Definitions for "Kill fee"
The money paid to a writer when the publication has contracted with the writer to write an article, but the article is never published.
a fee paid for an article that was assigned but not published
a stipulated amount to be paid to the designer if the job is canceled for any reason
Keywords:  deserves, mention, staple, editor, hire
a common enough staple in Work for Hire contracts that it deserves a mention
The cost of a contract on an author or editor.