E.W. Editing Policies

 

1. Your Work Proposal

The details offered in your work proposal expire seven days after the proposal date. If your proposal expires, a new proposal may be drafted that includes updated details reflecting changes to my business (e.g., rates, availability).

2. Sending & Receiving Files

All of your files should be emailed to liz@ewediting.com or shared in Google Drive. Files formatted in a Word file or Google Doc are highly preferred. You must send files in a timely manner. Any delays in sending files at the start of the project or during back-and-forth revisions may result in an extension of the due date.

3. Availability

I keep standard Monday-Friday business hours (in U.S. Mountain Time Zone). While I may occasionally send materials or emails outside of these hours, clients should not expect it unless we agree on a case-by-case basis. I prefer to communicate via email and in the scheduled calls outlined in your work proposal. Extra video chats/phone calls may result in an extra charge on your next invoice.

4. Review & Revisions

After you receive the final edited file(s), you should review the work. Edits made through Track Changes can be "accepted" or "rejected," by you, directly in the file. (Track Changes are known as "Suggestions" in Google Docs.) As the author, it is your ultimate decision to accept edits or make suggested revisions.

If your service includes multiple rounds of revisions, you will return the document(s) back to me after you have reviewed my edits, made changes, addressed my queries, and finalized another draft. I will review the new draft for any lingering issues.

It is highly recommended to have at least one round of revisions. Track Changes can make the first round of editing messy, hiding some issues from even the most thorough edit. Also, as you incorporate my feedback and make additional changes to the text based on my queries, it’s common for new errors to pop up. I include my estimated number of revisions (usually one to three) in your proposal.

However, clients are not entitled to unlimited revisions, and any extra revisions outside of those in your proposal are treated as a new service that will be billed separately.

5. Project Rates

I charge a price-range project fee, not an hourly fee*, for my editing work. This allows you to have an upfront cost that you agree to before work begins.

The lowest fee in the price range is the minimum fee I will charge for the project (if everything moves quickly with minimal work needed on revisions). The highest fee in the price range is the maximum fee I will charge (if the work is more complicated than anticipated and takes longer to complete). This maximum cap means you won't be paying for unlimited hours. The actual final cost may be somewhere in between the low and high fee.

The fee range is calculated based on the communicated scope of work. If the scope of work changes at any time, this may result in a change to the fee.

Factors for estimating the cost include:

  • the type of service(s) that the text needs

  • the type and frequency of issues present in the text

  • the amount of time needed to complete the work, including revisions

  • if the document needs formatting before and/or after editing

  • if the project needs research, fact-checking, or citations

What is included in the project fee:

  • time spent editing, including cold reads, revisions, and rewrites

  • time spent pulling text from original sources (e.g., copy web text to Doc)

  • time spent drafting style sheets

  • time spent on add-on services (e.g., formatting)

  • time spent researching, fact-checking, or citations

  • time spent communicating with you (e.g., meetings, phone calls, emails)

(*I do consider working with an hourly fee with clients who require ongoing, flexible work. This is on a case-by-case basis.)

6. Retainer Rates

I also work with clients on retainer. The retainer rate is a project rate that covers specific work occurring on a regular, monthly basis. The retainer books dedicated time in my schedule for you for the upcoming month.

The retainer fee is due by the 1st of the month. For example, the work that is being completed in the month of February is paid for by the retainer fee that is due February 1st. March’s work is paid for by March 1st, etc.

Any extra work performed that isn’t included in the retainer agreement will be billed in the next billing cycle. For example, let’s say you pay a retainer of $250 which covers editing of five blogs each month. I will bill you $250 on May 1st to cover the editing of five blogs in May. However, if I edit a sixth blog in the month of May, your June 1st bill will be $300 (which covers the June retainer plus the extra work performed in May).

Clients will not be refunded all or a portion of the retainer if less work is performed than in the retainer agreement. In the example above, if four blogs are edited in the month of May, you will not be refunded any of your May retainer.

Retainers are subject to a late fee (see below). Failure to pay the retainer fee in a timely manner may also result in a pause in work for the month. Work will not resume until the retainer fee is paid.

7. Rush Fee

Projects requiring a fast turnaround will be charged a rush fee equal to 10% of the total project cost. Rush orders that require over 20 hours of work during a week will be charged a 15% rush fee for that week. Rush fees will be discussed first, and will not be a surprise on your invoice.

8. Deposits

Projects costing up to $1,500 require a deposit of 50% of the total cost before work begins. This deposit goes towards the project's total cost.

If your proposal includes a price range, the deposit is calculated based on the average of the high/low quote (e.g., if your price range is $200-$400, the average cost is $300; therefore, the 50% deposit is $150).

9. Milestone Payments

Projects over $1,500 can be paid with milestone payments. If your project is eligible for milestone payments, this will be outlined in your personal proposal. Milestone payments still require a deposit of a minimum of $750 before work begins.

A milestone payment is due within five days of receipt of its invoice. If payment is not received within five days, the payment will be considered late and may require adjusting the due date. Late milestone payments do not accrue late fees.

Milestone payments are scheduled based on the estimated time the project will take. If the project finishes “early,” your final invoice will bill any remaining unpaid fees covered under the proposal price range.

10. Final Payment

Final payment is due within 14 days of receiving the final invoice.

I reserve the right to keep the final deliverables until the final invoice is paid; in this case, I will email you the final deliverables after I receive the final payment. The final payment includes the amount on your final invoice, plus any late fees, if applicable.

11. Late Payment Fee

If the final invoice is not paid, in full, within 14 days of receipt of the final invoice, the balance will accrue a 5% late fee.

An additional 5% late fee will be added for each 30-day period that the balance remains unpaid (i.e., the fee is charged once if the payment is late between 1-30 days, twice if the payment is late 31-60 days, etc.). This is a simple interest, not compound interest, fee.

12. Payment Methods

Payment apps:

I accept payments through Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and Google Pay. These platforms are free for users to send money. My account info for these platforms is on each invoice.

If you elect to pay with a payment app that requires fees to send or receive money, you are responsible for those fees. PayPal, for example, charges 3% to accept payments, so I avoid using that platform.

Electronic payments:

I can also accept payment through your organization’s independent contractor electronic payment system (e.g., Quickbooks).

Checks:

I also accept checks from organizations and businesses that require payments by check for bookkeeping reasons.

If arrangements are made for you to pay with a check, you will be responsible for any bounced check fees issued by my bank. A bounced check may also result in a late payment fee, a pause in work, an extension of the due date, or your materials not being returned to you until the payment (including fees) is made.

13. Cancellation by E.W. Editing

In the unlikely event that I need to cancel a job, I will inform you immediately.

If I cancel before work has begun, I will refund you the full amount of any payments you have made, including the deposit payment.

If I cancel after work has begun, I will refund you an amount proportional to the work that is uncompleted (taking into account any payments you've made). I will return any partially edited materials to you. This includes cancelling retainer agreements mid-billing cycle.

14. Cancellation by Client

If you need to cancel a job for any reason, please contact me immediately.

Deposits are 100% nonrefundable in the case of a client cancellation, regardless if work has begun or not.

If you cancel after work has begun, I may also bill you an additional amount if any payments made before the cancellation do not cover the entire amount of work completed. For example, if you pay a deposit that covers eight hours of work, but I have worked ten hours by the time you cancel, I will bill you an additional two hours. I will then return any partially edited materials to you.

Retainer clients must cancel one month before the beginning of the next billing cycle or else you will be responsible for paying the retainer rate for the upcoming billing cycle (e.g., if you pay a retainer of $200 on the 1st of each month and your next billing date in May 1st, you must cancel by April 1st to avoid paying the $200 retainer on May 1st).

15. Acknowledgements

You must receive approval from me before you include references to myself or E.W. Editing in acknowledgements anywhere within your work (including, but not limited to, the work covered in your work proposal). This includes me having the right to review, edit, and approve the language used. I also reserve the right to not give approval.

16. Other Small Print

Policy Changes: These policies are subject to change at any time. Policy changes that affect your on-going project will be communicated to you.

Indemnification: It is ultimately up to you, the author, to accept or reject edits suggested by me, and to address issues I bring to your attention. The content of your work, including the facts and opinions expressed, is also your responsibility. I will do my best to bring to your attention any questionable material in your work, but my services do not include automatic thorough fact-checking, checking for plagiarism, reviewing copyrights, or reviewing for instances of libel. By agreeing to work with me you agree to indemnify and save harmless Elizabeth Walch and E.W. Editing from any and all claims or demands, including legal fees, that arise out of any alleged libel or copyright infringement committed by you in creating your work.

Warranty: Editing involves some subjectivity. You have the discretion to accept or reject any or all of the changes made by me. You understand and agree that disliking or rejecting the changes is not grounds for refusing to pay part or all of the fees outlined in your proposal. I strive to correct errors in your work, but I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. No editor can. Therefore, I do not and cannot make any promises or guarantees about any outcome or adequacy of the finished product for any particular purpose. I do not guarantee that the work will be accepted or approved by a publisher, an academic committee, or any other organization/group. Failure to receive acceptance or approval by a publisher, an academic committee, or any other organization/group is not my fault and is not grounds for reducing the agreed-upon fee for the services described in your proposal.

Dispute Resolution: By entering into this Contract you agree to the laws of the State of Colorado, without regard to the internal law of Colorado concerning conflicts of law, govern, control, and apply to this Contract and all matters or claims arising out of or relating to this Contract. You agree that any legal action brought to enforce or terminate this contract or any term of this contract must be brought in a court of the State of Colorado located in Boulder County, Colorado, which the parties to this contract agree is the proper venue and the court that has jurisdiction over any dispute regarding this contract. The cost of collecting any amounts due from you shall be your expense. For collection purposes, you consent to the jurisdiction of Colorado courts, and agree to accept personal service via registered mail to your last known address. I shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs or expenses incurred for collections, including attorneys’ fees for any time spent representing myself, whether or not suit is brought. If suit is brought for any reason, should the court rule in my favor, the Client is responsible for paying my legal fees and associated costs.

policy version 2/5/23