SRP and THM Manuscript Submission Terms of Service

SRP and THM Manuscript Submission Terms of Service

1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Severn River Publishing, LLC ("SRP") and Ten Hut Media ("THM") (collectively, "we", "us", or "our") Manuscript Submission Portal. By submitting your manuscript, synopsis, or any other materials (collectively, the "Submission") through this portal, you agree to comply with and be bound by the following Terms of Service ("TOS"). These TOS govern the submission of materials for consideration by SRP, THM, and their subsidiaries.

Please read these TOS carefully. If you do not agree to these terms, you are not authorized to make a Submission. Your Submission indicates your acceptance of these TOS.

2. Intellectual Property Rights

2.1 Ownership and Rights

By submitting a manuscript ("Submission") to SRP, THM, and their subsidiaries, you affirm that you are the lawful owner of all intellectual property rights to the Submission or have been authorized by the lawful owner to submit the Submission. We acknowledge that the evaluation of your Submission does not constitute a transfer of any intellectual property rights. All rights to the Submission, including copyright and ownership rights, remain with you, the submitter, during the evaluation process.

2.2 Limited License

You grant us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use your Submission for the specific purpose of evaluating its potential for publication. This license is temporary and only applicable during the time that we evaluate your Submission. In the event that your Submission is accepted for publication, a separate agreement outlining the transfer or licensing of intellectual property rights will be provided.

3. Use of Manuscript

3.1 Evaluation Process

We primarily evaluate submissions through human review by our acquisitions editors. We may also use various tools, including but not limited to artificial intelligence and data analysis software ("Evaluation Tools"), to assist in our internal manuscript assessment process. Your Submission may be analyzed using these Evaluation Tools to aid in our decision-making process.

3.2 Intellectual Property of Evaluation Tools

Intellectual property related to the Evaluation Tools remains our sole property, irrespective of the use of your Submission in the evaluation process.

3.3 No Training of AI Models

We explicitly state that we will not use your Submission to train our AI models or any third-party AI models. Any use of AI in our evaluation process is strictly for analysis purposes and does not involve training or improving the AI models themselves using your Submission.

4. Manuscript Privacy and Security

4.1 Encryption and Storage

We take manuscript privacy and security very seriously. All Submissions will be kept encrypted during storage and transmission. Access to Submissions is strictly limited to authorized personnel involved in the manuscript evaluation process.

4.2 No Third-Party Sharing

We will not share your Submission with any third parties outside of our company, except as required by law or with your explicit consent.

4.3 Retention and Deletion

If we do not move forward with your Submission, we will delete it from our systems within 30 days after a decision has been made. This includes all copies, backups, and associated metadata. You may request deletion of your Submission at any time by contacting us, and we will promptly comply with such requests.

5. Data Protection & Privacy

5.1 Personal Data Usage

Any personal data you provide during the submission process, including but not limited to name, contact information, and any other identifying information, will be securely stored and only accessed by authorized personnel. Your data will be used solely for the purpose of evaluating your manuscript submission and will not be shared with third parties, except as required by law.

5.2 Communication

We may use your contact information to inform you of future opportunities or services from SRP, THM, and their subsidiaries. You may opt out of such communications at any time.

6. Simultaneous Submissions

We acknowledge that you may submit your manuscript to other publishers simultaneously. However, we request that you inform us immediately if your manuscript is accepted elsewhere or if you wish to withdraw it from consideration.

7. Liability Limitation

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim liability for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to damages for loss of profits, goodwill, data, or other intangible losses, that may arise from your Submission.

8. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from or related to these TOS shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration, conducted within the jurisdiction where SRP is registered. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association or a similar recognized arbitration body.

9. Amendment Clause

We reserve the right to amend these TOS at any time. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically for any changes. Continued submission of manuscripts will be considered acceptance of those changes.

10. Termination Clause

We reserve the right to cease the evaluation or use of a submitted manuscript at any time and for any reason, at our sole discretion, without liability.

11. Governing Law

These TOS 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 the State of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule.

12. Severability

If any provision of these TOS is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed severed from these Terms and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

13. Waiver

Failure to enforce any right or provision of these TOS will not constitute a waiver of future enforcement of that right or provision.

14. Entire Agreement

These TOS constitute the entire agreement between us and you, the manuscript submitter. They supersede and replace any prior agreements or understandings between the parties regarding manuscript submissions.

15. Acknowledgment of Understanding

By submitting your manuscript, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these Terms of Service. You also confirm that you have the right to submit this manuscript and grant the limited license described in these Terms.