A potential hire told me my contract was too vague on revisions, and it saved a project.

I was hiring a copy editor for a big website job. I sent over my standard contract, and she came back with notes before she'd even sign. She pointed to the line about 'reasonable revisions' and said, 'What does reasonable mean to you? Two rounds? Three? Does it include a full rewrite if the first draft is off?' I had never defined it, I just assumed we'd figure it out. That feedback made me rewrite my whole contract template. Now I specify two rounds of revisions included in the base rate, with any extra rounds billed at $75 per hour. It felt awkward at first to be so specific, but it stopped a huge fight with a different client last month when they kept asking for 'just one more little change.' Has anyone else had a client or even another freelancer call out a weak spot in your terms?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_julia28d ago

That kind of clarity is a lifesaver. My old web design contract was a mess about what "launch" actually meant. A client asked if it included fixing post-launch bugs found in the first week, which it totally didn't, and we had a real problem. Getting specific in writing saves so much trouble later.

ray56228d ago

Oh man, tell me about it. What counts as a "revision" anyway? I had a client who thought that meant a whole new page design after sign off, not just fixing typos. We spent two weeks arguing because my wording was weak. Now my contracts list every single thing, like the exact number of tweaks allowed. It feels over the top but it stops those fights before they start.

xenam8427d ago

Ugh, "reasonable revisions"... that's basically asking for a fight. I had a guy try to argue that "reasonable" meant I'd redo his whole logo for free because he changed his business name after I finished. Like, no... that's a whole new job, man. Now my paperwork spells out that a revision is just tweaking what's already there, not starting over. Saves so much angry emailing.