Terms of Partnership

1. Overview

These Terms of Partnership ("Terms") govern the relationship between Apex Fiction Studio ("AFS") and approved writers ("Writer", "you") who join the AFS collective. By accepting our offer and signing the Work-for-Hire agreement, you agree to these terms in full.

This page is a plain-English summary. The binding agreement is the signed Work-for-Hire contract provided at onboarding. In any conflict, the signed contract takes precedence.

2. The Partnership Structure

The AFS partnership is a Work-for-Hire arrangement. This means:

• You write the content. AFS handles editing, plagiarism screening, distribution, and platform relationships.
• AFS holds the copyright to the finished work and publishes it under agreed pen names on select reading platforms.
• In exchange, you receive a 50% share of gross royalties generated by your books, paid monthly.
• You are not an employee of AFS. You are an independent creative partner.

3. Application and Onboarding

• Applications are open via the public form at apexfictionstudio.com/#apply.
• We review every submission. Successful applicants are contacted within 72 hours.
• Approval is at AFS's sole discretion. We prioritise commercial instinct, pacing, and originality.
• After approval, you sign the Work-for-Hire agreement and lock in your plot structure with an Executive Editor.
• Writing commences only after the contract is executed.

4. Revenue Share

• AFS pays writers 50% of gross royalties received from the publishing platform for their books.
• "Gross royalties" means the amount received by AFS from the platform before any AFS operational deductions. No hidden fees are applied before your split is calculated.
• Earnings are recorded daily in your private dashboard and updated each morning before 9 AM.
• Monthly royalty payments are issued when your accrued balance reaches $100. Balances below this threshold roll forward and are paid in the next month the threshold is met.
• Earnings remain yours for the full life of the contract, including after you complete your contracted book count.

5. Milestone Bonus

• A one-time $120 cash bonus is paid when you reach 30,000 words on your first book under the AFS contract.
• The word count is verified by AFS against submitted chapter content.
• The bonus is paid within 14 days of the milestone being confirmed, independent of your accrued royalty balance. You do not need to reach the $100 payout threshold to receive it.
• Additional milestone bonuses may be offered at AFS's discretion for exceptional performance.

6. Writer Obligations

As a writer in the AFS collective, you agree to:

• Submit only original work. Plagiarism — including AI-generated content passed off as human writing — is grounds for immediate termination and forfeiture of accrued bonuses.
• Submit a minimum of 3 chapters per day, with each chapter not exceeding 1,200 words. This equates to a minimum of 21 chapters per week.
• Maintain a minimum of 25 active update days per calendar month. An "update day" is any day on which at least 3 chapters are submitted and accepted. Update days below 25 in any given month directly reduce your book's visibility ranking on the publishing platform, which affects reader reach and, consequently, your earnings.
• Your update schedule is tracked in real time on your private dashboard calendar. It is your responsibility to monitor your compliance and correct any shortfall before the month ends.
• Write to the agreed plot outline and genre specifications. Significant deviations require editor approval.
• Respond to editorial feedback and revision requests within 7 days.
• Not publish the contracted work, or substantially similar work, on any other platform during the contract term without written consent from AFS.
• Keep the terms of your contract and any unpublished earnings data confidential.

7. AFS Obligations

In return, AFS commits to:

• Providing a dedicated Executive Editor as your production partner for the full contract term.
• Completing editorial review of each submitted chapter within 5 business days.
• Maintaining your private earnings dashboard, updated every morning before 9 AM.
• Distributing your books under a 5-year premium platform contract to maximise visibility.
• Paying your 50% royalty share on the agreed monthly schedule without deduction.
• Providing a clear, itemised earnings statement each payment period.

8. Intellectual Property

• The copyright of all work produced under the AFS contract is assigned to AFS upon submission, as described in the Work-for-Hire agreement.
• AFS grants the Writer a non-transferable right to reference the works in their personal portfolio and to receive earnings as described in Section 4.
• The Writer retains the right to claim authorship only in the form and under the pen name agreed with AFS.
• All plot outlines, character bibles, and series lore created during the engagement remain the property of AFS.

9. Contract Term and Termination

• The standard AFS contract runs for 5 years from the date of signing.
• Either party may terminate the contract with 30 days' written notice after the first 12 months, subject to the conditions in the signed agreement.
• AFS may terminate immediately for breach of the plagiarism clause, failure to meet minimum output for 60 consecutive days, or conduct that brings AFS into disrepute.
• On termination, the Writer retains the right to all royalties already accrued. Future royalties from published books continue to be paid at 50% for the remainder of the original 5-year term.

10. Confidentiality

You agree to keep the following confidential during and after the contract term:

• The specific financial terms of your individual contract.
• Unpublished book titles, plot outlines, and series details.
• Internal platform data, reader metrics, and earnings breakdowns beyond your own books.
• The identity of other writers in the AFS collective, unless publicly disclosed by them.

11. Limitation of Liability

AFS is not liable for fluctuations in platform royalty rates, changes to platform algorithms, or the removal of titles by third-party platforms for reasons outside AFS's control. We will notify you promptly of any material changes affecting your earnings.

Our total liability to you under this agreement shall not exceed the total royalties paid to you in the 12 months preceding any claim.

12. Amendments

These Terms may be updated from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to active writers by email with at least 30 days' notice. Continued participation after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which AFS is registered, as stated in your individual Work-for-Hire agreement.

14. Contact

For partnership enquiries or legal questions, contact:
Apex Fiction Studio
contracts@apexfictionstudio.com