Legal contracts can be one of the most daunting aspects of running an indie business. You know you need them, but where do you start? What format should you use? How do you determine what to include?
The free ebook, Get It In Writing! The Communications Consultant’s Guide to Contracts, delivers 45 pages of advice and 9 full contract examples to help. First published in 2011 by Solo PR Pro founder Kellye Crane and co-author Jenny Schmitt, of Cloudspark, Get It in Writing! has been accessed more than 7,200 times. A popular free resource created specifically for independent PR and marketing communication professionals, this widely-cited primer has been updated and expanded in the Second Edition.
Having solid contracts and agreements is one of the essential elements of a successful business. In this ebook, you’ll discover:
- The 5 critical elements to include in every legal agreement
- How to handle payment terms – so you won’t be sorry later
- When to use a Letter of Agreement vs. a full contract
- What to do if you’ve been operating without contracts
- How to avoid common “gotchas” in client-provided legal documents
- …and much more!
While not meant to substitute for the advice and counsel of a good lawyer, the ebook gives communications consultants a valuable starting point with concrete information and complete examples of Letters of Agreement, Full Contracts, Performance Agreements (used when working on events), Subcontractor Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), and Speaking Agreements.
Good contracts can help protect you, your business and your partners – and they demonstrate to current and potential clients that you’re an independent professional serious about your business. If you’re a self-employed communications consultant, download this free 45-page ebook today and keep it as a handy reference.
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What are your top contract challenges and how do you handle them? Do you have any top tips to share? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks, Heather! Your kind words mean a lot.
Kellye and Jenny, thank you so much for sharing the depth of your experience with the solo community. This is a great resource for both seasoned and new solo pros. I have downloaded my copy and look forward to utilizing it as a resource, thank you!
Karen – thanks! Kellye and I have seen too many solo PR pros get burned by not having contracts and agreements. This ebook is meant to help all of us ‘get it in writing.’ Best, Jenny
Thanks so much for this free e-book on contracting.
Great piece Kellye. Also looking forward to the newsletter. I hope you won’t take this all on yourself but will “task” some of us with pieces as well where you can.
Dear Kellye,
What a terrific resource and how generous of you and Jenny for making it available to us at no charge.
I’m looking forward to reading this weekend. I’ve drafted contracts, had clients draft contracts (that took a year to approve) and on and on, so I’m really excited to see what you have put together. Laurie
Thanks for sharing this Kellye. Not for nothing, this has prompted me to publish my little rant on the ‘pay with tweet’ thing I discovered not too long ago; not a fan. Anyway, I am downloading and am sure to share. Thanks!
Glad you find it helpful!
Thanks for the offer, Mary — appreciate your support!
Thanks, Laurie- your story sounds all too familiar. Jenny and I are happy to take what we’ve learned (much of it the hard way) and share it with our fellow indies. Let us know what you think!
Ooh, I love a good rant! Thanks for always being so supportive, and for sharing.
Thanks!
Well, how cool is this? Thank you for offering this, Kellye!
Kelly
“To download the ebook, just click the downward arrow below:” But there is no downward arrow. Not below or anywhere else, at least not when I view this page on Safari.
Enjoy!
Glad you find it “cool” – and you’re welcome!
Thank you for bringing to my attention that there may be problems viewing it in some versions of Safari. Here’s the direct link to the download: http://www.box.net/shared/z0kxciz1kf (and I’m updating the post itself to include).
Kellye, I cannot tell you enough how grateful I am to you guys for putting this resource together! As a new solo pr pro, I searched high and low to find guidance on understanding how to think about these agreements! You guys have made this process less stressful for me, leaving me with more time and energy to focus on other aspects of building my business. This is the best gift a pr professional venturing out on their own can have! Thank you forever!
I almost always charge by the project. I offer clients a 10 percent discount if they pay the entire amount up front. They love this!
Nicely done ebook, and he most comprehensive book I’ve seen on this topic. Love the fact it’s free!
So glad to hear this, Sharita – you’ve made my day!
So glad to hear this, Sharita – you’ve made my day!
What an excellent tip, Joan! A discount for a complete upfront payment is something I’ve never heard of before, but I can imagine how well this must work for cash flow. Especially with clients who’ve already worked with you previously, I’m sure they feel completely comfortable with this nice win-win. Great idea!
What an excellent tip, Joan! A discount for a complete upfront payment is something I’ve never heard of before, but I can imagine how well this must work for cash flow. Especially with clients who’ve already worked with you previously, I’m sure they feel completely comfortable with this nice win-win. Great idea!
Kellye,
A very helpful and useful guide. Thank you and Jenny very much. I look forward to using this as a resource.
@KelByrd
This is a great resource. Thank you!
I had to create a confidentiality agreement only this morning — wish I’d seen this link a few hours ago! This will be useful even for my (seasoned) PR practice.
Many thanks,
Allison
Choice Words/Chisolm & Co.
BTW I noticed this made Sarah Evans’ #Commentz list the other day, nice!
Thanks, Kelly – glad you like!
You’re most welcome!
Glad to hear it! Hope this ebook will help make life easier for everyone who reads it.
Thank you so much for the ebook. And for making it so easy to read. 🙂
Terri
Thanks, Terri! It’s no one’s favorite topic, but we worked to try to make it an easy-to-read reference. Happy to hear you think we succeeded.
Thank you! I really needed this legal advice and as a start-up, even more appreciative for the accessibility!
Thanks, Shannon – we’re always here to help.
Thank you so much for this resource Kellye and Jenny. As a start-up this has been one area I have avoided. The contracts, especially the letters of agreement mean I can push things forward that one step further, and make the business go from a dream to a reality in a way where both I and the client are protected. Thank you so much I look forward to putting the agreements to good use! x
What happened to the get it in writing link? Where is the ebook?
I subscribed to your newsletter and I still have not received the free e-book. Please look into it andymusalia@gmail.com
Hi Andy- thanks for letting us know, and sorry to hear you didn’t receive the ebook promptly. I see you in our system, so perhaps the ebook email went to your spam folder? Regardless, I’ve set you the ebook directly – happy reading!
Likewise. Was forced to signup to a newsletter and still haven’t received the ebook.
Hello Philip, we definitely do not want to “force” anyone to sign up for our free newsletter. I will unsubscribe you and personally send you the ebook. You may receive it more than one time, as we have no control over how long it takes for email systems to deliver. Thanks for your interest!