Files

Logo designs will be supplied in jpg or png. I am able to supply these in flattened fixed eps or pdf format, if required. Source files will never be provided.

Full book cover wrap will be supplied in print-ready pdf and a promotional jpg if required.

Please see the items at the top of this page for a full list of files provided upon completion of various jobs.

Your use of the work (Licence)

Fees paid for Tall Story's services are for license only, with lifetime rights to use my work. As with all graphic designers, at no stage do you own the images or full rights to the design/s. Please contact ben@tallstory.design regarding an extended licensing fee if you would like to own the full rights in perpetuity.

From time-to-time, traditional publishers may wish to use the book design (or part of, elements) in their own publications, this is possible but they will need to contact me directly at ben@tallstory.design as a fee is involved. Negotiations will not be made through the author.

You can use the artwork supplied to you for promotion in print, web, and merchandise, but you cannot sell the artwork or promote it as your own.

Tall Story can use the artwork for promotion in web or print, but cannot resell the design or close derivatives. I will do my absolute best to be aware of any reveal of your designs and will not post to social media or my website until you have made your announcement. @tallstory.design (business name "Tall Story") should be tagged in your posts on social media and credited with creation.

In the event of termination of this agreement or lack of payment, I own the design and reserve the right to complete, exhibit, and/or re-sell the design if I choose. I own all design concepts, elements, and final images created during the project. You are not authorised to alter the artwork in any way. If you would like any alterations, please consult me as I would like the option to make alterations to my own work where possible. It may require additional payment to make these changes once final files have been supplied. All artwork created is owned by Tall Story (Ben Ellis) and is protected by copyright law which is bound by worldwide laws in force. No title to or intellectual property rights to the artwork is transferred to you. Tall Story (Ben Ellis) retains all rights not expressly granted by this license agreement. This agreement does not grant you any intellectual property rights. Unpublished rights are reserved.

All efforts will be made to remove any copyrighted material from stock images (e.g. brand names). The only item to be aware of is tattooed models. In reality, tattoo artists hold copyright on the tattoos they create and by featuring them on book covers we are creating derivative works featuring the design (tattoo/s). This is a highly contentious subject in legal terms and there is certainly no firm legal stance. The risk of litigation is considered incredibly low (if not zero) but it's worth being aware of the risk involved. Discussing this issue with your photographer may be appropriate, as they may be able to shoot around some tattoos, or use lighting effects to disguise body art.

For paperback cover designs, your preferred printer (e.g. Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark, Kaligraphic), final blurb, trim size (e.g. 5" x 8"), page count, and paper colour must be provided before final paperback wrap can be sent (pdf). Paperback cover licencing is for a single retailer only. $100 per retailer above this.

Booking a minimum 8 weeks is recommended for book covers. ©Tall Story must be printed in your book's bibliographic information, in reference to the book cover design. For example:

Book cover design ©Tall Story

Payment

Payment is to be received immediately upon agreement of final look and once your invoice has been received. Please see pricing above, and please have your payment ready to go for your booking. Late payment may result in a termination of service.

All prices listed above are in Australian Dollar value (AUD). If you would like to be invoiced in an alternative currency, please let me know when you book. Final figure will depend on the dollar conversion at the time of processing. All invoicing is via PayPal, but direct banking can be arranged upon request. Please contact me for additional information.

Notes

Draft images are supplied for client eyes only and are not to be shared with others without Tall Story's explicit permission. Please ask before sharing with friends, family, peers, other designers (yes, it happens! 😲), anyone.

All stock images used are not owned by either Tall Story, nor the client. They are not exclusive and can be used by others to create their own works. Exclusive images must be purchased by the client, under an agreement with the photographer/graphic artist/illustrator. It is assumed when you supply an image that it is done so with rights cleared permission. Tall Story may or may not ask to see official permissions. No fault is accepted by Tall Story for inaccurate or misleading information. Please make sure your photographer is aware of your intention to have us alter their work in. Tall Story will do our best to remove any trademark/licenced logos and branding from a photograph when we find them. This can include things like tattoos of brand names and visible brand names on clothing and accessories. Please point these out prior to your project start date, in case we don't spot them. It's often harder to remove these things when images have been altered and your project is nearing completion.

If your project goes over more than three revisions. I may begin to charge $40 per revision. This will be at my own discretion and may not be discussed with you. You may just receive this fee as a line item on your invoice.

By engaging my services you agree to the above terms and conditions.

This is a brief example of what working with Tall Story might be like...

Once you have checked out my work and have decide my vibe is for you, you can contact me via email at ben@tallstory.design, on Facebook Messenger at www.m.me/tallstory.design, or via the Contact form on the Home page. It's a good idea to have a think about what date you would like to begin your project, and also if you have a publication date I should be aware of.

I will get back to you when I receive your expression of interest, with any answers to your questions and advise of calendar availability. My availability can vary greatly. Sometimes, I am available immediately and sometimes I'm booked out for a few months. It pays to ask though if your project is urgent, because I provide 'fit-ins' where humanly possible. This may incur an extra fee as I may work late into the night/morning to get your project done.

What I will then ask of you is a detailed description of your project. For example, if you require a book cover, I would ask for any plot lines that are of import, what genre your novel (mostly) fits in, character physical descriptions, story locations, etc.

Some clients like to do a 'Mood' board on Pinterest. Pinning things like colours, places, people, and symbols as a source of inspiration for the creation of the cover. Others like to send just a few pictures along with the book information via email. I will also need to know what things to avoid. For example, if you HATE green - I would avoid using that colour.

Whatever process works for you is fine by me, we all work in different ways and I really appreciate that. Some people are very visual, so pin boards work well and others are more information inspired so email is more their thing.

Some clients also like to select the image for their cover from their own stock image subscription service, or work closely with a photographer on their available images or even a custom photo shoot. Others are happy for me to be inspired by their descriptions, and find the images myself. Again, I am very happy either way. ☺

Please note that I do not need your final blurb for the project. This will only be required to complete your paperback file, at a later date.

Once I have all the information I need, we have agreed on a project start date, and we know where we are headed in regard to cover image/s. Then creativity takes over! I'm like a man possessed!

As soon as I have a first draft ready for you, I will email (usually, unless we are friendly on Messenger) the draft off to you.

Please be aware that this is just that, a first draft. This is in no way a final design. It is more a 'jumping off point'. It may be quite a way from what your vision was, and instead is my best interpretation of your requirements. Together, and with further edits, we would refine draft after draft until we get to something that both you and I love! Please be aware that I limit revisions to three drafts, thereafter I charge $20 per draft.

Once the final design is agreed upon, I take time to create your final digital files. Promotional images and social media images, as well as your final eCopy files for Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. For logo/branding design this includes final logo files and colour codes.

Upon completion of your digital files, I will invoice. Your invoice states that your paperback file is to follow, pending the preparation of your interior file. Once you have made payment, I supply you a link to a Google Drive folder where your files can be downloaded. Your files will sit on my Drive for one month only, so please download your files well before this time. If you get past the month and realise you didn't download you files, it is no trouble for me to add them to the drive again for you and supply you a new link for download.

If you purchase the eCopy and Paperback package, it will then be up to you to supply me with a final formatted interior page count, a final size requirement (e.g. 5x8), and what paper you like to print your books on (cream or white). Please be aware that the package price is for ONE paperback supplier only. I can create files for further suppliers at a cost of $50 per file.

Once your full wrap file has been supplied, this will be the end of the project. I of course would hope that you enjoyed your experience with Tall Story and that we have the opportunity to work together again! ❤

If you have any questions about working with Tall Story, or my creative process, get in touch!

Ben