Terms and Conditions

Revised and effective as of 06/14/2025. The Terms and Conditions (T&C) listed on this page explain the services, limitations, guarantees, and other aspects of the services I provide and let you know what you can expect of me, and what I in turn can expect from you. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me so that I can provide clarity and reassurance. 

Before I will perform any service on your behalf, please read these terms and conditions carefully. These terms and conditions form an automatic, irrevocable, and essential agreement that explicitly exists between you and me (Savana | Owner/Editor @ SC Editorial Services). By submitting the form below & booking a service, you and any organization or business you represent confirm your explicit acceptance of and agreement to these terms and conditions. If there is any part of these terms and conditions, my services, or aspects of my business that you do not agree with, your sole remedy is to discontinue using my services. 

In the terms below:

• "EDITOR", "I/me/myself/their/she" and/or "SC Editorial Services" relates to myself directly (Savana | Owner/Editor) and my freelance business SC Editorial Services (sometimes under the name/acronym "SCES").
• "CLIENT", "You" and/or "Customer" relates to you and any organization or business you represent.

These terms and conditions apply to any work done on behalf of the CLIENT (you) by the EDITOR (me, Savana | Owner/Editor @ SC Editorial Services). 

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

• I will provide the editing/author services agreed upon (in writing) by myself and the CLIENT.
• The CLIENT is under no obligation to offer me work; neither am I under any obligation to accept work offered by the CLIENT.
• The work will be carried out unsupervised at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.
• The work will be carried out by me. I will not subcontract projects, or parts of projects, to third parties.
• I confirm that I am self-employed as an independent contractor, and am responsible for my own income tax, thus will not claim benefits granted to the CLIENT’s employees 
• The Contract of Services Agreement requires that the CLIENT and I both acknowledge, in writing, that we have read, understood and agreed to all listed terms and conditions.

PROJECT TERMS:

Prior to starting any work, the CLIENT and I will agree, in writing, to the terms of the project: 

• The medium in which the editing/author service will be carried out (e.g. via Word, Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or PDF)
• How the material will be annotated when applicable (e.g. Track Changes in Word, "Suggested Edits" via Google Docs, etc.)
• The length of time required to complete the project, as advised by me
• The fee for the project, based on a quote provided by me, in writing, following my evaluation of the material to be edited or for the service provided, and the time frame required to complete the job
• The date by which the material will be delivered by the CLIENT to the EDITOR in advance of the agreed start date (a minimum of 2 business days in advance for most projects, unless agreed otherwise)
• The latest date by which the completed project will be returned, following my advice to the CLIENT
• The CLIENT is to only submit completed work to which you don’t expect to make any further changes; if you make changes and need me to edit them, this may incur an additional charge.
• The CLIENT must make payment(s) to the terms agreed, including a 25% non-refundable deposit required for booking (which will be deducted from the total project cost). Please see below for further information regarding Payment, Pricing & Deposit. 

Please note that if, on receipt of the project 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 or from the sample supplied, the EDITOR may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or may decline to carry out the work. Similarly, if, during the term of the EDITOR's work, additional tasks are requested by the CLIENT, the EDITOR may re-negotiate the fee and/or the deadline with the same requirements. 

PRICING, PAYMENT & DEPOSIT:

• All payment and rate/fee information is provided in USD ($).  
• My prices may vary over time, and for limited periods I may offer additional discounts on rates for new or existing clients; the price I quote you is based on my current rate at that moment and is the price you agree to pay to me to edit your work or perform project-based services.
• The CLIENT will pay me a fee per hour, OR per word, OR an agreed flat fee for the entire PROJECT according to prior agreement. 
• Once the CLIENT and EDITOR have agreed to full fee/project cost, it is non-negotiable unless the CLIENT extends the word count of the job or requests additional services. In this case, a revised quote and job-completion date will be negotiated. 
• A non-refundable 25% deposit (of the total calculated project cost as applicable) is required at or by the time of booking and will be deducted from the total calculated project cost. This fee is to be paid within 48 hours of receipt of the booking deposit invoice, which will be sent to the CLIENT within 24 hours of confirmation of receipt of the Contract of Services Agreement Form.
• General Payment Process OPTION 1: Unless agreed otherwise, the EDITOR will supply the CLIENT with an invoice upon project start totaling the remaining 75% of the total project cost to be paid within 1 week (7 days) of receipt. Upon completion of the project, the EDITOR will supply the CLIENT with the final project content as all payments for services rendered have been received. The LATE/MISSING PAYMENT TERMS found below apply here. 

LATE/MISSING PAYMENT TERMS: If payment is not received in the listed timeframe for the agreed payment process, the EDITOR reserves the right to withhold final project content until the final payment has been made*, at which point additional invoices will be issued every 7 days thereafter (up to 28 additional days) with a late fee of 10% of the total project cost added to each additional invoice until paid. If after 35 days no payment is received, the EDITOR will exercise their right to pursue legal action against the CLIENT in an attempt to collect payment.

• General Payment Process OPTION 2: Unless agreed otherwise, the EDITOR will supply the CLIENT with an invoice upon project start totaling 25% of the total project cost to be paid within 1 week (7 days) of receipt. Upon completion of the project, the EDITOR will supply the CLIENT with a final invoice for the remaining 50% of the total project cost. Payment of this invoice for services rendered includes any remaining balance and is to be paid within 1 week (7 days) of receipt of the final invoice. Once final payment is received, the EDITOR will confirm and send the CLIENT the final project content. The LATE/MISSING PAYMENT TERMS found above apply here.
• Payment Plans:  Available by request (for author service(s) ONLY) for projects exceeding $100.00 USD. A non-refundable 25% deposit is still required to book, after which the remaining balance of the total project cost can be made in an agreed number of payments (confirmed in writing) until the balance is paid in full for services rendered.  If a payment during this payment plan is more than 1 week (7 days) late, or missed entirely, the same LATE/MISSING PAYMENT TERMS found above apply here.
• If the project is lengthy OR charged as fee per hour, the EDITOR may invoice periodically for completed milestones which is to be mutually agreed in advance and confirmed in writing.

*This statement may not apply for pre-agreed payment plans. Unless agreed otherwise, under an extended payment plan the final project work will be sent to the CLIENT upon project completion IF all scheduled payments to that point have been made on time, and future payments will be expected to be made as agreed. Should a payment be late or missed, the same LATE/MISSING PAYMENT TERMS found above will apply. 

CONTRACT OF SERVICES AGREEMENT FORM:

• The Contract of Services Agreement Form at the end of this page is a binding agreement to the contract of services between the EDITOR and the CLIENT per the terms and conditions listed on this page. 
• By submitting the Contract of Services Agreement Form, the CLIENT agrees to secure my editing/author service(s) for a specific and mutually agreed-upon project, at a specific and mutually agreed-upon time, for a specific and mutually agreed-upon fee. 
• By submitting the Contract of Services Agreement Form, the CLIENT confirms that they have read and agreed to the terms and conditions herein. From thereon, the terms of the cancellation policy (see below) apply.
• A 25% non-refundable deposit is due at or by booking (within 48 hours of confirmation of receipt of the Contract of Services Agreement Form below) and will be deducted from the total project cost. 
• The CLIENT's booking is considered confirmed once the deposit has been paid by the CLIENT and received by the EDITOR. Until this happens, any dates offered for services are tentative and may only be held for up to 1 week (7 days) at the EDITOR's discretion pending their current booking schedule.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

• CLIENT Cancellation during the project: In the unlikely event that the CLIENT cancels the work during the editing/author service(s) project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the deposit paid upon booking).
• CLIENT Cancellation prior to project start: In the unlikely event that the CLIENT cancels the work prior to the editing/author service(s) project commencing, but after booking and agreeing to the terms and conditions of service herein, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less the deposit paid upon booking) if the cancellation occurs with less than one month's (30 days) notice.
• If the Client wishes to cancel with more than one month's (30 days) notice, the booking fee will not be refunded but no other charge will apply. 
• Both the Client and I have the right to terminate a contract for services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms. 
• EDITOR Cancellation during the project: In the unlikely event that I am affected by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that require cancellation (e.g. bereavement) after a project has started, I will contact the CLIENT in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project or ultimately cancel the project, in which case any work that has been completed by the EDITOR and any payments that have been made by the CLIENT up to that point (including the booking deposit as applicable) will be negotiated/discussed at that time. 
• EDITOR Cancellation prior to project start: In the unlikely event that I am affected by extraordinary or difficult circumstances that require cancellation (e.g. bereavement) prior to a project start date, I will contact the CLIENT in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project or ultimately cancel the project, in which case the booking deposit may be refunded to the CLIENT if the cancellation occurs with less than one month's (30 days) notice. 

CONFIDENTIALITY & INFORMATION RETENTION:

• The nature and content of all projects will be kept confidential and not made known to anyone other than the CLIENT without prior written permission. 
• I will not, under any circumstances, upload the CLIENT’s files to external websites or distribute them to third parties unless specifically authorized to do so, in writing, by the CLIENT. I do, however, use Dropbox and Google (for Google Docs/Sheets/Forms) as cloud storage systems and occasionally DocuSign for additional contract/agreement requirements. 
• The only agreed upon information to be kept on record (by either the CLIENT or the EDITOR) after the project has been completed will not exceed public business information to include full name, business name, contact information, mailing or billing address, and a copy of or the rights to work completed as agreed. No more such information will be gathered or 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. 
• The EDITOR may use the CLIENT’s name and/or business name in her promotional and/or portfolio material. The CLIENT may do the same with the EDITOR’s name and/or business name in their promotional and/or portfolio material.
• 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.

COPYRIGHT:

• The CLIENT retains full ownership, control, and copyright over all documents submitted to SC Editorial Services.
• Following payment of my invoice(s), any content created by me as part of an editing/author service(s) project will become the copyright of the CLIENT unless otherwise agreed. This is with the understanding that the EDITOR retains the right to reference content created or edited for the CLIENT only in a capacity to promote their skills and portfolio, and in no way may the EDITOR re-use or copy the CLIENT’s content otherwise. These references will not contain any personally identifiable information about you or your work, unless the CLIENT gives permission (in writing) otherwise. 
• If I have made a substantial editorial contribution to a manuscript-based project, I am entitled to request to be a listed as a contributor in both print/digital copy. Final determination is at the discretion of the CLIENT, and said decision must be disclosed to the EDITOR if a request was made OR if the CLIENT chooses to include the EDITOR's name and/or business name in their published work(s).

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, RESPONSIBILITY & LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY:

• Documents edited by me may include opinions or views that, unless expressly stated otherwise, are not those of SC Editorial Services or myself. I accept no responsibility for, and exclude all liability in connection with, the use of information derived from documents edited by me, including but not limited to any misleading or defamatory statements.
• I am unable to guarantee that a CLIENT's work will be completely error-free following the use of my services. I aim to be as accurate as possible when carrying out services, however, I neither imply nor state that any piece of work will be 100% correct when it is returned. 
• I do not warrant or guarantee that any product, service, website or other aspects of work carried out by me will be completely accurate, reliable, current, or error-free. My services are provided on a “best endeavors” basis, at your sole risk. 
• To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, I disclaim all guarantees, warranties, and conditions, expressed or implied, in respect of my services and any information, content, or materials on this site, including any implied warranties or conditions of fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, or non-infringement. I do not accept any liability whatsoever for any financial or other losses resulting from the use of my services, website, or business. 
• While I make every effort to bring questionable material to the attention of the CLIENT, the CLIENT agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the EDITOR from any and all claims or demands, including legal fees, arising out of any alleged copyright or libel infringement committed by the CLIENT in creating the work. Should the CLIENT decline to seek legal advice regarding material that could give rise to legal action, when advised to so do by the EDITOR, the EDITOR cannot be held liable in any future legal investigation or legal action, nor for any charges, fees, damages, or penalties arising out of such legal action.
• In no event am I liable for damages in excess of the amount paid by a CLIENT for the service in question.
• I am not liable or responsible for any damage to computer hardware or software arising from the distribution of a computer virus.
• I am committed to providing high quality editorial services at affordable prices. However, I am not obligated to offer discounts or refunds for work that may contain errors when I return it to you or under any other circumstances. All invoices must still be paid in full. 
• You specifically acknowledge and agree that SC Editorial Services is not liable for any damages, refunds, or discounts of any kind. If you are dissatisfied with any services, terms, conditions or other aspects of the work carried out by me, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using my services. 

STATEMENT ON THE SUPPORT OR USE OF AI/LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS (LLM):

• I do not under any circumstances use or support the use of AI or Large Language Modules (LLM) in any of my editorial or writing work. I also do not accept content from clients that incorporates the use of AI or LLM.
• If an agreement is breached due to my discovery of the use of AI/LLM in the submitted content after a project has started, I will terminate/cancel the project immediately and further reserve the right to invoice the CLIENT for 100% of the agreed project fee (less the deposit paid upon booking). 
• If it is discovered prior to a project starting that there was use of AI/LLM in the submitted content, I will terminate/cancel the project immediately and further reserve the right to invoice the CLIENT for 50% of the agreed project fee (less the deposit paid upon booking).

REFUSAL OF SERVICE:

• I reserve the right to refuse service to any CLIENT or prospective CLIENT for any reason and without explanation.

MODIFICATIONS OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• These terms and conditions may be modified, amended, reorganized, rewritten, or revoked at any time, for any reason and without notice. Please ensure that you review my website and agree to the latest terms and conditions before asking me to complete work on your behalf. 

LEGAL JURISDICTION:

• This agreement is subject to the laws and regulations of the United States, and both EDITOR and CLIENT agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States courts.