I’ve written before about whether or not contracts should be used in various home businesses. But, I’d like to stick my neck out and say that in the freelance writing business, contracts are not an option, they really are a necessity! I think that doing any sort of freelance writing–whether it’s journalism, grant writing, marketing writing, web or whatever–a writer needs to have a contract with each and every client!
I know that managing contracts can seem like a hassle, but think of them as protection and insurance. It just makes good business sense to have as detailed of a contract as possible, regardless of how brief or minor you think the writing job is. I’ve learned from experience that having a contract can help in disputes, help keep working relationships professional and functional, and make the likelihood that payment will actually be made.
This doesn’t mean that having a contract with each client has kept me from having troubles. In fact, I’m trying to collect on a defaulted contract that is nearly four months past due right now. BUT, I’ve gotten the signed and dated paperwork to give me credibility and a “claim” in my active pursuit of payment.
A freelance writer can choose to use a contract offered by a client or come up with one on your own. There are several resources where you can find templates for good contracts–including the internet and a trip to your local library. There are books targeted directly for helping the freelance writer run a solid business and virtually all of these have chapters and advice on appropriate contracts. It’s a good idea to get some in person legal advice in coming up with a good working contract too.
That’s my pushy advice this morning–if you are working as a freelance writer (or anything else for that matter), contracts can be your best friend!
See Also: Should You Be Using Contracts?