Freelance Copywriting contract template
A writing services agreement protects both your time and your intellectual property, and matters even for small jobs since scope creep and unclear usage/ownership rights are the two most common freelance-copywriting disputes.
Scope of work and deliverables
List exactly what's included (e.g. one 1,500-word landing page, two rounds of revisions, delivered as a Google Doc) and price any additional pages, word count, or revision rounds beyond that as a separate line item.
Usage rights and ownership
Specify whether the client receives full ownership/work-for-hire transfer or a limited license, and whether you retain any right to reuse non-client-specific portions (e.g. a framework or structure) in future work — this materially affects price and should never be left implicit.
Payment schedule and kill fee
Require a deposit before work begins (typically 25-50%), state when the remaining balance is due, and include a kill fee if the client cancels mid-project so research and drafting time already spent is still compensated.
Revision limits and scope creep
Cap the number of included revision rounds and define what counts as a revision vs. a new draft/direction request, so 'can you also try a totally different angle' doesn't quietly become unpaid extra work.
Research and interview time
State whether client interviews, subject-matter research, or competitor analysis are included in the quoted price or billed separately/hourly, since these can consume significant time on technical or unfamiliar-industry projects.
Credit and portfolio rights
Reserve the right to display the finished work (or an anonymized excerpt) in your own portfolio and case studies unless the client has a specific confidentiality need (e.g. an unannounced product launch or NDA-covered work).
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Consider having a local attorney review your final agreement.