1. Introduction
These Terms and Conditions govern the purchase and delivery of proofreading and copyediting services offered through the Professional editing for short texts service provided by MW Editing Limited.
By placing an order and submitting payment through the website, the client confirms that they have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions.
The service is provided by:
MW Editing Limited
124 City Road
London EC1V 2NX
United Kingdom
2. Description of services
This service provides proofreading or copyediting for texts of up to 10,000 words. Typical documents include journal articles, book chapters, research papers, essays, reports, grant applications and similar academic or professional texts.
All editing is carried out in Microsoft Word using tracked changes and comments.
Upon completion, the client receives:
- an edited document with tracked changes and comments
- a clean copy with all edits accepted and comments remaining.
3. Definitions of editing services
Proofreading
Proofreading focuses on surface-level language corrections, including:
- spelling
- grammar
- punctuation
- typographical errors
- minor inconsistencies.
Proofreading assumes that the text is already structurally complete and close to final.
Copyediting
Copyediting involves a deeper review of language and expression and may include:
- grammar and syntax corrections
- clarity and readability improvements
- consistency in terminology and spelling
- correction of punctuation and sentence structure
- basic consistency in headings or formatting.
Copyediting improves clarity and correctness while preserving the author’s voice and argument.
4. Scope of service
The service focuses on language editing only. Unless otherwise agreed, the service does not include:
- developmental editing
- structural editing
- rewriting or content generation
- fact-checking
- verification of references or citations
- plagiarism detection
- substantive restructuring of the text
- identifying AI-generated content, fabricated references, or other inaccuracies introduced by automated text-generation tools.
The editor may occasionally flag issues relating to clarity or argument, but addressing such issues falls outside the scope of the service.
If a document requires extensive rewriting or restructuring beyond the scope of proofreading or copyediting, the editor may decline the order or recommend a different service.
The editor reserves the right to decline or discontinue a project if the submitted material falls outside the scope of the service, contains unlawful content, or requires a level of editorial intervention substantially beyond proofreading or copyediting.
In such cases the editor will notify the client and determine an appropriate course of action, which may include cancelling the order or offering an alternative service.
5. Word count and included material
Orders are priced according to the word count supplied by the client.
Clients may choose to exclude certain elements from the word count, including tables, figures, captions, appendices, bibliographies and reference lists. Material excluded from the word count will not be edited.
If the submitted document substantially exceeds the declared word count, the editor may request additional payment or decline the order.
6. Submission of documents
The client must submit the final version of the document intended for editing. Once editing has commenced, the editor will not accept replacement versions of the manuscript.
Submitting revised or substantially different versions of the manuscript after editing has begun will require a new order unless pre-agreed with the editor.
The client is responsible for submitting a file that can be edited using standard editorial tools (e.g. DOCX). If the submitted file cannot be edited or opened, the editor may request a new file format. The project timeline will begin once a usable file has been provided
If the client requires adherence to a specific style guide, journal style sheet or institutional formatting standard, this must be clearly stated at the time of submission. The editor is not responsible for applying style requirements that were not specified with the original order.
7. Client communication during editing
If the editor requires additional information in order to complete the editing — for example clarification of terminology, confirmation of a style guide or missing materials — the editor may contact the client.
The client is responsible for responding within the project timeline.
If the client does not respond within the time required to complete the project, the editor may proceed using their professional judgement and the information available.
In such cases, the editor will not be responsible for any decisions made due to missing information, and the client will not be entitled to request revisions, refunds or other remedies on that basis.
8. Turnaround time
The standard turnaround time for this service is five business days from the moment payment is received and the final document is submitted. The turnaround time begins only after payment has been received and a complete, editable document and all required materials have been submitted.
Delivery times may change if the submitted file cannot be edited, required materials are missing or the scope of work exceeds the limits of the service. In such cases, the client will be contacted to clarify next steps.
9. Payment
Payment must be made in advance through the payment system provided on the website.
Editing work begins only after payment has been received.
All prices are calculated on a per-word basis.
10. Refund policy
Because editorial work begins shortly after payment and document submission, orders cannot be cancelled once editing has commenced.
Once work has started, the client is not entitled to a refund.
If the editor cannot complete the service for reasons within the editor’s control, a full or partial refund may be issued.
11. Free corrections policy
Editing involves professional judgement and stylistic decisions. Differences in editorial preference do not constitute errors.
However, if the editing includes specific, verifiable errors, these will be corrected free of charge.
Qualifying issues include:
- failure to follow a required style guide provided by the client
- clear proofreading errors introduced during editing
- corrections that clearly fall within the defined scope of proofreading or copyediting but were missed.
Requests based solely on stylistic preference or disagreement with editorial judgement do not qualify as errors and do not entitle the client to revisions or refunds.
Clients receive the edited document with tracked changes, allowing them to review all edits and reverse any changes they do not wish to accept.
12. Editing limitations
Editing improves clarity, correctness and consistency but cannot guarantee that a document will be completely free of all errors.
While the editor will make every reasonable effort to identify and correct issues within the scope of the service, it is not possible to ensure that every error will be detected.
The client remains responsible for reviewing the edited document and approving all changes before submitting the text for publication, evaluation or distribution.
13. Queries after delivery
The service includes one round of follow-up queries. Clients may ask questions about the edits or request clarification within seven days of receiving the edited document.
The service does not include unlimited revisions. Requests for additional editing beyond clarification of the original edits may require a new order.
Queries submitted after the seven-day period fall outside the scope of the service.
14. Acceptance of delivered work
Delivery of the edited document constitutes completion of the service. Delivery will normally be made by email or secure download link. The service will be considered delivered when the edited files are sent to the client using the contact information provided at the time of order.
The client is responsible for reviewing the edited files and raising any questions or concerns within seven days of delivery.
If no concerns are raised within this period, the work will be considered accepted and the project deemed complete.
Requests submitted after this period fall outside the scope of the service, unless pre-agreed with the editor.
The editor is not responsible for delivery failures caused by incorrect contact details, spam filtering or technical issues outside the editor’s control.
15. Payment disputes and chargebacks
If the client has concerns about the editing service, they must contact the editor first to seek resolution. Initiating a payment dispute or chargeback without first attempting to resolve the issue directly with the editor constitutes a breach of these Terms and Conditions.
Where a chargeback or payment dispute is filed after the editing service has been delivered, the editor reserves the right to provide documentation of the completed service to the payment provider. This may include correspondence, timestamps, order records and edited files demonstrating that the service was performed.
16. Confidentiality
All documents submitted for editing are treated as confidential. The editor will not disclose the client’s work to third parties except where required by law.
The editor may retain copies of project files for a limited period for administrative, legal or quality-control purposes. Files are normally retained for no longer than twelve months after project completion unless a longer retention period is required by law or agreed with the client.
The editor is not responsible for storing or archiving edited files indefinitely. Clients are responsible for securely storing the files delivered upon completion of the service.
17. Intellectual property
The client retains full copyright of the submitted work. Editing services do not transfer authorship or intellectual property rights to the editor.
The client is solely responsible for the content of the submitted work. The editor is not liable for any legal claims arising from the client’s text, including claims relating to plagiarism, copyright infringement, defamation or unlawful content.
18. No guarantee of publication
Editing improves clarity, correctness and consistency but does not guarantee acceptance by journals, publishers, institutions or reviewers.
The client remains responsible for reviewing the edited document and deciding which edits to accept.
19. Limitation of liability
The editor’s total liability arising from the service is limited to the amount paid for the editing service.
The editor is not liable for any indirect or consequential losses, including loss of publication opportunities, reputational damage or academic outcomes resulting from the use of the edited document.
20. Governing law
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from the service fall under the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
