The Cost of Success: Read The Fine Print

For creatives starting out in the industry, getting a contract from a well-known brand with a lump sum attached to it can feel like your dreams have come true…but is that the reality?

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First Thing’s First: Contract Overview

When you receive a contract, the first thing you need to do is read it. Not skim it, not scan the pages until you find how much you’re getting paid, read every word.

There are a few things to have in the forefront of your mind:

• Your non-negotiables if everything goes wrong - you have to be prepared for the worst case scenario
• The minimum compensation you need - are you carving out a whole day in your calendar? If this doesn’t work out, have you missed out on other work?

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The Money Maker: How Much You Should Charge

No matter how you look at it, this is your job and this is your income, so the money is important.

When you receive your contract, look for the proposed fee (we’ll pretend this isn’t the first thing you looked at).

What to consider:

• If the fee is below your desired amount, this may not mean an instant ‘no’
• Do you have the time to accept a little below that? For example, could this opportunity open doors for you or create long-term relationships that will make the value exchange worth it?

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It’s important to look at your career as a long-term trajectory - you may accept £1,000 less than you would have liked, but it could lead to a secure relationship with a brand that offers you more opportunities in the future.

When it comes to the figure itself, one number isn’t going to cut it. Ensure there is a breakdown - each item needs to be itemised and you need to be happy with each individual price. What seems like a great fee can quickly turn to very little if travel, expenses and materials aren’t included - there should be enough to cover everything you need and then with some extra on top.

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Pushing Back: How to Protect Yourself

Each contract you receive will be different so you will need to define each section and term and ask for clarity so there isn’t room for the brand to do something you aren’t expecting.

Confirm things like:

• Where they are using the content you’re creating (London, the whole of the UK, Europe, Worldwide), there may be different rules in other countries you need to adhere to
• The length of time they will be running the campaign or planning to use your content
• The platforms the ads will run on - social media, in stores, on the tube
• Exclusivity - that’s an expensive request - be ready to understand that. It limits your other opportunities so make sure you’re paid correctly

The more a brand uses your art, the more you should be compensated for that, so fees can escalate quickly to reflect the true cost of your work. When you push for more money in that case, businesses should understand why they are paying you and therefore, have a healthy budget to reflect that. If they don’t, maybe it’s a partnership you should reconsider.

Exposure doesn’t pay the bills!

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