What to check in a brand deal contract before you sign
The exciting part is agreeing the deal. The part that pays you fairly is the contract. Most creators skim it and sign, then find out later what they gave away. You do not need a lawyer to catch the five clauses that matter most, you just need to know where to look.
Read before you sign, every time
A contract is just the deal written down, and anything not written down is not agreed. Read the whole thing once, then read these five clauses again. If something is missing, ask for it in writing. Polite questions before signing are normal and expected.
Usage rights and how long they last
Look for how long the brand can use your content and where. The phrase to watch is perpetual, which means forever, often paired with the right to run it as paid ads. That is worth real money. Cap it instead, for example six or twelve months of usage, and price anything beyond that separately.
Exclusivity scope
Exclusivity stops you working with named competitors for a window. Check who counts as a competitor and for how long, since a broad category and a long window can lock you out of a whole niche. Narrow it to a short list of brands and a few months, and charge for the ones that go further.
Payment terms and when the clock starts
Find the exact amount, the schedule, and the date the payment clock starts. Net 30 means thirty days after you invoice, and many brands run net 60 or longer through their accounts team. Make sure the clock starts on delivery, not on some vague later approval, and get the number and the date in writing.
Kill fees
A kill fee is what you are paid if the brand cancels after you have started. Without one, they can pull out the day before publishing and owe you nothing. Ask for a kill fee, commonly a set share of the total if they cancel after you begin work, so your time is protected either way.
Approval rounds and revisions
Unlimited revisions can turn a one-day job into a month of unpaid edits. Cap the rounds, for example two, and state that extra rounds are billed. Also check that final approval will not sit unanswered forever, since that can quietly delay your payment too. Keep every signed deal and its terms in one place with the pitch tracker so nothing slips.
More than a pitch
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