The more cost-effectively we can operate, the more work our clients can afford, and the more desirable our services become. That means that we can then provide steady work to more contractors. While quality is paramount at The Write Edge, we are also differentiated by our ability to produce the work in a reliable, painless, productive and cost-efficient manner. The client is king, and while we value our contractors tremendously -- without good people, we cannot function -- we must place production and consistency above the needs and desires of any one individual.

To work with The Write Edge, you must:

1. Follow instructions precisely. Even the minor change of a file name by one character will impact where that file is stored and how the file is tracked. If the file is not properly named, it may not be considered "delivered" since we may not find it. That means that you may not be paid. FOLLOW ALL NAMING CONVENTIONS RELIGIOUSLY!
2. Have Internet Explorer 4.X or higher, or Netscape 3.X higher, or a very recent version of the AOL browser. Be aware that AOL poses a number of difficulties both with email and with browser incompatibilities. We are not responsible for those difficulties, nor can we take the time to help contractors to overcome them.
3. Run Norton Anti-virus or a THOROUGH virus program on all files before transmitting them to us. Be aware that even the latest version of McAfee does not catch certain viruses, including Word Marker A viruses.
4. If you are a writer or editor, have Microsoft Word format for PC or the capability to convert files to at least Word 97 format without ANY change in format, font, text, or filename. It is your responsibility to find someone who can provide you with several Word documents that include tables, bullets, charts, images, and different fonts, and for you to print the files out side by side so that you can verify that NOTHING is changed between the versions. Many of our clients take the files that we generate and transfer them directly to HTML. This means that uniform formatting is required. We will return a file to you once for correction -- at your own expense. If it remains incorrect, or is not returned by the deadline, we reserve the right to charge back the time required to correct formatting errors against your most recent invoice.
5. If you are a graphic artist or designer, have Adobe PhotoShop 5+, Adobe Illustrator 8.+, Adobe ImageReady 1+, etc. as necessary for producing the latest effects as efficiently as possible. If there are problems with a file resulting from a failure to follow instructions, we will return a file to you once for correction -- at your own expense. If it remains incorrect, or is not returned by the deadline, we reserve the right to charge back the time required to correct errors against your most recent invoice. If the change is due to a change in scope, you will be compensated for the change, but see item 8. below.
6. Follow all style, quality, and formatting guidelines exactly. If a file is supposed to have your name at the top, it must have your name at the top. If a format indicates that you must use round bullets when creating the file, you must use round bullets. Again, we will return a file to you once for correction -- at your own expense. If it remains incorrect, or is not returned by the deadline, we reserve the right to charge back the time required to correct formatting errors against your most recent invoice. Subsequent files will simply be charged back, as our reviewing a file, returning it to you, and tracking the progress of that file in the interim is a costly process.
7. Deliver files of the agreed upon style, quality, and format within the maximum time allowed and by the deadline that you agree to when you accept the assignment. Files that are not delivered within the deadline are not useful to us and may not be accepted on delivery. Files that do not meet style, quality, or format requirements will not be accepted. If there is insufficient time before the deadline for you to make all required changes, or if you cannot manage changes, the file will be addressed with management on an individual basis. If files meet quality but exceed the maximum hours allowed on the file, where applicable and previously discussed before you accepted the assignment, the overage will be your responsibility.
8. Backup files and save progress so that you can recover lost work quickly. If you complete a file but do not save it, and if we do not receive it, or if facts need to be verified or minor changes need to be made (for example in graphics files) you will not be paid to start the work over from scratch. It is your responsibility to save drafts, research, and layers so that you can easily and cost-effectively backtrack to reconstruct.
9. Maintain the highest standards of general work ethics and recent technology. You will be expected to work efficiently, professionally, and cost-effectively. As an Independent Contractor, you are responsible for providing your own tools and equipment, and we expect that those tools are of recent vintage in order for you to be able to take advantage of time- and labor-saving innovations.

If you do not have the proper software or hardware or a compatible browser version, then it will be your responsibility to find a friend, copy center (Kinko's, KwikCopy, or PIP, for example) where you can upload a file from your floppy disk, repair any lost formatting until it is identical, and upload it according to our instructions. This must be done at your expense, and not ours.