Terms and Conditions

 These Terms and Conditions govern the provision of editorial services by KittyQuill Editorial Services (“we”, “us”, “our”). By booking, purchasing, or otherwise engaging our services, clients (“you”) acknowledge and agree to these Terms.

1. Services

We provide professional book editorial services, including but not limited to:

• Structural editing
• Copy-editing
• Proofreading
• Manuscript assessment
• Line editing
• Genre specific (Crime and Thriller) consultation
• Sensitivity reading
• Marketing Editing
• Series continuity checks
• Query and synopsis editing

Services are provided to support the development, clarity, and presentation of manuscripts through professional editorial guidance and commentary, including publishing suggestions and criminology or law-related information where relevant. All advice is provided for guidance purposes only; clients remain solely responsible for any decisions or actions they take. Editorial services do not constitute legal, investigative, or professional certification of factual accuracy.

2. Client Responsibilities

Clients agree to:

• Provide accurate information and materials in a timely manner
• Ensure they hold all necessary rights to submitted content
• Review and approve work promptly where required
• Always communicate respectfully and professionally

Delays in client responses, provision of materials, or approvals may affect delivery timelines and may result in rescheduling.

Lawful Content - Clients confirm that any materials submitted for editorial services have been obtained lawfully and that they have the right to share them for the purpose of editorial review.

We reserve the right to decline or discontinue services if submitted materials appear to breach applicable laws, confidentiality obligations, or professional restrictions.

3. Deadlines, Timeframes, and Working Arrangements

We make reasonable efforts to meet agreed timeframes. However, deadlines are not guaranteed unless explicitly agreed in writing as part of a formal contract.

Disability and Reasonable Adjustments - KittyQuill Editorial Services is operated by a disabled sole trader. Clients acknowledge that working arrangements may require flexibility, and timeframes may be subject to change due to health-related factors. Communication and scheduling will always be handled professionally.

Where a legally binding deadline is required, it must be expressly agreed in advance and confirmed in writing.

4. Health Interruptions

In the event of illness, disability-related factors, or other health-related circumstances beyond our reasonable control, we reserve the right to pause, reschedule, or extend agreed timeframes. Clients will be informed promptly of significant delays. Health-related interruptions do not constitute a breach of contract; reasonable information may be provided where necessary to confirm circumstances.

5. Right to Refuse or Discontinue Services

We reserve the right to decline or discontinue services at our discretion, prior to or during a project, where we reasonably believe that:

• The project or client relationship is not a good professional fit
• The content, conduct, or behaviour may pose a reputational, ethical, or professional risk
• Continuing the project would be impractical, inappropriate, or contrary to our professional standards

Where services are declined or discontinued, any work completed up to that point remains payable. Any unused portion of fees paid (excluding deposits) will be refunded where appropriate.

6. Payments, deposits, and cooling-off periods

Deposits
All clients are required to pay a deposit before work begins. The deposit amount will be confirmed at the time of booking and secures the project slot. Deposits are non-refundable except where required by law or as set out below.

Remaining Balances
Remaining balances must be paid according to the agreed schedule.

Invoices and Payment Methods
All invoices will be issued in advance of the agreed payment dates and must be paid in full by the stated due date. We accept payment via bank transfer and PayPal.

Late Payments
Late payments may incur a £25 fee per overdue invoice. This fee may be waived or adjusted if an alternative arrangement is agreed in writing before the payment due date.

Additional Charges and Taxes
Clients are responsible for any bank charges, currency conversion fees, or applicable local taxes.

Non-Payment
If payment is not received by the due date, we may suspend or terminate services, withhold completed work until payment is made, and take legal action to recover outstanding amounts if necessary.

Cooling-Off Rights (Distance Contracts)

Where a booking is made online, by email, by phone, or via any other remote method, the client has a legal right to cancel the contract within 14 days of booking without giving a reason.

By requesting that work begins within this 14-day cooling-off period, the client provides express consent for the service to start immediately and acknowledges that:

• if the client cancels during the cooling-off period, they will be required to pay for all work completed up to the point of cancellation; and
• once the service has been fully completed, the right to cancel is lost.

7. Cancellations and Termination

-Cancellation

Client Cancellation
If a client cancels a project after booking, the deposit will be retained to cover administrative time, loss of booking, and preparatory work already undertaken. If work has already started, the client will be invoiced for all work completed up to the date of cancellation.

Business Cancellation
If we are unable to provide the agreed service for any reason, any deposit paid will be refunded in full.

-Termination

• Clients may cancel services by providing written notice.
• Deposits remain non-refundable except where required by law or under the cooling-off rights set out above.
• Work completed up to the cancellation date remains payable.

We reserve the right to terminate services if:

• These Terms are breached
• Communication becomes abusive or unreasonable
• Legal or ethical issues arise

8. Confidentiality

All materials and communications provided by the client are treated as confidential. We will not disclose any content to third parties except as required to provide the services or as required by law. Where appropriate, a separate Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) may be issued prior to manuscript review.

9. Scope of Work and Revisions

We aim to deliver editorial services that meet the agreed brief and are completed with reasonable care and skill. Services include the agreed scope of work only. 

If a client believes the work does not reflect the agreed brief, they must notify us within 7 days of delivery and provide clear details of the concerns. We will review the feedback and, where appropriate, provide reasonable revisions to address issues that relate directly to the original project scope.

Revisions do not apply to:

• changes in personal preference or writing style that were not specified in the original brief
• new content added after the project has been completed
• requests that fall outside the agreed scope of work

Where revisions are requested outside the original scope, additional fees may apply. This does not affect your statutory rights.

While editorial services are performed with reasonable care, skill, and professional attention to detail, no editing or proofreading process can guarantee that a manuscript will be completely free of errors.

The purpose of editorial services is to significantly improve clarity, accuracy, and overall quality, but minor errors may remain. Clients acknowledge that editorial work represents professional judgement rather than absolute correction.

10. Intellectual Property

All rights in submitted manuscripts remain with the client. Editorial feedback, reports, and edits are provided for the client’s personal and professional use only and may not be resold or redistributed without prior written consent.

11. No Guarantee of Outcomes

Editorial services do not guarantee:

• Publication
• Agent representation
• Commercial success
• Awards or shortlisting’s

All publishing decisions remain the sole responsibility of the client. Clients remain solely responsible for the legality, factual accuracy, and publication of their manuscript content.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by UK law:

• We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or commercial losses
• Total liability is limited to the fees paid for the relevant service

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for fraud, death, or personal injury caused by negligence. Where a separate Editorial Services Agreement is entered into, the liability provisions contained in that agreement shall take precedence. 

13. International Clients

We work with clients worldwide. Clients are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local laws applicable in their jurisdiction.

All services are provided in English and operate within UK business hours, subject to time zone differences.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

15. Related Policies

These Terms should be read alongside:

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Legal Notice

All editorial services are governed by a written Editorial Services Agreement provided at booking. Depending on the nature of the manuscript, projects may be covered under one of our three service agreements: Manuscript Agreement, Story Agreement, or Chronicle Agreement.

Thank you for visiting KittyQuill Editorial Services! We’re paws-itively excited to work with you, and as always:

Dedicated to helping your story land gracefully

Happy writing! – The KittyQuill Editorial Services Team

Last updated: 04/02/2026