Free freelance writing contract template

Agree the deliverables, rights, and payment for your writing work. No sign-up, unlimited, and private.

Provider (you)

Client

Agreement

Services / scope of work

Payment

Timeline

Clauses

Tick the standard protections to include. Pro clauses (NDA, non-solicitation, indemnification) unlock with Plainvo Pro.

Signatures & notes

A contract for freelance writers

Writing gigs need clarity on rights and rounds: what you’re delivering, how many revisions are included, when the client gets the copyright, and your kill fee if a project is cancelled mid-way. This template covers all of it so you can focus on the words, not the chase.

What it covers

Frequently asked questions

What is a kill fee and why include one?

A kill fee is a partial payment you keep if the client cancels a project after you have started but before completion. The template lets you set one so your time is not wasted unpaid when an assignment is dropped midway through the work.

When does the client receive copyright to the writing?

Copyright transfers to the client only once they have paid in full; until then the rights stay with you. You can also reserve the right to be credited as the author or to exclude the piece from any work-for-hire transfer if you prefer to license instead.

How are revisions and word count defined?

You specify the deliverables, the agreed word count, and the number of revision or editing rounds included in the fee. Additional rounds or scope changes are billed separately, which protects you from open-ended rewrites while giving the client a clear picture of what they are buying.

Related templates

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