Copyright & Manuscript Ownership

Who owns your manuscript

You, the author, hold full copyright over your manuscript from the moment you write it, under the Copyright Act of Kenya. Submitting your manuscript to Chance Publishers, signing our NDA, or paying for a publishing package does not transfer copyright, ownership, or any rights in your work to us. We are engaged to provide a service, not to acquire rights.

What our NDA actually protects

Our Non-Disclosure Agreement is a confidentiality commitment — it legally binds Chance Publishers and every staff member who sees your manuscript not to disclose, copy, distribute or use your work outside of delivering your publishing services. It exists to protect you, not to grant us any rights over your content.

What happens to edited and designed files

• Edited manuscripts, proofread versions, interior layouts and cover designs produced for your project are prepared specifically for your book, using your original content.
• Once your project is complete and fully paid for, the final files are yours to keep and use.
• Chance Publishers retains project files on our systems for record-keeping and to support any future reprints or revisions you may request, but does not reuse your manuscript content, cover design, or layout for any other purpose or any other client.

ISBN registration

Where we facilitate ISBN registration through the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) on your behalf, the ISBN is registered to you as the author/publisher of record, in line with KNLS's own requirements — not to Chance Publishers.

Your responsibility

Because you retain ownership, you are also responsible for ensuring your manuscript is your own original work, or that you hold the necessary rights and permissions for any content (quotes, images, references) included in it. See our Terms of Use for full detail.

If you end a project early

If you choose to stop working with us partway through your project, your manuscript and any work delivered up to that point remain yours. See our Refund Policy for how fees are handled in that situation.