Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing our website, purchasing our services, signing an author agreement or statement of work (SOW), or submitting materials to Kizuna Global Services, you affirm that:

• You are at least 18 years of age or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence;
• You have the legal authority and capacity to enter into these Terms;
• You have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by every provision outlined in these Terms and our Privacy Policy;
• All information and materials you provide to us are truthful, accurate, and lawfully owned or licensed by you.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately discontinue your use of our website and decline our services.

2. Scope of Services

Kizuna Global Services operates as an elite full-service publishing and marketing agency delivering solutions designed to elevate creators into worldwide markets. Our suite of professional services includes, but is not limited to:

• Publishing Solutions: Developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, interior typesetting, cover art and design, ISBN assignment, copyright registration guidance, and printing coordination;
• Global Shelf Authority™: Curated retail bookstore consignment, placement logistics, international coordination, and showcase placements across Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China;
• Global Marketing & PR: Multi-channel digital advertising campaigns, social media author branding, Amazon advertising management, book trailer production, press releases, and media outreach;
• Multichannel Distribution: Setup and catalog submission across digital, print-on-demand (POD), and audiobook marketplaces worldwide (e.g., IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Google Play);
• Consultancy & Translation: Strategic market positioning, foreign language localization, and international rights consultation.

The specific scope, milestones, and deliverables applicable to your engagement will be detailed in your individual Service Agreement, Invoice, or Statement of Work.

3. Client Obligations & Manuscript Submissions

To enable the successful execution of your project, you agree to the following obligations:

• Accuracy & Quality of Source Materials: You are responsible for delivering final, legible, and uncorrupted manuscript drafts, artwork, or supporting documents within agreed scheduling windows.
• Originality & Legal Compliance: You explicitly warrant and represent that your manuscript, title, images, and associated content are your original creation, do not violate any common law or statutory copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or personal privacy right of any person or entity, and contain no defamatory, libelous, unlawful, or sexually explicit material in violation of applicable laws.
• Timely Feedback: You agree to review proofs, design samples, and marketing proofs within the designated approval window (typically 5 to 7 business days) to prevent production delays.

4. Intellectual Property & Author Copyright

4.1 Author Retains All Rights: You retain complete and exclusive ownership of all copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, film/television rights, foreign translation rights, and future publishing rights in and to your manuscript and published work.

4.2 Limited Promotional License: For the sole purpose of fulfilling the agreed services (such as distribution, printing proofs, retail consignment, advertisement display, social media promotional videos, and catalog listings), you grant Kizuna Global Services a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, display, and transmit your book cover, title, excerpts, author bio, and likeness during the term of our engagement.

4.3 Agency Proprietary Assets: All proprietary agency tools, marketing templates, bespoke distribution databases, trade secrets, software code, branding assets, and methodology developed by Kizuna Global Services remain the sole property of the Company.

5. Fees, Invoicing & Payments

5.1 Pricing & Payment Schedules: Fees for services are quoted in United States Dollars (USD) and specified in your contract or invoice. Depending on the service tier, payments may be collected upfront in full or structured into milestone installments.

5.2 Due Dates & Delays: Invoices are due upon receipt unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing. Unpaid balances exceeding 14 calendar days may result in a temporary suspension of production, distribution hold, or marketing campaign pause.

5.3 Customization & Scope Expansion: Any requests for additions, substantive editorial rewrites after sign-off, or additional marketing components outside the signed Statement of Work will be invoiced under an approved change order.

5.4 Refund Policy: Because our services involve immediate allocation of labor, editorial time, graphic designers, advertising credits, third-party bookstore fees, and logistical resources, payments for completed stages, work-in-progress, paid media spend, or consignment placements are strictly non-refundable once work has commenced.

6. Deliverables & Approval Milestones

Publishing and international marketing require rigorous quality control across multiple production phases:

• Sign-Off Milestones: Editorial edits, book covers, and interior formatting require your explicit written approval (email confirmation or portal sign-off) before transitioning to production or print.
• Post-Approval Changes: Revisions requested after final proof sign-off (e.g., changes discovered after physical books are printed or submitted to retail distributors) will incur file replacement and re-proofing charges.
• Timelines: Production schedules provided by Kizuna Global Services are good-faith estimates based on standard turnaround times. While we make every effort to meet project deadlines, we are not liable for delays caused by client response times, force majeure, printer supply shortages, shipping carriers, or third-party retailer processing delays.

7. Bookstore Consignment & Distribution (The Global Shelf Authority™)

For clients enrolled in The Global Shelf Authority™ or bookstore consignment tiers:

• Curated Strategic Placement: Placement represents physical consignment or dedicated inventory stocking coordinated with retail bookstores across partner territories (including Japan, United States, United Kingdom, and China).
• Retailer Independence: Retailers and bookstore managers maintain autonomy over in-store shelf locations, endcap displays, facings, and store merchandising. While Kizuna secures the placement contracts and distribution channels, we do not dictate floor staff decisions inside individual retail venues.
• Inventory & Damages: Physical books in transit or retail environments are subject to customary handling. Kizuna coordinates secure freight and logistics but is not liable for incidental floor wear occurring during public bookstore browsing.
• Royalties on Consignment: Consignment payouts and sales reconciliation follow the specific reporting schedule outlined in your bookstore consignment appendix.

8. Marketing & Media Campaigns

For author marketing campaigns, digital advertising, book trailers, and public relations:

• Advertising Platforms: Campaigns run across third-party networks (e.g., Amazon Ads, Meta/Facebook/Instagram, Google, YouTube, TikTok). Clients acknowledge that platform ad delivery algorithms, click costs, and audience behaviors are external to our control.
• Content Standards: Ad campaigns must comply with the terms, community standards, and policies of respective platforms. We reserve the right to revise ad creative if flagged by platform guidelines.
• Media & Reviews: Kizuna secures opportunities, submits press kits, and pitches media outlets. We cannot guarantee specific editorial reviews, television features, or journalistic coverage as editorial desks operate independently.

9. Disclaimers & Sales Warranties

ALL SERVICES AND WEB CONTENT ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL KIZUNA GLOBAL SERVICES, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, OR CONTRACTORS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, REPUTATIONAL HARM, OR LOSS OF GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF OUR SERVICES, WEBSITE, OR BREACH OF THESE TERMS.

NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE ACTION WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE TOTAL AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO KIZUNA GLOBAL SERVICES FOR THE SPECIFIC SERVICE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE OCCURRENCE.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Kizuna Global Services, its officers, managers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or legal fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or resulting from:

• Your manuscript, materials, or content submitted to us;
• Any claim that your book infringes or violates any copyright, trademark, patent, libel, defamation, privacy, or proprietary right of any third party;
• Your breach of any warranty, covenant, or provision of these Terms;
• Your violation of any applicable local, national, or international statute or regulation.

12. Cancellation & Termination

12.1 Termination by Client: You may cancel services by providing written notice via email. Upon notice, any work performed up to the termination date, non-cancellable third-party expenses, and committed advertising spend remain payable.

12.2 Termination by Company: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate services immediately without penalty if:

• You fail to make timely payments when due;
• You engage in abusive, harassing, or unprofessional conduct toward our staff or contractors;
• You submit content that is discovered to be plagiarized, infringing, or illegal.

12.3 Survival: Provisions regarding Intellectual Property, Fees Due, Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, and Governing Law shall survive any termination of these Terms.

13. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or related to their subject matter or formation shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States, without giving effect to any conflict of law principles.

Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms or our services shall be instituted exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Sheridan County, Wyoming. You irrevocably waive any objection to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.

14. SMS Terms & Conditions

By providing your mobile phone number, you consent to receive SMS messages from Kizuna Global Services related to consultation scheduling and reminders, publishing project updates, and customer support. Message frequency may vary. Standard message and data rates may apply.

You may opt out of receiving SMS messages at any time by replying with "STOP" to any SMS message you receive from us. After opting out, you will receive a confirmation message, and we will cease sending SMS messages to your number.

If you need assistance or have questions about our SMS service, reply with "HELP" to any SMS message you receive, or contact our customer support team at [email protected].

15. Contact & Legal Inquiries

If you have questions, feedback, or require assistance regarding these Terms of Service or our SMS programs, please contact our executive management team: