Welcome to the Official Site of Author: Ryan L. Smith

Policies
Effective Date: July 4, 2025
Site Owner: Ryan L. Smith

Copyright & Usage

All content on this website—including text, stories, character names, images, audio, and downloadable materials—is the intellectual property of Ryan L. Smith, unless otherwise noted.

All rights are reserved under United States and international copyright law.

You may not:

  • Copy, reproduce, or republish any material without written permission

  • Modify or distribute content for commercial purposes

  • Use characters, story elements, or artwork for your own projects

You may:

  • Share public blog posts or book links for personal, non-commercial use

  • Provide attribution and keep all shared content unedited

Terms & Conditions

By using this website, you agree to the following:

  • Respectful Use: You agree not to misuse, exploit, or interfere with any part of this site

  • Intellectual Property: All content remains the property of Ryan L. Smith

  • No Guarantees: Content is provided as-is. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, completeness and timeliness are not guaranteed

  • Third-Party Links: This site may include links to external websites. These are provided for convenience only and do not constitute endorsement

This website is governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, United States.

Privacy Policy

Information Collected:

  • Name and email address (when submitted through contact forms)

  • Anonymous usage data collected through cookies or analytics tools

How Information Is Used:

  • To respond to inquiries

  • To monitor website performance and usage

  • To improve the overall visitor experience

Your Rights:
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information at any time.

Your information is never sold or rented to third parties.

Brand & IP Protection Statement

Mythic Quill Studios and Mythic Quill Publishing exist to create original, high-quality storytelling experiences. All characters, worlds, narratives, and creative systems developed under these brands are protected intellectual property owned by Ryan L. Smith.

We actively safeguard our work to ensure it is presented, shared, and experienced as intended. Unauthorized use, imitation, or misrepresentation of our creative properties is not permitted.

Unauthorized Resellers & Derivative Use

From time to time, third-party sellers may list our books or related materials at inflated prices or in unauthorized formats. These listings are not affiliated with or approved by Mythic Quill Studios or Mythic Quill Publishing.

To ensure authenticity, quality, and fair pricing, we recommend purchasing through trusted retailers such as Amazon or verified bookstores.

Additionally, the creation of derivative works—including adaptations, expansions, or commercial use of our characters, settings, or story elements—requires prior written permission.

Pricing & Purchasing Note

My books are available through trusted retailers such as Amazon and verified bookstores. Prices may vary slightly depending on the retailer, format, taxes, shipping, discounts, or bookstore ordering policies.

Typical Retail Pricing:

Paperbacks: $14.99–$18.99

Hardcovers: $21.99–$24.99

Kindle: $4.99–$9.99

Most official listings and bookstore prices should fall reasonably close to these ranges. Some third-party resellers may list books at significantly higher prices, especially online.

If you see a price that seems far above the normal range, I recommend checking Amazon, your local bookstore, or another trusted bookseller before purchasing.

Thank you for supporting independent publishing.

— Ryan L. Smith
Author & Founder, Mythic Quill Studios & Mythic Quill Publishing

ARC Reader Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in becoming an Advance Reader Copy reader for Ryan L. Smith and Mythic Quill Publishing.

Advance Reader Copies, commonly called ARCs, allow selected readers to experience upcoming books before publication and provide honest feedback. These guidelines explain what readers can expect and how advance materials may be used.

1. Selection and Availability

Submitting an application adds you to the pool of readers who may be considered for upcoming releases, but it does not guarantee selection, receipt of a particular title, a physical copy, or continued participation in the ARC program. Readers may be selected based on genre interests, preferred format, availability, previous participation, and the needs of each release. Most ARCs will be provided digitally, while physical copies may occasionally be available in limited quantities. Because an ARC is an advance edition, it may differ from the final published book and may contain unfinished artwork, typographical errors, formatting issues, or other material that will be corrected before publication.

2. Personal Use Only

Any ARC provided to you is intended solely for your personal reading and review.

You may not:

  • copy, reproduce, forward, transfer, lend, sell, or redistribute the ARC;

  • upload it to a website, cloud folder, file-sharing service, marketplace, artificial intelligence system, or public platform;

  • remove or alter watermarks, copyright notices, identifying information, or security markings; or

  • share complete chapters, illustrations, extensive excerpts, private download links, or other unpublished materials without written permission.

Receiving an ARC does not transfer any copyright, publication right, ownership interest, or license beyond the limited personal use described in these guidelines.

3. Reviews and Disclosure

ARC readers are welcome to leave an honest review, but doing so is never required, and a positive review is never expected. Any public review or recommendation should reflect the reader’s genuine experience with the book. Readers are also responsible for following the rules of the website or platform where they choose to post. When sharing a public review, readers should disclose that they received an Advance Reader Copy. A simple statement such as, “I received an Advance Reader Copy from the author or publisher. This review reflects my honest opinion,” is sufficient.

4. Spoilers and Unpublished Material

Readers should not publicly share major plot developments, endings, twists, character revelations, or other substantial spoilers. Short quotations may be shared when appropriate, but wording in an ARC may change before the final edition. Complete chapters, extensive excerpts, illustrations, internal publishing materials, or other substantial portions of the book may not be shared without written permission. The author and publisher may review publicly available ARC-related content when necessary to verify whether it contains substantial spoilers, unauthorized excerpts, or other protected unpublished material and may contact the reader to request correction or removal. Public discussions should clearly identify the book as an advance edition rather than the final published version.

5. Private Feedback

Readers may be invited to provide private feedback regarding typographical errors, formatting problems, continuity concerns, confusing passages, file-display issues, or their overall reading experience. Feedback is appreciated, although not every suggestion will be adopted, and final editorial and publishing decisions remain with the author and publisher. ARC readers are not expected to act as professional editors or proofreaders unless a separate arrangement has been made.

6. Reading Timelines

An ARC invitation may include a suggested reading or feedback period, and readers should accept a copy only when they reasonably expect to have time to read it. If you are unable to finish the book within the suggested period, you are not required to post a review, although a brief message is appreciated when practical. Repeatedly accepting ARCs without reading them or communicating may affect selection for future opportunities.

7. Privacy and Participation

Private download links, passwords, personalized files, correspondence, reader information, and unreleased publishing details may not be shared. Information submitted through the ARC application will be used to evaluate applications, administer ARC opportunities, communicate with readers, and protect advance materials, with additional information available in the website’s Privacy Policy. ARC participation is voluntary and does not create an employment, agency, partnership, or professional editorial relationship with Ryan L. Smith, Mythic Quill Publishing, or Mythic Quill Studios LLC. Unless established through a separate written agreement, ARC readers will not receive payment, royalties, reimbursement, or other compensation.

8. Ending Participation

Readers may ask to leave the ARC reader list at any time. The author or publisher may suspend or end participation because of unauthorized sharing, violation of these guidelines, fraudulent application information, harassment, misuse of private information, repeated noncommunication, or conduct that harms the ARC program or its participants. Removal from the ARC reader list does not end obligations concerning previously received copyrighted, personalized, or private materials. These guidelines may be updated as the program, technology, or applicable requirements change, and the version posted on this website will be considered the current version.

Questions

Questions regarding these guidelines may be submitted through the general contact form at Contact | Ryan L. Smith, Author

Thank you for treating advance materials with care and for helping independent stories find their first readers.

Ryan L. Smith
Mythic Quill Publishing
An imprint of Mythic Quill Studios LLC

© 2025 Ryan L. Smith. All rights reserved.

Brought to life by

“Because every great tale begins with a spark, a plan… and occasionally, a dragon in need of proper formatting.” 🐉

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