Defining "one round of revisions"

In the book that I’m working on, about how creatives deal with money, I’m getting down to the nitty-gritty on many topics.

Right now, I’m dealing with the topic of revisions.

Many contracts include a certain number of revisions – but how exactly do you define one round of revisions?

I asked this question on the Creative Freelancer Conference LinkedIn Group yesterday, and I’d love to get your input.

Comments

[Stuart Silverstein]

Hey Ilise,
I've defined revisions as the following (we actually distinguish major and minor revisions):

Major changes are: Additions (pictures or text) that affect layout, redesign, additional scanning, photo manipulation or design - including collages and clipping masks (cutouts). Minor changes are: changes in color, placement on a page (that don’t affect layout), size on a page (within 10%), no more than 10 text changes (spelling, replacement or reworking of text), replacing pictures, (excludes new Photoshop designs or collages).

- A “round” of changes will be defined as any changes made to a document before a new proof is sent, excluding redesigns or new designs. A proof may be either a hard copy or pdf format. For websites, a “round” of changes will consist of any changes made within 24 hours to the specific website. - A “redesign” or additional comp, which consists of 50% or more of the elements on a page changing placement or form may be requested by clients in writing.

Very interested in what the rest of you have to say. Please let me know

[Ilise Benun]

Love all those specifics, Stuart. I'm sure that's very helpful for clients. If you have any anecdotes about how it works, would love to hear those too.

When I've got the rest of the ideas synthesized, I'll let you know.