Forum Discussion
Client wants .story (unpublished files) - do they need this?
As a client, I always appreciated the source files. Sometimes it was just in case we had to make minor edits (such as that pesky typo no one else caught). Yes we could use the source files as templates, but if we had enough time and resources to do that in the first place, we wouldn't have contracted out.
However, if a contractor gets stingy about sharing the source files with me....the client who paid for them...I get a bad taste, and most likely will not use them again.
So, if I were in your situation (and not knowing all the details), I would use this as an opportunity to try to dig deeper and see if there are any other services you can offer. And going forward make sure you clearly spell this out in your contract.
BUT....If they had been the client from HELL (and we all know they exist)....that's different.
This discussion has only recently been revived.
Tricia, in light of your comment about "stingy" contractors and "the client who paid for them", does it say in your contract with a contractor that you, the client, own the source files? If it is not stated in the contract, why do you believe that the client has the right to the source files by default? But the fact is that if surrendering source files is not included in the contract, you are asking for something and expecting not to pay for it.