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Copywriter Contract Template

For freelance copywriters taking on writing projects. The pitfalls here are specific: ghostwriting ownership disputes, clients treating a full content overhaul as a "quick revision," and getting blamed for factual errors in information the client gave you.

This contract is built around how writing projects actually go wrong. A client who says "we just need a few tweaks" after reading the first draft is one of the most common and expensive situations a copywriter faces with no contract in place. This one defines what a revision actually is, who owns what and when, and who's responsible for the facts.

What's included

• Scope of work: exact deliverables, word count ranges, content type (web copy, email sequences, blog posts, scripts), and platform
• Ghostwriting clause: if you're writing under the client's byline, who owns copyright and under what conditions
• License vs. full transfer: options for licensing copy vs. transferring all rights outright, with fee structures for each
• Revision definition: what counts as a revision (copy tweaks, tone adjustments) vs. what constitutes a new project (direction changes, full rewrites, new brief)
• Source material responsibility: client is responsible for providing accurate information; Contractor is not liable for errors in client-provided facts
• Payment terms: deposit before work begins, balance on delivery
• Kill fee: what you're owed if the project is cancelled mid-draft
• Confidentiality: protecting business information shared in the course of the project
• IP ownership: all copy belongs to Contractor until paid in full

For more on freelance contracts and what each clause actually protects, read the guide to freelance contracts.

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