What to Include in a Freelance Writer Contract (+ Template)
My contract terms explained, in plain English.
Every freelance writer needs a solid contract to protect themselves.
This one is the brainchild of myself and Anna Burgess Yang, a seasoned freelance writer. This contract template is made specifically for writers like ourselves. Both Anna and I had our contracts reviewed by lawyers, who gave us each a professional seal of approval, and now we want to share them with all of you.
Here’s a breakdown of the key clauses in our freelance writing contract template, explained in plain, relatable language so you know what each one means and why it matters.
And if you’re ready to simplify your freelance life, you can snag the exact freelance writer contract we use for yourself (details at the end!).
Why I Combine My Proposal + Contract (And You Should Too)
Here's a freelance truth bomb: the more steps between "yes, I want to work with you" and actually starting the work, the more likely you are to lose momentum — or worse, lose the client entirely. That's why we streamlined our content proposal and contract into a single, cohesive document.
My content proposal template opens with a friendly introduction that establishes my expertise and sets expectations. It then flows into clear sections covering:
- The client's specific content needs and problems we discussed
- A detailed scope of work tailored to their goals
- My relevant experience and an explanation of why I'm the perfect fit
- Clear deliverables and pricing
- Estimated turnaround times
- Social proof with client testimonials
By the time they reach the contract section, they've already seen the value I'll provide, understand exactly what they're getting, and are ready to make it official. This approach has dramatically reduced the back-and-forth in both Anna and my client acquisition process, keeping the momentum rolling.
0. Front Page: Parties Involved
What It Means: This section identifies who’s entering into the agreement—you (the freelancer) and the client. It spells out names, business names, and contact info, as well as the purpose of the agreement. I list these on the first page of my contract template, before the terms of the service agreement.
Why It’s Important: It ensures there’s no ambiguity about who’s signing this contract and for what purpose.
1. Term
What It Means: This clause specifies the duration of the agreement, whether it’s tied to a specific project timeline, a set number of deliverables, or if it's an ongoing arrangement. It covers when the contract starts and ends.
Why It’s Important: It establishes clear boundaries for how long you’re committing to work together, preventing misunderstandings about whether the relationship is short-term, long-term, or open-ended.
2. Scope of Work
What It Means: This clause lays out the deliverables. This section should spell out:
- Your writing services, aka what works for hire you’re creating (i.e. SEO blog posts, white papers, copywriting landing pages, emails, etc.)
- How many rounds of revisions are included (I recommend one)
- What happens if the client wants changes beyond those revisions
- The process for requesting and starting work
- How you’ll handle changes to the project scope
Why It’s Important: It’s your writing project blueprint. It protects you from “scope creep,” where clients try to slip in extra tasks.
3. Payment Terms
What It Means: Let's talk about everyone's favorite part: getting paid. This covers your rates, when payments are due, and how they’ll be made (e.g., ACH transfer, PayPal). Your payment terms should be crystal clear about:
- Your rates for each type of deliverable
- When you'll send invoices and to whom (I invoice upon delivery of a first draft, unless otherwise requested by my clients)
- How quickly you expect to be paid (i.e. Net 15, Net 30, upon receipt of invoice, etc.)
- What payment methods you accept
- Any deposits required upfront
- Any late fees you may charge
Why It’s Important: It ensures you get paid fairly and on time. No awkward payment chases!
4. Intellectual Property Rights
What It Means: This clause specifies who owns the work you create. Typically, you retain ownership until you’ve been paid in full.
Why It’s Important: Your original work is your asset. This clause ensures you don’t transfer rights without fair compensation.
5. Confidentiality and Mutual Non-Disclosure
What It Means: Both parties agree to keep confidential information private—like business strategies or access credentials. You're agreeing not to share your client's secret sauce, and they're agreeing to keep your process private too. It's mutual respect, documented.
Why It’s Important: It builds trust and protects both you and the client from mishandling private information.
6. Publicity
What It Means: This gives you permission to use completed work in your portfolio/social media, or publicly mention the client relationship (with their consent for testimonials). Some clients may ask you to strike this clause or to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement); if so, I recommend raising your rate because you lose the business value of showing that work to future clients.
Why It’s Important: It lets you showcase your hard work while respecting the client’s privacy.
Hsing Tseng
7. Relationship of the Parties
What It Means: This states that you’re not an employee of the client, but a self-employed independent contractor responsible for your own taxes, insurance, and benefits.
Why It’s Important: It keeps things professional and legally compliant, avoiding contractor misclassification.
8. Expenses and Account Access
What It Means: This clause outlines who’s responsible for covering additional costs related to the project, like software licenses or tools, and how access to necessary accounts (e.g., Google Drive, CMS, or project management platforms) will be handled.
Why It’s Important: It clarifies who’s footing the bill for extra resources and sets clear expectations for providing account access upfront. This makes sure you’re not paying out of pocket for tools the client requires you to use.
9. Liability Limits / Indemnification
What It Means: This limits how much responsibility you hold if something goes wrong, like a missed deadline or (goodness) something you write causes your client to suffer damages.
Why It’s Important: It protects you from being sued for more than the value of the contract.
Anna Burgess Yang
10. Termination Clause
What It Means: This explains how either party can end the contract. Your termination clause should specify:
- How much notice either party needs to give
- What happens to ongoing work
- Final payment requirements
Why It’s Important: It gives everyone a clear exit plan, avoiding messiness if things don’t work out.
11. Impossibility / Force Majeure
What It Means: This is your "in case of apocalypse" clause. It covers situations beyond anyone's control, like natural disasters or global pandemics (yeah, we all learned about this one the hard way). You should also outline what you’ll do if you for some reason can’t finish the project as contracted.
Why It’s Important: Sometimes life happens. This ensures no one gets penalized for those circumstances.
12. Applicable Law
What It Means: This clause identifies which state or country’s laws will govern the contract. If any disputes arise, this section determines the legal framework used to resolve them.
Why It’s Important: Both parties know where to turn for legal guidance in case of disagreements, especially if you and the client are in different locations. This avoids jurisdictional confusion.
13. Entire Agreement
What It Means: This clause says the contract is the complete agreement, overriding any informal conversations or emails, and that it can only be overwritten by a new written agreement signed by both parties.
Why It’s Important: It puts everyone on the same page so that no one can claim verbal agreements take precedence.
Snag Our Contract Template!
Everything we've shared above comes straight from our battle-tested freelance writing contract template — the same one we use with all our clients. By combining our experiences, Anna and I created a couple of resources that are simple to use and legally sound.*
To start, we're offering a free downloadable contract template checklist that covers everything in this blog post. Use it to check if your contract template includes all the critical clauses every freelance writer needs. Go clause by clause, covering everything from payment terms and intellectual property rights to confidentiality and termination clauses.
Whether you're drafting a new contract or fine-tuning an existing one, our checklist provides a clear, easy-to-follow guide for creating a strong, legally sound agreement. Grab your free copy and streamline your contract process today!
Want to skip the contract-creation headache? You can get the contract template we use for just $54 — an accessible investment in your freelance business that'll save you hours of work and potential legal headaches down the road.
Both resources are available via the link below.
Why it’s worth it:
- BOGO: Since we combine our proposal and contract, you get two templates for one price.
- Tailored for freelance writers: Everything is written with freelance writing in mind.
- Tested with real clients: This is the exact template we use with our clients in all of our freelance work. It just works!
- Lawyer-approved: Peace of mind that it’s pretty rock solid*
- Easy to use: Just customize with your info and hit send. It literally takes me 5-10 minutes to add in all the info for a new client and send it off in PandaDoc after.
*Disclaimer
While this contract template has been reviewed by a legal professional, it's provided for informational purposes only and isn't a substitute for professional legal advice. Every freelance writing business is unique, and you should have your final contract reviewed by your own legal counsel to ensure it meets your specific needs and complies with your local laws and regulations.
Here's how to make it your own contract:
- Download the template and guide, or request access to the Google Docs versions, then make a copy to your own Google Drive
- In Word or Google Docs, customize each section to reflect your specific services and needs
- Save it as your go-to template for future clients (I save mine in Google Docs)
- Create a system for easily customizing, sending, and tracking signed contracts
Your contract is more than just paperwork — it's your professional safety net. Make it work for you, and you'll spend less time worrying about "what-ifs" and more time creating amazing content for your clients.
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