center for the completion of steps that will result in the presentation of a complete interior file. Hillcrest allows Customers full control over layout, font choices, table of contents, index, margins, chapter headings, spaces, paragraph breaks, etc.

Should the interior layout formatting deposit be applied prior to term expiration, the value of the Interior Layout Formatting Deposit will be applied towards the interior layout formatting payment.

Purchase of the Interior Layout Formatting Deposit does not guarantee your interior file will be created as author recognizes they need to complete additional steps such as completing the interior layout questionnaire, providing a manuscript and supporting imagese, etc.

2. TERM AND TERMINATION

The Interior Layout Formatting Deposit term will last for six (6) months from the date of deposit payment. Termination of the interior layout formatting process prior to payment for the initial interior formatting will not result in a refund of the interior layout formatting deposit. Should the Interior Formatting Deposit six (6) month term expire prior to the the payment for the interior layout formatting, Customer may continue with the interior layout formatting process. However, the paid value of the interior layout formatting deposit will not be applied towards any interior layout formatting payments.

Should Hillcrest terminate the interior layout formatting process due to any reason, the interior layout formatting deposit will not be refunded.

3. PRESERVATION OF THE DESIGN QUOTE

Purchase of the interior layout formattin deposit simultaneous identifies a single interior layout formatting quote that will be converted into a interior layout formatting order. Should the Customer change the manucript file used to prepare the quote or after the purchase of the interior layout formatting deposit the interior layout formatting quote will become invalid and a new interior layout formatting quote will be provided to the Customer.

The interior layout formatting quote associated with the interior layout formatting deposit payment is valid for thirty (30) days from the date the quote was created. Purchase of the interior layout formatting deposit does not re-start or extend the thirty (30) day validity period of the quote. If Customer's quote expires prior to making the initial interior layout formatting payment, a new quote will be provided to the author prior to the interior layout formatting payment.

4. SUBMISSION OF ELECTRONIC FILES

Customer must upload the book manuscript and any supporting images to be formatted via their account in the Hillcrest Customer Center. Customer must submit his/her Book as set forth in this Agreement, which includes preparing the Book per Hillcrest’s book formatting instructions as set forth on Hillcrest’s website and attached as Addendum A hereto. Customer must submit the Book per the formatting instructions in order for the layout process to continue.

5. TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION

If Customer purchases Complete Cover Design services, Customer acknowledges that the interior layout process cannot commence until Customer has approved the front cover for Customer’s Book. If Customer purchases book editing services (per the terms set forth on Hillcrest’s website), Customer acknowledges that the book editing process will be completed prior to the commencement of the book layout.

Once Customer logs in to the Customer Center and completes the upload manuscript and interior images steps and interior layout questionnaire, Hillcrest shall assign an interior layout designer who will commence work on the sample chapter.

Hillcrest shall deliver a sample one-chapter layout of the interior of the Book based on the book layout options Customer chooses as set forth in the interior layout questionnaire. Hillcrest will provide said sample layout within five to seven (5-7) business days of Customer’s submission of the interior layout questionnaire, properly formatted electronic version of the manuscript, and any interior images that Customer wishes to include in his/her book. Upon upload, Hillcrest reviews the sample chapter to ensure that it adheres to industry standards and complies with Customer’s requests (per the interior layout questionnaire). If Hillcrest approves the sample chapter, it will be sent to Customer for review. If Hillcrest rejects the sample chapter (i.e., it fails moderation), Hillcrest will notify Customer. Customer acknowledges that, should the sample chapter fail moderation, Hillcrest has two (2) additional business days to upload the revised sample chapter.

Customer acknowledges that it is his/her responsibility to log in to the Customer Center upon email notification by Hillcrest and review the sample chapter. Customer further acknowledges that revision of said sample chapter is the only time that Customer may change font size, leading, margin size, kerning, or any other design element without incurring additional charges. If Customer wishes to make editorial changes to the sample chapter, Customer agrees to be billed at a rate of $50.00 per hour, with a minimum fee of $50.00. Further, Customer acknowledges that if he/she wants specialized fonts other than those available at Hillcrest, Customer is responsible for obtaining them and providing the relevant font files to Hillcrest, or for the cost paid by Hillcrest when purchasing the desired font on Customer’s behalf.

The intial Interior Layout Formatting Payment includes one (1) round of revisions to the sample chapter. Each round of revisions consists of up to ten (10) changes. Each additional round of revisions to the sample chapter includes ten changes, and costs $100.00 (one hundred dollars). Additional rounds of revisions can take five to seven (5-7) business days per round.

At any time after Customer approves sample chapter, if he/she requests design-related revisions (i.e., trim size, font size, margins, leading, kerning, etc.) such changes will be billed at $50.00 per hour (minimum $50 charge).

Customer must submit all revisions to the sample chapter through the Customer Center, in the format described on the revision page. Once Hillcrest has received Customer’s changes (made through the Customer Center) and Customer has approved the sample chapter, Hillcrest will present the complete interior layout within fifteen to twenty (15-20) business days. Customer acknowledges that one (1) round of up to twenty (20) minor revisions is included in Customer’s publishing package.

a. Revisions Prior to Final Interior Layout Approval by Customer

Customer shall log in to the Customer Center after receiving notification that the full interior layout is ready for review and either approve or revise the interior layout prior to the Book being sent to the printer. Customer shall list any desired revisions in the Customer Center. One round of minor layout revisions is included as part of the publishing package. “Minor Layout Revisions” include up to twenty (20) collective changes, defined as: typographical errors, punctuation, spelling, and/or extra spaces between characters or words that were in the manuscript originally submitted by Customer.

The round of Minor Layout Revisions will be completed in approximately fifteen to twenty (15-20) business days. Any additional rounds of Minor Layout Revisions after the included round will incur a fee of $50.00 per hour, with a minimum $50 charge. Customer may either pay the fee, keep the layout as-is, or make the desired changes on his/her own. If editorial changes are requested during the interior layout process, Customer will be charged $50.00 per hour (minimum $50 charge). Editorial changes include the following: sentence re-writes, extensive grammatical and mechanical changes, reorganization of paragraphs, chapters, and images (photos, art, charts, graphics, or any non-text elements).

b. Revisions after Final Interior Layout Approval by Customer

After Customer approves the interior layout, any additional changes cost $50.00 per hour (minimum $50 charge), plus a charge of $100.00 to submit a new file to the printer (if the file has already been submitted to a printer). Such changes can take fifteen to twenty (15-20) business days.

Customer acknowledges that if he/she requests revisions to the interior layout at any point, text and/or images throughout Customer’s Book may shift. It is Customer’s responsibility to review the entire file prior to approving. Hillcrest will not be held liable if Customer approves an interior where text and/or images have shifted as a result of Customer-requested revisions.

Further, Customer acknowledges that Hillcrest will make its best effort to comply with the timelines set forth in this Agreement. If, however, Customer submits an extensive list of revisions, Customer acknowledges that Hillcrest may require additional time to complete said changes. If Hillcrest requires additional time, Hillcrest will notify Customer in writing (and include a revised deadline). The Customer can then decide whether to proceed with the changes, or to re-submit a different revision list.

ADDENDUM B

Manuscript Submission/Formatting Guidelines

Format of Manuscript

All manuscripts must be submitted electronically and as part of one file (e.g., all chapters of the book and any front matter must be part of a single file). You may submit your manuscript to us in one of the following formats:

    • Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

    • Rich Text Format (.rtf)

Do Not Format Your Text

We will not accept manuscripts that have extensive formatting already applied to the text. (Italicized and bolded words are allowed.) If you have special formatting requests, you’ll need to tag your manuscript accordingly. Any text that requires special treatment (i.e., is not structured as a continuous paragraph with standard formatting) must be tagged. This includes block quotations, centered text (or any other text that isn’t in line with the rest), numbered and/or bulleted lists, etc.

All tags should begin with “FORMATTER” to ensure that, when your manuscript is being typeset, your formatter can easily locate the tags. Please write, in brackets, what type of formatting you require at the top of the relevant text. For example:

[FORMATTER_begin bullet points here]

Step 1 is to do ABC

Step 2 is to do EFG

Then you do HIJ

[FORMATTER_end bullet points here]

[FORMATTER_create text box here]

Inside this text box you see that I am writing stuff and it’s in a text box. Neat.

[FORMATTER_end text box here]

Chapter Headings

Your chapters must be clearly defined and marked (i.e., “Chapter One: The Beginning,” “2,” “Chapter Three,” etc.).

Body Formatting

You must use the tab key to indent all paragraphs. NEVER use the space bar to indent. You must not use a hard return (i.e., hit the return/enter button on your keyboard) to move continuous text to the next line. (Word processing programs will automatically carry continuous text to the subsequent line.)

All periods ending sentences must be followed by one space, not two.

Special Instructions

If you have any special formatting requests, they must be clearly indicated in the final Word document that you upload for layout. You must tag every special request using the format [FORMATTER_special instructionXYZ]. If you would like for a header, or any other text, to appear in a font that is different from the rest of the manuscript, you must indicate so with a formatting tag. Varying fonts must be tagged because, when translating interiors to the design program, fonts do not get transferred over. Thus, it is very important that you clearly indicate your formatting instructions.

Please tag the formatting you require next to the appropriate text (see below for an example).

[FORMATTER_start Arial font]Here is a sentence. Here is another sentence. [FORMATTER_end Arial font]

If you have a list of requests that will apply to the entire manuscript, you may note them in a “Formatter’s Instructions” page at the beginning of the Word document. For example, “Please make all chapter headings in xxx font, at 14pt.”

No Spaces between Paragraphs

Your paragraphs cannot have spaces between them, unless the space is a line break used to indicate a transition in theme, plot, or setting. If you would like a line break in a particular location, please use the tag [FORMATTER_insert line break here]. Spaces between continuous paragraphs are not permitted.

Double Spacing Only

Your manuscript must be double spaced using plain text (Times New Roman 12pt is preferred).

Submission of Interior Images

All image files must be submitted separately, and may not be embedded in your manuscript. They must be submitted separately (you’ll be prompted to submit them through your Customer account), and the files must be clearly labeled to correspond with tags in your manuscript. Please place tags in your manuscript to indicate where images should be placed, using the following protocol:[FORMATTER_insert “image_file_name”.jpg here].

If you have a caption for a particular image, you’ll need to place a tag for that as well. The tag should immediately follow the image tag, and should be written as follows:[FORMATTER_image caption: Susie and Ronald at the beach, 2007.]. Caption tags should include the text exactly as you’d like it to appear below the associated image.

All images must be submitted to us as either TIF, JPG, or PDF files (JPG or PDF is preferred), and must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher.

Images include graphs, pictures, charts, etc. (anything that is not primarily text).

All interior images submitted will be placed as they were provided to Hillcrest in an author's interior file. Hillcrest will not perform color-correction or other alterations to images unless explicitly instructed by the author. Because we cannot guarantee all requests, any image alterations will be subject to an assessment by our design department and additional fees may apply.

Permissions

Permissions may be required if you are using an image that you did not create, if you are citing work that is not the public domain, etc. It is your responsibility to decide whether or not permissions are required, and to obtain permissions as soon as possible. Mill City Press is not responsible for any delays to the production process caused by outstanding permissions.

Index

If you think that your book requires an index, you must indicate such on the interior layout questionnaire (submitted through your Customer account) before the layout commences. If you have already created a list of terms to be indexed, it should be supplied when you submit your manuscript to us. The indexing process cannot commence until you have approved your final interior layout, and will be scheduled after said approval. Your interior layout must be final and approved to ensure that your page count is final (so that your index is accurate).

If you requested (per the interior layout questionnaire) that Hillcrest create the index for you, we will request an indexing quote after you approve the final interior. Our indexers price their work per page, and the price is based on the complexity of the manuscript, the word and page count, and the number of items to be indexed. The quote will also include the number of business days that our indexer will require to complete the project. You can indicate that you agree to the quoted amount, and charge your credit card accordingly, through the indexing step in your Customer account. If you decide not to proceed with the index, you can indicate such through your Customer account so that you can move on to the next steps.

There is an additional layout fee of $100 for any book that contains an index (in addition to the cost of the indexing). This fee applies whether we create the index for you, or whether you supply your own index.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Footnotes and/or endnotes are permissible, so long as they do not refer to specific page numbers within the book (as page numbers will shift when your book is typeset). Footnotes and endnotes must be included in the manuscript that you submit to us for layout.

Front and Back Matter

Some books contain a foreword, acknowledgements page, introduction, preface, and Customer biography. All of these elements should be considered part of the manuscript itself and be submitted as such. If you wish to include one or more of these elements, but cannot supply them when the rest of the manuscript is submitted, additional layout fees may be incurred.

If your book has already been formatted and you decide to include one or more of these elements, there will be an additional fee of $50 per hour to repaginate and reformat the layout.

Description of front and back matter terms:

    • Foreword:A foreword (not “forward”) is optional, and is typically written by a noted figure who has a credible background relating to your subject matter. The purpose of the foreword is to help position and sell the book. If you wish to include a foreword, please include it when the manuscript is submitted. If the foreword is forthcoming, please let us know, and submit it to us as soon as possible.

    • Acknowledgments:Acknowledgments by the Customer are optional and typically appear in the front matter or back matter of the book. If you are going to have an acknowledgments page, please indicate this to us and include it in your manuscript.

    • Introduction and Preface:An introduction and/or preface are often helpful if there isn’t a foreword, or if the subject matter is complex and a preliminary explanation of the book is required.

    • Customer Biography:A one to two paragraph Customer biography is optional (but recommended), and is commonly placed in the back matter. A brief Customer bio can also be included on your back cover, but should be restricted to a few concise, informative sentences. An Customer photo is optional. If you do decide to include an Customer photo, make sure that it is professional quality.