General

• These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by the Freelance (Karen O’Donnell at K O’Donnell Proofreading).

• I will provide proofreading/copy-editing services as mutually agreed upon in writing by me 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.

• 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 information the Client and I may keep on record is covered by the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation. 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 me. 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.

 

Project

• The terms of the project will be agreed upon in writing by me and the Client prior to editorial work commencing, including:

  • the medium and method of annotation (e.g. tracked changes in Word)

  • the date by which the material must be delivered to me by the Client

  • the date by which the completed project will be returned to the Client by me

  • a fee based on a quotation supplied by me in writing, following my evaluation of the material to be edited.

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

• If, 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 provided, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work.

• If my work is unsatisfactory, I will rectify it in my own time and at my own expense.

• Following payment of my invoice, any content created by me as part of the proofreading/copy-editing process will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise agreed.

• 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.

• It is the Client’s responsibility to ensure that they approve of any changes made by me, during the process of any editorial work I undertake, before their document is published/submitted for examination/distributed or otherwise finalised. The final responsibility lies with the Client.
   

Fees

• A quotation for fees is supplied by me in writing, following an evaluation of the material to be edited and a discussion with the Client about the work required.

• The Client will pay me a fee per hour, per word OR an agreed flat fee for the job.

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

• Costs agreed at the start of a project are not negotiable at a later stage unless, during the term of my work, additional tasks are requested by the Client, in which case I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.

• The Client has no right to reduce or refuse agreed payment based on style of work or interpretation of the brief.

• Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, payment will be made within 30 days of receipt of my invoice, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013). Under the terms of this Act, I reserve the right to charge interest and compensation if payment exceeds 30 days. If an invoice remains outstanding after 30 days, I reserve the right to refuse to undertake any further work, including work in progress, until all outstanding invoices are paid.

 

Cancellation

• If the Client decides to terminate during a project before it is completed, I reserve the right to invoice for 50% of the agreed fee where the work is less than halfway complete, and 100% of the agreed fee where the work is more than halfway complete.

• If the Client cancels prior to the project commencing but has made a booking and agreed to these terms and conditions, I reserve the right to invoice for:

  • 100% of the agreed fee if the cancellation occurs with less than two days’ notice

  • 50% of the agreed fee if the cancellation occurs with less than one week’s notice.

No charge will be made where more than one week’s notice has been given.

• Where the Client is affected by extraordinary circumstances that cause the cancellation, they should contact me to discuss these cancellation terms. It is my aim to be fair and reasonable.

• Where I am affected by extraordinary circumstances that cause the cancellation of the project, I will contact the Client as soon as possible, in writing, to renegotiate the timeframe or suggest alternative editorial professionals.

• Either the Client or I have the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.

 

Legal jurisdiction

• This agreement is subject to the laws of Scotland and both the Client and I agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the Scottish courts.

The Freelance reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions, with notice to the Client.

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Please also take a look at my article, The Finished Product, to see what you can expect from a professionally edited document.