Terms of Service
Last updated: August 27, 2026
Welcome to Story Quest Books. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) describe the rules for using this website and for working with Story Quest Books on coaching, illustration, and related services. Please read them carefully. By using this site or booking a session, you agree to these Terms.
1. Who we are
Story Quest Books is a children’s book coaching and illustration practice founded and operated by Jo Ann Kairys. In these Terms, “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Story Quest Books; “you” refers to you as a visitor to this website or a client of our services.
2. What we offer
Story Quest Books provides:
- One-on-one coaching for children’s book authors, covering writing, illustration, self-publishing, and launch
- Custom and hybrid illustration services for picture books
- Coaching for illustrators on visual storytelling and illustration workflow
- Free educational content published on this website, including articles and guides
The specific scope of any paid engagement is agreed between us in writing before work begins.
3. Booking and scheduling
Consultations and coaching sessions are scheduled through our online booking system and typically held by video call. You are responsible for attending at the scheduled time and for having a working internet connection and any materials the session requires.
If you need to reschedule, please give as much notice as you reasonably can. Repeated missed sessions without notice may result in the session being forfeited.
4. Fees and payment
Fees, payment schedules, and deliverables for paid work are set out in the individual proposal, service agreement, or invoice provided to you before the engagement begins. Those documents govern the commercial terms of your specific project. Where they conflict with these Terms on a commercial matter, the individual agreement controls.
5. Cancellations and refunds
Cancellation and refund terms for paid engagements are set out in your individual service agreement or invoice. Work already performed, and any non-refundable deposit identified in that agreement, remains payable.
6. Coaching is guidance, not a guarantee
We bring real experience to your book, and we care about it going well. But publishing outcomes depend on many things outside our control — your manuscript, your market, your effort, retailer decisions, award juries, and plain luck.
Nothing on this website or in any coaching session is a promise of sales, awards, reviews, publication, income, or any other specific result. Coaching is educational and advisory in nature. It is not legal, financial, tax, or business advice, and you should consult qualified professionals for those matters.
7. Your material stays yours
You retain all rights in the manuscripts, story ideas, photographs, reference material, and other content you share with us. We use that material only to provide the services you’ve engaged us for.
By sharing material with us, you confirm you have the right to do so — that it is your own work, or that you have permission to use it.
8. Artwork and deliverables
Unless your individual service agreement says otherwise, illustrations and other deliverables we create for your project become yours to use in your book and its marketing once payment for that work has been received in full.
We may display work we have created or coached in our portfolio, on this website, and in marketing materials, unless you ask us in writing not to.
9. AI-assisted illustration
We are open about how we work: some illustration is created using a hybrid workflow that combines AI image-generation tools with hands-on refinement in Photoshop and similar software. Where AI tools are used in your project, we will tell you.
You should know that copyright law for AI-generated and AI-assisted images is still developing and varies by country. Purely AI-generated elements may receive limited or no copyright protection in some jurisdictions. We cannot guarantee the copyright status of AI-generated elements, and nothing here is legal advice on that question.
Several publishing platforms — including Amazon KDP and IngramSpark — require disclosure of AI-generated content, and award programs have differing policies. We will help you understand current requirements, but you are responsible for making accurate disclosures when you publish or enter your book in competitions.
10. Working together
Good coaching depends on both sides. You agree to provide accurate information, respond to requests within a reasonable time, and give feedback promptly so your project can move forward. Extended delays on your side may affect timelines and availability.
We treat what you share with us as confidential and will not disclose your unpublished manuscript or project details to third parties without your permission, except where required by law.
11. This website
The content on this website — including text, illustrations, photographs, guides, and design — belongs to Story Quest Books or is used with permission, and is protected by copyright.
You are welcome to read, share links to, and quote briefly from our articles with attribution. You may not republish our content in full, sell it, or present it as your own.
You agree not to use this website to do anything unlawful, to attempt to gain unauthorized access to it, or to interfere with its normal operation.
12. Third-party tools and links
This website links to third-party tools, platforms, and resources, and our coaching may reference software such as AI image-generation platforms and publishing services. We don’t control those services and aren’t responsible for their content, pricing, availability, or terms. Your use of them is governed by their own agreements.
13. Privacy
Our handling of personal information is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.
14. Disclaimers
This website and its content are provided on an “as is” basis. While we work to keep information accurate and current, we make no warranty that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that its content is complete or up to date — particularly on fast-moving topics such as AI tools and publishing platform policies.
15. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Story Quest Books will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages arising out of your use of this website or our services, including lost profits or lost publishing opportunities.
Where liability cannot be excluded, our total liability for any claim relating to a paid engagement is limited to the amount you paid us for that engagement.
16. Termination
Either of us may end a coaching or illustration engagement by giving written notice. Fees for work already performed remain payable, and the terms of your individual service agreement will govern how any remaining balance or deposit is handled.
We may restrict access to this website for anyone who misuses it.
17. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The “last updated” date at the top of this page shows when they were last revised. Continuing to use the site or our services after a change means you accept the updated Terms.
18. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the state in which Story Quest Books is based, without regard to its conflict of law rules. Any dispute arising from these Terms or our services will be brought in the courts of that state.
19. Contact us
Questions about these Terms? Please get in touch — we’re happy to clarify anything here.