Contract Advice for Freelance Writers

Having your clients sign a contract or agreement letter before you begin work cuts down on misunderstandings and confusion. You can be more certain your client understands your billing rates and payment policies and other pertinent information up front. After having signed a contract, a client will be less likely to come back to you and say, "We didn't agree on this." If someone does argue with you, you can simply point to the contract. Should a legal dispute arise, your contract will give you leverage. So, what should you include in your contract? Here are the basic issues to consider:

1) Services
The service you provide will be the writing job at hand. Since the job will probably be different for each client, what you put in this section will change each time you type up the contract. Add as much detail to this section as possible, because this is the part of the contract that your client can point to when making claims about dissatisfaction or refusing to pay. If you offer a satisfaction guarantee, say so.

2) Copyrights
Specify what rights you are selling and what rights you will retain. If you are granting one-time or first rights to the client, say so. Mention when rights will revert back to you (i.e., after publication or when your work appears in print, one year later). You also want to discuss electronic rights if applicable to the work you are doing. If you are granting electronic rights or the right for the client to archive your work on his/her website, you will want to specify these terms.

3) Billing Rates
State your regular rate, whether you charge by the hour, by the word, or for the entire project. If you are giving the client a discount, it is wise to keep your regular rate listed in this section and make a note that you will give a percentage discount to be factored in at the end. You will be less likely to have clients debate your rates or assume you will always give them a discount in the future. If you charge extra or want reimbursed for mileage or travel, long-distance calls or other expenditures the job includes, make sure to state so.