Example of a Basic Contract for Freelance Writers

[Disclaimer: The sample contract posted here is provided for information purposes only and is not meant to take the place of legal advice from a qualified attorney.]

by Jodee Redmond

Contracts don’t have to be very long or complicated; here is an example of a simple one that you may want to use for your business.

Agreement

Contract dated [insert date here] between [Name of Client and Address of the Client] and [Name of Freelancer].

The Client/Company requests the following:

[A detailed description of the work to be performed is written here. Include the following information:

• Number of Pages

• Number of Words Per Page

• Whether the Client Will Provide an Outline or Guidelines to be Followed

• Any Other Instructions]

Deadline:

[When is the work due? Is the freelancer expected to submit the work in installments or in one batch?]

Payment:

[How much will the client pay per word, per page, or for the entire project? How will payment be made? Paypal or check?]

Rights:

[Is the client buying all rights to the work, first serial rights, electronic rights, etc?]

The contract may also include something about the freelancer stating that he or she will provide original work only and that the client will have the right to verify that the work has not been copied from any other source before making payment.

Both parties should sign the contract. If the freelancer’s address was not listed above, there may be a space left for this information to be inserted at the bottom of the contract near the signature lines.