Last updated: August 2, 2026
Confidentiality is at the heart of book writing. Many of the authors we work with write under a pen name, share deeply personal stories, or build a book around ideas they are not ready to make public. This Non-Disclosure Agreement ("NDA") sets out how we protect that trust. It is a mutual agreement: it binds Ink & Chapter and you, the author, equally, and it applies to every book writing and creative engagement we take on.
This NDA is between Ink & Chapter, a brand owned and operated by Autech Innovative LLC, an Illinois limited liability company (the "Studio," "we," "us," or "our"), and the author or client who engages us (the "Client," "you," or "your"). Both parties are bound by the same confidentiality obligations set out below.
"Confidential Information" means any non-public information exchanged in connection with your project, including:
Confidential Information does not include information that: is or becomes public through no fault of the receiving party; was already lawfully known before it was shared; is independently developed without using the other party's information; or is lawfully received from a third party who is free to share it.
This is the core promise of book writing. You are the sole credited author of your book unless we agree otherwise in writing. We will not claim authorship, reveal that the work was ghostwritten, or disclose your real name behind a pen name. We will not name you as a client, display your manuscript or cover in our portfolio, or use your project in our marketing without your express written permission. Any pen name you choose receives the same protection as your real identity.
These confidentiality obligations remain in force indefinitely. They survive the completion of your project, the publication of your book, the end of our working relationship, and any termination of your engagement or Terms of Service.
A party may disclose Confidential Information only where it is required by law, court order, subpoena, or a regulatory authority, and then only to the extent required. Where the law allows, the disclosing party will give the other reasonable advance notice so it can seek protection. Each party may also share information with its own legal, accounting, or financial advisors, who are themselves bound by confidentiality.
On completion or termination of your engagement, and on written request, each party will return or securely destroy the other's Confidential Information. Interview recordings are destroyed within a reasonable period after they are no longer needed, and working drafts are retained only as long as needed for delivery and our records, then securely destroyed. Each party may keep one copy where required by law or its ordinary backup systems, still subject to this NDA.
You retain 100% of the rights to your book. On full payment for a given deliverable, all intellectual property in the work we create for you, including the manuscript, cover, and interior, is assigned to you. The Studio retains no continuing license, royalty, or claim over your work. This NDA should be read together with our Terms of Service.
Both parties acknowledge that a breach of this NDA could cause serious and possibly irreparable harm for which money alone may not be adequate compensation. In addition to any other remedy available at law, the non-breaching party may seek injunctive relief to stop or prevent a breach, and may recover its reasonable legal costs.
Where specialists such as editors, designers, or narrators support your project, they are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those in this NDA. The Studio remains responsible for ensuring its team and contractors honor these terms.
This NDA is governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. The parties will first try to resolve any dispute in good faith. Any dispute that cannot be resolved will be handled in the courts located in Illinois, unless the parties agree in writing to binding arbitration.
This NDA, together with your project proposal or agreement and our Terms of Service, forms the entire agreement between the parties regarding confidentiality. Any change must be made in writing and agreed by both parties. If any part of this NDA is found unenforceable, the remaining parts stay in effect.
This NDA applies automatically to every paid book writing engagement with Ink & Chapter. If you would like a standalone copy to review or sign before you begin, request one and we will send it over. Reach us at:
Autech Innovative LLC (operating as Ink & Chapter)
2158 College Dr, Glendale Heights, IL 60139
Email: contact@inkandchapter.com
Phone: +1 (331) 215-7785