Our Terms & Conditions

Last Updated June 2026

common place press is a publishing imprint owned by COMMON PLACE PRESS PUBLISHING LTD., a company incorporated in the UK, hereinafter referred to as "The Company".

SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS  

These terms and conditions apply to  

• use of this website as a visitor as well as to  

• orders and purchases on this website.  

In these Conditions the following capitalised terms shall be used: 

Visitor: any person who accesses this website for information purposes 

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Customer: the person who has launched or completed an Order on this website.

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The Company: COMMON PLACE PRESS PUBLISHING LTD.
Registered address: 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF Registration number: 17199549

Email: contact@commonplacepress.com  

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Member: an individual who applied for, or was offered access to the Member Area and was accepted by The Company, subject to The Company’s discretion 

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Author: any person that submits their manuscript for potential publication, assessment, or evaluation. 

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Goods/Services: all products and services offered on this website, including but not limited to books (in print and digital format), digital content, and manuscript related services (such as assessments and evaluations).

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Event: an event announced and organized by The Company for which Customers can register their attendance free of charge or by paying a ticket Fee in advance 

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Order: a successfully transmitted purchase order by which the Customer undertakes to purchase and pays the Price for the Goods and/or Services. 

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Price: the price displayed on this website, including applicable taxes unless otherwise stated

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Fee: the fee displayed and paid by the Customer for confirming registration or attendance to an Event

Contract: an Order confirmed and invoiced by The Company for which the Price is paid 

USE OF WEBSITE AND ORDERS 

You may freely visit our website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to misuse the website, introduce malicious code, or attempt unauthorized access. 

Being a member is not required for using the website or purchasing Goods and/or Services. 

MEMBERSHIP

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The Company may offer access to the Member Area at its own discretion. Memberships may be offered to, e.g., Beta Readers, ARC Readers, and Members of the InnerCircle. Memberships may provide benefits, resources, or participation opportunities, at The Company’s discretion. 

Memberships may be subject to separate terms and conditions, which will be provided to and accepted by the Members prior to enrollment. 

Without the explicit acceptance and/or offer from The Company, you may not become a member. The Company reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue memberships and offerings at its discretion, subject to any separately agreed upon terms. 

In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the specific membership agreement, the membership agreement shall prevail. 

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ORDER PROCESSING

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Age Restrictions:

You must be at least 18 years old to place an order, purchase Services, or register for an Event through this website. By placing an order, you warrant and represent that you are of legal age to enter into a binding contract with The Company.

2. Contract Formation:

Any order placed through the website constitutes an offer by you to purchase the relevant Goods, Services, or Event tickets. The automated email acknowledgment sent to you upon checkout does not constitute our acceptance of your offer. A legally binding Contract is formed only when:

• For Physical Goods: We dispatch the goods from our print-on-demand provider;

• For Digital Products/Services: We provide you with the explicit download link, account access, or commence the service;

• For Events: We issue your official event ticket or registration confirmation.

3. Right to Refuse or Cancel:

The Company reserves the right to refuse, limit, or cancel any Order at our sole discretion prior to contract formation. Reasons for cancellation may include, but are not limited to, obvious pricing errors on the website, product unavailability, inability to fulfill a service request, or suspected fraud or unauthorized transaction activity. If we cancel an order after your payment has been processed but before a contract is formed, we will issue a full refund immediately.

4. Secure Payments:

Payments are processed securely through our authorized third-party payment gateways (including but not limited to Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay). Your transactions are subject to the respective payment provider's terms and conditions and privacy policies. The Company does not store, access, or retain your credit or debit card details.

5. Delivery of Physical Goods:

Physical books are manufactured and fulfilled via third-party print-on-demand providers and couriers. Any delivery dates or timelines displayed on the website are good-faith estimates only and do not constitute guaranteed delivery windows.

6. Delivery of Digital Products and Services:

Digital products (such as eBooks) are delivered electronically via an instant download link or account access portal. Digital Services (such as manuscript reviews) are delivered entirely in digital format via email or secure file transfer, and no physical delivery applies.

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COMPANY’S OBLIGATIONS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

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1. Our Obligations The Company shall:

• Provide clear and accurate information regarding Goods, Services, Prices, and Fees on the website;

• Ensure that all Goods and Services conform in all material respects with their descriptions and meet the statutory standards of being of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose;

• Comply with all applicable UK consumer protection regulations; and

• Process all personal data strictly in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the UK GDPR.
   

2. Limitations on Our Liability (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

2.1 What We Do Not Exclude:

• Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall limit or exclude The Company’s liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or the negligence of our employees, agents, or subcontractors;

• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or

• Any breach of your core statutory rights under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 (including your right to a refund or replacement for faulty goods or digital content) or any other liability which cannot be limited or excluded by applicable United Kingdom law.

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[EU CONSUMER NOTICE]: If you are a consumer residing within the European Union, you additionally benefit from any mandatory provisions of the consumer protection laws of the country in which you are resident. Nothing in these Terms shall affect your rights as an EU consumer to rely on such local mandatory statutory protections.

2.2 Limits of Liability:

Subject to clause 2.1 above, if The Company fails to comply with these Terms, we are only responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of contract or our negligence. Loss or damage is foreseeable if it was an obvious consequence of our breach or if it was contemplated by both you and us at the time the contract was formed.
 

2.3 Business Losses:

We only supply Goods, Services, and Events for domestic and private use. If you use our website, purchase our books, or attend our events for any commercial, business, or re-sale purpose, The Company shall have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

2.4 Events Outside Our Control (Force Majeure):

The Company will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under these Terms that is caused by an Event Outside Our Control (including but not limited to postal strikes, severe weather, natural disasters, venue structural failures, or widespread telecommunications outages).

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The Company’s obligation to Authors: 

1. Author IP:

The Author retains all rights, title, and interest in and to any manuscript or material submitted to The Company. 

 The Company does not acquire any ownership, usage rights, or intellectual property rights in the submitted material by virtue of submission. 

2. Material Usage:

Submitted materials will be used solely for the purpose of: 

• performing a submission review 

• performing the requested service (including assessments or other specified services) 

and will not be reproduced, distributed, or otherwise used without the Author’s explicit written consent. 

3. Processing:

Manuscripts and related materials submitted by Authors are processed exclusively for the purpose of providing the agreed services (submission review, assessment, and publication prep). We may share these materials with our authorized operational managers and specialized subcontractors (such as editors, cover artists, and interior designers) strictly to administer editorial relationships and prepare the work for potential publication. Every third party we engage is subject to strict confidentiality obligations. Materials will not be disclosed to any other parties and are stored only for the duration required to complete the service or comply with UK statutory regulations.

Nothing in these Conditions excludes or limits liability where such limitation is prohibited by law. 

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WITHDRAWAL, CANCELLATION, AND STATUTORY REFUND RIGHTS

​These terms operate in accordance with your statutory rights under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

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1. Goods (Print-on-Demand) 

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1.1 Right of Withdrawal (Change of Mind):

In accordance with UK consumer law, your right to cancel an order depends on the nature of the book purchased:

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• Standard Publications: For off-the-shelf or catalog books (even if printed on-demand upon order), you have a statutory right to cancel your order and request a return for any reason within 14 days of delivery. You will be responsible for the cost of returning the item to us in its original, unused condition.

• Bespoke / Personalized Items: If a book is specifically customized to your unique specifications (e.g., personalized text, names, or custom printing options provided by you), the statutory 14-day right to cancel for a change of mind does not apply, and all sales are final unless the product is defective.

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1.2 Faulty or Non-Conforming Goods:

If a book arrives damaged, misprinted, or faulty, the Customer has a statutory right under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to reject the goods. The Customer is entitled to:

• A full refund if requested within 30 days of delivery; or

• A repair or replacement copy free of charge. If a replacement is requested and cannot be provided within a reasonable time, the Customer retains the right to a full refund.

The Company will cover any reasonable return postage costs for defective goods. 

2. Goods (eBooks and Downloadable Material) 

2.1 Right of Withdrawal (Change of Mind):

For digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, the Customer’s statutory 14-day right of withdrawal expires immediately once downloading or accessing the digital file begins. By purchasing digital content, the Customer expressly consents to immediate fulfillment and acknowledges that they lose their 14-day right to cancel for a change of mind.

2.2 Faulty Digital Content:

If a digital product is defective, corrupted, or non-conforming, the Customer has a right to a repair or a replacement file. If the defect cannot be repaired or replaced within a reasonable time, the Customer is entitled to a price reduction (up to 100% of the purchase price). If the faulty digital content damages the Customer's device due to our lack of reasonable care, we will provide a repair or appropriate financial compensation in accordance with UK statutory rights.

3. Services (Editorial, Review, and Assessment Services)
 

3.1 Right of Withdrawal (Change of Mind):

The Customer has a statutory right to cancel a service contract within 14 days from the date the order was placed.

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3.2 Early Commencement:

By submitting a manuscript and required materials immediately upon ordering, the Customer expressly requests and agrees that the execution of the services may begin prior to the expiration of the 14-day statutory cancellation period.

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3.3 Proportional Refunds:

If the Customer exercises their right to cancel after fulfillment of the service has commenced but before it is fully completed, the Customer will not receive a full refund. Instead, they will be liable to pay a proportional amount reflecting the services and work actually performed by The Company up to the exact time of cancellation. Once a service has been fully performed, the right to cancel is entirely lost.

4. Events & RSVPs

4.1 Customer Cancellation:

If the Customer has registered for an Event and paid a Fee in advance, the Fee is refundable in full provided that written notice of cancellation is received by The Company at least 14 days before the scheduled date of the Event. Cancellations received less than 14 days prior to the Event are non-refundable, except where required under UK law.

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4.2 Company Cancellation:

If The Company postpones or cancels an Event entirely, the paid Fee will be refunded to the Customer in full. In accordance with UK consumer law, our liability is strictly limited to a refund of the ticket/registration fee, and we are not liable for any secondary travel or accommodation costs incurred by the Customer.

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DISCLAIMERS 

1. The services offered on this website do not constitute editing, proofreading, or any guarantee of acceptance for publication. All services provided represent professional assessments and opinions only. The Company shall not be liable for any decisions made or actions taken by the Customer based on the provided services. The Customer remains solely responsible for how they use or interpret the provided feedback. 

2. This website has been prepared for presentation purposes and should not be seen as legal advice. Although we took all effort to provide accurate information, we make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to this website for your specific needs. 

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EXTERNAL LINKS 

This website may contain links to websites, platforms, or resources maintained by third parties. Unless expressly stated otherwise, such links do not imply that The Company is affiliated with, endorses, or sponsors those third parties. Because we have no direct control over the nature, content, security, or availability of external sites, you acknowledge and agree that The Company is not responsible or legally liable for their terms of use, privacy practices, or any damage or loss caused by your use of third-party content.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND COPYRIGHT

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All content published on this website—including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, audio clips, digital downloads, and site layout—is the property of The Company or its content suppliers and is protected by United Kingdom and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, distribution, or transmission of any materials from this website without The Company's prior written authorization is strictly prohibited. The Company reserves the right to pursue all available legal remedies, including civil claims for damages and injunctions, to protect its intellectual property rights.
 

(Note: This section does not affect or alter an Author's underlying intellectual property rights over their own manuscript submissions, which remain governed by our specific Author Agreements).

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COOKIES  

The website uses cookies that are necessary for any normal use of the website.

Please consult our Cookie Policy for details regarding the types of cookies used on this website. 

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GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION  

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1. Governing Law:

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

2. Jurisdiction:

Subject to any mandatory local consumer protections required by your country of residence (such as those applying within the European Union), you agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising under these Terms.

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3. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR):

In the event of a dispute, Customers are strongly encouraged to contact The Company directly first at: contact@commonplacepress.com

to reach an amicable resolution. If we are unable to resolve the dispute informally, you may explore certified UK Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures or independent mediation services before pursuing formal court action.

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FINAL PROVISIONS 

The Company reserves the right to update these Conditions at any time. Updated versions will be published on the website.