1. Agreement and eligibility
These Service Terms form an agreement between the customer (“you”) and The Authors Echo (“we,” “us,” or “our”), an audiobook-production business based in Monroe County, New York. By purchasing a service or approving a written quote, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old, can enter a contract, and accept these terms together with our Refund Policy, Privacy Policy, and Author Rights Agreement.
An order is accepted only after payment is confirmed, the manuscript passes verification, required information is received, and we send an order confirmation. We may decline or propose a custom scope for a project we cannot responsibly produce.
2. What we provide
Services may include synthetic or AI-assisted narration, character voices, editing, mastering, title artwork, music or restrained sound design, quality review, and launch support, depending on the purchased package and written scope.
The exact deliverables, file formats, revision allowance, voice class, promotion period, and target schedule are the items shown at checkout or in the written quote. Anything not listed is outside the order and may require a separate quote.
3. Pricing, verification, and payment
Word-based estimate
Prices are in U.S. dollars. PFH means “per estimated finished hour.” Checkout converts the server-verified manuscript count at 10,000 words per estimated finished hour. Projects up to 10,000 words have a one-hour minimum. Above 10,000 words, pricing uses the exact fraction rather than rounding up to another full hour.
Verification before charging
The browser estimate is informational. Our server independently verifies an eligible TXT, DOCX, or searchable PDF before creating the final checkout amount. Scanned PDFs, password-protected files, damaged files, files without reliable selectable text, and unusual formats are routed to a manual quote.
Material count problems
Ordinary differences between estimated and final listening time do not change the paid price. If a hidden, corrupted, incomplete, substituted, or incorrectly parsed manuscript causes the verified scope to be materially wrong, we pause before production and contact you. For this policy, an undercount is material only when the corrected count is at least 5,000 words higher and increases the paid production price by at least 25%. We will provide the corrected count and supplemental amount. We will never automatically charge the difference. You may approve and pay it, choose a reduced scope if feasible, or cancel for a full refund if production has not begun.
Taxes and payment
Applicable taxes may be added where legally required. Card details are entered with our payment processor, not stored by this website. A payment authorization does not require us to accept unlawful, infringing, unsafe, or technically unsuitable content.
4. Production targets
A listed turnaround is a good-faith target, not a guaranteed deadline. The production clock begins after payment, manuscript verification, receipt of required materials, resolution of rights or pronunciation questions, and approval of any required voice sample. Business days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and U.S. federal holidays.
Complex casting, lengthy pronunciation guides, major manuscript defects, customer delays, provider outages, force majeure events, or requested scope changes may extend delivery. We will communicate a revised target when reasonably possible.
5. Voice approval, revisions, and changes
You are responsible for reviewing the sample and deliverables promptly and supplying one consolidated list of clear, time-coded notes per included revision round. A revision corrects covered production issues or applies reasonable direction within the approved manuscript and scope.
Rewriting the manuscript, adding text, changing the approved overall performance, replacing voices after approval, requesting new creative concepts, or expanding the cast is a scope change and may require additional payment. Included character recasts, when offered, are limited to the package description.
Unless the written order states otherwise, revision requests must be submitted within 14 calendar days after delivery. Silence after that period closes the included review window, although separately paid changes may still be available.
6. AI-assisted and third-party production
You understand that the service uses synthetic and AI-assisted tools. Local packages primarily use private local/open-source models; hosted API packages transmit necessary content to the selected voice provider. We may also use licensed editing, storage, payment, and email services to fulfill the order.
We do not promise that a synthetic performance will be indistinguishable from a human narrator or free of every pronunciation artifact. We do promise to apply the review and revision process included in the package. We do not clone or imitate a real person’s voice without documented authorization.
7. YouTube and Facebook promotion
Promotion is optional and requires separate written permission. Unless that permission is given, delivery is private. When promotion is included, the period describes our planned feature window; it does not guarantee views, sales, engagement, platform availability, or revenue. You may revoke future promotional use by contacting us, but removal may take a reasonable time and cannot undo third-party shares or downloads.
8. Cancellation and refunds
Refund and cancellation rights are described in the Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these terms. If we cannot accept an order or a material corrected quote is declined before production begins, we issue a full refund. Chargebacks should not be used as a substitute for first contacting us about a correctable issue.
9. Customer responsibilities and prohibited content
You must provide an accurate, final manuscript; rights information; names and pronunciations; contact details; and timely approvals. You may not submit content that you lack authority to use, that unlawfully violates privacy or publicity rights, that impersonates a person without consent, or that is illegal.
We may suspend or cancel a project when reasonably necessary for safety, legal compliance, fraud prevention, nonpayment, provider restrictions, or a material breach of these terms. Refund treatment will depend on the reason and completed work.
10. Legal terms
Warranty disclaimer
Except for the express commitments in these terms, services are provided “as is” and “as available” to the extent permitted by law. We do not guarantee commercial success, audience response, platform acceptance, or that a deliverable will satisfy an unstated subjective preference.
Liability
To the extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from an order. Our aggregate liability for a claim relating to an order will not exceed the amount you paid for that order. These limits do not exclude liability that cannot lawfully be limited or responsibility for intentional misconduct.
Governing law
These terms are governed by New York law, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. The parties will first try in good faith to resolve a dispute directly. If court action is necessary, venue will lie in a court with jurisdiction in or serving Monroe County, New York, unless consumer law requires otherwise.
Changes and severability
The version accepted at checkout governs that order. We may update future versions by posting a new effective date. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain effective. A written order controls over these general terms only where it clearly identifies the change.
11. Contact
Questions, cancellation requests, and legal notices may be sent to theauthorsecho@outlook.com. We are based near Rochester in Churchville, New York, United States.