Freelance Writer Invoice Template
This freelance writer invoice template is already filled in with the line items the job usually carries. Change the numbers, add your details, and download the PDF. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.
A freelance writer's invoice has to state the unit the work was sold in, because per word, per piece and per hour produce very different totals from the same afternoon.
Your details
Bill to
Invoice details
Line items
Tax & discount
- Subtotal
- $1,125.00
- Total due
- $1,125.00
Notes & payment details
- Invoice no.
- —
- Issued
- —
- Due
- —
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature article, 1,500 words, two revision rounds | 1 | $750.00 | $750.00 |
| Additional revision round beyond scope | 1 | $120.00 | $120.00 |
| Research interviews (hours) | 3 | $85.00 | $255.00 |
- Subtotal
- $1,125.00
- Total due
- $1,125.00
Payment by bank transfer to the account above, or by ACH to billing@yourbusiness.com. Rights transfer on receipt of full payment. Until then the piece remains the author's property. Two revision rounds are included. Further rounds are billed at the rate shown.
Prefilled as a freelance writer invoice. The rates shown are round placeholder figures to make the document readable, not rate guidance. Saved in this browser only.
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How freelance writers usually bill
| Convention | Value |
|---|---|
| Billed by | Per word, per piece or per hour |
| Usual payment terms | Net 30, and Net 15 with direct clients |
| Money up front | Uncommon for articles, 50% for long projects such as a book or a white paper |
| Also called | writer invoice, copywriting invoice, content writing invoice |
| These are the common conventions in the trade, not rules. The terms that matter are the ones in your own agreement with the client, and this template will carry whatever you set. | |
What belongs on a freelance writer invoice
- The word count you were paid for
- Per-word work is disputed on count more than on price, so put the agreed count on the invoice rather than leaving it in the brief.
- Revision rounds included and used
- Stating that two rounds were included and a third was billed turns an awkward conversation into a line item.
- A rights line
- Say what the client is buying: first rights, all rights, or a licence for a named use. Without it the default is ambiguous and the argument happens later.
- The commissioning editor's name
- Publications route invoices by the person who commissioned the piece, and an invoice without that name sits in a queue.
The mistake that costs freelance writers the most
Invoicing on publication rather than on delivery
Publication dates slip by months and some pieces are never run at all. Bill on delivery of the accepted draft, and say so in the agreement before you start, or you are lending the publication money for an indefinite term at no interest.
Sales tax on a freelance writer invoice
Writing is a service, and most states tax goods rather than services, so most freelance writers do not charge sales tax. The rule depends on your state and on where your client is, so confirm with your state's department of revenue before deciding either way.
The template has a tax field with an editable label, so it will say VAT or GST if that is what you need, and it applies the rate to the subtotal after any discount. Leave the rate at zero if you are not registered to collect. Nothing here is tax advice, and a question about your own registration is one for your state's department of revenue or your accountant.
Templates for related work
Per project, with an hourly rate for work outside scope
Per source word, per target word, or per hour for revision
Quoting the job before you bill it is what the quote generator is for, and working out what to charge in the first place is what the freelance rate calculator does.
Questions about freelance writer invoices
Should a freelance writer bill per word or per hour?
Per word rewards speed and per hour rewards difficulty, so the right unit depends on which one the piece is short of. Heavily researched or technical work is usually better billed hourly or as a project fee, because the word count stops reflecting the effort. Straightforward content at a known length is simpler per word.
When should a writer ask for a deposit?
On anything long enough that abandoning it would cost you real money: a book, a white paper, a site's worth of copy. A single article rarely needs one. Fifty per cent up front on a long project is normal and is not considered a difficult ask.
Do I put my Social Security number on a writing invoice?
No. Your tax ID belongs on a W-9, which the client requests separately so they can issue a 1099-NEC. An invoice gets emailed and forwarded, so it is the wrong document for a Social Security number. An EIN is free from the IRS and is the safer thing to hand out.