The Power of Words

As with any business arrangement, certain terms and conditions must be agreed upon between the parties. Following are some important points in my terms of service.

• FEES

My charges are always based on written bids. The fee will reflect each element in the project as agreed between us and memorialized in writing. In some instances, especially when working with new clients or accepting large, open-ended, or lengthy assignments, I may ask for a deposit upon acceptance of the bid. That is especially true if significant expenses are involved. The balance is payable upon final completion or 30 days after submission of the first draft, whichever comes first. Past due accounts will incur an additional two percent per month until paid.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, fees do not include out-of-pocket expenses for such items as messenger services, postage, travel, sales taxes (applies in New Mexico), or any other costs incurred in the performance of the work.

Changes to the original parameters of a project after work has begun may incur extra charges, particularly if made during the revisions process.

• DEADLINES

Each project must have a realistic deadline and I will aim to meet it. However, timely production may be contingent on factors beyond my control, such as failure to receive necessary resource material when promised, delay in responding to requests for information, unavailability of sources from whom I need input and so forth. I count on you to keep up your end of the agreement in order to meet your deadlines.

It should also be noted that in no case will I begin work before receiving written acceptance of my bid and payment of the deposit. To make it easy, my proposal may be accepted via email and if time is short I accept PayPal. Failure to promptly receive the agreement and deposit will push back the start-date and thus the deadline. Depending on other work I may have scheduled, this could result in even greater delay.

• REVISIONS

All quotations include two rounds of revisions. As noted above, this does not include additional work required due to changes in the parameters of the assignment made after completion of the first draft. All revision requests must be received within 30 days after delivery of the first draft. Minor revisions can usually be accomplished within two or three days, depending on circumstances; more extensive work could require longer. I will make every effort to provide the changes as quickly as possible.

• CAVEATS

• Should you cancel a project after I begin working on it, a kill fee will apply. The fee will be negotiated based on the amount of time expended and might take into account other factors, for example, if I have turned away lucrative work in order to accommodate your original deadline.

• Background material sent to me as reference will not be returned unless advance arrangements have been made in writing. In organizing my work I often mark up or cut apart literature or other documents. If informed in advance that your resource material must be returned intact, I will scan or copy the elements I need and a modest extra charge may apply.

• I am not a lawyer and will bear no responsibility for any difficulties arising from failure to have the copy reviewed by qualified legal counsel. You are responsible for final legal approval and proofreading of the finished work. Relevant photography releases will be provided if possible.

• Although it is not a requirement, I recommend that you send me a PDF of the finished piece before printing or transmitting so that I can check it to make sure that everything works as intended. There is no charge for this final review. However, this should in no way be understood as a proofreading service. I accept no liability for errors made during final production.

• Any information received from my clients will be treated as confidential. Should you desire I will be happy to sign your standard non-disclosure agreement or provide my own simple NDA form.