Refund & Cancellation Policy

This policy explains how cancellations, deposits, completed work, and refund requests are handled for narrative and editorial projects.

1. Before Work Begins

If a client cancels before substantive work has started, any refund of prepaid fees will be determined after deducting non-refundable payment processing charges, expressly non-refundable booking amounts, and any documented administrative or preparatory work already completed.

2. After Work Begins

Once research review, source organization, interview review, narrative mapping, drafting, rewriting, or other substantive editorial work has begun, amounts attributable to work already performed are not refundable. If the project is cancelled, the client remains responsible for completed work and any non-cancellable commitments made for the project.

3. Deposits

Where a deposit is required to reserve time or begin work, the applicable proposal or invoice will state whether it is refundable. A deposit may become non-refundable when scheduled capacity has been reserved or substantive work has begun.

4. Partial Projects

If a project is cancelled after partial completion, we may provide the client with completed or usable work that has been paid for, subject to intellectual-property terms and any outstanding balance. Working drafts may remain incomplete and are not represented as final editorial deliverables.

5. Client Delays

If a project becomes inactive because the client does not provide required materials, approvals, interview access, or feedback for an extended period, the project may be paused or closed. Restarting may require a new schedule and, where substantial time has passed or scope has changed, a revised quote.

6. Refund Requests

Refund requests should explain the project, payment at issue, reason for the request, and work already received. Requests are reviewed in relation to the agreed scope, project stage, work performed, and applicable written terms. Approval is not automatic.

7. Timing of Approved Refunds

If a refund is approved, it will be processed using an appropriate method. Financial institutions and payment providers may require additional time before funds appear in the recipient account.

8. Scope Changes Are Not Cancellations

A client request to replace the original direction with materially different work is treated as a scope change, not automatically as a cancellation or entitlement to a refund. Additional fees may apply.

9. Non-Refundable Circumstances

Fees are generally not refundable for completed services, approved milestones, delivered final files, used revision rounds, urgent scheduling already performed, or work that cannot reasonably be returned once supplied.