These terms & conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by the Editor (Louise Holtby, trading as Holtby Editorial).

The Client is under no obligation to offer the Editor work; neither is the Editor under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.

The Editor will provide service(s) as mutually agreed, confirmed in writing by the Client.

The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by the Editor, using her own equipment.

The Editor confirms that she is self-employed, is responsible for her own income tax and National Insurance contributions, and for paying VAT (where applicable) and will not claim benefits granted to the Client's employees.

The Client will reimburse the Editor for agreed reasonable expenses over and above usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work.

The Client will pay the Editor a fee per hour OR per printed page OR an agreed flat fee for the job, plus VAT where applicable.

The completed work will be delivered on or before the date agreed, for the agreed fee, which will be based on the description of the work required and the brief, both supplied by the Client.

If, however, on receipt of the item 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, the Editor may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.

Similarly, if, during the term of the Editor's work, additional tasks are requested by the Client, the Editor may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.

The Editor is not responsible for fact-checking a document.

The Editor is not liable for any claims brought in relation to plagiarism and/or infringements of third-party copyright and the Client fully indemnifies the Editor if litigation arises.

The Client bears ultimate responsibility for matters relating to libel, obscenity, blasphemy, and incitement to racial hatred, and the Client fully indemnifies the Editor if litigation arises.

If the project is lengthy, the Editor may invoice periodically for completed stages.

Any content created by the Editor as part of the copyediting / proofreading / project management process will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise agreed.

The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than the Client and their contractors without prior written permission.

The Editor guarantees that any work that she subcontracts on behalf of the Client will be completed to the same standard, schedule and budget and with the same conditions of confidentiality.

Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, 50% of the total payment due will be paid before the commencement of the project.

Unless agreed otherwise at the outset, the balance of the payment due will be made within 30 days of receipt of the Editor's invoice, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013).

The information that the Client and the Editor may keep on record is covered by the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation. No more such information will be held than is necessary, at any time, to comply with those terms and with any compliance statement or privacy policy published by the Client and/or the Editor. Both the Client and the Editor agree that, where consent is required to hold or process such data, such consent has been requested and obtained and both facts can be demonstrated. Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct and up to date.

Either the Client or the Editor has the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.

The client may choose to accept some, none, or all of the Editor’s editorial changes and/or suggestions. The Client’s decision to decline some or all editorial changes or suggestions does not constitute non-performance on the part of the Editor and does not entitle the Client to a whole or partial refund.

If the Editor has made a substantial contribution to the copyediting / proofreading / project management of the work, she will be entitled to receive one free copy of the work.

While a professional proofreader will always aim for the highest standards, it is important to note that any remaining errors are ultimately the responsibility of the author and/or publisher.

The Editor will not be responsible for any legal or copyright issues or negative feedback received by the author/client, including libel and slander, infringement of copyright, breach of confidentiality, negligence, and liability to the public. Further, the Client is responsible for ensuring they have adequate insurance to cover loss, damage or inadvertent copyright infringement relating to permissions for the use of original artwork or transparencies.

The Editor may use the Client's name in her promotional material.

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