Editorial Services Terms and Conditions Agreement

This document constitutes the legally binding contract that defines expectations, safeguards intellectual property, and guarantees timely Compensation between you (the Client), and the Editors (the Editors) of Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC (the Company).

Note Regarding AI

Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC and its affiliates strictly abstain from utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for any project completion. We explicitly prohibit the submission of any AI-generated works or mediums. We maintain a strong conviction that human creators deserve compensation for their labor, and their creative output must not be exploited or utilized without explicit permission. 

Should a submitted work be found to contain AI-generated material, we reserve the right to terminate the existing agreement and retain any compensation rendered for editorial services.

Credit 

Credit for Editing Services must be formally acknowledged on the copyright page as follows: “Edited by (Editor’s Name) of Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC”

Reservation of Rights

Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC reserves the right to update these Terms and Conditions as deemed necessary. 

Bullying, Harassment, Violence Policy

The Company and the Editors maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying, harassment, and any other form of violence. In the event of any violent actions, work will be immediately discontinued, no refund will be issued, and legal action may be pursued.

Disclaimer

The Editors of Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC bring a diverse and valuable educational background to their work, holding degrees in a variety of fields, including education, business, and more. Crucially, however, they are actively engaged in educational programs and continuous professional development to master:

• Line Editing: Focusing on the flow, rhythm, tone, and clarity of the prose at the sentence and paragraph level.

• Copy Editing: Ensuring mechanical correctness, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and adherence to style guides.

• Developmental Editing: Addressing the manuscript's big-picture elements, such as structure, plot, character development, pacing, and overall coherence.

• Proofreading: The final meticulous check for any remaining errors before publication.

This dedicated training ensures that their skills are current and aligned with industry best practices. By offering their services at significantly reduced rates, the Editors are providing the Clients with a unique, risk-reduced opportunity to benefit from their developing expertise while making professional editing more accessible to the writing community.

Scope of Services

The Company will contract the Editor depending on the type of editing services you obtain. We offer the following services:

• Types of Editing Provided

1. Line Editing: Focusing on the flow, rhythm, tone, and clarity of the prose at the sentence and paragraph level.

2. Copy Editing: Ensuring mechanical correctness, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and adherence to style guides.

3. Developmental Editing: Addressing the manuscript's big-picture elements, such as structure, plot, character development, pacing, and overall coherence.

4. Proofreading: The final meticulous check for any remaining errors before publication.

• Deliverables 

1. Editorial Work

1. 1. The editing services can be conducted within the Ellipsus platform.  This is an AI scrub-free platform, ensuring that all editorial suggestions and changes are the result of human expertise and professional judgment, not automated algorithms. This platform also keeps the manuscript protected from being used in AI. 

1.The platform offers the significant advantage of allowing the Client to access and review the editorial work in real-time as it progresses, providing transparency throughout the process. However, to maintain the integrity and flow of the editorial process and prevent potential conflicts or loss of work, the Client is strictly required to refrain from making any alterations, modifications, or additions to the document within the Ellipsus platform until The Editor has officially completed the work and delivered the final, approved version.

2. Financial compensation is due in full for the agreed-upon editorial services and is mandated to be rendered at the time the work officially commences. The precise details of the total financial obligation, payment schedule, and acceptable methods of payment are clearly outlined in the section immediately following this clause.

2. The editing process can also use Google Docs to ensure efficient collaboration and tracking of revisions. 

1. 1. The Client is required to send the full manuscript as a .doc file attachment via email to the dedicated editorial services address: coweavers@indiebookboundsisterhood.com. This method allows the Editors to utilize the collaborative and tracking features of Google Docs, ensuring transparency and ease of review for the Client.

2. Regarding financial terms, full payment  for all agreed-upon editorial services minus the non-refundable fee  is due upon the successful completion of the editing work. The completed and revised manuscript, along with a detailed summary of the edits and any relevant feedback, will only be released and sent back to the Client after the full payment has been processed and confirmed. This fee structure is clearly outlined in the subsequent sections of this agreement.  

1. Additional Services

1. 1. Revisions: An additional revision may be procured for a supplementary charge. One revision is included with both the Standard and Premium packages. Any subsequent revisions may be acquired as an add-on, as specified below.

2. 2. Extra Words: Each additional 100 words for an extra fee of $10 and must be added at check out. 

Payment Terms

• Rates

1. 1. Basic

   • up to 100,000 words

• 14 days to complete

• $100 to pay in full

• Extra Fast Delivery in 10 days an additional $25

2. 2. Standard

   1. up to 150,000 words

1. 14 Days to complete

2. $125 to pay in full

3. Extra Fast Delivery in 10 days an additional $50

3. 3. Premium

   1. up to 200,000 words

1. 21 Days to complete

2. $175 to pay in full

3. This service does not include extra fast delivery

4. 4. Additional Services and fees

1. For each additional 100 words for a supplementary $10. This must be added at initial check out. 

2. Additional revision for a supplementary of $25 each and the Editor is given 7 days to complete. This must be added at initial check out. 

Deposit: A required non-refundable deposit of 25% must be submitted to secure a placement on schedule. 

• Schedule

  • 1. A formal invoice will be issued to the Client upon project completion and is payable immediately upon receipt. Final work will not be released until full payment has been secured.

1. 2. Unless real-time editing is activated, a formal invoice will be issued seven days prior to the scheduled start date and must be paid by the due date to activate the editing process in a timely manner. Any delays in payment for this option may result in a rescheduling of the editing process and an additional fee of $10 and will result in a delay for the agreed-upon delivery deadline. The new deadline will be determined by the Editor and/or the Company.

1. Timeline and Deadlines

• Project Start/End: This agreement stipulates that editorial work will be completed within 10-21 days of receipt of the manuscript, with the timeframe dependent upon the level of services selected by the client via the order form.

• Client Delays: Should the client fail to provide requisite materials or feedback in a timely manner then the agreed-upon delivery deadline is subject to extension as determined by the Editor and/or the Company.

1. Intellectual Property and Confidentiality

• Ownership

• 1. The Client retains full ownership of the final editorial work product upon receipt of the total contracted payment.

• 2. The Client maintains full ownership of the manuscript and any work completed by them as is subject to copyright law.

• Confidentiality (Non-Disclosure Agreement - NDA): The Editor and the Company hereby commits to safeguarding the client's proprietary information and creative content. Editors shall not plagiarize, vend, or otherwise utilize the work provided by the Client as their own.

• Attribution: The Editor requires to be formally credited in the front of the final published work as follows: Edited by (Editor’s Name) of Indie Book Bound Sisterhood LLC. 

1. Liability and Warranties

• Limitation of Guarantee: Scope and Limitations of Editorial Services

The provision of editorial services is undertaken with the utmost diligence and professional effort to enhance the quality and clarity of the submitted manuscript. The editing process is rigorous and involves a careful review for errors in grammar, punctuation, syntax, style, consistency, and overall coherence. Therefore, while every reasonable effort will be applied, the editorial services do not promise a document that is 100% error-free.

Furthermore, the editor and the company do not guarantee acceptance by any literary agent, publishing house, academic journal, or other third-party entity. The decision to accept or reject a manuscript rests entirely with the receiving entity and is influenced by a multitude of factors, including market trends, institutional needs, the subjective taste of the reader, and the inherent quality of the content and narrative—elements that fall outside the scope of editorial correction. The services provided aim to maximize the manuscript's chances of success by presenting it in its most polished form, but they cannot secure a publication contract or favorable review.

Indemnification

The Editor, while curating and facilitating the publication process, explicitly disclaims all responsibility and liability for any content that may be deemed libelous, defamatory, or in violation of existing copyright laws. This stipulation emphasizes that the ultimate legal and ethical accountability for the text, images, and any other submitted material rests solely with the author or the content provider. The editorial role is confined to matters of style, grammar, clarity, and thematic coherence, and does not extend to an independent verification of the factual accuracy or legal compliance of the submitted work. Consequently, the Editor and the Company are indemnified against all claims, costs, and proceedings arising from instances of libel, slander, plagiarism, or unauthorized use of intellectual property that may be present within the published material.

Termination and Disputes

• Cancellation Policy

1. Termination by Editor and the Company of the Client

1. 1. Should a submitted work by the Client be found to contain AI-generated material, we reserve the right to terminate the existing agreement and retain any compensation rendered for editorial services. The Client will not be given the work completed in the editorial process and may be subject to a fee of an additional $30 not to exceed the cost of the services obtained.

2. 2. The Company and the Editors maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, and any other form of violence. In the event of any violent actions, work will be immediately discontinued, no refund will be issued, and legal action may be pursued at the expense of the violator.

3. 3. Should there be any other breach as defined in this agreement made by the Client the non-refundable deposit will not be refunded, the Client will not be given the work completed in the editorial process and may be subject to a fee of an additional $30 not to exceed the cost of the services obtained. 

Termination by the Client of the Editor and the Company

1. 1. The Client reserves the right to terminate the Editor and/or the Company without paying full compensation without cause but acknowledges that the non-refundable deposit will not be refunded, no completed work will be given, and may be subject to a fee of an additional $30 not to exceed the cost of the services obtained.

2. 2. The Client reserves the right to terminate the Editor and/or the Company with just cause and shall be refunded all monies paid if:

   1. 1. The Client is able to show just cause to the Company that the Editor did not complete the work as stated in the services obtained and within the terms of this agreement.

      2. The Company and the Editors maintain a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, and any other form of violence. In the event of any violent actions, work will be immediately discontinued, no refund will be issued, and legal action may be pursued at the expense of the violator.

      3. The Client is able to show just cause to the Company that the Editor did not uphold their end of the terms and conditions agreement.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution:

The Client, The Editor, and The Company hereby agree that this contract shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

Furthermore, in the event of any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, or validity thereof, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, The Client agrees that the exclusive venue for any legal action, suit, or proceeding shall be the courts located in the County of Muskingum, within the State of Ohio.

All parties explicitly and irrevocably consent to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of these state and federal courts for any such litigation and waive any objection to such jurisdiction or venue based on forum non conveniens or any similar doctrine. The prevailing party in any such legal action shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in connection with the action.

The Complete Agreement

This agreement embodies the entire understanding between all involved parties.No additional promises or conditions, whether oral or written, are incorporated into this agreement.

Any modification to any provision of this agreement is deemed invalid and unenforceable unless confirmed in writing and signed by all parties, either through an e-signature or on paper.

The determination that any provision of this agreement is unenforceable or invalid shall not render the remaining provisions unenforceable or invalid.

By contacting the Company or the Editor acknowledges and accepts the terms and conditions outlined above. This acceptance also extends to all other information provided by the Company on its website, through email, and/or in other documented forms, and is valid without the necessity of a signed agreement.