Seymour Proofreading

Terms and conditions: Contract for services

Contract for proofreading, proof-editing and beta reading 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

. 1. These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the client (you) by me (Victoria Seymour, proofreader and beta reader). 2. I will provide proofreading/editing/beta reading services agreed upon (in writing) by myself and the client. 3. The client is under no obligation to offer me work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered 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. The work will be carried out by me. I will not subcontract projects, or parts of projects, to third parties. 6. 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. 7. I am not VAT registered. 8. The contract for services requires that the client acknowledges, in writing (including email via the contract for services agreement), that they have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Project terms

. 9. Prior to commencement of the proofreading/editing/beta reading work, the client and I will agree, in writing (including email), the terms of the project: • the medium in which the proofreading/editing/beta reading service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, on PDF) • how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word, Adobe commenting tools on PDF) • 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 (including email), following my evaluation of the material to be proofread/edited/beta read 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/beta reading 10. The client will send me the file 24 hours before the agreed start date. 11. 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. 12. Please note that 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 supplied, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work. 13. Similarly, if, during the term of my work, additional tasks are requested by the client, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.

Quotations and fees

. 14. A quotation for the work will be supplied by me to the client following my evaluation of a representative sample of the material(s) to be worked on, and a discussion with the client as to what is required. 15. Until the booking is confirmed, quotations are valid for 90 days OR until the end of the current tax year, whichever is later. 16. 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. 17. The client will pay me a fee per hour OR per 1,000 words OR an agreed flat fee for the job. A 50% non-refundable booking fee (deposit) will be due once the client has returned the contract for services agreement. The remaining balance will be due once the project is complete. The manuscript will be returned once the balance is paid. All quotes are in GBP and are to be paid to my UK bank account by bank transfer if the client is based in the UK, or via Wise (formerly TransferWise) if the client is based elsewhere. If an overseas transfer is not possible via Wise, payments are to be made by international bank transfer (SWIFT) to my UK bank account. In these cases I will ask for 100% of the fee upfront to minimise costly bank charges. If the client’s bank will charge me to receive payment, this will be added to the fee. All invoices are due on receipt. 18. If the project is lengthy, I may invoice periodically for completed stages. 19. Unless otherwise agreed, I will supply the client with an invoice immediately upon completion of the project. 20. Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, payment will be made within a specified time, agreed in advance, from submission of the invoice or within 30 days, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013). 21. Unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one pass of a project. Additional passes are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.

Contract for services agreement

. 22. This is an agreement to the contract for services between me and the client. 23. After my evaluation of the representative sample, and the client has discussed their project requirements and agreed a booking date and fee with me, I will send the contract for services agreement.

Booking Fee

. 24. When the client has returned the contract for services agreement, I will issue the invoice for the booking fee. 25. The booking fee is non-refundable if the client cancels the service. 26. By filling in the contract for services agreement, the client agrees to secure my proofreading/editing/beta reading services for a specific and mutually agreed-upon project, at a specific and mutually agreed time. 27. By filling in the contract for services agreement, the client confirms that they have read and agreed to my privacy policy and the terms and conditions herein (and my Academic Agreement form and Code of Practice for thesis and dissertation work, if applicable). From thereon, the terms of the cancellation policy (see below) apply. 28. The booking is considered confirmed once I have received the booking fee. 29. The booking fee should be paid within 3 days of sending the contract for services agreement to secure the slot in my schedule. 30. The booking fee will be deducted from the final invoice issued when the proofreading/editing/beta reading work is complete.

Cancellation policy: Terms and fees

. TERMS: 31. Either the client or I have the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms. 32. The client is free to cancel a service for any reason by providing me with written notice (including email); I must acknowledge this cancellation in writing (including email) for this to be valid. 33. I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice (including email) to the client. In the unlikely event that I cancel a service, I will provide a prorated refund of any overages of fees paid (including the booking fee). 34. If, in the unlikely event that the client is touched by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), the client should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. I aim to be fair and helpful at all times. 35. If I am affected by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g. bereavement or illness), I will contact the client in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project. FEES: 36. CANCELLATION DURING THE PROJECT: If the client cancels the work during the proofreading/editing/beta reading project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee). 37. CANCELLATION PRIOR TO THE PROJECT: If the client wishes to delay or cancel the project before the agreed start date, the booking fee will not be refunded but no other charge will apply.

Confidentiality

. 38. The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than the client and their contractors without prior written permission. 39. The information that 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.

Copyright

. 40. All content delivered to me by the client for the proofreading/editing/beta reading project is owned by the client. 41. In this respect, 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. 42. Following full payment, any content created by me as part of the proofreading/editing/beta reading process will become the copyright of the client, unless otherwise agreed.

Quality assurance

. 43. If my work is unsatisfactory, I will rectify it in my own time and at my own expense. Please note that I do not guarantee 100% error-free documents and the client is responsible for approving the final product.

Legal jurisdiction

. 44. This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales [or Scots or Northern Ireland law, as appropriate], and both the client and I agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh [or Scots or Northern Ireland] courts.

Privacy policy and the GDPR

. 45. 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).

Acknowledgments

. 46. There is no requirement for the client to mention me in the published work’s acknowledgements section. However, the client agrees that I will have the opportunity to review any such mention prior to publication, or to decline to be mentioned. 47. If I have made a substantial contribution to the work, I will be entitled to receive one free copy of the work. 48. I may use the client’s name in my promotional material.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about my terms and conditions, please contact me.

Contact me

Delivered the work within the agreed time frame ...

“Tori has acted professionally. She offered a great service; she was prompt in her response and delivered the work within the agreed time frame. Would recommend her, definitely.”

—Tasawar Nawaz, academic researcher