Bringing stories to life!

Article 1 Definitions

• Ocean Reeve Publishing– a company who facilitates individual persons and legal entities in publishing and selling books directly to readers

• Author – individual person or legal entity who publishes books via Ocean Reeve Publishing for personal and/or business purposes

• Reviewer – individual person or legal entity who reviews manuscripts for authors

• Customer – anyone who visits Ocean Reeve Publishing, including Author and Reviewer

• Services – functionalities and services offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing to the Customer

• Products (and goods) – products offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing , mainly books, audio books, e-books, marketing services

• Register – filling in an online or physical form with name, email and/or password, in order to facilitate publishing, marketing and/or mentoring services at Ocean Reeve Publishing

• Account – registered access to the website of Ocean Reeve Publishing

• Profile – personal information about the Author; only part is public information, such as the author’s name and picture

• Publishing – going through the assisted independent publishing process in order to publish a book

• Marketing and Sales – a combination of activities in order to stimulate the sales of Author’s books

• Author Website – the personal website offered to the Author by Ocean Reeve Publishing, used to communicate with the outer world and for selling books

• Affiliate – website promoting and selling books from the Author, via a link with Ocean Reeve Publishing and/or the Author’s website

• Shop – the online bookstore of Ocean Reeve Publishing

Article 2 Identity of Ocean Reeve Publishing
Ocean Reeve Publishing
E-mail: ocean@oceanreeve.com

Article 3 Applicability

• 3.1 These General Conditions apply to all Customers of Ocean Reeve Publishing. For Authors and Reviewers specific additional conditions apply

• 3.2 Before a Customer starts using the Products and Services of Ocean Reeve Publishing he/she is expected to review the general terms and conditions.

• 3.3 Authors who contract Ocean Reeve Publishing agree to the general terms and conditions before they start the process with Ocean Reeve Publishing.

• 3.4 Customers can download a copy of the general terms and conditions from the website of Ocean Reeve Publishing at all times.

Article 4 Services of Ocean Reeve Publishing

• 4.1 General – Ocean Reeve Publishing is an assisted independent publishing company that offers Authors the opportunity to publish their books to industry standards. Ocean Reeve Publishing supports Authors in publishing of books and marketing and sales thereof. Customers can buy books at Ocean Reeve Publishing via the Shop or via the website of the Author. Ordered books will be delivered to the address supplied by the Customer in the case of Author activating Distribution Agreement.

• 4.2 Publishing – In order to publish a book the Author must complete the six publishing steps of Ocean Reeve Publishing.

• 4.3 Marketing and Sales – Ocean Reeve Publishing offers the Author a series of promotional and marketing services

• 4.4 Shop – Ocean Reeve Publishing owns a web shop wherein all Author’s books will be displayed and offered for sale to Customers in the case of Author activating Distribution Agreement.

• 4.5 Other services – Services offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing that are not specifically mentioned in the general terms and conditions, also are ruled by the general terms and conditions.

Article 5 Specific Conditions Applying to the Author

• 5.1 The Author will not use racist, hatred arousing, discriminating or insulting texts or phrases in his publications. The Author will not plagiarise texts from others in his publications.

• 5.2 The Author will not misuse the (community) facilities of Ocean Reeve Publishing in the sense of placing negative, hatred arousing texts. Ocean Reeve Publishing retains the right to remove books and inactivate the Author’s account at Ocean Reeve Publishing’s sole discretion, should such an event occur.

• 5.3 The Author is responsible for the contents of the book. Ocean Reeve Publishing facilitates the publication thereof. Should (legal) action occur against books from the Author, the Author must respond and is fully responsible. The Author indemnifies Ocean Reeve Publishing for any claims or damage that may occur due to the publication of his book(s). The Author will not claim compensation from Ocean Reeve Publishing in any form. Should Ocean Reeve Publishing suffer any damage, including legal costs, the Author is required to reimburse Ocean Reeve Publishing. Furthermore you warrant as follows:

  • (a) That the Contribution/Manuscript is your original work;

  • (b) That it contains no matter which is defamatory or is otherwise unlawful or which invades rights of privacy or publicity or infringes any proprietary right (including copyright);

  • (c) That you have the right to this copyright and no portion of the copyright to the contribution has been assigned previously; and

  • (d) That the contribution/manuscript has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part and that no agreement to publish is outstanding other than this agreement. You agree to indemnify and hold the the publishing house, its editors and staff and affiliate organisations harmless against any claim arising from or related to the breach or inaccuracy of any of the warranties listed above.

  • (e) You agree to meet requirements for publication communicated to you by the editors. It is your responsibility to determine whether the contribution/manuscript includes material that requires written permission for publication, including any material - written or visual, endorsements or statements that is supplementary or ancillary to the contribution/manuscript; to obtain such permission, at your own expense, from the copyright owner; and to submit that permission to the editors with the manuscript and  

• 5.4 The Author will not hold Ocean Reeve Publishing responsible for malfunction of services offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing. The Author will not take any legal action against Ocean Reeve Publishing, should malfunction of said services occur.

• 5.5 The Author will not publish a book at Ocean Reeve Publishing when the Author does not fully own the copyright of the contents, for example if the copyright of all or part of the contents is owned by a third party. Should the Author publish such a book, they will indemnify Ocean Reeve Publishing for any consequences and the Author will be held fully responsible and accountable for all matters resulting there from.

• 5.6 Should the Author detect malfunctions in the publishing process or book production services offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing, the Author shall notify Ocean Reeve Publishing immediately, by email.

• 5.7 The Author permits Ocean Reeve Publishing to use their book(s) and information about the Author for promotional activities. In such cases Ocean Reeve Publishing is allowed to use widgets, social networks, press releases, forums and blogs, tell-a-friend functionalities and to cooperate with business partners of Ocean Reeve Publishing .

• 5.8 The Author is allowed to refer to Ocean Reeve Publishing in regard to their book(s), as long as the Author does not damage the reputation of Ocean Reeve Publishing, nor infringes upon the intellectual property rights of Ocean Reeve Publishing .

• 5.9 Ocean Reeve Publishing is entitled to deactivate the account of the Author and stop the sales of his books, if the Author at any time does not comply with the rules specified in the general terms and conditions. Ocean Reeve Publishing does not bear any responsibility, nor can be held accountable for any damage, directly or indirectly, by the Author, should such an incident occur.

Article 6 Copyrights, Publication Rights, Reproduction Rights, Refunds and Intellectual Property Rights

• 6.1 The Author always holds the copyright, as is regulated by law.

• 6.2 The Author remains in control of all files submitted and produced through Ocean Reeve Publishing and legally own all material produced.

• 6.3 The Author is entitled to leave Ocean Reeve Publishing at any time and at the Author’s convenience. In such a case Ocean Reeve Publishing will return all material submitted by the Author and delete any electronic files or references related to the Authors work. In the event of an Author withdrawing from services agreed to supply by Ocean Reeve Publishing the following refund policy applies; if book/product publishing services agreed has been completed, no refund is entitled. If book/product publishing services has yet to be completed but is underway, costs to the discretion of Ocean Reeve Publishing will be deducted and balance remaining refunded to the Author (the percentage of refund in this case will not exceed 25% of the invoiced price.) If marketing services/products have been completed or are underway, no refund is entitled. If Book Marketing Mentorship and Writing Mentorship programs are underway and Session Three has been concluded in either programs, no refund is entitled. If Session Two has been concluded in either programs, 25% of invoiced price will be refunded. If Session One has been completed in either programs, 50% of invoiced price will be refunded. If no sessions have been concluded or started, full refund of the invoice will be made. If services and/or products have been produced to a sub-standard quality as per agreed by the Author and Ocean Reeve Publishing – costs to the discretion of Ocean Reeve Publishing will be deducted and balance remaining refunded to the Author (the percentage of refund in this case will not exceed 25% of the invoiced price.) NOTE: Any discounted offers and special promotions are void of any refund if the Author chooses to discontinue after the 30 day cooling off period. All refunds incur a 2.6% admin fee.

• 6.4 If the Author has paid monies on invoice due and no action has been taken for over 6 months in proceeding into the book publishing or book marketing process by the author, Ocean Reeve Publishing is entitled to refund no more than 50% of the invoiced amount. If no action has been taken for over 12 months in proceeding into the book publishing or book marketing process by the author, Ocean Reeve Publishing is entitled to refund no more than 25% of the invoiced amount. All refunds incur a 2.6% admin fee. If no action has been taken for over 24 months in proceeding into the book publishing or book marketing process by the author, Ocean Reeve Publishing will not be refunding payment.

• 6.5 The website and material provided within mentorship programs of Ocean Reeve Publishing, its functionality and the content of the all (excluding manuscripts and book files) are the intellectual property of Ocean Reeve Publishing and therefore are protected by copyright. Customers are not allowed to copy the website, programs or any portion thereof and/or publish them for other purposes than stated in the general terms and conditions, unless Ocean Reeve Publishing has given permission in writing beforehand.

Article 7 Purchase of Services and Products at Ocean Reeve Publishing

• 7.1 The Reviewer must have an Account at Ocean Reeve Publishing and must agree with the General Conditions.

• 7.1 Ocean Reeve Publishing will take the utmost care in fulfilment of orders concerning Services and Products. Ocean Reeve Publishing cooperates with trusted, accredited third parties, among others in the areas of reviewing, editorial, design and layout, payment systems, printing and distribution.

• 7.2 Prices for Services and Products offered on the website and in the shop are GST inclusive, but exclude postage and packaging costs (if applicable). The latter costs will be shown before the Customer completes the purchase.

• 7.3 Prices for Services and Products offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing are subject to change.

• 7.4 Payment methods are displayed on the invoices provided. Payment for all Services and Products must be made as stated on invoice.

• 7.5 Displayed delivery times are estimations. No claim can be made due to delivery outside these estimates.

• 7.6 The delivery address is the address given by the Customer.

• 7.7 After having purchased services from Ocean Reeve Publishing the Customer is entitled, without clarification, to nullify his/her purchase within fourteen days of agreement. Ocean Reeve Publishing appreciates knowing why the Customer cancelled a purchase and asks him/her kindly to explain. This does not apply to Services provided and delivered. The Customer is obliged to check all goods upon delivery. If the Product is not to the Customer’s satisfaction, the Customer must notify Ocean Reeve Publishing in writing via email, within fourteen days after the delivery date. If that date has passed, the Customer is deemed to have accepted his/her order.

• 7.8 Ocean Reeve Publishing accepts returns when they have been sent within 14 days of delivery and if they are accompanied by a copy of the invoice and/or the original shipping notice. Each book must be undamaged and returned in the original packaging. Return costs are borne by the Customer.

• 7.9 In cases of force majeure Ocean Reeve Publishing is entitled to suspend delivery or nullify the order, without judicial interference. Should such a case appear, Ocean Reeve Publishing will notify you in writing per email and will not accept any claims for compensation.

• 7.10 If the Customer is not satisfied with the goods or services delivered, he may contact Ocean Reeve Publishing via email.

Article 8 Liability

• 8.1 Ocean Reeve Publishing has built its website carefully and with the utmost integrity. Ocean Reeve Publishing takes a serious effort to prevent incorrectness on its website (especially unlawful and criminal information) and to conform to the norms and values of Ocean Reeve Publishing.

• 8.2 When Customers register with Ocean Reeve Publishing they must complete certain data to acquire an account. Ocean Reeve Publishing is not liable nor can it be held accountable for the correctness of these data. The responsibility thereof is borne solely by the Customer.

• 8.3 Ocean Reeve Publishing is not liable nor can be held accountable for the access to or information on any other website that is linked to the website of Ocean Reeve Publishing.

• 8.4 Ocean Reeve Publishing is not liable nor can be held accountable for direct and/or indirect damage that may occur to the Customer regarding publishing books or published books by the Customer at Ocean Reeve Publishing.

Article 9 Privacy of Personal Information

• 9.1 Ocean Reeve Publishing processes and stores personal information as a consequence of the services it offers. This information is stored in conformation with legal requirements, which may differ per country.

• 9.2 Ocean Reeve Publishing acknowledges a Privacy Statement wherein is stated how Ocean Reeve Publishing takes care of personal information. The Privacy Statement is an integral part of the terms and conditions.

Article 10 Notice & Take Down (NTD)

• 10.1 Ocean Reeve Publishing follows the international behaviour code Notice & Take Down (NTD).

• 10.2 Any customer is entitled to file a complaint regarding (supposed) unlawful and/or criminal contents on the website of Ocean Reeve Publishing, with the request to remove such contents from that website.

• 10.3 When filing the complaint the Customer must inform Ocean Reeve Publishing correctly and completely, including but not limited to the following:

  • Contact information of the Customer.

  • Information Ocean Reeve Publishing needs to check the specified content; the URL where this information can be found.

  • A description explaining why the contents are unlawful and/or criminal according to the Customer, or an explanation why these contents may conflict with criteria published by Ocean Reeve Publishing regarding unwanted contents.

• 10.4 Ocean Reeve Publishing will judge the complaint within two weeks after having received it, after which Ocean Reeve Publishing will contact the Customer. Dependent upon a preliminary quick scan, the following actions may be taken:

  • Ocean Reeve Publishing contacts the Author of the content and agrees with the Author how to take care of the matter. Ocean Reeve Publishing then contacts the Customer

  • Ocean Reeve Publishing requests the Author to contact the Customer (for which the Customer has to give permission first), with the aim that Author and Customer can mutually agree on a solution. Ocean Reeve Publishing will act as mediator.

  • Ocean Reeve Publishing removes the contents when it is clear that the complaint was just. Author and Customer will then be informed.

  • Ocean Reeve Publishing will take no action, of which the Customer will be informed.

• 10.5 Announcements involving a search warrant regarding a criminal offense will be verified by Ocean Reeve Publishing at the applicable official institution.

Article 11 Final Statements

• 11.1 These General Conditions apply to each Customer of the software and services offered by Ocean Reeve Publishing. Questions regarding the general terms and conditions can be sent by email to: ocean@oceanreeve.com

• 11.2 Ocean Reeve Publishing may amend the general terms and conditions at any time, in its sole discretion. Ocean Reeve Publishing will always display the most recent version of the general terms and conditions on its website.

• 11.3 Should one or more articles (or subarticles) of these general terms and conditions be terminated or nullified at any moment in time, the remaining articles (and subarticles) will still fully apply.

• 11.4 These general terms and conditions are governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of Australia. Should conflicts arise between Customer and Ocean Reeve Publishing, they will first attempt to come to an arrangement between themselves. Should a conflict not be settled in this way, then the courts of the Australia shall have exclusive venue and jurisdiction over any disputes that arise.