Whenever you are contemplating starting your own business as a freelancer, you must at least take the time to establish a freelance contract before you begin working on any projects.
Even so, it’s surprising to note that only 28% of freelancers actually use these programs.
There are cases of publishers changing terms on freelancers without notice, and 54% of freelancers report clients not fulfilling payment requests in a timely manner.
You run the risk of being caught in either scenario or worse if you are a freelancer without a contract.
What You Need to Include in Your Freelance Contract
The first step to success in freelancing is to understand what freelancing contracts can offer. The second step is knowing how to write a good contract.
1. Scope of work
If a freelancer does not have a contract, they may experience scope creep. Scope creep occurs when a client introduces additional work to a project after the project has been completed.
Prepare a detailed description of what the project entails, and what you as the freelancer agreement are expected to do. You should also outline a plan of action for when things go too far, i.e., whether you may wish to renegotiate, redefine your deadline, or refuse to take on the project.
You may need to investigate the following based on the scope of the work:
- In ghostwriting a book, be clear about the length of each chapter so that your client doesn’t ask you to increase the page count or the length of the book.
- It is sometimes necessary to create high-quality media to accompany freelance projects such as ebooks and white papers.
If you are to do the book cover design, ask who is in charge of the images and pictures. You may be in charge or the client may be fine with letting you take the pictures.
Nevertheless, do not assume and feel you are going to create the media to accompany the text before you have found out if you will.
- What should you expect for edits and revisions? Be open about the number of rounds of revision you expect for a copy.
There are usually two to three rounds of revision required, but if you don’t spell properly, you may find yourself in an endless cycle of revisions and rewrites which, in turn, can be exhausting and time-consuming, especially if you don’t spell well.
2. Sharing your process
It is possible that the client will require you to explain how the project is progressing, what milestones have been reached, and what deliverables have been delivered for certain freelance projects, especially in design or programming.
You should clearly define your sharing policy in your contract. Don’t share any secrets to your success or proprietary tactics you use to accomplish your tasks, otherwise you risk your methods or tactics becoming proprietary.
3. Ownership rights
The term refers to ownership rights of the piece or project. If you are working for hire, this means you don’t own any rights to the work. This needs to be made clear in the contract before beginning any work.
You should determine if the project is worth your name before putting your name on it. That will prevent you from getting your name associated with work that is out of scope or of no value to your portfolio.
Identify the specific rights you’re selling to publications. Do you want exclusive or non-exclusive rights. Exclusive rights allow you to sell the reprints from your work, while non-exclusive rights forbid you to license the reprints from your work.
4. Payment and late fees
It is important to note that compensation and fees vary from sector to sector. However, here are some of the payment types you may be required to consider.
- Upon commencement of a project, the client makes an up-front payment.
- It defines when payment must be made after the invoice has been sent, such as net 30, 45, etc.
- Articles are paid when they are published.
- Split payments are often required for larger projects that have different milestones. A portion may be needed before you begin the project and another afterward.
- When you submit your assignment, you are paid once the client receives the invoice.
- In this case, payment is done when the client accepts the piece, usually after a few revisions.
- In case of a client not paying on time or within the agreed period, late fees are added to the compensation provision of the contract.
- You will be charged kill fees if your client cancels the project you are working on and money has been spent on it.
As much as you might have your own requirements or payment preferences, your client may also have their own. Be open to negotiation or to find a common ground acceptable to both parties.
5. Refund policy
If the client cancels the project after paying in advance or is unsatisfied with the work, they will receive a refund.
It is possible to resolve the problem with a few changes or edits. However, if the client refuses to accept the corrections and has already made a payment, you may have to refund them. This must be clearly stated on the contract as to how you refund the money and the fees it will incur.
6. Communication method
There is a huge advantage to being a freelancer in that you are not held back by time or location. Many clients have assumed that freelancers are always available 24/7. Thus, they overstep their boundaries.
Make sure the client knows how often your support will be provided during the contract period to avoid unexpected calls from clients at odd hours requesting urgent assistance.
It is also important to specify how you are willing to be contacted and the method of communication you prefer in order to prevent cases of app fatigue. It may also be a good idea to limit how many meetings you have with a client to avoid app fatigue issues.
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