Submit your book
Send the whole manuscript
One Word or PDF file, any length.
Every manuscript is read in full
Our editorial staff reads it, start to finish. You hear from us when the reading is done, whatever we decide.
Submitting costs nothing
There is no fee to submit and no fee for the reading.
An NDA protects you, and only you
In step three you sign our non-disclosure agreement. It binds HIP, not you: we keep your manuscript confidential, and we claim no rights to it. A copy comes to your email with your submission.
Confidentiality agreement
This is the agreement you sign in step three. A copy comes to your email with your submission.
This Non-Disclosure and Acknowledgment of Confidentiality Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into as of the date signed below ("Effective Date") by and between Huntsville Independent Press, LLC, an Alabama limited liability company with its principal place of business at 2112 Morningside Drive NW, Huntsville, AL 35810 ("HIP"), and the individual named and signing below ("Author").
Whereas the Author is submitting one or more original literary works or manuscripts to HIP for evaluation and possible publication; and whereas HIP, in the course of that evaluation and any discussions that follow, may share proprietary methods, internal processes, or financial information; and whereas each party may be exposed to confidential, unpublished, or proprietary information belonging to the other; the parties hereby enter into this binding Agreement to ensure the confidentiality and proprietary integrity of all such information exchanged, disclosed, or observed by either party.
For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Confidential Information" shall refer to any and all material disclosed by the Author to HIP that is not generally available to the public and that relates directly or indirectly to the Author's manuscript, project, or intellectual property. This includes, without limitation, any drafts, notes, outlines, character profiles, plot developments, themes, narrative structures, backstories, chapter summaries, editorial direction, as well as any discussions, annotations, or comments exchanged between the Author and HIP or its agents. The term also encompasses any material that is shared verbally, digitally, or in written form, including emails, phone conversations, tracked document changes, or verbal discussions held during consultations or editorial reviews.
HIP expressly agrees that it shall not disclose, disseminate, duplicate, or otherwise communicate any portion of the Confidential Information to any third party, whether for compensation or otherwise, without first obtaining the Author's express written permission. HIP further agrees that Confidential Information will be used exclusively for the purpose of evaluating the manuscript for possible publication and, if the parties proceed, for the services agreed between them, and for no other purpose whatsoever. This obligation extends equally to any employee, contractor, consultant, or affiliated service provider who may be engaged by HIP in the course of that evaluation or those services. HIP shall be solely responsible for ensuring that all such individuals are made aware of, and bound by, confidentiality obligations no less restrictive than those stated in this Agreement.
The confidentiality obligations herein do not apply to information that was publicly available at the time of disclosure, becomes public through no fault of HIP, is lawfully obtained from a third party without a confidentiality obligation, or is independently developed by HIP without reference to the Author's work. If HIP is compelled by court order or legal process to disclose Confidential Information, it will promptly notify the Author to allow for a protective order or other remedy and will cooperate in limiting the scope of such disclosure.
HIP acknowledges and affirms that all intellectual property rights related to the manuscript, including all content therein, remain solely and exclusively with the Author. At no point shall HIP assert or claim any ownership interest, copyright, or creative rights in any aspect of the Author's work, nor shall HIP present or submit any part of the work as its own. Likewise, the Author acknowledges that any proprietary methods, editorial frameworks, trade practices, or internal materials disclosed by HIP, whether verbally, digitally, physically, or otherwise, remain the exclusive intellectual property of HIP and shall not be shared, reproduced, or disclosed to any unauthorized party. Any notes, comments, editorial suggestions, or structural revisions provided by HIP are offered solely as a professional service and, upon delivery, shall become the Author's property in full, with no claim retained by HIP beyond the protections afforded to its proprietary disclosures.
This Agreement shall not be interpreted to grant any license or interest in the Author's intellectual property to HIP, whether by implication or otherwise. The failure of either party to enforce any term or condition of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of that term or of any other term, nor shall it impair that party's rights to subsequently enforce such term or condition.
The terms of this Agreement shall remain in force from the Effective Date and continue in perpetuity with respect to any and all Confidential Information disclosed during the course of the evaluation and any engagement that follows. The confidentiality obligations described herein shall survive the completion, expiration, or termination of any evaluation or services, and whether or not HIP offers to publish the work, and shall remain binding upon HIP indefinitely unless and until the Author expressly waives them in writing.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Alabama, without regard to any principles of conflict of law. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Madison County, Alabama. HIP hereby agrees to submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts and waives any objection as to venue or convenience.
The parties agree that any breach of this Agreement by HIP may cause the Author immediate and irreparable harm for which monetary damages may be an insufficient remedy. Accordingly, the Author shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief and any other equitable remedy necessary to prevent or curtail such a breach, in addition to any legal damages or claims available under applicable law.
This document represents the entire agreement between the parties regarding confidentiality obligations in connection with the Author's submission to HIP, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings, agreements, communications, or representations, whether written or oral, relating to such subject matter. No amendment or modification of this Agreement shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by both parties.
The parties agree that this Agreement may be executed electronically. The Author's signature entered on HIP's submission form, together with the name and date recorded with it, constitutes the Author's execution of this Agreement, and the copy delivered to the Author's email address at submission constitutes the executed record. HIP's acceptance of the submission constitutes its execution.
In witness whereof, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.