TO BE READ

Best Practices

This is a living document and subject to change.

Last updated February 2026

Overview

Best practices relate to To Be Read CIC trustees, staff and contractors and are the standard operating procedures, rules and guidelines we implement when conducting our duties and/or providing services both in-house and externally.

To Be Read CIC is a Community Interest Company (also known as a social enterprise) limited by guarantee, meaning that company assets are responsibility of the guarantor(s), which at time of writing falls solely to Ruby Allen-Cadman, company founder and director. The articles and conditions of this CIC are available here.

To Be Read invests in the community it serves, namely UK-based creatives in need of support, which TBR typically refers to as “underrepresented voices”. Definition and provision for this community is outlined in 1. Ethical Considerations.

1. Ethical Considerations

The primary purpose of To Be Read CIC is to amplify underrepresented voices in the UK publishing industry.

This goal comes with a set of critical questions, such as:

  • How do we decide which voices are underrepresented?
  • Do we, as a company and individuals have the authority and understanding necessary to determine a person or people’s level of need?
  • Can we assign a value or percentage to a creative’s personhood or work’s equity, inclusivity and/or diversity?
  • Can a piece of writing – a work of art – be determined as more or less in need of advocacy?
  • How do we determine a creative work’s merit? Can something be labelled wholly offensive, inadequate or inaccessible or does all work have the potential (with the appropriate support) to improve, flourish and find its audience?

As TBR grows and evolves, the ways in which we approach these complex issues will likely evolve with it and in future, we hope that To Be Read can partner with individuals and other advocacy groups to conduct research, curate and create a series of resources to help us better answer these questions.

In the meantime, we look to information and statistics provided by other trusted authorities, such as Creative Access, The Publishers Association and CLPE to help us better understand how creatives’ identity and lived experiences have impacted their access to the creative industry and utilise this knowledge in developing 1.i. Equitable Practices.

1.i. Equitable Practices

All personal employee, volunteer, contractor and client information is strictly confidential and the need for reasonable adjustments and/or dispensations should only be conveyed a) when necessary or b) at the discretion of the individual(s).

The nature of To Be Read’s work means that, in some instances, requesting personal information may be deemed necessary in the context of assigning projects. Elements of the editorial process are inherently subjective, and the creative, collaborative nature of this type of work means that it is important to consider different viewpoints and biases. 

Wherever possible, To Be Read will aim to have an author’s consultation, developmental, line and copyediting work overseen or provided by someone with relevant lived experience, i.e. someone with meaningful direct or contextual understanding of (for example): race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, culture, gender, sexuality, geographical location, neurotype and other relevant topics. 

Identifying in a specific way or having a particular background doesn’t mean that you are expected to serve as an authority on writing that deals with something you have experience with. Nevertheless, being able to work with an editor who not only has professional expertise, but can also in some way relate to an author’s work on a personal level is invaluable.

Those with relevant or associated experience may also be asked to serve as a secondary editor to query work, provide quality assurance and/or provide context.

2. Services and Fees

TBR Network Members are freelance contractors and are therefore entitled to set their own fees for services. The rates set out below are set competitively in consideration of CIEP (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading)’s rates available here.

2. i. Industry Rates

Recommended pro-rates (per hour)

£50 Consultation:

  •  reading a client’s submitted synopsis and inquiry letter, along with reviewing a sample (standard sample size is 5K of a complete manuscript/equivalent in shorter works of fiction, 15 pages of a script, 10-15 poems, complete picture book text)
  • conducting an hour-long meeting to work through feedback on the client’s submitted work in a video call, allowing time for the client’s relevant questions and comments
  • providing a professional editorial letter summarising feedback on the client’s submitted work and, where relevant, a mark-up of the text and/or additional resources such as writing tools, how-to guides.

£30 Developmental Edit

£25 Line Edit

£25 Proofreading and copyediting

£20 Proofread only

All fees are subject to negotiation dependent on length and involvement of project. For instance, if managing a manuscript as it is written, rather than charging £30 p/hour, a TBR member might negotiate with the client to agree a fixed-fee, or a payment cap, so that the client can budget accordingly.

Additional services, such as ghost-writing, copywriting, brand consultancy, permissions, archiving etc. can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Once a rate or fee cap is applied, contractually, no additional fees can be incurred unless explicitly agreed to by both parties.

2. ii. Pay-What-You-Can Rates

Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) editorial services are provided at the discretion of TBR network members.

It is important that TBR members’ skills and time are treated as the valuable commodity that they are. While the level of discount for PWYC clients can be made at each freelancer’s discretion, some guidance is provided:

  • Recommended discount for per hour PWYC services is 25-50% discount of pro-rate dependent on the complexity of the project.
  • To Be Read as a company does not encourage the use of buy-now-pay-later or work on credit, but to allow client (s) to budget appropriately it is often useful to offer a fixed-fee or fee cap: e.g. agree the total cost will not exceed £250 without renegotiation from both parties, and keep the client updated on progress, recording hours publicly so that they can see how much has been done and how much is left in the project budget.
  • Take into consideration time vs. money: if there is no fixed deadline, can the project sit alongside more (financially) profitable work, vs. if this is needed urgently or by a select date, can the member afford to forgo more (financially) profitable work for a PWYC client?

When negotiating fees for Pay-What-You-Can clients, we do also take into consideration the following vulnerabilties: 

  • Employment status and salary (unemployed, single or low-income, working as a full-time carer, no access to financial or wellbeing support from friends, family or other associates),
  • Socio-and geo-graphical status (from a deprived area with limited access to artistic and cultural resources, job security, services or support).
  • Active or passive discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, geographical location, neurotype, physical ability and other biases, conscious or otherwise.
  • The intentional or unintentional exclusion of a creative’s lived experience in mainstream media (in this case, particularly books).

And consider how we may negotiate and scale payment equitably.

3. Code of Conduct

To Be Read CIC will not tolerate discrimination or abuse from or against its employees, volunteers, clients or network members. 

This includes but is not limited to: offensive language, images or actions in person or online directly or indirectly relating to background, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, ability, religious belief, neurotype, sexuality, gender identity, parental status, or financial situation. 

In the event that an incident of abuse or dicrimination is reported, complaints or concerns should be raised with the founder, Ruby Allen-Cadman, in the first instance (rubyallencadman@toberead.uk).

Wherever possible, the founder shall determine the appropriate response, whether that be:

  1. An official caution
  2. Termination of contract and a permanent ban from the use of services.

In the event that a complaint or concern involves Ruby Allen-Cadman, the first point of contact is trustees@toberead.uk.

Confidentiality will be maintained wherever possible.
At present, any issue escalated beyond in-house mediation shall be resolved through arbitration.

3.i. Public Association

The whole point of To Be Read CIC is to work collaboratively. 

We refer, endorse and promote creatives, freelancers, events and businesses of all kinds. We don’t expect any of our partners or associates to censure themselves, but we do ask that:

Wherever possible, if you have any concerns that something stated publicly (online or in person) will be associated with To Be Read CIC and contradicts our code of conduct, please include a disclaimer such as “all opinions (our/my) own”.

You accept that in order to protect the integrity of To Be Read CIC as a business, we may withdraw our public (and/or private) endorsement of any individual or collective, business or charitable organisation at any time.