Terms of Service

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Welcome to DryingInk. These Terms of Service govern your use of the DryingInk
platform, accessible at app.dryingink.com
and www.dryingink.com. By creating an
account or using any part of our platform, you agree to these terms in full.
If you do not agree, please do not use DryingInk.

DryingInk is operated by [YOUR LEGAL NAME OR BUSINESS NAME], ABN [YOUR ABN],
based in Australia. References to “DryingInk”, “we”, “us” and “our” throughout
these terms refer to this entity.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use DryingInk. If you are under 18,
you must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian. By creating an account
you confirm that you meet these requirements.

You may only create one account per person. Accounts are non-transferable.

2. Your account

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure. You are
responsible for all activity that occurs under your account, whether or not
you authorised it. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact
us immediately at support@dryingink.com.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms,
engage in fraudulent activity, or are used in ways that harm other users or
the platform.

3. Content you publish

3.1 Ownership

You retain full ownership of all content you publish on DryingInk. By publishing
content on our platform, you grant DryingInk a non-exclusive, royalty-free,
worldwide licence to display, distribute, and promote your content within the
platform and in marketing materials relating to DryingInk. This licence ends
when you remove your content from the platform.

3.2 Responsibility

You are solely responsible for the content you publish. You confirm that:

  • You own the content or have the right to publish it
  • The content does not infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights
  • The content does not contain defamatory, obscene, or unlawful material
  • The content complies with our Content Policy
  • The content’s age rating is accurately set

3.3 Content we may remove

DryingInk reserves the right to remove content that violates these terms or our
Content Policy, without notice. We may also remove content at the request of a
rights holder or law enforcement authority. Repeated violations may result in
account termination.

4. Purchasing stories

4.1 No refund policy

All purchases on DryingInk are for digital content. Once access to a story has
been granted, no refund will be issued. This is consistent with Australian
Consumer Law provisions for digital goods where the product has been delivered
and accessed.

If you believe a charge was made in error, fraudulently, or without your
authorisation, please contact us at
support@dryingink.com within 14 days.
We will investigate and cooperate fully with any legitimate dispute process.

4.2 Pricing

All prices on DryingInk are displayed in Australian dollars (AUD) inclusive of
any applicable GST. Prices are set by the author and may change at any time.
The price at the time of purchase is the price you pay.

4.3 Payment processing

Payments are processed by Stripe. By making a purchase, you also agree to
Stripe’s
Terms of Service. DryingInk does not store your card details.

5. Publishing and earning

5.1 Platform commission

DryingInk charges a 10% platform commission on all paid story sales. Stripe’s
payment processing fee (approximately 1.7% + $0.30 AUD for domestic cards,
3.5% + $0.30 AUD for international cards) is also deducted from the sale
amount. The remaining amount is transferred to the author’s connected bank
account via Stripe Connect.

5.2 Stripe Connect

To receive payments, you must connect a bank account via Stripe Connect.
Stripe Connect is a third-party service and subject to Stripe’s own terms and
verification requirements. DryingInk is not responsible for delays or issues
arising from Stripe’s verification process.

5.3 Minimum price

The minimum price for a paid story on DryingInk is $1.99 AUD. Stories may
also be published as free, in which case no transaction takes place.

5.4 Taxes

You are responsible for declaring and paying any income tax, GST, or other
taxes applicable to your earnings from DryingInk. DryingInk does not provide
tax advice. If you are uncertain about your tax obligations, consult a
qualified tax professional.

6. Editor marketplace

6.1 Marketplace role

DryingInk operates a marketplace connecting writers with editors. DryingInk
is a facilitator only and is not a party to the agreement between a writer
and an editor. We do not guarantee the quality of editing services or the
suitability of any editor for any particular project.

6.2 Payment split

Editor job payments are split as follows: 20% deposit payable on job
acceptance, 80% payable on completion. DryingInk charges a 12% platform
commission on the total agreed rate. Stripe’s processing fee also applies.

6.3 Disputes

If a dispute arises between a writer and editor, both parties have 48 hours
to resolve it directly through the platform messaging system. If unresolved,
the dispute is escalated to DryingInk for review. DryingInk’s decision in
any escalated dispute is final. Possible outcomes include full payment release,
partial payment, full refund, or job cancellation.

7. Ghost writing marketplace

7.1 Non-disclosure

All ghost writing engagements on DryingInk are subject to a non-disclosure
agreement. By accepting a ghost writing job, the ghost writer agrees that:

  • All work produced is owned exclusively by the client
  • The ghost writer will not publicly claim authorship of any work produced
  • All project details, correspondence, and deliverables are confidential
  • This confidentiality obligation survives the termination of the engagement

Breach of this agreement may result in account termination and may expose the
ghost writer to legal liability to the client.

7.2 Milestone payments

Ghost writing payments are structured as four milestones: 10% on project start,
20% at 30% completion, 30% at 80% completion, and 40% on final delivery. Each
milestone payment is held for 7 days before being released to the ghost writer,
during which time the client may raise a dispute. After 7 days without a dispute,
payment is released automatically.

7.3 Platform commission

DryingInk charges a 12% platform commission on all ghost writing jobs, deducted
from the total agreed rate.

7.4 Disputes

The same dispute process as the editor marketplace applies. See section 6.3.

8. Prohibited conduct

You must not use DryingInk to:

  • Publish content that is defamatory, obscene, threatening, or unlawful
  • Infringe any intellectual property rights
  • Publish content involving the sexual exploitation of minors under any circumstances
  • Engage in fraudulent transactions or create fake accounts
  • Harass, abuse, or threaten other users
  • Attempt to access accounts or data that are not yours
  • Use automated tools to scrape, index, or interact with the platform
  • Attempt to circumvent platform fees or payment systems
  • Publish spam, unsolicited advertisements, or misleading content
  • Misrepresent your identity or qualifications as an editor or ghost writer

9. Intellectual property

The DryingInk platform, including its design, code, and non-user content, is
owned by DryingInk and protected by copyright. You may not reproduce, distribute,
or create derivative works from DryingInk’s platform content without our written
permission.

The DryingInk name and logo are trademarks of DryingInk. You may not use them
without our written permission.

10. Privacy

Your privacy matters to us. Our
Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect
your personal information. By using DryingInk, you agree to our Privacy Policy.

11. Disclaimer of warranties

DryingInk is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We make no
warranties, express or implied, regarding the platform’s availability,
accuracy, or fitness for any particular purpose. We do not guarantee that the
platform will be error-free or uninterrupted.

12. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Australian law, DryingInk’s total liability
to you for any claim arising from your use of the platform shall not exceed
the greater of $100 AUD or the total fees you have paid to DryingInk in the
12 months preceding the claim.

DryingInk is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential
damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use
of the platform.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes any rights you have under the
Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DryingInk, its directors, employees,
and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable
legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your content, or your
violation of these terms.

14. Termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting us at
support@dryingink.com.
We will process your request within 30 days. Closing your account does not
affect any outstanding payment obligations or active jobs.

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you breach these terms,
engage in fraudulent activity, or if we are required to do so by law.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify you of significant
changes by email and by posting a notice on the platform. Your continued use
of DryingInk after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
If you do not agree to the revised terms, you must stop using the platform.

16. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of [YOUR STATE], Australia. Any disputes
arising from these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
courts of [YOUR STATE], Australia.

17. Contact us

For any questions about these terms, please contact us: