TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Before getting in touch with me about your work, please read these terms and conditions carefully. Filling out my Services Inquiry Form or otherwise asking me to perform editorial or consultation services confirms your explicit acceptance of these terms and conditions.
This information is provided so that you and I will have a complete, thorough, and upfront understanding of what is involved in the process of working together. If you have any questions or concerns about these terms and conditions, please feel free to contact me.
Last updated: 4/3/2023
AGREEING TO WORK TOGETHER
Once the Author submits an inquiry form, we will discuss your needs, my fee, and a proposed turnaround time. Then Arch Editorial will offer the Author their standard Client Agreement. The agreement will be fully customized insofar as the scope of the Author’s project. It will also contain standard language about copyright, confidentiality, warranties, and indemnities, etc. that pertains to all of Arch Editorial’s projects. Please note that by contacting Arch Editorial via the form on this website, the Author agrees to accept the standard language of the Client Agreement as-is. There will be no changes accommodated or accepted. Arch Editorial needs to receive the signature electronically, as well as a deposit for the Booking Fee. The rest of the payment, if applicable, will also be due prior to the start of work. Please see more about Payment Policy, below.
EDITORIAL SERVICES
All services are editorial in nature. This means that Arch Editorial will provide feedback to the best of their knowledge, experience, and ability about what revisions will make your manuscript stronger and more competitive in the market. Once the Author receives feedback, the revision is up to the Author. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the following services are not included in any package and should not be expected: revision, rewriting, ghostwriting, co-writing, fact-checking (including calculations, claims, and research), copyright-checking, legal consultation, plagiarism-checking, and reference-checking. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. If the Author wants to check if something is covered in Arch Editorial’s services (that isn’t specifically stated elsewhere on the site), please reach out through Arch Editorial’s contact page.
SUBMISSION AND PROJECT RETURN INSTRUCTIONS
After agreeing to work together, the Author will format all submissions to Arch Editorial with standard 1" margins, double-spaced, and 12 point Times New Roman (or similar) font, to be sent as Word .doc or .docx attachments. The only exception is for proofreading services, in which the Author may submit their formatted and typeset PDF or a Word .doc or .docx attachment (after confirming said format with Arch Editorial in writing). Any files sent to Arch Editorial for editorial samples must be Word .doc or .docx attachments, but these files are otherwise exempt from aforementioned formatting standards. Submissions will only be sent via email and are due at least 24 hours prior to the agreed Project Start Date. If the Author is unable or unwilling to follow submission instructions, Arch Editorial is not responsible for any resulting delays or changes to the Work Plan and Project Deadline.
Please assume that Arch Editorial will begin work as soon as Project materials are submitted. Resubmissions of revised material will not be accepted.
For all consulting and editorial work, feedback is done electronically. Notes are provided in a Word document (or for proofreading PDFs, through Adobe Acrobat commentary), and edits use Word’s Track Changes function. For content, line, and substantive edits, the manuscript will be returned as two versions: one with the tracked edits visible for acceptance or rejection, and one that is a clean copy with all changes accepted. The Author is responsible for ensuring that they can transmit and receive files electronically and are capable of reading Track Changes and comments in Microsoft Word (or reading comments in Adobe Acrobat for proofreading PDFs).
If the Author would prefer to receive a printed version of feedback, Arch Editorial can print and mail the document to the Author. The Author will be responsible for all applicable charges, including printing and shipping.
With email or any virtual delivery of files, the Author will have two weeks from the email’s delivery to confirm receipt of the Final Product(s). With postage, the Author will have two weeks from Arch Editorial’s email notifying delivery to confirm receipt of the Final Product(s). During this period, the Author may request alternate formats from Arch Editorial (for example, a PDF with comments if the Author cannot see comments in Word), and Arch Editorial may comply insofar as they deem reasonable and within the range of their abilities (with any additional postage related expenses to be billed to the Author). However, Arch Editorial is under no obligation to provide technical support services for accessing notes and edits, and, after the confirmation period, Arch Editorial is under no obligation to reformat or resend files. Digital files may become corrupted or erased with improper use, and storage media may degrade over time. It is the Author’s responsibility to ensure the safekeeping and stability of the files once Arch Editorial has released them to the Author. Author failure to retrieve files after the confirmation period will not be considered a delay or unreasonable withholding on Arch Editorial’s part, since Arch Editorial has made good faith efforts to return the files.
CHANGES TO START DATE, DEADLINE, OR FEE
Arch Editorial will keep the Author informed if additional work is recommended or required and request the Author’s approval for any additional work, associated expenses, and change in the Project deadline. In the event of significant and required additional work arising, or the Author missing a submission or payment deadline, Arch Editorial may negotiate changes to the work plan, including raising the quote or rescheduling the start and/or deadline of the project (as their calendar allows). If a suitable agreement cannot be reached, including if Arch Editorial is fully booked, a termination may be necessary (see “Termination and Refunds” section).
REVISIONS AND FOLLOW-UPS
All Services offered by Arch Editorial include only one round of edits. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Author’s quoted fee will include only one pass through the Project manuscript. If, after conclusion of the original Service(s), the Author revises the Project and seeks additional feedback, those additional Services will be billed separately as part of a new Agreement. Revision Services are optional, and they will occur only after both parties agree to a flat fee and Arch Editorial receives this payment from the Author, as required by a new Agreement.
Both during the editing process and after Arch Editorial has submitted comments and edits on the Project, the Author may follow-up with any questions or comments by email at no additional cost. Other forms of meetings, including phone time, are not included with any of Arch Editorial’s services. Phone consultations are a separate, additional service, and any calls will be billed at Arch Editorial’s standard of $45/30 minutes or $80/hour, unless otherwise specified.
SCHEDULING
Please note that other projects, travel, and life events can impact Arch Editorial’s schedule. Appointments for consulting and editorial may be booked weeks or months in advance of the Project Start Date or commencement of work. Sometimes Rush Reads are available at a premium fee of up to 50%; the Author is responsible for letting Arch Editorial know of any such time restraints. Upon agreement to work together, Arch Editorial will provide the Author with an accurate deadline.
PAYMENT POLICY
For all services of $400 or less, Arch Editorial requires the full payment in advance (hereinafter, the Booking Fee). The term “Final Fee” is not applicable to Projects costing less than $400.
For all services exceeding $400, Arch Editorial’s policy is to receive a Booking Fee, a deposit of $400, before beginning the consulting or editorial relationship. This payment will be credited toward the total amount owed for the project. The Author will upload the rest of the agreed payment (hereinafter, “Final Fee”) to the third party site Escrow, to be held by Escrow until the completion of the Final Product(s) by Arch Editorial. This is for the security of both Arch Editorial and the Author. Once Arch Editorial submits the Final Product(s) to the Author, the Author will release the Final Fee funds from Escrow to Arch Editorial.
If the flat fee for the Author’s Project was priced by word count, and if the word count of the Author’s submission is different from what was originally discussed, the final balance will be adjusted upward or downward according to the actual word count of the Author’s submission. Any transaction fees required will be paid by the Author.
Arch Editorial currently sends Booking Fee invoices via Wave, which accepts credit cards or ACH payments through your bank or Apple Pay. Accepted credit cards include Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Arch Editorial does not accept American Express cards. If requested by the Author and agreed in writing, booking fees may instead be paid via Zelle, Paypal, or wire transfer. For Final Fees, Arch Editorial will pay half of any Escrow transactions fees and the Author will pay the other half, except in the event of a refund (in which case, Escrow policy states that the Author will pay the full transaction fee). To avoid the Escrow transaction fee, the Author may instead request to pay the Final Fee simultaneously with the Booking Fee via Wave (or other agreed payment method).
All prices quoted are in US dollars.
DISCOUNTS
Returning client discount: Arch Editorial rewards all returning Authors who have previously booked and completed a content, line, or substantive edit, or proofread with a 10% discount on new Projects. Please note that Beta reads, Editorial Assessments, Query and Submission Edits, and Phone Consultations do not qualify the Author for a returning client discount.
Entry level service discount: If an Author has hired Arch Editorial for an entry-level service, such as an Editorial Assessment or a Submission Package Edit, portions of those fees that the Author has already paid will apply toward a Content, Line, or Substantive Edit for the same Project. An Author who paid for a Submission Package Edit may apply a $100 credit toward a Content, Line, or Substantive Edit on the same Project. A Client who purchased an Editorial Assessment may apply a discount of $0.005 per word toward a Content, Line, or Substantive Edit of the same Project.
Revisions and additional passes: Revision and additional pass Services are optional, and will be billed separately as part of a new Agreement. Arch Editorial offers 25% off the original per word rate for revisions and additional passes, calculated using the word count of the revised manuscript submitted to Arch Editorial. There are several exceptions: query letters, phone consultations, beta reads, and editorial assessments. If the Author would like for Arch Editorial to read their query again, Arch Editorial will charge $100 for the initial edit, $75 for the subsequent read, and then $50 for every read thereafter. Prices for phone consultations, beta reads, and editorial assessments are not discounted for subsequent readings, because the time investment on Arch Editorial’s part for these services remains the same.
Promotions: Arch Editorial may offer seasonal promotions including special discounts. Applying such a discount will require a PROMO code, the usability of which will expire at the conclusion of the promotion.
TERMINATION AND REFUNDS
Both the Author and Arch Editorial have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.
Upon termination, Arch Editorial will give all Final Products (including notes, edits, or other works) thus far completed to the Author. The Author acknowledges that the Service(s) may not yet be complete.
The Author is free to cancel a service for any reason by providing Arch Editorial with written notice (including email); Arch Editorial must acknowledge this cancellation in writing (including email) for this to be valid.
TERMINATION BY AUTHOR’S REQUEST OR ACTION(S) AFTER PROJECT COMMENCEMENT: Due to the time-intensive nature of my work, Arch Editorial cannot offer refunds after beginning work on a project. If the Author requests to cancel services, or otherwise seriously breaches the terms of this Agreement, and work on the Project has already begun, Arch Editorial reserves the right to claim 100% of the Final Fee. In the unlikely event that the Author misses a payment or submission deadline after the start of the work, and a suitable remedy cannot be reached through written negotiation, Arch Editorial may provide written notice (including email) to the Author to declare this Agreement terminated by author’s request or action(s) after project commencement.
TERMINATION BY AUTHOR’S REQUEST OR ACTION(S) PRIOR TO PROJECT COMMENCEMENT: If Arch Editorial has not yet started the consultation or editing process, Arch Editorial will return the Author’s Full Fee deposit within one week of receiving the Author’s written request, minus any transaction fees. The Booking Fee remains non refundable. In the unlikely event that the Author misses a payment or submission deadline prior to the start of the work, and a suitable remedy cannot be reached through written negotiation, Arch Editorial may provide written notice (including email) to the Author to declare this Agreement terminated by author’s request or action(s) prior to project commencement.
TERMINATION BY ARCH EDITORIAL: Arch Editorial may decline to carry out work or cancel a service at any time for any reason (including inability to negotiate in the event of discovering significant and required additional work within the Project) by providing written notice (including email) to the Author. In the unlikely event that Arch Editorial cancels a service, Arch Editorial will provide a prorated refund of any overages of fees paid (including the booking fee). Any transaction fees remain the Author’s responsibility.
Force majeure
A “force majeure” is an unforeseen circumstance beyond the control of the Author or Arch Editorial (including but not limited to war, acts of terrorism, acts of God, severe illness, invasion, fire, natural disaster, labor dispute, explosion, floods, and acts of government or governmental agencies or instrumentalities).
If, in the unlikely event that the Author is touched by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay, the Author should contact Arch Editorial to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. Arch Editorial aims to be fair and helpful at all times, and may renegotiate the Project terms (including time frame) or provide a prorated refund of the Booking Fee and any applicable Final Fee, as Arch Editorial deems fit.
If, in the unlikely event that Arch Editorial is touched by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay, Arch Editorial will contact the Author in writing at the earliest opportunity. Arch Editorial may renegotiate the Project terms (including time frame) as deemed fit by both Arch Editorial and the Author. If a suitable agreement cannot be reached, Arch Editorial will offer a prorated refund of Booking fees and any applicable Final Fees.
Any transaction fees remain the Author’s responsibility, and will be subtracted from any refunds.
The Author will not have any further liability with respect to the Agreement.
TESTIMONIALS AND PORTFOLIO SAMPLES
Arch Editorial may solicit a testimonial from the Author about services provided. The Author is under no obligation to provide a testimonial. If a testimonial is provided, Arch Editorial reserves the right to edit it for clarity and length (without changing the Author’s meaning), publish it, and attribute it to the Author’s first name and last initial on this website and in other marketing materials.
Arch Editorial may request written permission to use samples of the Final Product(s) completed under this Agreement as part of Arch Editorial’s portfolio (including websites, galleries, and other media), solely for the purpose of showcasing Arch Editorial’s work. The Author is under no obligation to grant this request. Arch Editorial agrees not to publish or share any confidential or non-public work without the Author’s prior written consent.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is up to the Author whether to mention Arch Editorial’s role in the Final Product(s), or any work developed under this Agreement. If the Author would like to include Arch Editorial in their acknowledgments, they shall give credit by name (Nicole Arch) in conjunction with Arch Editorial’s website address (http://www.nicolejarch.wixsite.com/arch-editorial). However, the Author agrees that Arch Editorial will have the opportunity to review any such mention prior to publication, or to decline to be mentioned.
The Author will not tag Nicole Arch on Amazon or Goodreads. This is because, should Nicole Arch choose to publish my own work, she does not want editing projects to be displayed on her author profile.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE
Arch Editorial will hold in confidence and not disclose the Author’s confidential information to any third party, except with the Author's written consent (or as required by law with prior notice to the Author). Arch Editorial will take all reasonable steps to safeguard and prevent the loss, destruction, or unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of the confidential information using a reasonable degree of care and no less than the same degree of care used to protect the Arch Editorial’s own confidential information. Arch Editorial will not make any unauthorized use of any of the Author’s trade secrets, confidential information, proprietary property, trademarks, or copyrighted materials.
COPYRIGHT
All content delivered to Arch Editorial by the Author for the Project is owned by the Author. In this respect, the Author agrees to hold Arch Editorial harmless from and against all claims, liabilities, and expenses arising out of any potential or actual copyright or trademark misappropriation or infringement claimed against them.
All work, including any applicable edits, drafts, notes, letters, and research, is the exclusive property of Arch Editorial until the Author’s account is paid in full. Once the Author releases the Final Fee to Arch Editorial and pays the Booking Fee and any other fees due under this Agreement, any copyright Arch Editorial may have in the product developed under this Agreement will transfer to the Author.
WARRANTIES
The goal of Arch Editorial’s consulting and editorial services is to help strengthen the Author’s writing by offering advice and suggestions to the Author. While Arch Editorial will make every effort to identify and bring questionable material to the Author’s attention, it is not possible to guarantee error-free content. Nor can Arch Editorial guarantee that the Author will achieve publication or literary representation as a result of Arch Editorial’s services.
Arch Editorial’s responsibility is limited to notifying the Author of any suspected or unresolved issues within the edited work. The Author is responsible for accepting (or rejecting) Arch Editorial’s suggestions and resolving any issues identified by Arch Editorial (including suspected plagiarism).
Except as otherwise set for herein, all services and deliverables are provided and delivered on an “as-is” basis. In the unlikely event that the Author should have any issue with the quality of Arch Editorial’s work after receiving the Final Product(s), the Author may bring this issue to Arch Editorial to discuss, and Arch Editorial may pose potential solutions as they see fit. However, due to the subjective and time-intensive nature of editorial services, Arch Editorial cannot offer refunds or waive fees due to dissatisfaction with quality. Rejecting or disliking Arch Editorial’s suggestions is not a basis for refusing to pay the fees outlined in this Agreement.
Privacy Policy
Please read my Privacy Policy, which explains the data I collect, why I collect it, and how I use it and store it in compliance with the law.
RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE
The Author is under no obligation to offer Arch Editorial work, nor is Arch Editorial under any obligation to accept work offered by the Author. Arch Editorial reserves the right to politely decline the chance to work on a manuscript. This is a decision that Arch Editorial will make before engaging in a consulting or editorial contract with the Author.
AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE
Arch Editorial is a participant in the Amazon Associate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, Arch Editorial earns from qualifying purchases. Book links that appear on this website are affiliate links and result in a small additional revenue for Arch Editorial at no extra cost to you.