Refund Policy
Last Updated: September 2026
At Cochain Books, every project is custom-made from the ground up — hand-illustrated, professionally edited, and uniquely formatted for your child. Because of this, our refund policy is structured to reflect the real costs incurred at each stage of production. We believe in being completely transparent about this before you purchase.
We recommend reading this policy carefully before placing your order. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@cochainbooks.com or (346) 588-5426 before purchasing.
1. How Our Payment Structure Works
All Cochain Books packages are billed in two equal payments:
Deposit (50% of total package price) — due at checkout, or on invoice where we have quoted the work for you after a free assessment. It secures your production slot and covers the initial editorial and planning work.
Final Payment (50% balance) — due when you approve the final proof. It covers illustration, layout, cover design and publishing setup. Until the balance is paid, proofs are supplied watermarked and at low resolution.
No production begins until the deposit is received and the Publishing & Distribution Agreement is executed. A second document, the Parental Consent & Publicity Release, is signed later, at the proof stage. It carries Schedule A — the layout of your child's About the Author page, showing the photograph, biography and name exactly as they will be published — which cannot be prepared until the book has been laid out. Your book is not published until both are signed.
No book is submitted for publishing until the final payment is confirmed.
2. Cancellation & Refund Schedule
What you get back depends on how far your project had progressed, and on whether you ended it or we did. The table below summarizes the policy clearly:
Note: 'Production begun' means Cochain Books has commenced work on your specific project — not just that your agreements are signed. We will always notify you in writing (via email) when each production stage begins.
About the $50 administrative fee in Stage 1(a). It covers what we have already done and already set aside for you: taking your order, setting up your account and preparing your quote, and holding a production slot — capacity we set aside for your book and did not offer to anyone else while your project was open.
3. How to Request a Cancellation
To cancel your project, please follow these steps:
1. Email info@cochainbooks.com with the subject line: Cancellation Request — [Your Project ID].
2. Include your full name, your child's name, and your Project ID (format: CB-YYYY-###).
3. We will confirm receipt of your cancellation request within 2 business days.
4. We will confirm your refund entitlement in writing based on the stage at which cancellation is received.
5. Eligible refunds will be processed within 7 business days to your original payment method.
4. Project Delays Caused by the Client
If a project is delayed because the client has not responded to requests, provided story materials, or approved proofs within the timeframes set out in your Publishing & Distribution Agreement, this does not entitle the client to a refund. The production timeline begins from the date all required materials are received, not from the date of signing.
If we do not hear from you once your final proof has been sent, we will keep trying to reach you. We send three email reminders over the sixty days that follow the date we send the proof, and the last of them gives you a further 14 days to reply and tells you the date we will close the order if you do not.
If that date passes and we have still had no reply, we may treat the project as cancelled under Stage 2 or Stage 3 of the refund schedule above, depending on how far production has progressed.
When an order closes this way we delete the artwork and any reference photographs you sent us. We have no reason to hold a child's photograph for a book that is not being made. The final reminder tells you the date before it happens, and it says plainly that starting again afterwards would mean starting from scratch.
5. Cochain Books-Initiated Cancellation
In the rare event that Cochain Books cancels your project before production begins — for example, if we are unable to accommodate your timeline or if your project falls outside our scope — Stage 1(b) of the schedule above applies.
If Cochain Books cancels a project after production has begun due to circumstances within our control, a pro-rated refund reflecting work not yet completed will be offered at our discretion.
6. Influencer & Brand Ambassador Projects
Complimentary projects provided under our Influencer & Brand Ambassador Agreement are not eligible for cash refunds as no payment is collected. If a creator fails to fulfil their posting obligations, the terms of the Influencer Agreement apply, which may include invoicing for the retail value of the package produced.
7. No Refunds on Add-Ons
Additional services purchased as add-ons (such as extra revision rounds, press release templates, or audiobook narration) are non-refundable once that specific service has commenced.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our refund policy or wish to discuss your specific situation, please contact us before purchasing. We are happy to talk through the process and address any concerns.
• Email: info@cochainbooks.com
• Phone: (346) 588-5426
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 6pm CT
• Website: www.cochainbooks.com
| Stage | Cancellation Condition | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1(a) | You cancel before production begins, or we close the project because you have not sent us what we need to start | Full refund of deposit, less a $50 administrative fee — for taking your order, setting up your account and preparing your quote, and holding a production slot we did not offer to anyone else |
| Stage 1(b) | We end the project before production begins — because the Publishing & Distribution Agreement was never signed, or because the project reached the outer time limit set in that Agreement | Full refund of deposit, with no administrative deduction |
| Stage 2 | After manuscript editing has commenced but before illustration begins | 50% of deposit refunded. Remaining 50% non-refundable. |
| Stage 3 | After illustration has commenced | Full deposit is non-refundable. No further charge applies. |
| Stage 4 | After final proof has been delivered and approved | No refund. Final payment is non-refundable once proof is approved. |