By agreeing to my quote, the Client accepts these terms and conditions unless otherwise stipulated in writing. The following terms and conditions are provided for our mutual protection.
General overview
1. These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by me (Rachael Mortimer).
2. The Client is under no obligation to offer me work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.
3. I will provide copyediting and proofreading services as mutually agreed, confirmed in writing by the Client.
4. The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.
5. 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. I am not VAT-registered.
6. I agree to attend the Client's or other premises for necessary meetings, the time spent and agreed reasonable expenses incurred to be reimbursed by the Client.
7. The Client will reimburse me for agreed reasonable expenses over and above usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work.
Editorial process
8. The Client should provide me with the manuscript on or before commencement of the agreed editing slot. If the manuscript is not received on or before this date, I am permitted to move the deadline to a later date of my choosing.
9. The completed work will be delivered on or before the date agreed, for the agreed fee, which will be based on the description of the work required and the brief, both supplied by the Client.
10. Following completion of the work, I shall provide reasonable email support in response to Client queries. This will ordinarily include answering up to three substantive emails of a reasonable length. Email support will ordinarily only be provided for up to three months following the end of the edit. The Client may not resubmit their manuscript or sections of their manuscript for further editing unless with prior agreement or unless they wish to commission new work. I may, at my discretion, provide additional support beyond these parameters.
11. I may use the Client's name in my promotional material, but will obtain written permission first. The Client may acknowledge me in their work if the Client wishes to, but will obtain written permission first.
Fees, payments and deposits
12. The Client will pay me a fee per hour OR per thousand words OR an agreed flat fee for the job, according to prior agreement.
13. 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 or from the sample supplied, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.
14. Similarly, if, during the term of my work, additional tasks are requested by the Client, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline. Should the Client terminate a project before completion, I will invoice for the work completed to date.
15. If Client materials contain particularly challenging copy, I will renegotiate the fee with the Client or reserve the right to decline the project.
16. Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, payment will be made by PayPal or bank transfer within 30 days of receipt of my final invoice, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013). I reserve the right to charge interest should payment exceed 30 days.
17. A deposit of one third of the total fee will be required for lengthy projects and advance bookings, which will be taken off the Client’s final invoice. Deposit payments are due within 7 days of the Client receiving the deposit invoice. I cannot guarantee the slot in my schedule until the Client pays the deposit. I may invoice periodically for completed stages.
Bookings, cancellations and rescheduling
18. The Client has the right to cancel their booking within 14 days of accepting these terms and conditions; in these circumstances, the project is cancelled and the deposit refunded to the Client. However, if work begins within these 14 days, the Client must pay for any work completed. If the Client books an editing slot within the 14 day cancellation period, they are expressly consenting to me beginning work within the cancellation period and agree to pay the cost of any work completed.
19. If the Client cancels their booking after the 14 day cancellation period, the project is cancelled and the deposit will not be refunded to the Client. If the job is in progress, the Client is obligated to pay a fee proportionate to the amount of work completed.
20. If the manuscript is not received within six months of the commencement of the original editing slot, and no new slot has been mutually agreed, I may cancel these terms and conditions and the Client will, under these circumstances, be obligated to pay a cancellation fee totalling 100% of the editing fee.
21. Both the Client and I have the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.
22. I may cancel the booking at any point, but I must return any payment made by the Client if I do so, unless the cancellation is triggered by the Client’s failure to provide their manuscript by the agreed date.
23. The Client is free to reschedule at any time by providing three weeks’ written notice via email. I will accommodate a request to reschedule depending on my availability, but cannot guarantee an immediate slot. If a mutually agreed date cannot be found, the project is cancelled. Should the Client provide me with less than three weeks’ notice of wishing to reschedule, I reserve the right to charge 100% of the fee.
24. If in exceptional or difficult circumstances (illness, family crisis, bereavement, etc.) the Client needs to cancel or delay, the Client should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. I aim to be fair and helpful at all times.
25. I am free to cancel or postpone at any time in the event of unforeseen circumstances (illness, family crisis, bereavement, etc.). I will contact the Client at the earliest opportunity to renegotiate the time frame, or to find the Client an alternative editor. If a mutually agreed date cannot be found, I will refund the deposit.
Refunds
26. If my work is unsatisfactory, I will rectify it in my own time and at my expense.
27. If I have not provided the work specified in these terms and conditions by the agreed deadline, I will refund payment for the work, unless an extended deadline has been agreed. Disagreement with my editing decisions is not grounds for a refund. Refunds can only be requested within 30 days of completion of the work. After this time, no refunds will be given.
Copyright, confidentiality and liability
28. Any content created by me as part of the copyediting or proofreading process will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise agreed.
29. 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.
30. I guarantee that any work that I subcontract on behalf of the Client will be completed to the same standard, schedule and budget and with the same conditions of confidentiality.
31. In case of emergencies, such as if I became severely ill, and where I am unable to contact the Client, the Client’s name and email address may be passed on to a trusted individual to notify the Client of any delays, disruptions to the service, or cancellations. The Client agrees they are happy for this information to be passed on in the case of any unforeseen circumstances.
32. I cannot guarantee the success of Client works following any editing work, nor can I guarantee that I will identify every error. I cannot be held liable for errors missed in any works or their lack of success, any legal or copyright issues, or negative feedback.
Data protection and privacy
33. Personal data and work files are held for the purposes of providing my copyediting and proofreading service and to ensure HMRC compliance. I will not sell, lease or distribute the Client's personal information to third parties without the Client's written permission unless I am compelled by law to do so. Further information can be found in my Privacy policy, which is intended to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), effective from 25 May 2018.
Legal jurisdiction
34. This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales, and both the Client and I agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.
Updated 15 April 2023