Our agreement

Please read these terms and conditions carefully as you must agree to them before commissioning any project.

In the unlikely event of a dispute, they will provide clarification for all parties.

Your discovery call

A discovery call is usually a 15 minute Google Meet where we can discuss your project in more detail and decide if we’re a good fit to work together.

They are free of charge, so I don’t prepare for them in advance or give advice during the call.

Your initial consultation

If you would like a consultation to discuss a problem you need fixing or get advice and guidance on a project you’re considering, you can book a call or Google Meet with me.

Before the consultation, I’ll ask for some basic information, so I can prepare accordingly.

The fee for an initial consultation is £100, which needs to be paid upfront, before the consultation takes place.

You can make the most of your consultation time, by looking for the answers to any basic questions here.

Your copywriting brief

You can submit your own copywriting brief, if you have one, or download a copy of mine here.

If you’re using your own brief, it should specify:

  • Exactly what needs to be done;
  • Any word limits or other restrictions;
  • All relevant information; and
  • The timeframe within which the work needs to be completed.

If you need help completing my copywriting brief, you can book an hour of my time for £100, payable upfront.

Your website SEO site plan

An SEO website blueprint may be recommended if you’re getting your first website or restructuring your existing website.

It uses SEO research and findings to determine the best way to structure your website and to attract the most visitors. And it will give you an SEO-friendly blueprint for your new site.

The SEO website blueprint takes time and research to put together, so there is an upfront charge for this. The cost will depend on the size of your website and the number of pages it has.

Your quotation

Unless otherwise agreed, the project will be costed and quoted upfront before any work begins.

The price quoted will include:

  • All consultation and advice; and
  • Up to two rounds of complimentary revisions.

The price quoted will not include:

  • Additional work created by changes to your original brief;
  • Revisions requested after the final draft is submitted; or
  • Any out-of-pocket expenses.

All upfront quotations are valid for one month from the issue date.

Commissioning your project

When you receive your quotation and decide that you want to go ahead, you will need to confirm this in writing. An email is fine.

By returning a written confirmation, you confirm that:

  • You are authorised to commission the work, either directly on behalf of another company, or on behalf of a third-party client;
  • You have read and understood the terms and conditions laid out on this page;
  • You have agreed to the amount you have been quoted; and
  • You give consent for me to send the invoice for either the upfront payment or a 50% deposit.

Meetings

The first meeting to discuss a new project is included.

Meetings are conducted via Google Meet or over the phone if you prefer.

Subsequent meetings will be charged at a flat rate of £100, payable upfront.

Timescales and deadlines

I will make every effort to complete your project within the agreed timeframe.

However, on very rare occasions, I may be unable to do so for reasons beyond my control.

Under such circumstances I shall not be liable for any loss or damages caused to you or your client.

Conditions of materials you supply

Rights and permissions

I cannot accept liability for ensuring that the necessary rights and permissions to use my work have been granted.

This is whether in relation to use of names, people, trademarks, registered or copyright words or phrases.

Copyright

You must confirm that you own the copyright for any written materials you supply, to be included in, or adapted for use in, your project.

Accuracy and authenticity

You must accept full responsibility for the authenticity of any research materials and citations you supply.

Project delivery

Initial drafts

The initial drafts of your project will be delivered to you by email, or via the Google Drive if the file is too large to email.

When you receive your draft, it will be your responsibility to:

  • Check you have received all the necessary components and that nothing is missing or incomplete;
  • Proofread the document to check that it is factually accurate and free from errors; and
  • Report any problems to me at your earliest convenience.

Final draft

Once the final draft is completed, I will send the final invoice.

When this invoice has been paid, I will send you the final draft.

Project feedback

Your project will be supplied with two rounds of complimentary revisions. These revisions must be completed before your final invoice is issued and cannot be claimed retrospectively.

Feedback must be agreed by all decision makers and consolidated into one email or one set of tracked changes and submitted as follows:

First draft feedback

I will require feedback on your first draft within 5 working days unless a later date is agreed in advance.

If I haven’t received your feedback within 5 working days, I will issue any outstanding invoices and will consider the project completed.

Second draft feedback

If there is additional feedback after submission of the second draft, I will require this within 3 working days.

If no feedback is received within 3 working days, I will issue any outstanding invoices and will consider the project completed.

Final draft

The final draft is final. If further changes are required, they will be charged at £75 per hour, with a minimum charge of £75. This will be added to your final invoice.

I will send the completed final draft to you when the final invoice has been paid.

Payment terms

Upfront payments

I will require full payment upfront for any project under £1,000.

Upfront deposits

For any project over £1,000 in value, I will require a 50% non-refundable deposit, to be paid before work commences.

The balance will be due 7 days after you receive your final invoice.

Final balance

Final balance payment terms are 7 days from the date of the invoice, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Making payments

Payments can be made by electronic transfer/BACS only.

Late payment fees

If your payment is late, I reserve the right to charge a late payment charge. This will be in line with The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Client satisfaction

I take great pride in my work and aim to consistently deliver an exceptional and professional service. However, I accept that there can be misunderstandings in any creative project.

If you are unhappy with the work or service you have received, please tell me, at your earliest convenience, what the issues are and give me the chance to resolve them.

Cancellation or unresponsiveness 

If you decide to cancel your project after you have commissioned it in writing, I reserve the right to charge for any additional hours I have worked on the project that are not covered by the 50% deposit.

If you decide to cancel your project after delivery of the first draft, you will be liable for the total remainder of my fee, as specified in your written quotation.

If you are sent a draft of the project and fail to respond to this, or any further communications from me, within the feedback period, you will be liable for the total remainder of my fee, as specified in your written quotation.

These conditions apply whether or not you intend to make use of the materials I have supplied.

Indemnity clause

I make every effort to ensure that your project is completed on time and to an exceptional standard.

However, in the unlikely event that something may go wrong, you agree to indemnify me against:

  • Any claim for compensation, loss compensation or damages resulting from your use, inability to use or reluctance to use the materials I have supplied;
  • Any claim by a third-part client for compensation, loss compensation or damages resulting from the use, inability to use or reluctance to use the materials I have supplied;
  • Any claim for loss, compensation or damages arising because the necessary rights, permissions and releases have not been granted;
  • Any claim over breach of copyright relating to materials you have supplied to me; and
  • Any claim over factual or statistical inaccuracies in materials you have supplied to me.

Use of AI

My stance on AI is that its results aren’t good and I don’t trust it.

I will never use AI in my writing or editing process.

I’m always transparent about my processes and have set out how I will and won’t be using AI in this article.

By accepting these terms, you accept that the work I provide to you is my own and has not been created in conjunction with any form of AI.

Ownership of copyright

I retain copyright of any materials I have supplied until the final payment is made in full.

Unless you expressly prohibit it, I reserve the right to use excerpts of your project on my website: jennylucascopywriting.co.uk; and in my personal portfolio.