Last Updated: 20th November 2024

These terms and conditions are outlined to ensure transparency and mutual understanding of the collaboration process. Should you have any enquiries or uncertainties, please do not hesitate to contact me for clarification and peace of mind.

General

• These terms and conditions apply to the agreed work to be done on behalf of the Client (you) by me, Zara Thatcher of Print-Ready Editorial.

• I will deliver the required service(s) as mutually agreed upon and documented (including via email) between myself and the Client.

• I will provide the service(s) agreed upon and will not subcontract any work to third parties.

• 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 contract of service requires that the Client and I both acknowledge, in writing (including email), that we have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.

Project

Prior to the commencement of the project, the Client and I will agree, in writing (including email), to the terms of the project:

• the medium in which the service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, PDF)

• how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word)

• 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 written material and the time required to complete the job

• any expenses (e.g. postage) that the Client will bear in addition to the costs of the service(s)

• the date by which the written material will be delivered by the Client to me

• the latest date by which the completed project will be returned, following my advice to the Client

In the event that it is clear upon receipt of the project or at an early stage that a substantial amount of additional work is necessary beyond that initially anticipated in the preliminary discussion or based on the provided sample, I reserve the right to renegotiate the fee and/or extend the delivery date, or in the absence of an agreement to refuse to proceed further with the services.

I may use the Client's name and book cover (if applicable) in promotional material on my website or social media by agreement with the Client.

The Client is not obliged to acknowledge me (either as “Zara Thatcher” or “Print-Ready Editorial”) in the published work’s acknowledgements or imprint page. However, the Client agrees that I will have the opportunity to review any such mention prior to publication or to decline to be mentioned.

Payment

I will supply the Client with a quotation, which can be agreed in writing (including email) or by signing a Print-Ready Editorial agreement.

Payment shall be made in pounds sterling.

If the project is lengthy, I may invoice periodically for completed stages (by agreement).

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

For larger projects, I shall require a 50% deposit before the commencement of any typesetting or proofreading, with the remaining 50% to be paid on completion.

Once I have received written (including by email) confirmation that the Client wishes to secure my services for a specific and mutually agreed upon project, the terms of the cancellation policy (below) apply.

If payment is not received within 7 days of the due date, a late fee will be applied at a rate of 5% per annum above the Bank of England's Bank Rate at that time, calculated cumulatively. However, if the Client notifies me in advance of the delay in payment and proposes an alternative payment schedule and I agree to the arrangement, the late fee may be waived.

Copyright

The content provided by the Client for the service(s) is owned by the Client. The Client agrees to indemnify me, Zara Thatcher of Print-Ready Editorial, against any claims, liabilities, or expenses related to copyright or trademark misappropriation or infringement.

Upon payment of the final invoice, any content generated during the typesetting process will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise specified.

I will provide the Client with the native files, such as the Adobe InDesign files, once the Project has been completed and payment has been received in full.

Cancellation

Either party may terminate the project by providing written notice to the other party, which must be acknowledged in writing (including email) within 7 days by the other party to be valid. If the termination is not acknowledged within the 7 days, it will be deemed to be effective.

In the event of termination, the Client shall pay for the services provided up to the termination date and any deposit will not be refunded.

If work has already commenced, any payment up to that stage, including the deposit, will be non-refundable. I will not return any uncompleted work.

If the Client experiences extraordinary circumstances leading to cancellation or delay, such as a family crisis or illness, they should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy or to delay the Project.

Similarly, if I were to encounter extraordinary circumstances necessitating cancellation, the Client will be promptly informed in writing and efforts will be made to renegotiate the project timeframe or arrange for an alternative service provider where necessary.

Quality assurance

Although I strive to deliver top-notch services to clients, it is important to note that no editor or proofreader, myself included, can promise a manuscript will be completely 100% error-free. I will use my best endeavours to make work as accurate as possible.

The Client is ultimately responsible for checking and approving the final work once returned by me.

If my work is mutually agreed to be unsatisfactory, I will rectify it in my own time and at my own expense. I do not give refunds.

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.

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 (including email) by the Client.

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Client and I may keep on record such information (e.g. contact details) as is necessary. Either may view the other's records to ensure that they are relevant, correct and up to date.

Legal jurisdiction

The Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by the law of England and Wales and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.