WORKING WITH AL

The main thing to know about working me is this: it's as easy as 1-2-3. 1. I won't make you sign a separate contract before we start -- your acceptance of my Estimate is enough. 2. In most cases, I won't make you pay anything before we start -- you'll be billed at the conclusion of the project, or on a pre-determined schedule. Invoices will be "net 30" -- due in full in 30 days. 3. I'll deliver top-quality work, and I'll deliver it on time. (See my testimonials.) The rest is all detail. Detail 1: The Estimate Estimates will be based on the parameters you give me at the outset, and detailed enough for you to recognize disconnects before work begins. They will always: itemize deliverables and deadlines; include all meetings, travel, communications and file management; include a specified number of rounds of changes and corrections;* and specify how much deposit is required, if any, before works commences. I strive, whenever possible, to have my final Invoice come in lower than the Estimate. Happy clients mean more to me in terms of repeat business and referrals than a few extra bucks on any given project. However, if something changes mid-stream that may result in an Invoice in excess of 20% more than the Estimate, I will notify you before proceeding further, so that we can plan accordingly. Detail 2: The Invoice Invoices are delivered at the end of each month and/or when final copy for the job is approved. Payment will be due in full in 30 days. 1.5% per month interest will begin to accrue to any unpaid amounts on Day 31. I suppose this is where I should tell you about my "associate" Jimmy "Fingers" who handles any unpaid accounts, but I trust that won't be necessary. Right? Detail 3: Cancellations While this never happens (to me), I will cover it here in order to be thorough. If a job is cancelled for any reason before final copy is approved, I will tally my time and expenses invested in the project and bill accordingly, and the full amount will be due immediately. Withholding approval of final copy two weeks beyond the agreed-upon deadline will be considered cancellation and an Invoice will be issued and payment due on receipt. Detail 4: Samples All work is commenced with the understanding that the client will provide me with printed samples of, PDFs of, or links to finished work as portfolio pieces. I will not display samples on my site or in my portfolio before they appear in print or on the Internet. Completed work that was speculative in nature, or was not published for any reason, may still be presented by me as my work. Detail 5: NDAs While I will of course sign Non-Disclosure Agreements if asked, you may also consider this document as a blanket NDA for any work that we do together. I always respect my clients' proprietary interest in their business and all of its assets, including my work-for-hire. * "Changes" refer to client-driven revisions, which may include corrections to information given to me to work from, new decisions about what information to present, and steering me in a different copy direction than originally taken. "Corrections" refer to anything that is simply wrong and needs to be corrected.