Terms and Conditions

Agreement for Services

Updated January 2024

The following terms and conditions serve as an agreement of the editorial services provided by Rabbit with a Red Pen, LLC. My goal is to make this a professional and pleasant working experience. Please contact me with any questions.

General Overview

• These terms and conditions apply to any work done for the Client (you) by me (Rabbit with a Red Pen, LLC).

• The Client does not have to offer me work, and I don’t have to accept work offered by the Client.

• I’ll provide service(s) as the Client and I have agreed on, confirmed in writing by the Client.

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

• I confirm that I’m the owner of a single-member LLC, am responsible for my own income tax as subject to the Internal Revenue Service, and will not claim benefits granted to the Client’s employees.

• I guarantee that all work will be done by me and will not be subcontracted to another person or company.

Project Terms

Before any work begins, the Client and I will agree, in writing, to the terms of the project, including:

• The way in which the manuscript will be marked up (e.g., using Track Changes in Microsoft Word)

• The number of passes of editing that will take place

• The cost of services, as provided in a proposal that the Client will review

• The latest date by which the Client will send me the manuscript

• The latest date by which I’ll return the completed project

If it becomes clear that much more work is needed than had been expected in the original discussion, or from the draft of the manuscript sent to me, I may renegotiate the fee and/or deadline.

Cost of Services

• A proposal, including the cost of the project, will be provided to the Client based on the manuscript, timeline, and services agreed on.

• The Client will pay me a fee per hour OR per word OR an agreed flat fee for the job, as agreed on in writing.

• If the Client requests additional services or significantly changes the manuscript, a revised proposal and project timeline will be negotiated. This also includes circumstances where the proposal is based on a sample of the manuscript, and the manuscript requires much more work than was represented in the sample.

• If the full project cost was not paid in advance, a final invoice will be sent to the Client once the project is complete. Payment should be received within 15 days. Otherwise, a late fee of 1.5% of the remaining balance will be assessed every 30 days that payment is late. The project materials will be sent to the Client once the invoice has been paid in full.

Reservation Process

• There is a nonrefundable deposit of 50% of the total quoted amount to reserve time in my schedule for the Client’s project. Projects that total $200 or less will be invoiced in full in advance.

• Once the Client and I have agreed, in writing, to the terms of the project, the Client will fill out the below reservation form to agree to these terms. Completing the reservation form serves as a contract of services between me and the Client.

• An invoice for the deposit will be sent to the Client once the reservation form is submitted. The fee should be paid within 3 days.

• The deposit will be deducted from the final invoice once the project is completed.

Cancellation and Refund Policies

• I try to make manuscripts as free of errors as possible. However, I can’t guarantee an error-free manuscript. The Client is required to pay for work completed.

• If the Client decides to cancel the project:

  • Prior to the project start date: The deposit will not be refunded, and no other fees will be charged.

  • After work has begun: I reserve the right to invoice 100% of the total agreed fee.

• If I can’t complete the project under the terms of a prior written agreement because of extraordinary circumstances (e.g., serious health issues or family emergencies), I’ll make every effort to contact the Client in writing as soon as possible to renegotiate the deadline or provide different solutions. The deposit will be refunded.  

• Plagiarism: If the Client has been found to have plagiarized work, I’ll stop work immediately and invoice payment for all work done up to that point. If the work done is less than the deposit amount, the full deposit will be kept. The Client holds me harmless against any charges of plagiarism alleged in their work.

• Content disclosure: If the Client’s manuscript contains content that may be considered graphic or hateful (including, but not limited to, graphic depictions of torture, abuse, sexual violence, or murder of humans or animals, or language or themes that promote discrimination based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, creed, etc.), the Client is responsible for telling me before we move forward with the project. If this content isn’t disclosed ahead of time and I’m unable to complete the project because of it, I reserve the right to stop working on the project. The Client will be invoiced for the work already done.

• Both the Client and I have the right to cancel a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.

Copyright and Usage

• Upon payment of my final invoice, any content created by me as part of the editorial 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 its contractors without prior written permission.

• Unless the Client requests otherwise, I may use the Client’s name or project in my portfolio.

After Project Completion

• Any changes made to the manuscript after I return it to the Client are done at the Client’s discretion.

• Use of my services does not guarantee acceptance by an agent or publisher.

• My work on the Client’s project does not constitute an endorsement of the project or its content.

• I will not write official reviews of the Client’s project, and my editing feedback can’t be used in blurbs, cover copy, or any promotional materials for the Client’s project.

• Regarding acknowledgments of my work: I will have the opportunity to review any mentions of being a contributor on a project before it’s published, or I can decline being mentioned. I also shouldn’t be listed as an editor in the actual listing of a book, as this is usually reserved for editors of anthologies.

Legal Jurisdiction

These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Utah, and the Client irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in that State or location.