Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions are provided so that you and I are both on the same page for what is needed to work together. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me so we can make this a successful partnership.

Summary

The Editor agrees to do one of the following on the full or partial manuscript, depending on the service:

Developmental Editing – the goal of which is to point out issues with the overarching story, plot holes, character development, world-building, writing style, and clarity. This is NOT used to change the voice and tone of the manuscript.
Line Editing – the goal of which is to help make your writing consistent, smooth, and compelling so your reader moves effortlessly through your material.
Copy editing – the goal of which is to address flaws on a very technical level – to make sure the writing that appears on the page is in accordance with industry standards.
Book Map – the goal of which is to collect all of the worldbuilding, character development, and pacing threads in one place.
Manuscript Evaluation (full or partial) – the goal of which is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript and provide feedback from an objective point of view.

The Editor will provide a typewritten critique and analysis of the manuscript as well as use Google Docs to add comments and changes via “tracked changes” as she goes. The Editor will offer up to two rounds of follow-up questions with the Client about the manuscript and critique, conducted via email, messenger, or voice call as is convenient to both parties.

You, the Author, will have final say in what gets actioned and added to your work.

Please note that we have not agreed to these services:

Proofreading – the final part of the editing process that mainly deals with a readthrough of your script, hunting for any missing punctuation or spelling errors with an eagle eye.

Coaching

The Editor agrees to join an hour-long call via Zoom, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp to talk through any questions the Author has on the publishing process or their manuscript. The Author sets the agenda, and the Editor will answer to the best of her abilities and help brainstorm.

Delivery Terms

Author to provide the manuscript via Microsoft Word or Google Docs
Editor to quote based on word count and degree of work required in the manuscript and provide an invoice on receipt of the manuscript
Editor to return a fully edited manuscript in the agreed-upon timeframe
Editor to return the manuscript as a Google Docs document with tracked changes and comments
Editor to include the editorial letter in a separate document
Author agrees to acknowledge the editing services provided by Rawls Reads in ebook and/or printed published work on the copyright page or the acknowledgement section, listing Steph Rawlins or Rawls Reads as Editor

My fee for these services will be as follows:

Developmental Editing starts at $0.025/word. Based on the difficulty level of the document, the final pricing will be quoted
Line & Copy Editing starts at $0.020/word
Book Map is a flat fee of $300 per book
Full Manuscript Evaluation starts at $0.015/word. Partial Evaluations start at $100 for the first 5,000 words or $200 for the first 10,000 words
Coaching is a flat fee of $100 per hour

Payment Terms

Payment can be made via Stripe or Bank wire transfer
Author to pay 50% deposit before the commencement of work
Remaining 50% payment will be due three days after the copy is returned to the Author
No new work will be taken on until payment is made for the previous work completed
Please note all invoices are billed in GBP at a rate fixed for 2025 of 0.81 GBP to 1 USD based on 2024 averages.

These terms & conditions apply to any work done for the Client by the Editor.
The Client is under no obligation to offer the Editor work; neither is the Editor under any obligation to accept work offered by the Client.
The Editor will provide service(s) as mutually agreed, confirmed in writing by the Client.
The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by the Editor, using her own equipment.
The Editor confirms that she is self-employed, is responsible for her own income tax and National Insurance contributions, and for paying VAT (where applicable), and will not claim benefits granted to the Client’s employees.
The Client will reimburse the Editor for agreed reasonable expenses over and above usual expenses incurred in the process of editorial work.
The Client will pay the Editor a fee per word for the work, plus VAT where applicable.
The completed work will be delivered on or before the date agreed, for the agreed fee, which will be based on the description of the work required and the brief, agreed upon by the Editor and Client.
If, however, on receipt of the item to be worked on or at an early stage, it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than had been anticipated in the preliminary discussion/brief, the Editor may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.
Similarly, if, during the term of the Editor’s work, additional tasks are requested by the Client, the Editor may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline.
If the project is lengthy, the Editor may invoice periodically for completed stages.
Any content created by the Editor as part of the developmental editing/copyediting/proofreading 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 their contractors without prior written permission.
Each party shall indemnify the other party from any and all claims, causes of action, suits, damages, or demands whatsoever, arising out of any breach of this agreement and/or its negligence or willful misconduct by the indemnifying party.
The information that the Client and the Editor may keep on record is covered by the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation. No more such information will be held than is necessary, at any time, to comply with those terms and with any compliance statement or privacy policy published by the Client and/or the Editor. Both the Client and the Editor agree that, where consent is required to hold or process such data, such consent has been requested and obtained, and both facts can be demonstrated. Either may view the other’s records to ensure that they are relevant, correct, and up to date.
Either the Client or the Editor has the right to terminate a contract for services if there is a serious breach of its terms.
If the Editor has made a substantial contribution to the copyediting/proofreading/project management of the work, she will be entitled to receive one free copy of the work.
The Editor may use the Client’s name in her promotional material.
This agreement is subject to the laws of England and Wales, and both Editor and Client agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.

AI Policy – Use of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI)

To enhance the quality, accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of my editing services, I use trusted digital tools that may include AI-assisted technologies operating in the background (even when not actively engaged).
Except for secure storage, backup, or recovery, I will never upload your content to any third-party platform without your explicit consent.
Every project is personally reviewed and refined by me—a qualified human editor—to ensure precision, clarity, and contextual accuracy. Software and AI tools serve only as supportive aids and never replace my professional expertise or editorial judgment.
I do not use open AI systems for client work. This safeguards your material from being used for language model training and ensures complete privacy and data protection.
I work exclusively with reputable providers and uphold strict confidentiality standards. By submitting your materials, you acknowledge and consent to my supervised use of digital tools as part of the editorial process.

By signing below, you agree to the terms of this contract. If you have any questions or concerns prior to signing, please let me know