How to Create a Freelance Contract

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If you’ve recently landed a new writing gig, your first thought may be “when do I get started?” Before you ever write that first word, however, you need to ensure that your future as a freelancer is secure with a legally-binding freelance contract that protects you and the income you’ve planned on receiving.

Contracts don’t need to be complicated or even very long. They do, however, need to be clear. Here are the basic steps to making a contract that your clients will be comfortable signing and that covers your interests. [Read more…]

What To Do When Clients Don’t Pay Their Invoices – 5 Common Scenarios

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If you’ve clicked on this article, you probably either already have an unpaid invoice lingering around, or have had to deal with an unpaid invoice before.

No matter if you are a freelancer, small contractor, or large business owner, unpaid invoices are an aggravating inevitability. While the whole point of an invoice is to streamline the payment process and make it easier to get paid on time, clients always seem to find a way to miss the due date. [Read more…]

5 Tips for Dealing with Plagiarism Accusations

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As freelance writers, we spend a great deal of time quickly researching topics we’re unfamiliar with and then producing articulate web content that makes it sound like you know what you’re talking about. A brief scan of several other informative websites often gives you background information and inspiration to write what your clients have asked for. You wind up putting together and submitting an article to your client and begin the process over again with a new topic and don’t think about it again. [Read more…]

3 Legal Issues Every Freelance Writer Should Know About

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Close to 54 million Americans are considered freelancers and that number is expected to grow 50% by 2020. While the freelance world can be alluring, there are many things you should consider before jumping in and applying for writing jobs.

The legal aspects of freelance writing are often overlooked, but they are nonetheless important to understand. Starting a successful freelance career is difficult enough. The last thing you need is added legal trouble. Avoiding the three following legal pitfalls will prevent you from receiving correspondence threatening legal action or a visit from the IRS. [Read more…]

Telling Your Stories: Tips for Using Personal Narratives in Your Writing

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As freelance writers, we encounter many different types of assignments; and while some leave no room for creative personal narratives, there are other cases when your stories could be a centerpiece or valuable example for readers.

Personal stories are also a great way to plant a hook at the beginning of a story, something to grab the readers’ interest. When it comes to the sharing personal details, however, there are a few things we need to take into account, particularly the privacy of others who may be involved in our stories. [Read more…]

Do Freelance Writers Need Insurance?

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You may run your freelance writing business from home and take care of all expenses yourself. Your focus is probably on sending pitches, getting clients, making sure your work is excellent, meeting deadlines, and cultivating repeat clients – among many other things a freelance writer has to deal with.

Have you ever thought of taking out insurance for yourself and/or your business? Maybe you haven’t because your spouse has insurance that covers the family to a certain degree, so why would you have the need for insurance as a freelance writer?

Here are some factors to think about, which may help you decide whether you need insurance as a freelance writer.

Liability Insurance

The first thing that may come to mind is that you work at home and you have no employees. Why should there be a need for liability insurance, which covers injuries that happen in your work premises?

While that is a valid point, Phoenix injury attorney Benjamin Wright brings up the scenario wherein you meet clients or contractors at your home office.

What if they get injured while at your home? A fall? A dog bite? Anything that results in a client getting injured.

This is a good case for the argument that freelancers need insurance – especially if the situation gets nasty and you have to go to court.

Indemnity Insurance

Indemnity insurance is usually associated with malpractice insurance for professionals, but it also covers “errors and omissions insurance“.

Do you need this type of insurance?

Perhaps more so than the first type.

Indemnity insurance protects you if a client becomes unsatisfied with your work to the degree that he files a case against you (say for breach of contract) or demand monetary compensation from you (say because of sub-par work).

Health Insurance

freelancers need insurance

Health insurance has been one of the most controversial topics in the US in recent times, and while everyone wants changes for the better, you can’t really wait till that happens. If there is one type of insurance that freelancers shouldn’t have second thoughts about, it’s health insurance.

You may be the healthiest and fittest person you know, but who’s to say you won’t fall over and get a heart attack for an unknown reason? Who’s to say you won’t get a serious illness that will keep you in the hospital for weeks or months? How do you pay for the medical bills then?

Health insurance may be an additional cost, but IF something does happen, you won’t regret having one.

Home Insurance

You probably already have this type of insurance, but have you thought about its coverage? Is your home office and its assets covered by your existing home insurance policy?

This may very well be the case, but what if it isn’t? What if – God forbid – your house burns down or you have a break-in? Are you sure that your current home insurance policy includes your home office?

This is a common oversight among freelancers, so it is a good idea to check your current home insurance policy. If your office is covered, then you have lost nothing but time. If it isn’t, then you do need to scout around for a policy that will make sure your home office and all your work-related tools are protected from any untoward incident.

Do freelance writers need insurance?

I think you know our answer to that now. The question that remains is which type you should get.

Do you have insurance? What kind?

Does this article make you think about taking out an insurance policy, or do you disagree with it?

What Freelancers Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act

5 Writers Who Have Been Imprisoned

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There is no great genius without a mixture of madness. ~Aristotle

Some of the best writers – literary geniuses, even – have more than their fair share of mischief and periods of madness. While some were able to get off with nary a scratch (figuratively and literally speaking) – thanks to either their criminal lawyer or their specific circumstances, others have had to serve time in jail.

Here are some of the most popular writers who have been imprisoned. You might be surprised – or not. [Read more…]

Legal Obligations of Freelance Writers

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The life of a freelance writer is relatively easy compared to others. While some of you may argue this point, I honestly think that we have a lot of freedom, and as long as we have the necessary self-discipline (and then some), we’re really in a sweet position.

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One thing that we may overlook, however, is that we have legal obligations as freelance writers. Just like any professional doing his job, a freelance writer has to take the legal matters into consideration. Legal counsel Daniel Perlman highly recommends every freelancer to pay attention to legal obligations, which may vary depending on the setup of your business. There are, however, three major things that you have to consider. [Read more…]

7 Reasons Why You Should Always Have a Written Contract

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One of the thorniest and most uncomfortable issues freelancers routinely face is the issue of contracts when it comes to getting jobs.

Part of it is because, as freelancers, we often take jobs with people know, trust and are good friends with. Other times it is because clients have urgent needs and there may not be enough time to hammer out a formal contract before the deadline passes.

However, this is almost always a bad idea. Taking jobs or receiving work without a contract is a grave disservice to both sides. While contracts may slow things down and cause brief moments of tension in the short term, they can help things run much more smoothly and perventing much bigger problems down the road.

If you’re taking jobs without a contract, especially on recurring gigs, you may be setting yourself up for big problems down the road and, if you’re a client reading this, the lack of a written deal can come back and bite you too. Need a reason? Here are seven good ones. [Read more…]

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