Terms and Conditions of Service

When I take on a new client, I typically explain what services I am going to offer in an email. However, I think it is important to also share my Terms and Conditions of Service for anyone interested in hiring me to edit their project. 

The Terms and Conditions of Service are standard to most freelance editing contracts and fair to both parties involved. Please take a moment to read this important information and reach out to me with any questions or clarification you may need. 

At the end of the day, it is my hope to help you, the Author, write the best novel you can so you can achieve your publishing dreams. I want to see you succeed and I want your story told. I hope you will consider working with me; I thank you for reviewing my terms and conditions of services; and I look forward to whatever challenges may lie ahead.

Terms and Conditions of Service

1. Services Offered. The Editor agrees to provide a substantive Developmental Edit to the Author within the agreed upon time (typically 4-6 weeks from the date of payment received. The Developmental Edit will examine troublesome writing habits on a large scale which permit fatal errors in structure. This includes examining the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript relevant to engaging the target audience, character development, and the construction of the plot and story arc. A Line Edit or Copy Edit may be offered additionally but will be negotiated separately from the Developmental Edit. 

2. Author Responsibility. The author will promptly review the completed deliverable and notify the Editor within 5 business days of any issues. The Editor will then make any necessary corrections at no additional cost to the Author. If the Author does not notify the Editor of any issues within this period, the deliverable is considered accepted and the work complete. 

3. Cancellation of Services. All sales and payments are final after 7 calendar days for services rendered. Should the Author decide to cancel payment, he or she must do so before the seventh calendar day in order to receive a full refund. Once the project is in process, either party may terminate the Agreement in the even of material change of circumstance within the first 7 calendar days. Notice must be sent in writing to the other party at the email address provided. If the Editor terminates the Agreement, the Author will pay the Editor for the work done up to the date of termination, and the Editor will refund over-payment. If the Author terminates the Agreement, the Author will pay the Editor for the work completed up to the date of termination, but this amount will not be less than 50% of the estimated total for the project. 

4. Payments. Prepayment is required via PayPal or Walmart-to-Walmart transfer. However, if payment arrangements are provided, the Editor retains ownership of all work performed, including all relevant intellectual property rights, until the Editor receives full payment from the Author. Use of the work before that time by the Author represents a violation of this Agreement unless said use is agreed to in writing by the Editor.

5. Refunds. All refund requests must be submitted in writing and will be processed within 6-8 weeks via PayPal or Walmart-to-Walmart transfer. Full refunds will only be processed in the event of the following two scenarios on a case-by-case basis: 

• The Agreement is terminated in writing within the first 7 calendar days.
• The Author has secured promotional pricing with advance payment but services have not yet been rendered. 

6. Privacy. The Editor agrees not to reproduce, give, or show to anyone any material sent to her by the Author for editing purposes, unless consulting services from a third party are agreed to by the Author in advance. 

7. Guarantees. No guarantees are made as to the salability or marketability of the edited manuscript. Nor is there a guarantee that the manuscript will be completely error-free, though all efforts will be made to make it so. No guarantees are made as to whether the edited manuscript will secure literary agent representation, although all efforts will be made by the Editor to improve the manuscript provided by the Author. Unless a co-writing/co-authorship arrangement is agreed upon in writing prior to publication, all royalties and monies gained by the sale of the book will be the sole property of the Author.

8. Indemnity. The Editor will provide only those services specified in the initial offer letter or email. Because the Author and its representatives are the experts in the subject matter, and the Editor is not, the Author assumes full responsibility for verifying the validity of the work submitted by the Editor. The Author shall thus hold the Editor blameless for any unanticipated consequences of accepting the Editor's work, and agrees to indemnify and save harmless the Editor from any and all claims or demands, without limitation, arising out of any alleged libel or copyright infringement or other problem committed by the Author in creating the work. The Editor shall make every effort to bring questionable information to the attention of the Author, but shall not be held responsible for any failure to identify such information. 

©2017-2020 by Tara Goodyear. All Rights Reserved.