Now what?

I try to give as much information as I can on my site, but ultimately the cost, terms, and time needed to complete your job are going to have to be determined on a case-by-case basis. So you and I need to talk.

Click here to send me an email, and tell me a little bit about what you’re looking for. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, often within hours, with more information. If you’re local (within the Las Vegas metropolitan area), I’ll ask to set up an appointment where we can meet face-to-face. If you’re located outside of Las Vegas, we can set up a phone appointment, or even chat via Skype or another online service.

I’ll ask a lot of questions. It’s essential for me to know exactly what your hopes and expectations are so I can determine the parameters of the job.

Once we’ve determined exactly what you need, I’ll be able to get back to you quickly with a quote for the job. As a general rule, I respect the original quote — if I say I’m going to charge you $1500 for a job, that’s what I’ll charge you, regardless of whether the job ends up taking more work than I expected. That’s my problem, not yours. The only exception is if you request something that wasn’t in the original agreement; in that case, I’ll issue you a new quote.

After we’ve agreed on the job’s details and cost, I’ll send you a quote and contract with my terms. For small jobs, I might ask you to authorize the job via email and pay a 50% deposit. For larger jobs, I’ll send you a formal contract to sign and return, and depending on the length of the assignment will ask for either a 50% deposit (for short-term work) or a 34% deposit (for larger jobs).

I start working on your project upon receipt of your deposit. Sometimes, I’ll have to do additional research, sometimes using online or library resources, and other times performing interviews with members of your staff, your vendors, or you clients. In the second case, I’ll ask you to send me contact information and, where possible, to prepare the source for contact from me.

If necessary, I’ll send you a rough outline of what I’m planning to do and how I intend to do it. This gives you a chance to catch me if you feel I’m going in a direction that isn’t suitable for you. Once we’re agreed, I begin to write.

When finished, I’ll send you a draft for your approval. I encourage you to suggest any changes you’d like to see at this point. I’ll make revisions and send you a second draft. Typically, this will be the last chance for any significant changes to be made; I generally include two rounds of revisions in my terms.

On or before our agreed due date, I’ll send you the final copy, along with an invoice for the remainder of the job’s cost. The easiest way to pay is using a corporate credit card via PayPal, and I always include a link to pay via PayPal in my invoices. Otherwise, we’ll make arrangements for you to send a check or bank draft.

That’s it. I always appreciate your feedback, and may ask for a testimonial. I would also love it if you’d direct your friends, colleagues, and vendors my way for their writing needs. And, of course, keep me in mind for your own future jobs.

To get started, go ahead and contact me!