1. English Edit UK provides . . .
an ‘English Language document improvement service’ which could be termed ‘proofreading +’.
It starts with the normal proofreading -identifying and correcting errors and omissions of English spelling, grammar and syntax – but it goes further. You will also receive corrections, comments and suggestions covering style and language choices. The result is that your text is then clear, correct and conveyed in an appropriate tone. For non-native speakers of English, English Edit UK’s work brings the text to the standard of the native speaker.
Proofreading per se does not include substantial editorial interventions for restructuring, reconstruction or rewriting, for which separate agreements might be available, or the mark-up for a typesetter.
NB this clause is subject, in the case of academic work which will be submitted for assessment at an HE institution, to the norms of academic best practice: see clause 2.
2. Students and Academic practice:
a) Work which is to be submitted for assessment is subject to the usual academic norms and you should consult your institution’s policy on this. You need to be clear that while I can help you to say what you’re saying more effectively, the work must stay yours. That is, I do not ‘take over’ your work and rewrite it.
b) When you send a text to me for proofreading you understand that I assume in good faith that you have ascertained that you are acting within the rules and regulations of your institution.
c) When you send a text to me for proofreading I assume in good faith that you have ascertained whether there are particular guidelines a proofreader should follow and if there are you have sent me a copy.
d) When you send work for proofreading which will then be submitted for assessment you must include in the request for a quote the details of the relevant staff member. If this information is not received 5+ days before the agreed start date, the start date will be put back at our discretion. The information is not required in order that we can contact them – which we do not – but in case they contact us, and we know in advance who are and their relationship with you before we reply. This is a data protection safeguard for you.
3. The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than yourself and your contractors without prior written permission, except only in the case outlined in 2 d) above.
4. Data protection: English Edit UK will keep on record only the material needed for reference to the project and contact with you.
5. The work will be carried out unsupervised, at times and places determined by English Edit UK, using their own equipment.
6. English Edit UK confirms that Damian Randle is a self-employed freelance, is responsible for his own tax and insurance payments, and will not claim benefits granted to the client’s employees.
7. Submission of texts for proofreading and/or editing
a) Where a sample is sent, if the final text submitted is in our view more complex or of a lower standard of English than was apparent from the sample, the quote and/or the deadline shall be adjusted to reflect this fact.
b) The submission date of the full text: when the full text is not received 5+ days before the agreed start date, the start date and the deadline will be put back at the discretion of Damian Randle, following discussion with the client.
8. Deadlines
a) Unless otherwise agreed the deadline is 4pm [UK time] on the end date.
b) Except where this is impossible, end dates will be set so as to allow time for flexibility, reflection and the absence of rush;
c) Where circumstances change between the start date and the end date, there will be discussion with the client with a view to changing the deadline where this is desirable or necessary;
d) If Damian Randle fails to meet an agreed deadline, the invoiced fee payable will be reduced by 2% per working day between the deadline and the sending of the completed work.
9. Fees, invoices and part payments.
a) All payments are by direct bank transfer; my bank details are on the invoice.
b) Payments on initial payment, and part payment at the halfway stage, where required, are to be made on receipt of the invoice, ie immediately. Where an initial payment applies, work begins after it is received, and where a stage payment is required, work resumes after the payment is received.
c) Payment of the final invoice on completion of the work is due within 20 working days.
d) Late payment: final payments made after the 20 days agreed period will be subject to a surcharge of 2% compound per day.
e) Part and full payments: Individual jobs are discussed and agreed according to the circumstances, but in the absence of agreement to the contrary, the conditions are as follows.
f) If the fee is £300 or less, you will pay [by direct bank transfer ] after job is finished, within 20 working days.
g) If the fee is £301 – 600, I will invoice you for ½ the amount, payable immediately, then the other ½ at the end ;
h) Where the fee is £601+, there is an initial payment of ¼, then ¼ half-way through [these two payable immediatel], then the remaining ½ on completion, payable within 20 working days.
10. Formats
Unless otherwise agreed, documents submitted need to be in MS Word (preferred, and 2003 preferred) or Rich Text Format. You should format the text as indicated in clause 12 below. If not, English Edit UK will alter them so as to render the proofreading job more easily feasible.
If unavoidable, pdfs are quite acceptable and are edited and/or annotated using Foxit or equivalent. Please ensure before sending that the file can be edited by someone other than yourself, that is it is not locked in any way.
11. English Edit UK will at the agreed date deliver the proofread document in Microsoft Word using the Track Changes feature. This means that all the changes are clear for you to see. You will receive three copies of the document, one with the changes marked and with comments or suggestions displayed for you to see, one showing just the comments and one version with all the changes incorporated, ready for you to use.
12. Unless otherwise agreed, texts will be formatted as follows:-
– normal text set at 12pt throughout the document;
– with headings sized consistently (three sizes max suggested);
– lines double spaced throughout the document;
– all four margins set at 2 cm throughout the document.
– with a 1 cm ‘footer’ inserted with in 8pt typesize giving your name, a key word from the title of the document and the page number.
Expenses
13. English Edit UK agrees to attend your or other premises for necessary meetings, the time spent to be paid for at £25 [€30] /hour. Agreed reasonable expenses incurred will be reimbursed by the client.
14. You will reimburse English Edit UK for all other reasonable expenses over and above the usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work. Expenses to be reimbursed will, unless otherwise agreed, include photocopying, printouts, phone calls, travel, parking charges, couriers and postage.
15. Pricing a job
a) I provide a quote which you can rely on, assuming the sample you send is representative; if not we will have renegotiated amicably 🙂 . . . The fee includes some time for follow-up queries and discussion.
b) Start-up /admin fee. This is fixed and is normally £25 [€30], certainly for all the usual, normal proofreading jobs. For some jobs that are particularly arduous to set it can be higher.
c) The minimum overall fee for a job is £50 [€60]; beyond that the factors are as follows.
i) How hard is it?
The time required is based on the level of English, the complexity and difficulty of the task: this is estimated from the sample [or whole document] that you send.
‘Poor English and/or very complex and difficult’ might mean working at roughly 800 words/hour
‘Middling English and medium complexity and difficulty’ means working at roughly 1600 words/hour
‘Good English and not complex or difficult’ means working at roughly 2400 words/hour
ii) This translates into a rate per word. Roughly speaking three illustrative examples for a 5,000 word text would be:-
– Very good English, simple text: total fee = €80 (£65).
– Middling English, averagely complex text: total fee = €130 (£105). Most jobs are at around this sort of rate.
– Poor English, complex text: total fee = €180 (£145).
iii) Impoverished students are typically offered a 10% reduction.
iv) Larger jobs benefit from a small discount pro rata.
v) Further illustrative examples:-
a) 10,000 word paper for a Senior Lecturer, middling English and complexity = €210 (£170). Student rate = €190 (£153).
b) 20,000 word paper for a Senior Lecturer, middling English and complexity = €390 (£312). Student rate = €350 (£280).
c) 100,000 word book for a Senior Lecturer, middling English and complexity = €1,830 (£1,460). Student rate for similar dissertation/thesis = €1,645 (£1,315).