Terms &
Conditions
Please read the below Terms & Conditions, to understand the roles and responsibilities of each party, when hiring the Editing Services of L.H. Editorial
1. Scope of Project
1.1 Before the editing process commences, Author and Editor will agree to terms of employment and a digital contract for both parties to keep will be signed. Both parties will agree to terms of what material the author would like edited; payment details, and type of service/style of edit; prior to commencement of editing period or any deposits/monetary transactions are made.
1.2 The Author understands that at the signing of contract, it is legally binding, and signifies the agreement/acceptance of the Editor's Terms and Conditions of Employment for their services as stated on website here and in contract, and also approves the estimated quote provided beforehand.
1.3 The Editor will conduct an initial assessment of the work via sample edit (5 pages). After assessment, should the Editor agree to provide editing services, the Editor will provide the Author with an estimated quote for services.
1.4 The Editor acknowledges that the sample edit is a free service offered for sampling of work, and will not charge or require payment for the aforementioned sample edit. Please note: sample edits are always a culmination of all editing services available, as this is used as a showcase of services available: developmental, line, copy—not just to assess authors work.
1.5 Proofreading services are currently offered at a flat rate cost, however, the Editor reserves the right to re-assess the quote if the scope of work far exceeds the work load (edit) originally ascertained from the sample edit, extending time frame past what is considered reasonable for that style of edit.
1.6 Timelines are an estimate based off: scope of work, length of manuscript (page & word count), balancing work with other contracts, and can be subject to change due to unforseen scheduling conflicts, illness, or personal matters that may lead to extra time required. Editor will endeavour to reach out if extensions are required to complete edit if a pre-estimated return date was given, to accommodate for timeframe adjustment.
1.7 As this is not a service paid by an hourly rate or set wage, Editor is not required to spend a set amount of hours/days/weeks within estimated timeframe, on one contract. This is a service completed upon delivery of material agreed (the edits).
1.8 If you need to change your agreement due to: delay in start date, you've gained representation or a publishing deal, or your financial situation has changed; you are required to tell your Editor as soon as possible and provide explanation. Together you may need to renegotiate the project’s details before editing commences or continues (pending on stage of process); especially if the scope of work changes, as sudden deadlines not prior discussed to booking of service, will incur a rush fee, and a change in scope of work may also affect cost. If the Editor needs to reschedule start date, timeline/extensions, or cost, they will notify the author via email. Re-negotiations happen if there is an objection from the Author at time of delivered notice from Editor. Formal notice is considered an email notification due to sole trader business taking place online.
2.0 Fees & Payment Terms
2.1 If the Editor later finds the sample was not representative of the whole project, if more work is required, the word count is more, if the scope of work exceeds that in the agreement; a new fee may need to be agreed.
2.2 A 10% deposit of the client's quote will need to be paid prior to the start of the editing process to secure the booking of the Editor, and hold the client's spot for editing in the Editor's books/schedule. The 10% deposit paid will be deducted from the total cost of the initial quote and is non-refundable.
2.3 Any Payment Plans requested by client, will be negotiated prior to signing of employment contract. The Author acknowledges that upon signing of contract, you have agreed to the payment plan proposed via email discussions, and are legally bound to payout your payments to L.H. Editorial when a payment deadline is set, and of the correct amount.
2.4 Failure to meet payment deadlines will result in a late fee charge of $15 (AUD) on top of existing payment amount, or potentially result in the halting of the editing process, or if deemed necessary by the Editor, the termination of contract and editing service. If a contract is ended due to continual missed payment deadlines, editor will return only the equivalent edits of what has been paid for up until that point, and has 30 business days to send these edits to author from date of cancellation. (2 cents per word system activated by this clause).
2.5 The remaining balance must be paid in full before any edits are returned. Failure to pay the remainder of fees owed to Editor, may result in potential legal action or no edits returned, as service has not been paid for.
2.6 The rate your Editor charges is entirely at their discretion, as is whether they charge by the hour, word, page, or project as is industry standard. If potential client wishes for a set amount of time (hours/days/weeks) to be focused solely on their work, then it will be an hourly charge/rate service of $50 (AUD) per hour.
2.7 An Editor’s rates may increase for some types of projects, such as multi-author works or jobs with a fast turnaround. If a rush order (set deadline ensuring a rush job, or adding a deadline after contract signing, changing timeline for editing process, and asking editor to prioritise work over other current contracts and potentially affecting their timeline) an automatic rush fee of $500 (AUD) will be applied.
2.8 If the author was not eligible for a payment plan due to service selected, or low quote cost, the quote will be listed/treated as an upfront fee, and will be required to be paid before any edits are returned.
2.9 No refunds are afforded for: change of mind, subjective disagreement, if service was provided and edits returned, service was provided and any deadline extensions were accepted and not requested to be renegotiated, or manuscript contained illegal or harmful material such as: perpetuating harmful material involving minors/infants, animal cruelty/bestiality, romanticising traumatic events (rape, torture, un-consented to acts) or incest and did not inform Editor. Note: Failure to disclose any of this upon submission can be grounds for termination of contract, if malicious intent has been perceived you may be reported to the authorities. If there has been a change of mind or timeline extensions have not been accepted, before any edits are returned, and some form of payment has been received, there will be no refund to account for time already spent on work, but the editor will immediately stop further edits upon notification of the author not wanting to continue/cancelling service, and will return edits equivalent of what has been paid for so far (2 cents per word system triggered by cancellation), and has 30 business days to send edits to author.
2.10 Refunds: If the Client believes the editorial work provided does not meet the scope of the services booked, the Client must notify the Editor in writing within 7 days of receiving work, outlining the specific concerns. Where concerns relate to work falling short of agreed scope, the Editor will first be given the opportunity to review and address all issues, which may include the clarification or revision of the relevant section of the edit. Refunds will not be issued on the basis of subjective disagreement with editorial suggestions or stylistic preferences. If, after review, it is determined that the edit failed to meet scope described in contract/website service booked, the Editor may, at their discretion, offer a refund of up to per word charge of 2 cents for sections failing to meet standard or delivered, proportionate to the work affected. In some cases, editor may offer a 50% refund.
2.11 The free sample edit will always be treated as FREE, and no monetary charge expected.
2.12 Payment Plans and Quotes are handled by accounting software Xero and STRIPE. Please be advised, in some cases, you may be asked to provide proof of identity to complete set up for the payment plan, and insure against potential fraud, identity theft, and help in instance of protection of earnings when collecting payments, in the event of criminal activity.
2.13 Some services charged at a flat rate or quoted a smaller amount, are not eligible for payment plan options, and will be an upfront cost, the Editor will inform the client if this is the case for them.
2.14 Signs of potential criminal activity or suspect/suspicious behaviour will be reported to authorities.
2.15 Payments will be made via bank transfer or secure payment link into L.H. Editorial business account, in partnership with Xero accounting software and Stripe. Please note, quotes do not include any potential banking fees that may apply due to; admin, currency conversion or transaction fees. L.H. Editorial is not responsible for any and all banking fees of your bank.
3.0 Intellectual Property
3.1 Your work is protected by Intellectual Property Law. As soon as you started writing your story it is protected by this, and considered 'Intellectual Property.'
3.2 Your work will not be shared or distributed by the Editor.
3.3 Your work will not be shared on social media, unless expressly given permission otherwise by the owner of the work (the Author).
3.4 Copyright Laws and regulations may vary depending on country and region, it is up to the Author's discretion to research and understand their rights. Please note that L.H. Editorial is an Australian based company, NSW, and is bound by Laws of Australia.
3.5 Your work will be shared only with the Editor and collected via software programs such as; Adobe, Microsoft Word, and through Outlook email. This is disclosed as part of the submission process.
3.6 The Author acknowledges that they are sharing their work with the Editor for editing services, and that the Editor will make changes to their work. Author is entitled to receive the final version of edits produced upon full payment of service.
3.7 The Author will receive an edited manuscript back at the completion of the editing process, and not before the completion/conclusion of the editing process. The return date of work, will be when the work is completed and not before then. Editor is not responsible for meeting author's self-imposed deadlines.
4.0 Client Responsibilities
4.1 The Author understands it is their responsibility to provide any and all, supporting documents/materials for their work such as; style guide, inspiration boards, images, research conducted, detailed notes on the creation or facts of your written work to assist the Editor. They acknowledge that failure to provide these materials may potentially impede/impact the quality and timeframe of the edit.
4.2 The Author understands the final form of edit/material will be edited digitally through editing software such as; Adobe and Microsoft Word.
4.3 The Author understands they are responsible for any and all final approvals, acceptances, and or rejections of tracked changes. The Author understands that they are responsible for all final reviews and approvals before any form of printing or publication, and that, that responsibility does not fall to the Editor. The Author is fully responsible for final form of manuscript.
4.4 The Author understands that for any printing or publishing errors, the Editor cannot be held accountable, as this does not fall under their role responsibility.
4.5 The Author acknowledges that the Editor is human, and is producing their own work. They acknowledge that due to human nature, there is the possibility of human error. As dictated by industry guidelines, Editor will try their best to catch all mistakes/errors/typos within the material being edited, and in cohesion with the type of edit they have been hired to perform.
4.6 The Editor must be credited and acknowledged in the event of publication of work if any of their edits/suggestions are used (i.e. the Editors work). It is the Author's responsibility to ensure credit for the Editor's work is appropriately acknowledged in the event of publication, or recommendation of services. To credit editor properly: Edited by L.H.Editorial.
4.7 It is up to the Authors' discretion as to whether or not they wish to provide the Editor with a complimentary copy of the published work.
4.8 The Author acknowledges that they are responsible for keeping and maintaining any and all original drafts/copies of their work, and where they choose to keep it stored, and are responsible for any consequences that may happen due to where they store their work e.g. if a file get's corroded on their computer, or delete their own work.
4.9 Author understands that any acts that cause direct or indirect interference or loss of business or earnings due to actions that are defamatory or slanderous in nature, written or verbal, or on social media, could potentially lead to legal action, and a potential result; law suit or prosecution in court.
4.10 The Author acknowledges that a copy of their edited work and editor's commentary document will be held for a maximum of 30 days after the editing process is completed, before potential deletion. The exception to this, is if there is a dispute between client and editor, and or legal proceedings. It is the Author's responsibility to ensure they have saved and backed up copies of edited/marked up work sent/emailed to them on their own computer/hard-drive/USB etc.
4.11 The Author understands that L.H. Editorial is not a publishing house with publishing services, or a literary agency, and cannot control the outcome of whether or not your work is successful in receiving representation, or publication, or its' subsequent successes in sales.
4.12 The Author understands that L.H. Editorial is not required to market your book in any way or at any given time. If the Editor chooses to do so, it is of their own accord and holds the right to make that decision.
5.0 Editor Responsibilities
5.1 As dictated by industry guidelines, Editor will try their best to catch all mistakes/errors/typos within the material being edited, and in cohesion with the type of edit they have been hired to perform. The Editor will be held to publishing industry error rate standards NSW. However, must be provided opportunity to correct/review errors if cause of any potential disputes.
5.2 The Editor is responsible for returning, an edited/marked copy of the manuscript in compliance with the contract. If more time is required, it is the Editor's responsibility to let the client know as soon as possible.
5.3 The Editor will aim to deliver a high quality service to the best of their ability.
5.4 It is the Editor's responsibility to keep a record of edits for a minimum of 30 days after return date.
5.5 It is the Editor's responsibility to produce all materials offered as part of each individual service. If in the event something is no longer possible or has been an error, the Editor must inform the client and initiate renegotiation of terms, and proceeding steps. Initiation for renegotiations is considered open upon the delivery of email notification informing the author.
5.6 It is the Editor's responsibility to work within the deadlines negotiated (if provided/set before edit has commenced) and charge appropriately for services after initial assessment of work. For this business, quotes are based off per word charges, or flat rates + extra additional per word charges, as is laid out on pricing list on this website.
5.7 It is the Editor's responsibility to ensure in the event of a dispute to, resolve the situation to the best of their ability before seeking any legal action.
7.0 Dispute Resolution
7.1 In the event of a dispute between Client and Editor the first step of dispute resolution will be to try and resolve the issue via communication written, and or verbal between the two parties.
7.2 Both parties agree to attempt resolution through mediation before attempting legal action.
7.3 All disputes are to be handled privately and remain off social media, as it will be deemed defamatory or slanderous behaviour in the eyes of the law and can lead to potential fines, and or face prosecution in court.
8.0 Termination
8.1 Failure to meet contracted/agreed terms, may result in the halting, or the eventual termination of the Editing Service being provided.
8.2 Failure to meet payment deadlines or pay the correct amount owed will result in termination of contract and editing work.
8.3 In the event of termination, the Editor will only return the sections of work that have been edited, up until the most recent payment. The Editor is not legally bound to return a whole edited work in the event of contract breach by client; payment failure, refusal to pay the remaining agreed amount owed, or repeatedly missed payment deadlines.
8.4 Abusive or harassing behaviour or communication will result in the termination of contract and editing services. It is important that Editor and Client treat each other with respect and kindness.
8.5 Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated, and may be reported to authorities in the event of.
8.6 Slanderous or defamatory behaviour online/social media/verbal, will result in termination of contract and editing services, and if deemed appropriate further legal action/prosecution may be put into action.
8.7 If the client is found to be participating in online/social media bullying behaviour, the Editor reserves the right to terminate contract and only return equivalent of materials paid for so far, or a partial refund of 50% if full quote has already been paid.
8.8 The client will receive one official written warning before a termination of contract and editing services is initiated.
8.9 If generative AI or ChatGPT has been used to write your work for you, and if the client has been dishonest about the use of; will result in immediate termination of contract, and no edits returned or refunds, due to failure to disclose upon submission, breaching contract, and directly impacting editors time/schedule.
8.10 Signs of potential criminal or fraudulent behaviour will result in immediate termination of contract and editing services with no edits to be returned. If deemed necessary, authorities may be informed. Including illegal content material.
9.0 AI Policy
9.1 In the event that the client fails to disclose the use of generative AI/ChatGPT, and in what capacity it was used, will result in the immediate termination of contract and editing services, and the Editor reserves the right to NOT return ANY edits that have been made. It will be a straight termination.
9.2 Use of generative AI and ChatGPT and to the extent/way of which it is used, may result in persons' details and name blacklisted/banned from any potential future submissions to L.H.Editorial.
9.3 L.H. Editorial does not accept the use of AI or ChatGPT to write for you. Your work should be your own hard work, and something to be proud of because it came from YOU, not generated from millions of stolen work.
Limitation of Liability
The Editor shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential damages arising out of or in the connection with the use of the edited work, including but not limited to claims of defamation, loss of sales or profit, or infringement of copyright. Liability, if any, shall not exceed the total amount paid for services.
*All of the above Terms and Conditions apply to the engagement of L.H. Editorial services.