The following terms and conditions are supplied so that there is an open and honest understanding of what is involved in the assessment, editorial and/or proofreading process. An upfront approach is key when working together. If you have any questions or concerns, please do contact me.

1. General overview

1.1 These terms & conditions apply to any Work (assessment, proofreading, editing, typesetting, project management, permissions clearance service) done for the Client (you) by me (Michelle Griffin, Editor and Proofreader).

1.2 The Client is under no obligation to offer me Work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.

1.3 I will provide service(s) as mutually agreed, confirmed in writing by the Client.

1.4 The Work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.

1.5 The Work will be carried out by me. I will not subcontract proofreading/editing projects, or parts of projects, to third parties unless expressly discussed with, and agreed by, the Client.

1.6 I confirm that I am self-employed, am responsible for my own income tax and National Insurance contributions and will not claim benefits granted to the Client’s employees.

1.7 I am not VAT-registered

2. Quotations, invoicing and fees

2.1 I will provide the Client with a quotation for the Work following my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on and following a discussion with the Client as to what is required.

2.2 The Client will pay the Freelancer a fee per hour OR per 1,000 words OR per printed page OR an agreed flat fee for the job.

2.3 Once the Client and I have agreed 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.

2.4 Should I agree to attend the Client’s or other premises for necessary meetings, the time spent and agreed reasonable expenses incurred are to be reimbursed by the Client.

2.5 The Client will reimburse me for agreed reasonable expenses over and above usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work.

2.6 Unless otherwise agreed, I will supply the Client with an invoice immediately upon completion of the assessment/proofreading/editing project.

2.7 If the project is lengthy, I may invoice periodically for completed stages.

2.8 Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, payment will be made within 30 days of receipt of the invoice for full edits/assessments/proofreads, and within 3 days for booking fees. Payments not received within 30 days of receipt of the invoice will incur interest, in line with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013).

2.9 Unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one pass of a manuscript. Additional passes are deemed new projects and the terms of these are to be agreed separately.

3. Project terms

3.1 Prior to commencement of the Work (the proofreading/editing service), the Client and I will agree, in writing (including email), the terms of the project:

• the medium in which the Work will be carried out (Microsoft Word, PDF, hard copy, etc.)
• how the material will be annotated (BSi correction symbols on paper, Track Changes in Word, etc.)
• 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 or acceptance of online payment schedules). This will follow my evaluation of the material to be proofread/edited and the time frame required to complete the job
• any expenses (e.g., postage) that the Client will bear in addition to the costs of the proofreading/editing
• the mutually agreed start date of the Work
• the date by which the Client will deliver the material to me – the Client must agree to supply the material at least 48 hours before the mutually agreed start date 
• the latest date by which I will return the completed project to the Client

3.2 If, however, on receipt of the item 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, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline or decline to carry out the work.

3.3 If, during the term of the Work, additional tasks are requested by the Client, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.

3.4  The Client’s acceptance of the written terms of agreement is considered to be an agreement to the terms and conditions outlined in this document.

3.5 By accepting the offered terms of the Work, the Client confirms that they have read and agreed to the terms and conditions herein. The terms of the cancellation policy (below) shall, from thereon, apply.

3.6 I will send the Client a reminder no less than 14 days before the mutually agreed start date. The Client must send a written response within 7 days of that reminder to confirm that the Work is still required, otherwise the project is deemed to have been cancelled by the Client and the slot in my schedule will be released (see Clause 5).

3.7 The Client agrees, unless expressly indicated, that I may use his/her/their name in my promotional material.

3.8 If I make a substantial contribution to the Work, I will be entitled to receive one free copy of the finished publication.

3.9 I do not require that the Client mention me in the acknowledgements section of the published work. However, the Client agrees that, prior to publication, I will have the opportunity to review any such mention, or to decline to be mentioned.

4. Booking fee

4.1 Booking fees are 10% of the final fee and are non-refundable.

4.2 The booking fee will be deducted from the final invoice, which will be issued on completion of the Work.

4.3 When the Client has accepted the written terms of agreement, I will issue the invoice for the booking fee.

4.4 To secure the specified slot in my schedule, the booking fee should be paid within 3 days of receiving the booking invoice.

4.5 Only once I have received the booking fee from the Client is the booking confirmed.

5. Cancellation policy: Terms and fees

5.1 Both the Client and I have the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.

5.2 I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing the Client with written confirmation (including email). I agree to provide a pro-rata refund of any fees already paid, including the booking fee. If the cancellation or delay is due to difficult or extraordinary circumstances (bereavement, family crisis, illness, etc.), I agree to contact the Client in writing at the earliest opportunity. I will endeavour to renegotiate the schedule for the project or find an alternative supplier of the Work, should that be preferable.

5.3  The Client may cancel or reschedule the Work for any reason. However, written notice (including email) must be given and, for the cancellation to be valid, I must acknowledge it in writing (including email). If the cancellation or delay is due to difficult or extraordinary circumstances (bereavement, family crisis, illness, etc.), the Client should contact me to discuss the terms of this cancellation policy.

• Cancellation during the project: If the Client cancels during the Work, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee).
• Cancellation prior to project commencement:
• If the Client cancels less than 30 days before the mutually agreed start date, I reserve the right to invoice for 50% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee).
• If the Client cancels more than 30 days before the mutually agreed start date, the booking fee will not be refunded but no other charge will apply.

6. Copyright

6.1 All content delivered to me by the Client for the Work is owned by the Client.

6.2 As such, 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.

6.3 Following payment of the invoice, any content created by me as part of the Work will become the copyright of the Client unless otherwise agreed.

7. Confidentiality

7.1 The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than the Client and its contractors without prior written permission.

7.2 Any work that is subcontracted on behalf of the Client will be completed to the same standard, schedule and budget and with the same conditions of confidentiality.

8. Privacy policy and GDPR

8.1 The information that the Client and I may keep on record is covered by the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). No more such information will be held than is necessary, at any time, to comply with those terms and with any compliance statement or privacy policy published by the Client and/or myself. Both the Client and I agree that, where consent is required to hold or process such data, such consent has been requested and obtained and both facts can be demonstrated. Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct and up to date.

8.2 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.

9. Legal jurisdiction

9.1 This agreement is subject to Northern Ireland law, and both I and the Client agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the Northern Ireland courts.

9.2 The exclusive venue for any arbitration or court proceeding based on or arising out of this Agreement shall be Belfast, Northern Ireland.

 

[Header image: Unsplash, joanna-kosinska]