Think of your writing as a business with many moving parts; you pitch to clients, negotiate a fair price, get paid, and turn in the final piece.
In order to build a successful freelance writing business, you need a work model protected by contracts and extensive documentation. One such important document is your freelance writing invoice.
A writer invoice is a formal document you present to the client when making a payment request. It contains a breakdown of the services you’re meant to render and how much they cost. Clients can then use the information on this invoice to make payments quickly.
You’re in the right place if you’ve ever wondered what to put in professional invoices. In this article, I highlight eleven key sections to include when creating yours, plus other free invoice templates you can use for your business.
Freelance Writer Invoice Example
Developing a comprehensive freelance writing invoice is quite easy. Here’s a very simple template I used when I first started as a freelance writer.
I’ll use this sample invoice template to explain the key elements all professional invoices have in common. Grab your notebook, and let’s get started.
What Should You Include in Your Freelance Invoice?
Many freelance writers will have a virtual relationship with their clients throughout their careers. As a result, building trust is important. When you become a freelance writer, you want to build a business that feels professional and honest— a well-designed writer invoice can help you achieve that.
Here’s how.
1. Professional Header
A professional header refers to the entire top section of your freelance writing invoice. It also houses important information like names, contact details, and brand information.
Because the header is the first section the client interacts with, I often encourage other freelance writers to invest in invoice branding. For example, you can use a theme color, include your brand logo, or use a fancy easy-to-read font. If you don’t have a logo, you can easily use your name in a larger font.
2. Date
Next, you’ll want to include the invoice issue date— the day the invoice was generated. This date makes it easy for you and the client to do proper record-keeping in case of legal disputes.
What’s more, by providing the invoice date, you can easily calculate how much time the client has before the due date— the time window a client has to make payment.
3. Name and Contact Information
Professional freelance writing invoices include the legal names and contact details of both the issuing party and the client.
An invoice is a part of legal documentation, so the information on the invoice and the contract have to be consistent. This consistency makes it easier to identify parties and creates a sense of uniformity with other documentation.
When creating this section, include contact details like email address, mailing address, website, phone number, and social media handles.
4. Invoice Number
An invoice number is a unique identity code that allows you to keep track of all your invoices within an organized number system. A properly labeled invoice will contain an identifier for the project type, date, and invoice order.
Here’s a simple formula you can use to create your own invoice numbering system.
Select a number sequence. This sequence could be a four or five-number system that you can combine in several ways. For this example, I’ll use a four-digit sequence (1000)
Next, select the date format you prefer and write them out with no separators. You can decide between mm-dd-yyy or dd-mm-yy. I’ll pick the second format (251023).
After that, use a code system for the types of services you offer. For example, I’ll use the code BLOG for blog writing gigs.
Once you have this system in place, you can decide the order you want to combine them. For this example, I’ll start with the date and then combine the service type with the invoice number (251023-BLOG1000).
With a professionally designed number system, you’ll be able to filter for invoices based on date, service type, and customer order.
5. Bill “To + For”
In this section of the writer invoice template, you’ll include the names and contacts of the issuing party and employer. Many writers often prefer to put their contact details at the top right and that of the client at the top left. Regardless of the position you choose, make sure to include accurate information to avoid errors.
Here’s what a typical “Bill To” and “Bill For” section looks like.
6. Service Description
When creating an invoice, you need to specify what the payment is for. For the service description section, include an accurate breakdown of the writing services you’re about to render and their corresponding fees.
This description is especially useful if you’re working on a large project with many requirements. A service description often has six columns— serial number, service description, quantity, unit price, tax, and total price.
Regardless of the invoice template you choose, you can always edit it to reflect your unique offerings.
7. Amount Due
This fee represents the total amount the client is expected to pay into your account. If the client is responsible for any taxes, be sure to include that here before submitting to the client.
8. Due Date
When onboarding clients, many writers often give them a payment window to make the deposit. Although the due date is completely up to you, many invoice generators and writers use a standard 30-day timeline.
You can also choose to make the invoice “due upon receipt” so that the client is required to pay as soon as possible. After sending in the invoice, sending a reminder at least twice before the payment window expires is standard practice.
9. Payment Terms
Because every freelance writing project is unique, you’ll need to record the payment terms that affect each contract.
In this section of your invoice template, specify any requirements the writing client needs to fulfill when making payment. For example, do you charge a late fee for delayed payment? Are clients required to pay transaction fees when using third-party apps? Or are they required to provide extra documentation after payments have been made?
No matter what your payment terms are, ensure the client is informed beforehand. If possible, include it in the freelance writer contract before the client signs. You can include the payment terms just beneath the service description section like so.
10. Payment Options
A standard freelance writer invoice contains all the different ways you accept payment. Including this information makes it easier for the client to make swift payments without contacting you.
For example, you can include a bank account, third-party fintech apps, or a checking account. As a rule of thumb, include two or three options the client can choose from. Although some companies offer direct deposits to repeat freelance contractors on their payroll, many other clients will need you to send in an invoice before payments can be made.
11. (Optional) Upsell Your Other Content Services
The ultimate goal for every freelance project is to turn one-time clients into repeat customers. Now that you have a client who’s willing to pay, what next?
By using your writing invoice as a marketing strategy, you can encourage clients to purchase other services they may need to support their current project. Furthermore, they may refer you to their network, helping you land more writing jobs.
Here are some tips and tricks you can try to achieve this result:
- Consider running a referral program for a specific skill you want to start monetizing. You can offer that skill to the client for free if they refer you to another client who pays for it.
- You can also offer a discount on future services if they’d be willing to book within a certain time frame. That way, they don’t miss out on skills they didn’t notice earlier.
- Better still, you can include a link to a custom landing page that addresses customers at that stage of the sales funnel. On this landing page, encourage clients to book other writing services that will complement the current project you’re handling.
Here’s a Freelance Writing Invoice Template You Can Use
If you’re looking for a simple freelance writing invoice template that you can customize quickly, I’ve got you. This free invoice template by Wise is easy to edit and download. All you have to do is open the template in Google Sheets and make a copy. Click here to use the template now.
How to Send Your First Freelance Writing Invoice
The best way to send your writing invoice is via an email trail. You can do that manually by attaching the invoice to a mail or by using an invoice generator— all you have to do is create the invoice and provide the email to which you want to send it.
When sending invoices to clients, I’d advise you to do so in an already-existing email trail. This way, you and the client can visit previous conversations when either party needs clarifications.
Five Platforms to Create Professional Invoices
Today, you can use an invoice generator to create your freelance writing invoice. Here, I’ve highlighted five tools you can use to create a custom template.
1. Google Docs
Google Docs is a free Word software that many freelance writers use to develop simple invoices. All you need is imagination and some creativity to get started. For example, you can create professional headers, use tables to create a service description section, and even import links.
What’s more, you can choose a free template from Google’s template gallery and customize it to fit your brand.
2. Bonsai
This freelance management software has hundreds of free invoice templates you can choose from. However, to access a template, you would need to create a profile and start a free trial.
Unfortunately, Bonsai doesn’t have a free plan, so you’d have to subscribe to one of their pricing plans. This invoice software is a great option for professional freelance writers who need a robust freelance management tool— including invoice generation, contract creation, and proposal development.
If you only need a freelance writing invoice template, this may not be the best platform to pick.
3. Wave
Wave is a free accounting platform with a free invoicing system. You can create, edit, send, track, and manage both invoices and payments on the platform. These features make it a great option for freelance writers who handle many projects but don’t have the resources for a paid invoice generator.
4. FreshBooks
Small business owners and freelance writers use FreshBooks to manage their accounting process. Although users are required to pay, freelance writers can use the software to keep track of projects and integrate payroll applications like Gusto and SurePayroll.
FreshBooks is ideal for freelance writers who handle more complex accounting beyond invoice generation and management.
5. Invoice Generator
Invoice Generator is another free software that has many free templates that writers can choose from. It has a very friendly user interface that you can use to create an invoice in less than five minutes. Unfortunately, you cannot customize the invoice because it uses a premade template format.
So, if you’re looking for a really basic invoice template you can use to generate a quick invoice, this software is for you.
5 Free Freelance Writing Invoice Templates
The type of invoice template you use depends on the unique writing services you provide. Here, I’ve compiled five common writing services you may need an invoice template for.
- Freelance Writer Invoice Template: This invoice template is great for freelance writers who primarily offer fiction and non-fiction services.
- Freelance Editor Invoice Template: Check out this template if you offer editing services but don’t know how to break down your payment requirements.
- Blogger Invoice Template: If you write blogs for clients, this free invoice template is easy to customize and download.
- Content and Copywriting Invoice: This template is for freelance writers who specialize in creating digital and print copies.
- Freelance Writer Consultant Invoice: Sometimes, as a freelance writer, you may offer consultations to companies and their content teams. You can use this free invoice template as a guide to prepare yours.
Parting Tips For Sending Your First Freelance Writing Business Invoice!
Before you send your writing invoice, discuss pricing with the client and sign a contract clearly stating the agreement. Many freelancers typically send in an invoice at the end of the project, but invoice frequency depends on the scope of work and the amount of money involved.
For example, if you work on large projects with payments above $1,000, you might need to send in invoices after completing a certain project stage.
As you take on more work, consider using an invoicing system to create, manage, and track your numerous payment requests. Until then, you can use any of the free invoice templates I’ve shared.
