INGRAM BOOK GROUP LLC
Distribution Account Embargo Agreement
ACOTAR 6 (“A Court of Splintered Harmony”) and
ACOTAR 7 (“A Court of Forgotten Melody”) by Sarah J. Maas — US
Hardback, published by Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc. (“Bloomsbury”)
Publication Dates: ACOTAR 6 — 27 October 2026; ACOTAR 7 — 12 January 2027 (each a “Publication Date,” and the two books together, the “Books”), or any revised date notified to you.
Ingram Book Group LLC (“Ingram,” “we,” “our”) is itself bound by an embargo agreement with Bloomsbury covering the Books. As a condition of Ingram supplying you (“you,” “your,” meaning both the signatory and the organization on whose behalf they sign) with copies of the Books before the relevant Publication Date, you agree, for yourself and everyone under your control, including directors, employees, contractors, freelancers, sub-contractors, and agents, to the obligations set out below, in respect of all copies of the Books (and the cartons in which they are delivered, “Cartons”) that you receive before the relevant Publication Date. By signing this Agreement, you acknowledge and agree:
- No early release. You will not release, sell, or otherwise supply any copies of the Books to the public before 00:01 (12:01am) local time on the relevant Publication Date. Possession before that date is permitted strictly to process your order for resale. This does not limit you from taking pre-orders or preparing the Books for in-store/online availability as of the Publication Date.
- Reasonable requirements. You will comply with Ingram's reasonable requirements for the supply of the Books, as communicated to you from time to time.
- Cartons. You must not remove copies of Books from Cartons before the relevant Publication Date.
- Confidentiality. The Books and their contents are strictly confidential until the relevant Publication Date. You will not read them yourself, allow any third party under your control to read them, or disclose or communicate them (or any part of them) to anyone, before the relevant Publication Date. If you supply copies onward to any other party for resale, you will procure that such party gives undertakings equivalent to those in this Agreement, including this Clause 4.
- Copyright. The Books are protected by copyright. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure, early sale, or supply of the Books before the relevant Publication Date is copyright infringement.
- Embargo survives leaks. You will continue to comply with this Agreement until the relevant Publication Date even if the embargo is broken, or there is an unauthorized disclosure, leak, early release, sale, or supply by any third party.
- ACOTAR 6 does not release ACOTAR 7. Publication of ACOTAR 6 does not release you from your obligations under this Agreement regarding ACOTAR 7, which continue in full force until the ACOTAR 7 Publication Date.
- Security and Handling. You will: (a) be able to account for all copies of the Books in your possession at all times; (b) keep all copies secure, in Cartons clearly marked with the relevant Publication Date, in a secure area within your premises with access limited to the management and staff necessary for receipt, fulfilment, processing, and shipment (the “Secure Area”), and you warrant your existing site security is sufficient to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure; (c) not disclose the Secure Area's location or your security arrangements beyond employees who need to know; (d) not sell or remove copies from the Secure Area before the relevant Publication Date except as strictly necessary to deliver to your own retail outlets, downstream accounts, or online customers as permitted here, using secure transport at all times; (e) if you build pallets for display, wrap them in black shrink-wrap that is not removed before 12:01am local time on the relevant Publication Date; (f) if you repackage Cartons into boxes (for special handling or approved gift-with-purchase material), reseal the boxes securely and label them with embargo messaging; (g) not display or make visible any copies or Cartons to the public (including in-store or in windows), and not distribute copies to customers or your own staff, before the relevant Publication Date. Pre-order advertising using approved metadata, title, and jacket art is permitted only after Bloomsbury's public reveal of each; (h) ensure any of your own retail locations or downstream accounts that receive the Books are aware of and comply with this Agreement as if they were a party to it; (i) permit no photography or filming (other than CCTV) of the Books, Cartons, or pallets at any time before the relevant Publication Date, including during transport, unpacking, or dispatch; (j) for direct-to-consumer online sales, ensure copies do not arrive at a customer's address before the relevant Publication Date (you may ship in advance to arrive on, but not before, that date); (k) not commence early selling or supply unless you receive written notice from Ingram that the relevant Publication Date has been withdrawn or changed; and (l) inform everyone who handles or has access to the Books of these confidentiality and security requirements, and ensure their compliance. You are responsible for any non-compliance by such persons.
- Notify Ingram of early release or disclosure. You will notify Ingram (Legal@ingramcontent.com) immediately upon becoming aware of any threatened or actual breach of this Agreement by you or anyone under your control, or any other unauthorized disclosure, early selling, or publication of the Books, and will assist Ingram and Bloomsbury as reasonably required in relation to any such breach.
- General. This Agreement may be amended only in writing signed by Ingram and you, except that Ingram may change the Publication Dates on written notice to you. If any term is unenforceable, the remaining terms stay in effect. This Agreement is for the benefit of, and enforceable by, Ingram, Bloomsbury, and their respective affiliates. You represent that your signatory is authorized to bind you. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Davidson County, Tennessee.
It is a condition of supply that you sign and return this Agreement to Ingram before receiving any copies of the Books. No copies will be shipped to you until Ingram has received your signed Agreement.