Terms and Conditions

1.1 These Terms and Conditions govern provision of services from me (Colin Cooper | Grand Apostrophe) to you (the Client).

1.2 By engaging me, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

1.3 For any questions or concerns, contact me via colin@grandapostrophe.com

2.1 The work will be carried out unsupervised and at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.

2.2 The work will be carried out by me and not shared with or subcontracted to any third party.

2.3 I am self-employed as a sole trader and I am responsible for income tax and National Insurance contributions. I will not claim benefits granted to the Client’s employees.

2.4 You are under no obligation to offer work to me; I am under no obligation to accept work offered by you.

3.1 I agree to provide editing and/or proofreading services as agreed in the project terms, which we will agree at the point of booking.

3.2 Projects include one pass of a manuscript unless otherwise stated in the project terms. Revisions and/or additional passes are new projects, and as such are subject to new project terms and require the payment of an additional fee.

3.3 Where revisions and/or additional passes are included in the project terms, these must follow the agreed timeline; late requests for such work will be treated as new projects and will require the payment of an additional fee.

3.4 Where you require phone or video calls the time spent will be billed for.

3.5 If it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than had been anticipated, I may renegotiate the fee and/or deadline or decline to carry out the work. In such cases, information will be communicated clearly and at the earliest possible opportunity, and a mutually acceptable resolution will be sought.

4.1 I will make every effort to deliver work of the highest quality, in line with industry standards and norms and informed by substantial training and experience. However, I make no claim to and cannot guarantee ‘perfection’, which is in any case highly subjective and therefore unattainable.

4.2 If you make changes to the documents after I have completed the work, I cannot be held responsible for any of the additional content or associated errors.

4.3 It is your responsibility to ensure that engaging an editor and/or proofreader is not contrary to the rules of your employer, publisher or academic institution.

4.4 I am not liable for issues caused by extraordinary circumstances including, but not limited to, illness, death, technical issues or acts of God.

4.5 My liability is limited to the amount paid by you for the services rendered.

4.6 I am not liable for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages.

5.1  You will inform me of your requirements and we will agree

5.1.1 the medium through which the work will be carried out

5.1.2 the date you will provide the necessary material (e.g. the manuscript and style guide, style sheet or similar)

5.1.3 the start and end date for the project, as advised by me, and

5.1.4 the project terms.

5.2 I will provide a quotation based on 5.1.1–5.1.4. Quotations are valid for 30 days from issue or until the start date, whichever is sooner.

For individuals

6.1 When you have accepted the quotation I will issue a non-refundable deposit invoice for either

6.1.1 50% of the total fee (where the quotation is more than £500), or

6.1.2 the total cost of the project (where the quotation is for £500 or less).

6.2 Any remainder will be invoiced for on completion of the work.

6.3 By paying a deposit you agree to secure my services as described in the project terms.

6.4 Deposits must be paid within 3 days; all other invoices must be paid within 7 days.

For businesses and organisations

6.5 Invoices will be issued for the full amount on completion of the work. Payment must be received within 30 days of the invoice date.

For everyone

6.6 Payment must be made by bank transfer using the account details provided. Overseas clients must pay in GBP and must cover all international fees in addition to the invoiced amount.

6.7 I may propose a bespoke payment plan for large or extended projects.

7.1 I reserve the right to use your name and/or registered business or trading name, titles of works published or slated for publication – and a general description of the work completed – in marketing materials.

7.2 I will not share any other Client information and documents unless you provide written consent for me to do so.

7.3 I will not upload your work to external websites, except:

7.3.1 for secure storage and access in the Cloud

7.3.2 to transfer files via email or large file transfer services, or

7.3.3 if instructed to by you as part of the project terms.

7.4 The information that I keep on record is covered by the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

7.5 Your confidentiality does not extend to information that is publicly available or independently obtained by me without breach of any confidentiality obligations.

8.1 You retain all rights to the original documents provided for editing and proofreading.

8.2 I claim no ownership of edited or proofread material and, following receipt of full payment, any new content will become the copyright of the Client.

8.3 I cannot be held responsible for any claims, liabilities or expenses arising out of any potential or actual copyright or trademark misappropriation or infringement claimed against you.

9.1 There is no requirement for you to mention me in your published work. However, you agree to allow me to review any such mention prior to publication, or to decline to be mentioned.

9.2 If the work is commercially available as a physical item (e.g. a book), I will be entitled to receive one free copy.

10.1 If you cancel the project after work has begun, or within 30 days of the agreed start date, I reserve the right to invoice for the remainder of the total fee.

10.2 Both parties have the right to terminate the agreement if there is a serious breach of its terms. Either party may terminate the agreement with 30 days’ written notice.

10.3 In the event of termination, you will pay me for any work completed up to the date of termination. Upon receipt of this payment, I will return all completed work to you.

11.1 Amendments to these Terms and Conditions must be made in writing and agreed by both parties.

11.2 If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

11.3 The failure of either party to enforce any right or provision of these Terms and Conditions will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.

12.1 This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales and both parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of these courts.

12.2 The exclusive venue for any arbitration or court proceeding based on or arising out of this agreement shall be West Yorkshire, England.