Contract of proofreading/editing services

The following terms and conditions are provided so that you and I both have an upfront and honest understanding of what is involved in the process of working together. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me so that I can provide clarity and reassurance.

General overview
These terms and conditions apply to any work done on behalf of the Client (you) by me (Louise Harnby | Proofreader & Copyeditor).
  • I will provide proofreading/editing services agreed upon (in writing) by myself and the Client.
  • The Client is under no obligation to offer me work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.
  • The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.
  • The work will be carried out by me. I will not subcontract proofreading/editing projects, or parts of projects, to third parties.
  • 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.
  • The contract of service requires that the Client and I both acknowledge, in writing, that we have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Project terms
Prior to commencement of the proofreading/editing work, the Client and I will agree, in writing, to the terms of the project:
  • the medium in which the proofreading/editing service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, on PDF, on paper)
  • how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word, BSI correction symbols on paper)
  • 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, following 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 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
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.

Fees
  • A quotation for fees is supplied after an evaluation of the proofs and a discussion with the Client as to what is required.
  • The Client will pay me a fee per hour OR per 1,000 words, OR an agreed flat fee for the job, according to prior agreement.
  • 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. 
  • Unless otherwise agreed, I will supply the Client with an invoice immediately upon return of the completed proofreading/editing project.
  • Payment should be received within a specified time, agreed in advance, from submission of the invoice or within 30 days, as set out in the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 – Amended and Supplemented in 2002.
  • I am a signatory to the Pay On Time code of practice.

Deposit/retainer
I do not require a deposit or retainer. However, once I have received written (including by email) confirmation that the Client wishes to secure my proofreading/editing services for a specific and mutually agreed-upon project, at a specific and mutually agreed time, and has read and agreed to the terms and conditions herein, the terms of the cancellation policy (see below) apply.

Cancellation policy
  • Cancellation during the project: In the unlikely case that the Client cancels the work during the proofreading/editing project, if the job is over halfway complete I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee; if the job is under halfway complete I reserve the right to invoice for 50% of the agreed fee.
  • Cancellation prior to project commencement: In the unlikely case that the Client cancels the work prior to the proofreading/editing project commencing, but after making a booking and agreeing to the terms and conditions of service herein, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee if the cancellation occurs with less than one month's notice.
  • If the Client wishes to cancel with more than one month's notice but less than two months' notice, I reserve the right to invoice for 50% of the previously agreed fee for the work.
  • In the event that the Client wishes to cancel with more than two months' notice, no charge will apply.
  • 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.
  • In the unlikely event that the Client is touched by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g. family crisis, illness etc.), the Client should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. I aim to be fair and helpful at all times.
  • If I am touched by similar extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation, I will contact the Client in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project or find an alternative supplier of proofreading/editing services.

​Confidentiality
  • 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.
  • 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, Dropbox as a cloud storage system. See my Privacy Policy for how your data is protected.
  • 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
  • All content delivered to me by the Client for the proofreading/editing project is owned by the Client.
  • Following payment of my invoice, any content created by me as part of the proofreading/editing process will become the copyright of the Client unless otherwise agreed.

Quality assurance
Please read the Will it be perfect? page. This is my honest-to-goodness declaration of what's possible when it comes to perfection, particularly when I'm working on a file that hasn't been through previous rounds of extensive professional editorial revision.

Legal jurisdiction
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.

Privacy policy and the GDPR
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).
Agreement to contract of proofreading/editing services ​​
The following contract-agreement form is for use only by clients who have already discussed their project requirements and agreed a booking date with me. If you wish to have an initial conversation with me about a project, please refer to the Contact page.
​Register your style preferences
​If you've filled in your contract of services, you can now register any particular style preferences you'd like me to adhere to when copyediting or proofreading your book.

​Just click on the image to go to the form.