These terms and conditions apply to any work done on behalf of the Client (you) by me (Jessica Kincaid of Literary Attention).
I will provide proofreading/editing services agreed upon (in writing) by myself and the Client.
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 times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.
The work will be carried out by me. I will not subcontract proofreading/editing projects, or parts of projects, to third parties.
I confirm that I am self-employed contractor.
A contract of service requires that the Client and I both acknowledge, in writing, that we have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.
Project terms
Prior to commencement of the proofreading/editing work, the Client and I will agree, in writing, to the terms of the project:
–the program the proofreading/editing service will use (e.g., Word, Adobe)
–how the material will be annotated
–the length of time required to complete the project
–a fee for the project, based on a quote supplied by me, in writing, following my evaluation of the material to be proofread/edited and the time frame required to complete project
–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
–the latest date by which the completed project will be returned
Please note that if, on receipt of the project to be worked on (or at an early stage), it becomes apparent that a significant increase in the amount of work is required than had been anticipated in the preliminary discussion or from the sample supplied, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to continue.
Fees
A project quote is supplied after an evaluation of the copy and a discussion with the Client as to what is required.
The Client will pay me a fee per word, per page, or an agreed flat fee for the job, etc. according to prior written agreement.
Once the Client and I have agreed to this fee, it is non-negotiable unless the Client extends the word count or requests additional services. In this case, a revised quote and the completion date will be negotiated.
Unless otherwise agreed, I will supply the Client with an invoice immediately upon completion of the proofreading/editing project.
Payment should be received within a specified time, agreed in advance, from submission of the invoice or within 30 days.
Booking-confirmation
A booking-confirmation form is an agreement to the contract of services between me and the Client.
I ask for a non-refundable 10% booking fee (or payment up front for a mini line edit). Once the client has returned the form, I will issue an invoice for the booking fee.
By filling in the form, the Client agrees to secure my proofreading/editing services for the specific project and for a specific timeline.
By filling in the form, the Client confirms that they have read and agreed to the terms and conditions herein and the terms of the cancellation policy now apply.
The booking fee will be deducted from the final invoice when the editing work is complete.
The booking is considered confirmed once the booking fee has been received by me.
The booking fee should be paid within 3 days of sending the invoice in order to secure a place in my schedule.
Cancellation policy
During the project: In the unlikely case that the Client cancels the work during the proofreading/editing project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee).
Prior to project commencement: In the unlikely case that the Client cancels the work prior to the proofreading/editing project commencing, but after making a booking and agreeing to the terms and conditions of service herein, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the booking fee) if the cancellation occurs with less than one month’s notice.
If the Client wishes to cancel with more than one month’s notice but less than two months’ notice, I reserve the right to invoice for 50% of the previously agreed fee (less the booking fee).
In the event that the Client wishes to cancel with more than two months’ notice, the booking fee will not be refunded but no other charge will apply.
If I am affected by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g., hospitalization), I will contact the Client in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project to mutual agreement and if I cannot, the booking fee will be refunded.
Both the Client and I have the right to terminate a contract for services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.
Confidentiality
The nature and content of all work will be kept confidential and only between the Client and its contractors, unless prior written permission is received.
I will not, under any circumstances, upload the Client’s files to external websites or distribute them to third parties unless specifically authorized to do so, in writing, by the Client. I do, however, use cloud storage. I guarantee that I will keep your data and privacy as protected as possible.
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.
Copyright
All content delivered to me by the Client for the proofreading/editing project is owned by the Client.
Following payment of my invoice, any content created by me as part of the proofreading/editing process will become the copyright of the Client unless otherwise agreed.
Quality assurance
- I guarantee that I will do my upmost for you, aiming for the highest editorial standards.
- I guarantee that even if mine is the only editorial scrutiny your project undergoes, the changes I make will result in a substantively higher quality book.
- I guarantee that I will respect your work, your privacy and your confidentiality.
- Will it be perfect? Keep subjectivity in mind—five different editors will give your five different edits. One person’s rules are another’s preferences, etc. I do aim for perfect but that is impossible to achieve in one pass and at times even in more than one and the industry agrees. So, I further guarantee that I will not make any unattainable promises in regard to perfection, just that I will try my very best.
Legal jurisdiction
This agreement is subject to the laws of the Unites States Court Systems and its respective States, and both the Client and I agree to submit to this jurisdiction.
Privacy policy
I, Jessica Kincaid, am the owner and sole proprietor of Literary Attention. I offer copyediting and proofreading services to authors and publishing companies.
This policy describes how I protect and make use of the information you give me. If you are asked to provide information, it will only be used in ways stated in this policy.
This privacy policy was last updated on January 16, 2023.
I gather and use certain information about you in order to:
- respond to your requests for information (e.g., my availability or a quote for services)
- allow me to contact you while a project is ongoing
I collect the following minimal information:
- name
- address
- email address
- information pertinent to your query or project (e.g., word count, nature of project, whether you’re an author or an editor)
The data I collect is used as follows:
- For my internal accounting processes (e.g., invoicing) and tax requirements
- To contact you in response to your queries, quote, or booking, etc.
- To record your agreement to the terms and conditions of my editorial services.
I will never use this data for marketing or promotion purposes without getting your permission in writing first (e.g., to publish your testimonial for Literary Attention on my website)
I collect and store minimal information via the following forms:
- Contact form (via WordPress)
- Email (via AOL.com or Gmail.com)
I will never lease, distribute or sell your information to third parties unless you give me written permission to do so, or I am required to do so by law.
The minimal information I collect may be stored on the following cloud storage servers, usually based on authorial file mediums: Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox, Google Docs, etc. All of these are protected to the greatest extent available in these applications. Specific preferences by the Client regarding storage will be addressed and adhered to upon request.
Because many of my customers and clients may work with me more than once, I do not delete data unless specifically requested to do so.
- Per IRS requirements and recommendations I do keep records for at least 3 years and upward to 6 years.
The IRS recommends you keep most tax-related records for three years, but depending on circumstances of the audit it can audit you up to six years back, so it is safer to use that as the timeline. Records include not only tax returns, but also whatever receipts, bills or payment records prove that your return is accurate.
- Please ask if you want me to delete or amend your records. As long as I’m complying with the IRS minimum requirement of 3 years record keeping, I’ll will address your request immediately.
Your information is shared with no one, unless you request that I do so in writing, or the IRS elects to audit my business.
Contact me
If you have any questions or requests for modification or removal of your data, you are welcome to email me at itzaart@aol.com or write to me at:
Jessica Kincaid | Literary Attention
PO Box 111803
Anchorage, AK 99511