RESPONSIBILITIES OF EDITOR AND CLIENT

As I am an entry-level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, a strict code of practice is required of me with respect to clients.

The Editor is required to—

—accurately represent their skills

—state the terms of the contract clearly and comprehensively

—agree upon a clear and adequate brief with the client

—respond promptly to emails from the client

—give progress reports, if appropriate and agreed upon

—present the finished work in a professional manner consistent with normal trade practices

—get the client’s agreement when deciding what to name revised digital material

—virus check any digital work just before it is sent to the client

—keep confidential all matters to do with unpublished material: the editor, in fulfilling their editorial obligation, is acting as the client’s representative and so may not discuss details with a third party without express authorisation of the client

—keep records of all conversations with the client

—archive any original materials safely

—continually upgrade their editorial knowledge

—be familiar with current legislation relating to libel, copyright, plagiarism, reproduction of copyright material etc

The Client agrees to—

—make every effort to provide a clear brief for the editor, either in writing or by spoken agreement that has been written down by the editor and double-checked by the client before work starts

—pay the agreed fee: although the editor has the right to ask for the entire fee in advance, the client can also try to negotiate payment in stages if necessary

—pay on time: non-payment or late payment can be subject to interest and compensation, as is the statutory right of the editor

—give some consideration to what level of copyediting they require (technical, structural, or developmental) before they brief the editor; the editor can also help them decide by more fully explaining during the briefing

—virus check any digital material sent to the editor just before sending

—hand in their text in Word docx or Libre Office odt