Basic Editing Terms

This agreement is made between Hillcrest Media Group, Inc. (“Hillcrest”) and the copyright holder of said book, assignee thereof, or anyone authorized to execute this Agreement ("Customer").

Customer acknowledges and understands that all edits are made in Microsoft Word using the “Track Changes” feature. Customer further acknowledges that it is his/her responsibility to accept and/or reject edits in Microsoft Word and that such training is not included in the editing fees charged.

Customer acknowledges that it is his/her responsibility to make any or all suggested changes made by the editor.

Customer acknowledges that should he/she wish to review a printed copy of any edited version, Customer is responsible for printing that copy (the edited versions will be available for download from the Hillcrest Author Center).

Hillcrest reserves the right to verify word count as reported by Customer and charge Customer any additional editing fees based on any discrepancies Hillcrest finds in word count.

There is no guarantee by Hillcrest that Customer will like or accept the edits made by our editors. Once the editing process has commenced, Customer is not entitled to a refund of any kind, unless the editor fails to edit the manuscript in the times set forth below, and said breach isn’t cured within five business days.

Basic Editing Process

The Basic Editing service consists of one round of editing to Customer’s manuscript prior to Interior Layout. Customer acknowledges that the Basic Edit will commence when Customer uploads the manuscript to be edited to the editing step in the Hillcrest Author Center (the “site”). The Basic Edit takes up to 20 business days from the first business day after the Customer uploads his/her manuscript to the site (“Upload Date”).

The Basic Edit is $0.02 per word. A minimum fee of $99.00 will apply. The section below describes the duties of our editors for the Basic Edit.

Our editors will:

Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax
Correct errors in sentence structure and language usage
Insert notifications throughout the document where approval from a third party may be required
Correct errors in commonly known facts (e.g. changing “Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of Defense from New Jersey” to “Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State”)

Our editors for this package will not:

Restructure sentences
Alter word choices, except in the case of errors
Offer developmental suggestions
Edit your revisions in response to this initial edit. Any errors incorporated into the manuscript after you have approved the editor’s revisions will remain in the finished manuscript.
Proofread the typeset copy for any remaining errors or inconsistencies
Secure any necessary permissions for reprinted material including, but not limited to: song lyrics, photos, poems, newspaper articles, or text. It is the Customer's responsibility to secure permission from the original source's publisher for any such material that exceeds fair use.

How the Basic Editprocess works:

The editor will have the manuscript copyedited within 20 business days from the first business day after you upload the manuscript to the Hillcrest Author Center. The edited manuscript will be uploaded in a format in which you can see the edits/deletions, and you will have the choice to either accept or reject them. In cases where the manuscript exceeds 100,000 words, additional editing time may be required.

Previously Copyrighted Material Found by Hillcrest Editors

Any material in Customer’s manuscript that appears to be the intellectual property of another will be flagged by Hillcrest’s editors. The editing process shall cease until such time as Customer provides permissions for using the intellectual property of another or can provide reasonable evidence that said work is in the public domain or is the product of the Customer.

Customer shall retain sole ownership of the original manuscript submitted to Hillcrest as well as any contribution of the editor through revision, editing, suggestion, or idea. Any contribution of the editor will be considered to be a work made for hire within the meaning of the U.S. Copyright Act or by assignment (“Intellectual Property”).

To the extent that any contribution of the editor to the work is not considered to be a work made for hire, the editor and Hillcrest agree to assign such interest to the Customer.

Hillcrest further agrees that any material submitted to the editor, including data, transcripts, ideas, and information and any association between the Customer, the editor, and the submitted work will be kept strictly confidential.