The contract
When you confirm in writing that you want me, Christopher Berry, to write for you, you also confirm that you have read and accepted these terms and conditions, and a contract is formed between me and you or your company.
Under the contract, I will provide the copy to you within the agreed timeframe and you will pay me the agreed fees. You agree to pay all fees within 30 days of receipt of my invoice, which will usually be sent by email after the work is complete.
Design and/or marketing agencies
If you work for a design and/or marketing agency, company, firm, consultancy or network and you commission me to do a piece of work for one of your clients, there will only be a contractual relationship between me and your agency, company, firm, consultancy or network. No contract will exist between me and your client. In these circumstances, you agree to indemnify me against any claim by any client of your agency, company, firm, consultancy or network which arises, whether directly or indirectly, out of the work I have done for you.
Payment terms
For my part, a fixed fee will involve the following (unless otherwise indicated):
1. Preparing a initial draft of the copy and submitting it to you.
2. Making amendments as per your feedback and instructions and submitting the altered copy to you.
Any additional work beyond that, or beyond what I deem to be reasonable, will be charged at my hourly rate. Any revisions that I make based on changes you have made to the project itself following submission of the first draft may incur an additional fee.
You agree that if you do not settle my invoice within 30 days, you acknowledge that I will charge interest at 8% plus the Bank of England’s base rate for business to business transactions. You also agree to pay a fee per invoice to cover my costs of recovering the debt. This fee will be £40 per invoice up to £499.99, £80 per invoice up to £999.99 and £120 per invoice over £1,000.00.
Liability
I will always make every effort to ensure that your copy is accurate and free of errors. You acknowledge that you have the final responsibility for making sure that: (a) all factual information, figures, spelling and grammar are correct, and (b) you have not infringed anyone’s copyright in the materials that you have supplied to me.
There may be occasions when you send me sample copy, in which someone else owns the copyright. I will of course make every effort to make sure that none of what I write for you infringes that person’s copyright. However, you agree to indemnify me against any action arising, whether directly or indirectly, out of the use of this content in the copy I write for you.
Copyright and permissions
Under the contract, you purchase the copyright in the copy I write for you. The copyright transfers when I receive payment of the fee stipulated in the invoice. You agree that I can display the copy on my website or other promotional material and that I can place the copy in my online and print portfolio of work samples. Unless you expressly request to the contrary, you agree that I can name you as my client and display your logo on my website. You also agree that I can publish any positive comments that you give me about my work as a testimonial on the website or other promotional material.