Terms and Conditions

Designed to provide peace of mind and confidence in the editorial relationship.

General overview
These terms and conditions apply to any work done on behalf of the client by Inky Frog Editorial.

All editorial services provided will be agreed upon in writing by the client and Inky Frog Editorial.
The client is under no obligation to offer work to the editor; neither is the editor 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 the editor, using the editor's own equipment.
Inky Frog Editorial will not subcontract editorial projects, or parts of projects, to third parties.
All editors at Inky Frog Editorial are self-employed, are responsible for their own income tax and National Insurance contributions, and will not claim benefits granted to the client's employees.
Editors at Inky Frog Editorial are not VAT-registered.
The client must confirm in writing that they have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Project terms

Prior to commencement of the editorial work, the client and editor will agree in writing the terms of the project:
- the medium in which the proofreading/editing service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, on PDF, on paper)
- how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word, BSI correction symbols on paper)
- the length of time required to complete the project, as advised by the editor
- a fee for the project, based on a quotation supplied in writing by the editor, following the editor's evaluation of the material to be proofread/edited 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
- the date by which the material will be delivered by the Client to the editor
- the latest date by which the completed project will be returned, following the editor's advice to the Client
Please note that if, on receipt of the project 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, the editor may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work.

Quotations and fees

A quotation for the work will be provided by the editor following an evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on, and a discussion with the client as to what is required.
Once agreed, the fee 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.
The client will pay the editor a fee per 1,000 words in the original document, OR per hour, OR an agreed flat fee for the project, as agreed in writing.
An invoice will be sent immediately upon completion of the editorial project.
Payment of deposit should be received within 10 days. Payment for completed work should be received within 21 days.
Unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one pass of a manuscript. Additional passes are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.

Deposit

Deposits are non-refundable.
A deposit of 10% of the total project cost will be payable within 10 days of receipt of the deposit invoice.
The deposit will be deducted from the final invoice issued when the editorial work is complete.
The booking is only considered confirmed once the deposit has been paid by the client and received by the editor.

Cancellation policy: Terms and fees

TERMS

Both the client and the editor have the right to terminate a contract for services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.
The client is free to cancel a service for any reason by providing the editor with written notice; the editor must acknowledge this cancellation in writing for this to be valid.
The editor may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice to the client. In the unlikely event that the editor cancels a service, the editor will provide a refund of any fees paid, including the deposit.
If, in the unlikely event that the client experiences extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), the client should contact the editor to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. The editor aims to be fair and helpful at all times.
If the editor experiences extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), the editor will contact the client in writing at the earliest opportunity and do their best to renegotiate the time frame of the project or find an alternative supplier of editorial services. The deposit will be refunded.

FEES

If the client cancels the work during the editorial project, the editor reserves the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the deposit).
If the client wishes to cancel with less than one month's notice, the editor reserves the right to invoice for 50% of the agreed fee (less the deposit).
If the client wishes to cancel with more than one month's notice, the deposit will not be refunded but no other charge will apply.

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.
The editor 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. See the Inky Frog Editorial privacy policy for how your data is protected.
Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, the client and the editor may keep on record such information (e.g. contact details) as is necessary. Either may view the other's records to ensure they are relevant, correct and up to date.

All content delivered to the editor by the client for the editorial project is owned by the client.
In this respect, the client agrees to hold the editor 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.
Following payment of the editor's invoice, any content created by the editor as part of the editorial process will become the copyright of the client unless otherwise agreed.

Gift cards

Gift cards are non-refundable.
Gift cards cannot be exchanged for cash and no change can be given.
Gift cards are not valid with any other offer or discount.
Valid for a single transaction only.
No replacement for loss or stolen gift vouchers.

Quality assurance

All editors are members of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and all editors adhere to the CIEP Code of Practice.
Inky Frog Editorial aims to provide editorial services based on objectivity. All editorial work carried out is not based on individual or personal opinion, but on literary theory and principles and other sources of authority.
There will always be some degree of subjectivity to any creative project.
The editorial process is one of collaboration between the client and the editor. The client has the final say in the decisions made about the work.
At Inky Frog Editorial, we aim for the highest editorial standards, however, we cannot guarantee the client will secure agent representation or publication, nor can we guarantee sales of the published work.
Inky Frog Editorial is unable to guarantee editorial perfection.

Legal jurisdiction

This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales, and both the client and the editor agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.

Please read the Inky Frog Editorial Privacy Policy, which explains the data we collect, how we use and store it, and our compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Acknowledgements in published works

There is no requirement for the client to mention the editor or Inky Frog Editorial in the published work's acknowledgements section. However, the client agrees that Inky Frog Editorial will have the opportunity to review any such mention prior to publication, or to decline to be mentioned.