Author Agreement

1. The Parties

Publisher: CAARD Publishers (Centre for Action and Applied Research for Development), Fort Portal, Western Uganda — hereinafter referred to as "the Publisher".

Author: The individual(s) whose work is accepted for publication — hereinafter referred to as "the Author".

2. Grant of Rights

The Author grants CAARD Publishers the following rights for the duration of the copyright term:

• The non-exclusive right to publish, distribute, and sell the work in digital (PDF) and physical (paperback) formats
• The right to market and promote the work through CAARD's website, WhatsApp, social media, and partner channels
• The right to assign a CAARD Book ID (e.g. CAARD-001-RES) to the work for cataloguing and sales tracking
• The right to include a free chapter extract or sample text for marketing purposes

The Author retains full copyright over the work. CAARD Publishers does not claim ownership of the intellectual content.

3. Author Warranties

The Author warrants and represents that:

• The work is original and created solely by the Author(s) named
• The work does not infringe any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right
• The work does not contain defamatory, obscene, or unlawful material
• The Author has the authority to enter into this agreement and grant the rights described
• The work has not been previously published in the same or substantially similar form without disclosure

4. Editorial Process

Upon acceptance, the manuscript will go through the following stages:

• Peer review — the manuscript is reviewed by at least one subject-matter expert assigned by CAARD Publishers
• Copyediting — language, grammar, and formatting are reviewed and corrected
• Author review — the Author reviews the edited manuscript and approves or raises objections
• Final approval — both parties sign off before publication

CAARD Publishers will not make substantive changes to the Author's content without prior written consent.

5. Royalties

The Author receives royalties on all sales processed through CAARD Publishers channels:

Royalty statements are issued quarterly (March, June, September, December). Payment is made via MTN Mobile Money or bank transfer within 14 days of each statement date. A minimum threshold of USh 20,000 applies before payment is disbursed.

6. Publication Timeline

• CAARD Publishers will use reasonable efforts to publish the work within 60 days of final manuscript approval
• If publication is delayed beyond 90 days through no fault of the Author, the Author may request return of rights in writing
• The Publisher will notify the Author of the publication date at least 7 days in advance

7. Pricing

CAARD Publishers sets the retail prices of all publications. The Author will be consulted but the Publisher has final discretion on pricing, discounts, and promotional offers. Price changes will be communicated to the Author before implementation.

8. Revisions and New Editions

If the Author wishes to publish a revised edition, they must notify CAARD Publishers in writing. A new agreement will be negotiated for each revised edition. Minor corrections (typos, formatting errors) may be made at any time by mutual consent at no additional cost.

9. Termination

Either party may terminate this agreement with 90 days' written notice. Upon termination:

• All outstanding royalties will be paid within 30 days of the termination date
• CAARD Publishers will remove the work from sale within 30 days of the termination date
• All rights revert to the Author upon termination

CAARD Publishers may terminate immediately if the Author is found to have breached the warranties in Section 3.

10. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from this agreement shall first be addressed through direct negotiation between the parties. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes shall be referred to mediation under the laws of the Republic of Uganda before any legal action is taken.

11. Contact and Submissions

• Orders & enquiries: WhatsApp +256 786 522 900
• Email: caardpublishers@gmail.com
• WhatsApp: +256 786 522 900
• Address: CAARD Publishers, Fort Portal, Western Region, Uganda