AI Use Policy

This Agreement governs the submission, review, evaluation, editing, formatting, design, publishing, promotion, storage, and handling of manuscripts and related materials submitted to deClare New Life Publishing.

Signing this Agreement does not guarantee that the Publisher will accept, publish, distribute, or promote the Author’s manuscript.

The Publisher agrees to:

• Treat the Author’s unpublished manuscript and supporting materials as confidential.
• Use the submitted materials only for evaluating or providing requested publishing services.
• Limit access to employees, contractors, editors, designers, formatters, consultants, and service providers who reasonably need access to complete authorized work.
• Require persons working on the manuscript to respect its confidentiality.
• Not intentionally sell, publish, distribute, disclose, or use the Author’s unpublished manuscript for an unauthorized purpose.
• Take reasonable precautions to protect electronic and physical manuscript files.

Confidentiality does not apply to information that:

• Is already publicly available through no fault of the Publisher;
• Was lawfully known by the Publisher before submission;
• Is received lawfully from another source;
• Is independently developed without using the Author’s confidential material;
• The Author authorizes the Publisher to disclose; or
• Must be disclosed under a valid court order or legal requirement.

The Author agrees not to disclose, reproduce, distribute, or misuse confidential business information belonging to the Publisher, including unpublished pricing structures, internal procedures, passwords, templates, proprietary training materials, client information, business strategies, or private communications.

This section does not prevent the Author from discussing the Author’s own manuscript, publishing experience, or legally protected rights.

The Author retains ownership of the Author’s original manuscript unless a separate written publishing or rights agreement states otherwise.

Submitting a manuscript does not automatically transfer copyright or ownership to the Publisher. The Author grants the Publisher a limited, nonexclusive right to access, reproduce, and share the manuscript internally only as reasonably necessary to evaluate the submission or perform authorized services.

The Author represents and warrants that:

• The Author owns the manuscript or has written permission to submit and publish all included material.
• The manuscript does not unlawfully infringe another person’s copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other legal rights.
• All quotations, photographs, illustrations, lyrics, poems, Scripture translations, interviews, recipes, charts, and third-party materials have been properly credited and, when required, used with written permission.
• The manuscript does not contain knowingly false, defamatory, fraudulent, threatening, or unlawfully obtained material.
• The Author has disclosed the use of artificial intelligence in creating or substantially revising the manuscript.
• The Author has not submitted plagiarized, stolen, or deceptively generated material.
• The Author will provide truthful information regarding the manuscript’s authorship, publication history, permissions, and content.
• The Author is responsible for obtaining independent legal review when the manuscript includes identifiable persons, accusations, medical claims, legal claims, confidential records, private communications, or potentially defamatory statements.

deClare New Life Publishing reserves the right to decline any manuscript that conflicts with its professional, ethical, faith-based, legal, or editorial standards.

We will not print, publish, promote, or knowingly distribute material that contains or promotes:

• Pornographic or primarily sexually explicit material;
• Bestiality or sexual conduct involving animals;
• Necrophilia;
• Sexualized bodily-waste activity, including “golden showers” or similar fetish content;
• Incest presented for sexual gratification or entertainment;
• Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of minors;
• Any sexual relationship or sexual activity involving a minor, even when described as “consensual”;
• Child sexual-abuse material or any content that sexualizes children;
• Rape or sexual assault presented graphically, erotically, approvingly, or for sexual gratification;
• Content that encourages, glorifies, instructs, normalizes, or facilitates sexual violence, exploitation, trafficking, or abuse; or
• Material that is illegal to possess, reproduce, distribute, or publish.

Shape-Shifters and Fictional Nonhuman Characters

A fictional shape-shifter, supernatural being, or nonhuman character may be considered only when every participant is clearly portrayed as an adult, possesses adult-level intelligence and the ability to consent, and the scene does not depict sexual conduct with an actual animal or a character presented in animal form.

Labeling a character a “shape-shifter” will not be used to disguise bestiality, sexual exploitation, or sexual content involving minors.

A manuscript containing references to rape, sexual assault, incest, trafficking, domestic violence, or childhood sexual abuse may be considered only when the subject is necessary to the background, conflict, testimony, healing journey, educational purpose, or development of the story.

Acceptance may be considered when the material:

• Is non-graphic or handled with appropriate restraint;
• Does not eroticize, romanticize, glorify, or excuse the abuse;
• Does not present abuse as entertainment or sexual gratification;
• Treats survivors with dignity;
• Serves a legitimate narrative, educational, historical, testimonial, or awareness purpose; and
• Complies with all applicable laws and the Publisher’s editorial standards.

The presence of such material does not guarantee acceptance. The Publisher has sole editorial discretion to require revisions, removal of material, professional legal review, content warnings, or rejection of the manuscript.

The Publisher may:

• Review a manuscript before accepting a project or beginning production;
• Request clarification, documentation, permissions, or revisions;
• Suspend review or production if prohibited or undisclosed content is discovered;
• Reject a manuscript before or after an initial review;
• Terminate services if the Author misrepresents the manuscript’s content or ownership; and
• Refuse future submissions from an Author who knowingly violates this Agreement.

An initial consultation, deposit, sample edit, or preliminary review does not constitute final acceptance of the manuscript.

Any refund, cancellation, or payment decision will be governed by the Author’s separate publishing-services agreement and the Publisher’s written refund policy.

Before submitting the manuscript, the Author must disclose whether it contains:

• Sexual violence or abuse;
• Child abuse or exploitation;
• Domestic violence;
• Suicide or self-harm;
• Graphic violence;
• Human trafficking;
• Incest;
• Explicit sexual content;
• Identifiable allegations against a living person; or
• Private medical, financial, employment, church, counseling, or legal information.

Failure to disclose sensitive content may result in immediate suspension or rejection.

Nothing in this Agreement requires the Publisher to conceal unlawful conduct. If submitted material creates a legal reporting obligation or contains apparent evidence of ongoing abuse, exploitation, credible threats, or criminal activity, the Publisher may consult legal counsel and make disclosures permitted or required by law.

The Publisher will use reasonable safeguards but cannot guarantee that electronic transmission or digital storage will be completely free from unauthorized access, technical failure, cyberattack, or data loss.

The Author is responsible for maintaining complete backup copies of all submitted materials.

Unless a separate agreement requires longer retention, the Publisher may delete rejected, inactive, or completed project files after providing reasonable notice or in accordance with its file-retention policy.

The Publisher does not guarantee:

• Manuscript acceptance;
• A specific publication or completion date unless stated in a signed contract;
• Amazon or retailer approval;
• Sales, royalties, rankings, reviews, media attention, or bestseller status;
• Acceptance by distributors, libraries, bookstores, advertisers, or payment processors; or
• That a manuscript will be free from every legal or editorial concern.

To the extent permitted by law, the Author agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless deClare New Life Publishing and its owners, employees, contractors, and service providers from third-party claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and reasonable expenses resulting from:

• The Author’s breach of this Agreement;
• Plagiarism or copyright infringement;
• Unauthorized use of another person’s material;
• Defamation, invasion of privacy, or misrepresentation;
• False claims concerning authorship or permissions; or
• Unlawful content supplied by the Author.

This provision does not protect the Publisher from liability caused by the Publisher’s own intentional misconduct or other liability that cannot legally be waived.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

If any provision of this Agreement is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.

This Agreement contains the complete understanding concerning confidentiality, manuscript submission, and prohibited content. It does not replace a separate publishing-services contract, payment agreement, copyright license, or royalty agreement.

Changes to this Agreement must be made in writing and accepted by both parties.

Electronic signatures and electronically accepted copies may be treated as originals to the extent permitted by law. Michigan law generally recognizes that electronic records and signatures cannot be denied effect solely because they are electronic. Michigan Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

By signing below, the Author confirms that the Author:

• Has read and understands this Agreement;
• Has answered all content-disclosure questions truthfully;
• Understands that submission does not guarantee publication;
• Accepts the Publisher’s prohibited-content standards;
• Understands that undisclosed prohibited content may result in rejection or termination; and
• Has had the opportunity to seek independent legal advice before signing.

Sensitive-Content Disclosure

• No
• Yes — explanation attached

Does the manuscript contain references to rape, sexual assault, incest, trafficking, domestic violence, or childhood sexual abuse?

• No
• Yes — the content is non-erotic and included for a legitimate narrative, educational, historical, testimonial, or awareness purpose.

Signatures