The following terms and conditions apply to all proofreading, copyediting and proofediting services I provide for you (the Client). Additional terms and conditions apply to proofreading services for students submitting work for assessment.

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1. I will provide proofreading, copyediting and proofediting services agreed upon and confirmed in writing by myself and the Client.

2. The Client is not obliged to offer me work and I am not obliged to accept work offered to me by the Client.

3. The work will be carried out by me using my own equipment. I will not subcontract work to another person.

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

5. The Client will acknowledge in writing (including via email) that they have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions before the project begins.

6. Before I start work, the Client and I will agree: 

   • how the material will be supplied to me (e.g. as a Word document or as a PDF) and how I will show my corrections and amendments

   • the length of time required to complete the project, as advised by me

   • the nature and extent of the work

   • the fee for the completed work following my evaluation of a representative sample of the material

   • 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 by me to the Client 

7. My quotation will be based on my evaluation of a representative sample of the Client’s material and our discussions about the work required. If, on receipt of the entire document or at an early stage in the work, it becomes apparent that more work is required than anticipated or that the nature of the work is different from the agreed brief, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline or decide that I can no longer undertake the work.

8. Once the fee for a project has been agreed, it is non-negotiable. However, if the Client increases the word or page count or requests additional services, a revised quotation and completion date will be negotiated. 

9. The Client will pay me a fee based on an hourly rate, or per 1000 words, or a flat project fee, as agreed prior to the start of the work.

10. Unless otherwise agreed, I will supply the Client with an invoice immediately upon completion of the work.

11. If the project is of considerable length or duration, I may invoice for part-payment at agreed stages of completion.

12. Payment should be made in GBP by bank transfer within 30 days of the Client’s receipt of my invoice.

13. Both the Client and I have the right to terminate our agreement if at any time there is a serious breach of its terms.

14. The Client may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing me with a written notice (including email). The cancellation is valid when I acknowledge it in writing (including email). The Client will pay for all work already carried out up to the time of cancellation.

15. I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice (including email) to the Client. In this event, I will provide a prorated refund of any overages of fees paid by the Client.

16. If I am unable to complete the work required because of unexpected or difficult circumstances (e.g. illness or bereavement), I will contact the Client as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed. This may involve renegotiating our schedule or identifying another person to take over the work.

17. If the Client is unable to proceed with the work because of unexpected or difficult circumstances, the Client should contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss the best way to proceed.

18. The Client’s files and details of the work will be kept confidential.

19. I will not, under any circumstances, upload the Client’s files to external websites or distribute them to third parties unless specifically authorised to do so, in writing, by the Client. I do, however, use Dropbox as a cloud storage system; the Client can ask me not to do this and I will then back up files using an external hard drive.

20. Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Client and I may keep on record such information as is necessary (e.g. contact details) for the completion of the project, and no more than is necessary. Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct and up to date.

21. All material delivered to me by the Client for editing work is owned by the Client.

22. Any content created by me as part of the proofreading process will become the copyright of the Client upon payment of the invoice.

23. 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.

24. I will do my best on all work I undertake for the Client, but I cannot guarantee that all errors will be identified.

25. Please note that I am not responsible for incorrect facts, figures, conclusions or contact details in the Client’s material and that routine fact-checking is not part of the service I provide.

26. If I have worked on a Word document using Track Changes, the Client must check the tracked changes before accepting (or rejecting) each amendment.

27. Once the project is completed (or cancelled), I will delete all files associated with the project if the Client requests this in writing. I am required by law to retain the Client’s name and address (which will be on the invoice) for five years in case my tax office (HMRC) should decide to audit my business. I will, however, delete all other contact details I may have, such as the Client’s email address, should the Client request this in writing.

28. Personal data is held for the purposes of providing a service to the Client 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 compelled by law to do so. 

29. The Client agrees to give me the opportunity to review any acknowledgement in a publication or to decline any acknowledgement.

30. 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 should a dispute arise between us.

 

Additional terms and conditions for students submitting work for assessment

If you contact me about proofreading your thesis or dissertation, I will send you my standard code of practice. This document summarises the work that I can and cannot do as part of the proofreading process.

 

If our discussions progress and you engage me to proofread your material, I will then send you an academic agreement. This document will summarise the arrangements we have made relating to your material, the work I will do, your responsibilities, the schedule, the fee and the contact details of all parties involved (including your academic supervisor). You will need to sign this document in order to confirm you agree to these terms.