Unlimited revisions · Writing
Unlimited revisions in writing: what is normal
For writers, 2 rounds of revision is the healthy norm; unlimited edits turn a fixed fee into open-ended labor.
Typical range
2 rounds of revision included (a substantive round plus a polish round). Further rewrites, or a change in direction, are billed separately.
Off-market
Unlimited revisions, or a "until it is right" clause where the client can request rewrites indefinitely, including full changes of angle after the piece is written.
One-line fix
"The fee includes 2 rounds of edits. A change in the agreed brief or angle after drafting is a new assignment, billed separately."
What we see
Writing revisions divide into two very different things: polishing a piece that is on-brief, and rewriting a piece because the brief changed. A healthy revision cap covers the first. The second is not a revision at all; it is a new assignment wearing a revision's clothes.
Two included rounds (one substantive, one polish) is the common professional norm. The clause should also protect against the most expensive scenario: the client reading a finished, on-brief piece and deciding they want a completely different angle. That is a new commission, and the contract should say so plainly.
Unlimited-revision language in a client-drafted writing contract is rarely malicious; it usually reflects a client who has not thought about where a project ends. Naming a cap and defining a brief change as new work gives both sides a clear finish line and keeps a fixed fee from quietly becoming hourly labor at a zero rate.
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