Rowena Writes Copy - Terms & Conditions
I
offer a friendly and personal service that is tailored to the needs of your
business. We are commencing a business relationship and like all relationships
we need to enter it with trust and open communication. So here are some terms
and conditions that will help us work together with a clear understanding of
our mutual roles and responsibilities.
PAYMENT
A 30% deposit is required to commence all projects. Any agreed turnaround times will commence from the time that the payment has been made. The remaining 70%, along with any additional expenses, must be paid at the completion of the project and within 2 weeks of the invoice date.
BRIEFING PROCESS
This will usually start as a phone conversation or email exchange in which you outline your business needs or upcoming copywriting projects. I will ask you to send me an email brief to formalise things and ensure we both understand the scope and expectations of the project. Based on this brief I will prepare a quote for your approval. By engaging my services you are agreeing to the supplied quote.
What is a copywriting brief?
This is simply an email from you to me that outlines the end product you want (website, blog post, social media campaign, video script, flyer and so on). It should include the size of the project. This will vary depending on the type of project but will usually include a word count, or at the very least the number of pages for a website or print publication. If you have an existing document that needs rewriting you should send this through with your brief. Your brief should also include your preferred timings, tone, key messaging or anything else that you think I will need to work on your project. Depending on the size and type of project it may also include useful information about your brand and information about your competitors. If you are starting from scratch as a new business I can work with you to create a unique voice for your brand. This is an additional service.
Copywriting time frames and rush rates
Usually when I ask a client if they have a specific time frame in mind they will tell me they need it ASAP. Often these projects aren't so much urgent as just something the client wished they had started a while ago. Good copy should not be rushed. I usually require a minimum turnaround time of two weeks to complete your first draft. The turnaround time starts from the time the project deposit has cleared my account. After I have sent you the first draft you have 5 working days to come back to me with any edit requests. If you have a genuinely urgent project I will usually reprioritise projects and pull out all the stops to make it happen for you - for a price. For urgent projects with a turnaround time of less than two weeks I will add a rush rate to your project. The rate will vary depending on the amount of lead time you give me, but for a rush rate you can expect a minimum of 15% added to your quote.
I’m not psychic, and I’m guessing you aren’t either
Remember that I am not a copywriting empire, I am a sole business owner. Sometimes things happen like sickness, technology failures or those unexpected curveballs that life can throw at you from time to time. It is rare that I would ask for an extension on a project, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. Likewise, something might come up and you can't get back to me with revisions or can't start the project straight away. We are all human and sometimes these things happen. As long as we keep each other informed, we should be able to keep the project moving without too much drama.
Face to face meetings
We live in a virtual world and I am a virtual girl. Email, phone calls and Skype are usually just as useful, if not more so, than a face to face meeting. I usually reserve my face to face meetings for the following clients: new brands that need help finding their voice (I charge for this service); big projects that look like a sure thing (I may still charge for this service); old and regular clients who know me well and usually offer to buy me lunch. Please remember that I'm a small business owner with bills to pay. I would prefer to spend my spare time volunteering for NGOs rather than other businesses.
YOUR COPYWRITING PROJECT
Rewrite / Substantive Edit / Proofing - What's the difference?
Clients will often supply me with existing content that needs rewriting or reworking. It usually saves the client money because it cuts down on my research time and helps me to understand the brand and purpose of the copywriting project. I am fortunate because my clients usually trust me to advise them on whether I think their copy just needs a basic proof or if they need to make larger changes. When making my recommendations I will take into account your budget as well as your expectations for the project. If your budget is small then I can work to that, for example providing a basic proof but giving you a couple of tips on things that you could do at your end to make it work better. But remember, if I am charging you for proofing, you cannot expect a substantive edit. Likewise, if you would like a substantive edit, you can't expect to see brand new copy. A basic proof usually involves checking for typos, or grammar and spelling boo boos. I will also let you know when you have included sentences that just don't make sense and I will suggest that you rewrite them - or I can rewrite them for you but this will be added to your invoice. A substantive edit means that I will rewrite the odd sentence here or there to get a better flow or to give the sentence greater clarity. A rewrite will involve making changes to things like tone or key messaging, or could involve a complete rewrite if content is confusing or bland. Whether it is proofing, a substantive edit, or complete rewriting, I will need to see the document in order to provide you with an informed quote. Sometimes it is only once I commence the project that I can get a true sense of the strengths or weaknesses of the content so I may flag with you that more or less work is needed and will invoice you accordingly. Don't worry, I will give you the heads up if this is the case.
Scope creep and project changes
I will quote you based on the information that you supply to me at the time of quotation. Additions to the original brief, changes to the scope or direction of the project will impact on the final invoice amount.
Revisions
Once I have supplied you with a first draft I will usually provide you with one or two rounds of revisions. The number of revisions included in your quote will depend on the scope of the project. Once I have supplied you with the first draft you will need to provide me with any amendment requests within 5 working days. The same applies to any subsequent drafts. If I do not receive feedback from you within 5 working days I will assume that you have accepted the draft and the project is complete and ready for payment. If you need additional time to review the content, we can discuss the possibility of a longer timeframe. If I have not received any revision requests after 30 days from delivery of drafts, I will send you the final invoice. Any further amendments will be charged at an hourly rate.
Third parties and communication
You may have your own clients, designers, web developers, bosses or colleagues who all have a stake in the content that I prepare for you. While you are very welcome to run the copy by others to get their approvals or revisions, please ensure that I only have one point of contact – either yourself or your nominated representative.
Cancellation of project
If you cancel the project for any reason once work has commenced you are liable for the full quotation amount. If you cancel a project after you have approved a quote but before work has commenced, I reserve the right to invoice you for 30% of the project.
Indemnity
By engaging my services you agree to hold Rowena Writes Copy free of all liability and responsibility for any client business actions or outcomes resulting from services, advice or information provided by Rowena Writes Copy.
I will do my best to ensure that you have factual and engaging copy that is free from typographical or grammatical errors, however the final responsibility is with you, the client. It is your responsibility to ensure that the content is factual and correct and that it complies with the law. Any approvals or legal requirements are the responsibility of the client and by engaging my services you agree to hold Rowena Writes Copy free from any liability. Any content you supply to me for reworking should be original content or content for which you own the intellectual property.
Intellectual Property
Any work completed by Rowena Writes Copy remains my intellectual property until the final invoice has been paid. Once full payment has been made it is all yours to do with as you wish. I retain the right to use the work I have completed for promotional use for Rowena Writes Copy. This includes, but is not limited to, work samples on my website. This is a great opportunity for cross promotion for your business and mine. If you would prefer to keep our work together low key then please just let me know!
Hooray - you made it to the end! Thanks for taking the time to read through the T&Cs. It looks like you care about your business as much as I do. I look forward to working with you!
PAYMENT
A 30% deposit is required to commence all projects. Any agreed turnaround times will commence from the time that the payment has been made. The remaining 70%, along with any additional expenses, must be paid at the completion of the project and within 2 weeks of the invoice date.
BRIEFING PROCESS
This will usually start as a phone conversation or email exchange in which you outline your business needs or upcoming copywriting projects. I will ask you to send me an email brief to formalise things and ensure we both understand the scope and expectations of the project. Based on this brief I will prepare a quote for your approval. By engaging my services you are agreeing to the supplied quote.
What is a copywriting brief?
This is simply an email from you to me that outlines the end product you want (website, blog post, social media campaign, video script, flyer and so on). It should include the size of the project. This will vary depending on the type of project but will usually include a word count, or at the very least the number of pages for a website or print publication. If you have an existing document that needs rewriting you should send this through with your brief. Your brief should also include your preferred timings, tone, key messaging or anything else that you think I will need to work on your project. Depending on the size and type of project it may also include useful information about your brand and information about your competitors. If you are starting from scratch as a new business I can work with you to create a unique voice for your brand. This is an additional service.
Copywriting time frames and rush rates
Usually when I ask a client if they have a specific time frame in mind they will tell me they need it ASAP. Often these projects aren't so much urgent as just something the client wished they had started a while ago. Good copy should not be rushed. I usually require a minimum turnaround time of two weeks to complete your first draft. The turnaround time starts from the time the project deposit has cleared my account. After I have sent you the first draft you have 5 working days to come back to me with any edit requests. If you have a genuinely urgent project I will usually reprioritise projects and pull out all the stops to make it happen for you - for a price. For urgent projects with a turnaround time of less than two weeks I will add a rush rate to your project. The rate will vary depending on the amount of lead time you give me, but for a rush rate you can expect a minimum of 15% added to your quote.
I’m not psychic, and I’m guessing you aren’t either
Remember that I am not a copywriting empire, I am a sole business owner. Sometimes things happen like sickness, technology failures or those unexpected curveballs that life can throw at you from time to time. It is rare that I would ask for an extension on a project, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. Likewise, something might come up and you can't get back to me with revisions or can't start the project straight away. We are all human and sometimes these things happen. As long as we keep each other informed, we should be able to keep the project moving without too much drama.
Face to face meetings
We live in a virtual world and I am a virtual girl. Email, phone calls and Skype are usually just as useful, if not more so, than a face to face meeting. I usually reserve my face to face meetings for the following clients: new brands that need help finding their voice (I charge for this service); big projects that look like a sure thing (I may still charge for this service); old and regular clients who know me well and usually offer to buy me lunch. Please remember that I'm a small business owner with bills to pay. I would prefer to spend my spare time volunteering for NGOs rather than other businesses.
YOUR COPYWRITING PROJECT
Rewrite / Substantive Edit / Proofing - What's the difference?
Clients will often supply me with existing content that needs rewriting or reworking. It usually saves the client money because it cuts down on my research time and helps me to understand the brand and purpose of the copywriting project. I am fortunate because my clients usually trust me to advise them on whether I think their copy just needs a basic proof or if they need to make larger changes. When making my recommendations I will take into account your budget as well as your expectations for the project. If your budget is small then I can work to that, for example providing a basic proof but giving you a couple of tips on things that you could do at your end to make it work better. But remember, if I am charging you for proofing, you cannot expect a substantive edit. Likewise, if you would like a substantive edit, you can't expect to see brand new copy. A basic proof usually involves checking for typos, or grammar and spelling boo boos. I will also let you know when you have included sentences that just don't make sense and I will suggest that you rewrite them - or I can rewrite them for you but this will be added to your invoice. A substantive edit means that I will rewrite the odd sentence here or there to get a better flow or to give the sentence greater clarity. A rewrite will involve making changes to things like tone or key messaging, or could involve a complete rewrite if content is confusing or bland. Whether it is proofing, a substantive edit, or complete rewriting, I will need to see the document in order to provide you with an informed quote. Sometimes it is only once I commence the project that I can get a true sense of the strengths or weaknesses of the content so I may flag with you that more or less work is needed and will invoice you accordingly. Don't worry, I will give you the heads up if this is the case.
Scope creep and project changes
I will quote you based on the information that you supply to me at the time of quotation. Additions to the original brief, changes to the scope or direction of the project will impact on the final invoice amount.
Revisions
Once I have supplied you with a first draft I will usually provide you with one or two rounds of revisions. The number of revisions included in your quote will depend on the scope of the project. Once I have supplied you with the first draft you will need to provide me with any amendment requests within 5 working days. The same applies to any subsequent drafts. If I do not receive feedback from you within 5 working days I will assume that you have accepted the draft and the project is complete and ready for payment. If you need additional time to review the content, we can discuss the possibility of a longer timeframe. If I have not received any revision requests after 30 days from delivery of drafts, I will send you the final invoice. Any further amendments will be charged at an hourly rate.
Third parties and communication
You may have your own clients, designers, web developers, bosses or colleagues who all have a stake in the content that I prepare for you. While you are very welcome to run the copy by others to get their approvals or revisions, please ensure that I only have one point of contact – either yourself or your nominated representative.
Cancellation of project
If you cancel the project for any reason once work has commenced you are liable for the full quotation amount. If you cancel a project after you have approved a quote but before work has commenced, I reserve the right to invoice you for 30% of the project.
Indemnity
By engaging my services you agree to hold Rowena Writes Copy free of all liability and responsibility for any client business actions or outcomes resulting from services, advice or information provided by Rowena Writes Copy.
I will do my best to ensure that you have factual and engaging copy that is free from typographical or grammatical errors, however the final responsibility is with you, the client. It is your responsibility to ensure that the content is factual and correct and that it complies with the law. Any approvals or legal requirements are the responsibility of the client and by engaging my services you agree to hold Rowena Writes Copy free from any liability. Any content you supply to me for reworking should be original content or content for which you own the intellectual property.
Intellectual Property
Any work completed by Rowena Writes Copy remains my intellectual property until the final invoice has been paid. Once full payment has been made it is all yours to do with as you wish. I retain the right to use the work I have completed for promotional use for Rowena Writes Copy. This includes, but is not limited to, work samples on my website. This is a great opportunity for cross promotion for your business and mine. If you would prefer to keep our work together low key then please just let me know!
Hooray - you made it to the end! Thanks for taking the time to read through the T&Cs. It looks like you care about your business as much as I do. I look forward to working with you!