Terms and Conditions

• These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by me (Jane Spencer/the Editor/Jane Spencer Editorial).
• The Client is under no obligation to offer me work and I am under no 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 projects, or parts of projects, to third parties without the prior agreement of the Client.
• 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.

Prior to commencement of the work and following a discussion with the Client as to what they require (and, if necessary, my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on), the Client and I will agree the following:

• The nature of the work to be carried out (e.g. manuscript evaluation, proofreading, etc.) and how it will be carried out (e.g. Tracked Changes in Word).
• A fee for the project. This will be based on an agreed flat fee, OR a rate per 1,000 words of the original document, OR a rate per hour.
• Any expenses that the Client will bear in addition to the costs of the work (e.g. postage fees).
• The timescale for the work, including the date by which the material will be delivered by the Client to me and the latest date by which the completed project will be returned by me.
• How the material will be delivered to me by the Client and returned by me to the Client. This will normally be as an attachment to an email or via an online service such as WeTransfer. Alternative arrangements may be acceptable by mutual agreement between the Client and me.
• Version Control: Between the time I begin the agreed work and the time I return the completed work to the Client, the Client shall not make any revisions to the manuscript.

• I will provide a quotation for the work to the Client following a discussion with the Client as to what is required and, if I deem it necessary, my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on.
• 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.
• If it becomes apparent after the project has begun that significantly more work is required than had been anticipated, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work.
• Payment terms will be agreed prior to work commencing. This will normally involve a deposit to secure the agreed slot in my schedule and a final balancing payment on completion of the work. Invoices will be raised for payments due; these will be payable by deadline dates specified on the invoice – usually 3 days for deposits and 7 days for final payments. For larger projects, payment in instalments may be possible, the terms of which will be agreed prior to work commencing.
• In the case of editing/proofreading, unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one full round of editing. Additional full rounds are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.
• Terms will be confirmed in writing. This may be via an email, but will usually be via a Statement of Work (SOW) which I will create and send via appropriate means (usually an online eSignature tool such as Signable) to be signed by me and the Client.

• The nature and content of the Client’s work will be kept confidential and not shared with anyone other than the Client without prior written permission.
• I will not, under any circumstances, upload the Client’s files to external websites or distribute them to third parties (except for using file transfer services as outlined in Project terms 2.1)  unless specifically authorised to do so, in writing, by the Client.
• Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Client and I may keep on record necessary information (e.g. contact details). Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct and up to date. For more details, see my Data Privacy/GDPR Policy.

• The Client may cancel a service for any reason by providing me with written notice (including email). I must acknowledge this in writing (including email) for it to be valid. The Client will remain obligated to pay a fee proportionate to the amount of work already completed, if this is larger than the deposit paid. Any deposit paid is non-refundable.
• I may cancel a service for any reason by providing written notice (including email). In the unlikely event that I cancel a service, I will provide a prorated refund of any fees paid, including the deposit.
• 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), they 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 extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), I will contact the Client as soon as possible and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project. If we cannot agree a new time frame that is mutually acceptable, I will renegotiate a reduced fee for work already completed and will do my best to find an alternative supplier.

• The Client asserts that the document is an original work belonging to them and does not contain any plagiarised material, and that the Client’s use of any previously published material is done with the written permission of its copyright owner or else within the doctrine of fair use.
• The Client will declare the inclusion of any AI-generated material within their work prior to agreeing the terms of the project. I reserve the right to decline to work on any AI-generated material.
• 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.
• Any content created by me as part of the proofreading/editing process is owned by me. Following payment of my invoice, this will automatically become the copyright of the Client unless otherwise agreed.

• I will always aim to provide services of the highest quality, and as a member of the CIEP I abide by its Professional Practice Code. Please bear in mind that while I will make every effort to ensure all returned work is error-free, despite the best efforts of all parties, the finished book may contain a small number of residual errors. Perfection may be aimed for, but it is never promised and rarely achieved, particularly if the file has not previously been through professional editing rounds. If the Client is unsatisfied with my work for any reason, they should contact me immediately so that I can do my best to rectify the situation.
• The Client acknowledges that, despite the best efforts of Client and Editor, the book may not succeed in the marketplace.

• There is no requirement for the Client to mention me in the published work’s acknowledgements section. If the Client does wish to acknowledge me, they agree that I will have the opportunity to review any such mention prior to publication, or to decline to be mentioned.

• Agreements are 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.
• The exclusive venue for any arbitration or court proceeding based on or arising out of this Agreement shall be Cambridgeshire, England.