Contract of Editing Services
Please read my terms and conditions before agreeing to them so we can work together productively. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Contract of Services
General overview
1.1 These terms and conditions apply to any work done on behalf of the Client (you) by me (Joanne Taylor | Fantasy Fiction & Mythology Editor of Ajatar Editing).
1.2 I will provide the editing services we agree on in writing (including by email).
1.3 The Client is under no obligation to offer me work and am I under no obligation to accept work offered by the Client.
1.4 The work will be carried out unsupervised when and where I decide, using my own equipment.
1.5 I will carry out the work and will not subcontract proofreading/editing projects, or parts of projects, to third parties, unless agreed with the Client.
1.6 I confirm that I am self-employed and will not claim employee benefits.
1.7 I am not VAT-registered.
1.8 The contract of service requires that the Client acknowledges, in writing (including email via the booking-confirmation form) that they have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and conditions.
1.9 The Client must send the entire manuscript as a single document, not in separate files.
Project terms
2.1 Before starting the editing work, the Client and I will agree, in writing (including email), the terms of the project:
• the medium in which the proofreading/editing service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, or PDF)
• how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word, BSI correction symbols on PDF)
• the length of time required to complete the project, as advised by me
• a fee for the project, based on a quotation supplied by me, in writing (including email), following my evaluation of the material to be edited and the time frame required to complete the job
• the date by which the material will be delivered by the Client to me
• the latest date by which the completed project will be returned, following my advice to the Client
2.2 Please note that if, on receipt of the project to be worked on (or at an early stage), it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than had been anticipated in the preliminary discussion/brief or from the sample supplied, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work.
Quotations and fees
3.1 A quotation for the work will be provided by me to the Client following my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on and a discussion with the Client as to what is required.
3.2 Once the Client and I have agreed on the full fee, it is non-negotiable unless the Client extends the word count of the job or requests additional services. In this case, a revised quotation and job-completion date will be negotiated.
3.3 The Client will pay me a fee per 1,000 words in the original document, OR per hour OR an agreed flat fee for the project, as agreed in writing (including email).
3.4 If the project is lengthy, I will invoice periodically (e.g. monthly) for completed work, as agreed in advance.
3.5 I will supply the Client with an invoice immediately upon completion of the editing project, monthly, or upon the completing of specific milestones, as agreed in advance.
3.6 Payment should be received within 14 days of receiving an invoice for edits and within 3 days for booking fees.
3.7 Under the terms of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, I reserve the right to charge interest and compensation should payment exceed 30 days.
3.8 Unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one pass of a manuscript. This means I will go through the manuscript from start to finish only once. Additional passes are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.
Booking fee
5.1 When the Client has sent the booking-confirmation form at the bottom of this page, I will issue the invoice for the booking fee.
5.2 Booking fees are non-refundable and secure a place in my schedule.
5.3 For a project with a total fee of over $100, the Client will pay a booking fee of $100.
5.4 For a project with a total fee of $100 or less, the Client will pay the total fee upfront. This is non-refundable.
5.5 By filling in the booking confirmation form, the Client agrees to secure my editing services for a specific and mutually agreed-upon project at a specific and mutually agreed time.
5.6 By filling in the booking confirmation form, the Client confirms that they have read and agreed to the terms and conditions herein. From thereon, the terms of the cancellation policy (see below) apply.
5.7 The booking fee will be deducted from the final invoice issued when the editing work is complete.
5.8 The booking is considered confirmed once the booking fee has been paid by the Client and received by me.
5.9 The booking fee should be paid within 3 days of sending the booking-confirmation form to secure the slot in my schedule.
Cancellation policy: Terms, fees, and project-commencement reminders
TERMS:
6.1 Both the Client and I have the right to terminate a contract for services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.
6.2 The Client is free to cancel a service for any reason by providing me with written notice (including email); I must acknowledge this cancellation in writing (including email) for this to be valid.
6.3 The Client will remain obligated to pay a fee proportionate to the amount of work already completed if this amount is larger than the booking fee paid.
6.4 I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice (including email) to the Client. In the unlikely event that I cancel a service, I will provide a prorated refund of any overages of fees paid (including the booking fee).
6.5 If, in the unlikely event that the Client experiences extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay (e.g., family crisis, illness, bereavement), the Client should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. I aim to be fair and helpful at all times.
6.6 If I experience extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g., family crisis, illness, bereavement), I will contact the Client in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the project’s time frame or find an alternative supplier of editing services. The booking fee will be refunded.
FEES:
6.7 CANCELLATION DURING THE PROJECT: If the Client cancels the work during the editing project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee).
6.8 CANCELLATION PRIOR TO PROJECT COMMENCEMENT:
• If the Client wishes to cancel with less than two weeks’ notice, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee).
• If the Client wishes to cancel with more than two weeks’ notice, the booking fee will not be refunded but no other charge will apply.
PROJECT-COMMENCEMENT REMINDERS:
6.9 I will contact the Client two weeks before the mutually agreed start date with a reminder that the file is due 24 hours before the said start date.
• If in the unlikely event that the Client does not confirm in writing (including email) within one week before the mutually agreed start date that they will be supplying the file for editing, the project is deemed to have been canceled by the Client, and the slot in my schedule will be released. The booking fee will not be refunded.
• If, as is likely, the Client confirms the project, I will ask for the file to be sent to me 24 hours before the start date.
- Confidentiality
7.1 The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than the Client without prior written permission.
7.2 I will not, under any circumstances, upload the Client’s files to external websites or distribute them to third parties unless specifically authorized to do so, in writing, by the Client. I do, however, use Microsoft OneDrive as a cloud storage system. See my Privacy Policy for how your data is protected.
7.3 Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Client and I may keep on record such information (e.g. contact details) as is necessary. Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct, and up to date. - Copyright
8.1 All content delivered to me by the Client for the editing project is owned by the Client.
8.2 In this respect, the Client agrees to hold me harmless from and against all claims, liabilities, and expenses arising out of any potential or actual copyright or trademark misappropriation or infringement claimed against them.
8.3 Following payment of my invoice, any content created by me as part of the editing process will become the copyright of the Client unless otherwise agreed. - Quality assurance
9.1 I am an Intermediate Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading because I am committed to quality and agree with their Code of Practice.
9.2 I aim for my editorial feedback to be objective by basing my suggestions on my training and style guide manuals. However, there will be some subjectivity, and the Client has the final say to accept or reject any suggestions.
9.3 While I aim for the very highest editorial standards, I cannot guarantee editorial perfection. It would be dishonest to promise a perfect manuscript. - Privacy policy and the GDPR
10.1 Please read my Privacy Policy, which explains the data I collect, how I use it and store it, and my compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). - Acknowledgments in published works
11.1 There is no requirement for the Client to mention me in the published work’s acknowledgments section. However, the Client agrees that I will have the opportunity to review any such mention before publication or decline to be mentioned.
Booking Form & Style Preferences
Joanne Taylor • Ajatar Editing 