<b>Today's term: the kill fee</b>

<b>Today's term: the kill fee</b>

A kill fee is money you keep if the brand cancels after you've started. Without one, a brand can pull out the day before posting and you've done hours of work for $0.

Why it matters: scripting, filming, editing, and revisions happen <i>before</i> the post goes live. If the deal dies there, all that effort is unpaid.

Example: $1,000 deal with a 50% kill fee. They cancel after you've filmed — you keep $500. Fair, because the work was real.

A common ladder:
— Cancel before filming: 25%
— Cancel after filming: 50%
— Cancel after final delivery: 100%

Your move: add one line to your agreement — "Cancellations after production begins are subject to a 50% fee." Done.