These terms and conditions (T&C) are provided so that you and I have an understanding of some important aspects of how to work together. Every relationship is different and if you want to discuss anything, please feel free to talk to me.
- These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by me (Nazneen, of Nazneen Editorial Services).
- The Client is under no obligation to offer me work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.
- I will provide service(s) to the Client as mutually agreed and confirmed in writing.
- The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.
- I confirm that I am self-employed. I am responsible for paying my income tax and National Insurance contributions and will not claim benefits granted to the Client’s employees.
- Nazneen Editorial Services is not VAT-registered.
- I agree to attend the Client’s (or other) premises for necessary meetings. The Client agrees to reimburse me for the time spent and expenses incurred as a result. Expenses should be agreed beforehand.
- The Client will reimburse me for agreed reasonable expenses over and above usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work.
- Quotations. 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 about the project.
- Project details
10.1 Before the project commences, the Client and I will agree, in writing, the terms of the project. This includes:
- The medium in which the service is being carried out (e.g. Word, PDF, Canva, platform).
- How the proofreading/editing will be carried out (e.g. Track changes, BSI correction symbols on PDF, Canva comments, direct changes to platform).
- The timelines confirming the date that the client will hand over the project and all materials to me, the length of time needed to carry out the service (decided by me), and the deadline (negotiated with the Client).
- A written work brief should be supplied by the Client, or a work outline should be written by me. This should accompany the T&C and in signing the T&C, both the Client and I are agreeing to the details of the brief/work outline.
- (In the case of long projects and retainers) a schedule of work and/or a list describing work type and/or hours of work expected per week/month/year.
- Any additional expenses (e.g. printing or postage).
10.2 Unless otherwise agreed, a project involves one pass of a manuscript/one round/one revision. Additional passes are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.
10.3 If, on receipt of the project or at an early stage once work has commenced, it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than had been estimated, I may seek to renegotiate the fee and deadline/or decline to carry out the work.
10.4 Retainers may be reviewed periodically to remain workable for, and beneficial to, both the Client and myself.
11. Missing deadlines and delays
11.1 Missing deadlines. The Client understands that if they miss the deadline to hand over the project, the timeline and any other deadlines will need to be renegotiated to allow me to manage work from other clients that had been scheduled but now overlap.
11.2 Delays. I will try to be flexible as I understand unavoidable issues may cause delays. Therefore, the Client may postpone the project by up to six months from the day it was meant to begin. However, the Client should inform me at the earliest about delays (to allow me to schedule other work).
11.3 It is the responsibility of the Client to communicate with me if they postpone the project. If delays continue without notice and/or the Client does not at least commence the project within six months of the original start date, the agreement is considered lapsed and a new agreement, outline and fees must be drawn up.
12. Fees
12.1 All matters related to fees will be agreed before work commences, preferably by email. The Client will pay me a fee per hour, OR per page, Or per document, OR an agreed fee for the job, OR a retainer.
12.2 Fees include a non–refundable deposit. This is treated as a booking fee to schedule my time, and compensation if the Client delays without giving notice to allow me to schedule new work.
12.3 If, on receipt of the item to be worked on or at an early stage of the process, 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. In the case of a retainer arrangement, an additional fee may be requested.
12.4 Fees may be revised if, during the term of the project, additional tasks are requested of me, by the Client.
13. Cancellation.
13.1 Both the Client and I have the right to terminate services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.
13.2 The Client is free to cancel a service but will need to give me written notice (including email); I must acknowledge this cancellation in writing (including email) for this to be valid.
13.3 If the Client cancels the work during the editing/proofreading project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee.
13.4 Although unlikely, I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice (including email) to the Client.
14. Copyright and Legal Issues
14.1 The Client is responsible for all legal, copyright and reproduction issues. The Client is advised to seek legal advice before publication.
14.2 Any content created by me as part of the self-publishing/ copyediting/proof-editing/proofreading/project management process will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise agreed.
14.3 The Client agrees to hold me harmless from all claims, liabilities and expenses arising out of any potential or actual copyright or trademark misappropriation or infringement claimed against them.
15. 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.
16. Subcontracts. 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.
17. Dissatisfaction. It is understood that editors and proofreaders work to a high standard, but mistakes may still occur – a small margin of error is inevitable. However, if my work is unsatisfactory, I will rectify it in my own time and at my own expense.
18. Quality assurance
18.1 I am an entry-level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and adhere to its Code of Practice.
18.2 I cannot guarantee that the Client will secure success as a result of my work.
18.3 It is understood that editors and proofreaders work to a high standard, but mistakes may still occur. While I aim to deliver quality and care to all projects, I am unable to guarantee perfection or 100 per cent error-free text. (This is more problematic when working with relatively small budgets. However, even with more resources and technological advancements, it is generally agreed among editors that editorial perfection is an impossibility.)
- Payments
19.1Payments can be made via bank transfer (BACS), PayPal or Stripe
19.2 How payments are broken down
- Deposits. All projects require a deposit from the Client before work commences. The deposit is non-refundable (see 10.2).
- If the project is short, the remaining payment should be issued upon completion of the project. An invoice will be issued at the same time as when the project is handed over.
- If the project is lengthy, NES may invoice periodically or as milestones are reached.
- In the case of self-publishing support, a schedule of payment will be set up.
- In the case of a retainer, a schedule of payment will be set up.
19.3 Late Payments. Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, payment will be made within 14 days of receipt of an invoice, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013). I am within my rights to charge a late payment fee (labelled ‘interest’ on the invoice) for payments made outside the 14 days.
20. GDPR. The information that the Client and I may keep on record is covered by the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation. Only necessary information will be held at any one time. The Client can find my privacy policy here: https://www.nazneeneditorialservices.com/privacy-policy. Both the Client and the 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.
21. Termination. Either the Client or I have the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.
22. In the case of books, e-books, magazines, e-magazines and zines, if I have made a substantial contribution to the copyediting/proof-editing/proofreading/project management of the work, I will be entitled to receive one free copy of the work.
23. Marketing. I may use the Client’s name and work in my promotional materials and may request the use of the Client’s logo to feature in my portfolio to show other clients.
24. Legal jurisdiction. This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales, and both I and the Client agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.
25. Confirming agreement. The T&C and brief/work outline must be agreed to by signing this document or by confirming agreement in email (though other forms of agreement are accepted).