​​Lynn's Editing & Proofreading Services

Terms and Conditions

I occasionally update my Terms and Conditions. It is a client’s responsibility to glance at it once in a while to see if anything has changed. 
 
MANUSCRIPTS must be submitted in a Word document format in Times New Roman, size 12 font, and double spaced. If they are not, I will change them. It makes the editing process cleaner and easier to read.

I DO NOT edit non-fiction books. However, I am willing to edit non-fiction articles, such as student papers/essays, press releases, cover letters and other such administrative subject matter.

GRAPHIC and/or gratuitous rape scenes will not be accepted. Books containing them are subject to IMMEDIATE return without refund of deposit or completion.
HOWEVER, I will not automatically reject books that contain rape. Stories that contain someone trying to get over being raped, a fade out rape scene that is integral to the storyline, an inspirational book about abuse that inspires hope in victims, a crime book that manages to impress the violence without making it graphic and pleasingly sexual, etc. would all be considered and most likely accepted. Please notify me, so I am not surprised by these scenes. Erotica books that use rape as something pleasingly sexual, or any book that does, or any book that describes abuse in graphic, violent, sexual, scene-by-scene detail, will not necessarily be accepted, and, if a book I received contained these elements without my knowledge, I will return it with NO REFUND OF DEPOSIT OR COMPLETION.

AUTHORS are responsible for getting their books to me by the date agreed upon. If I have not received it within two days of the agreed-upon date, I will move on to the next in line, unless I have an email from the author and we agree on alternative terms.

RUSH JOBS will incur an extra fee on top of the regular price. It will depend on the length and time given to finish. The start amount is US$50/GBP£40, and it goes up from there in increments of US$10/GBP£10 for every extra hour required for completion.

EXTRA EDITING required, such as Content and/or Substantive Editing may incur a higher price than initially quoted if I find the manuscript requires more editing than a standard Copy Edit. However, I will stop working on the document immediately and contact the author if this should occur and re-quote.

PAYMENT required is a deposit up front unless the quoted amount is less than US$100/GBP£100 then the payment is required in full. The deposit invoice will be sent through PayPal when I receive the manuscript. I will not begin work on the document until receiving the deposit. The remaining amount due is to be paid in full once the job completed and the manuscript returned to the client. PayPal fees are charged as a percentage (currently 5%) and added to each invoice issued. A US$100/GBP£100 cancellation fee charged if the client cancels their time slot less than a week before their date. A US$50/GBP£50 cancellation fee charged if the client cancels their time slot less than two weeks before their date. I strictly enforce this fee. I will return any deposits paid in advance less the cancellation fees. However, if an author contacts me and makes other arrangements to reschedule or cancels before the two-week mark, there is no fee. Be respectful of my time and let me know two weeks in advance if you cannot keep your spot. 

PRICES are competitive. Depending on the type of editing required, I give baseline prices whenever possible. I encourage every author to self-edit at least twice and to use (good) beta readers BEFORE turning it in for editing. It is the best way to keep the prices down.

HOLIDAYS and holiday weekends DO NOT count toward the estimated amount of time given to edit your manuscript. I spend those times with my family. Please be respectful of those times. If any of those fall during your period, please be aware of this.
Example: If I give you a period over Christmas or Easter, please be aware the holidays will interfere with the edit time. Times given are generally estimated unless wholly firmed up by way of a pre-order/publication date. I very rarely offer two-week turnarounds unless it is for a manuscript less than ten thousand words or when only proofreading. Documents are given my complete attention and are turned over quickly and efficiently as possible. Please be patient.

I am NOT a developmental editor as such; I am usually a final-draft copy editor. However, I would be happy to cast my eye over your manuscript to help you with the plot, character development and flow. Nevertheless, if you are a FIRST-TIME author who needs extensive help with these elements, I recommend that you hire a developmental editor to work with you before contacting me for copy/line editing and proofreading.

I reserve the right to refuse any manuscripts at my discretion.