Copywriting contract template

COPYWRITING SERVICES AGREEMENT

Made on [2026-06-02] between:

CLIENT: [Client legal entity name], of [registered address] ("Client")
WRITER: [Your legal name or entity], of [address] ("Writer")

1. THE WORK
1.1 Writer will produce the copy described in the scope of work dated
    [2026-06-01], attached as Schedule A (the "Work").
1.2 Writer will perform with the skill and care expected of a competent
    professional writer, and will meet the brief, word counts, and dates
    in Schedule A.

2. FEES AND PAYMENT
2.1 Total fee: $[9,200.00], payable per Schedule A.
2.2 A deposit of $[3,000.00] is due before work begins and is
    non-refundable.
2.3 Invoices are payable within [14] days. Late amounts accrue interest
    at [1.5]% per month, or the maximum permitted by law in
    [jurisdiction] if lower.
2.4 Rush work — a deadline requiring Writer to work evenings, weekends,
    or displace committed work — is charged at [1.5] times the fee, and
    is agreed in writing before it starts.

3. REVISIONS AND FEEDBACK
3.1 [Two] rounds of revisions are included per piece.
3.2 A round means one consolidated set of comments from Client's named
    approver, reflecting every internal reviewer, returned within [5]
    business days of delivery.
3.3 Separate rounds of comments from separate reviewers count as
    separate rounds.
3.4 Additional rounds: $[300.00] each, agreed in writing first.
3.5 A change of brief after an outline is approved — new angle,
    audience, or objective — is a change order, not a revision.

4. KILL FEE AND STALLED PROJECTS
4.1 If Client cancels a piece after a first draft is delivered, [50]% of
    that piece's fee is payable.
4.2 If Client cancels after approving a draft, [100]% of that piece's
    fee is payable, whether or not the piece is published.
4.3 If Client does not provide feedback, interviews, or source material
    for [30] consecutive days, the Work is treated as complete: work
    delivered to date is invoiced in full, and remaining pieces are
    subject to 4.1. Restarting later is quoted as new work.
4.4 Cancellation before any draft is delivered forfeits the deposit but
    nothing further.

5. RIGHTS, CREDIT, AND PORTFOLIO
5.1 On payment in full, Writer assigns to Client all copyright in the
    delivered copy, worldwide and in perpetuity, in all media. Where
    moral rights cannot be assigned, Writer waives them to the extent
    the law allows.
5.2 Until payment in full, Client has a licence to read and review
    drafts internally only, not to publish them.
5.3 Credit: this Work is [ghostwritten — Writer takes no byline and will
    not publicly claim authorship] / [bylined as [name] wherever it is
    published].
5.4 Portfolio: Writer may name Client, describe the engagement, and
    quote up to [200] words of the delivered copy in a portfolio, case
    study, or pitch after [2026-09-01], excluding anything Client has
    marked confidential. [Delete this clause if Client requires
    complete confidentiality.]
5.5 Writer's research notes, message platform, and interview recordings
    remain Writer's working material. Nothing confidential to Client
    will be disclosed or reused for another client.

6. ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY, AND TOOLS
6.1 Writer warrants that the Work is original, that it does not to
    Writer's knowledge infringe any third party's copyright, and that
    quotations and sources are attributed.
6.2 Writer will not fabricate data, quotations, case studies, or
    customer examples. Illustrative examples are labelled as such in
    the draft.
6.3 AI tools: Writer [uses AI-assisted tools for research, outlining,
    and drafting support / does not use AI-generated text in
    deliverables]. In every case the delivered Work is Writer's own,
    is fact-checked against primary sources, and is Client's to publish.
    Client may request a written statement of tool use at any time.
6.4 Client is responsible for verifying claims about its own products,
    pricing, and performance, and for legal, medical, financial, or
    regulatory review before publication.
6.5 Client warrants that materials it supplies — research, testimonials,
    product claims, third-party content — are accurate and that Client
    has the right to provide them.

7. CONFIDENTIALITY
7.1 Each party keeps the other's confidential information private, uses
    it only for this project, and continues to do so for [3] years after
    the agreement ends.
7.2 This does not cover information that is public through no fault of
    the receiving party, was already known, or must be disclosed by law.

8. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
Writer is an independent contractor, not an employee. Writer controls
how and when the Work is produced, supplies their own tools, works for
other clients, and is responsible for their own taxes and insurance.

9. TERMINATION
9.1 Either party may terminate on [14] days written notice, subject to
    the kill fee in clause 4.
9.2 Either party may terminate immediately for a material breach not
    fixed within [10] business days of written notice.
9.3 On termination, Client pays for all work delivered plus any kill fee
    due. Copyright transfers only for work paid in full.

10. LIABILITY
10.1 Neither party is liable for indirect or consequential loss,
     including lost profits or lost business.
10.2 Writer's total liability under this agreement is limited to the
     total fees paid by Client under it.
10.3 Writer gives no guarantee about search rankings, traffic,
     engagement, leads, or sales.
10.4 Client indemnifies Writer against claims arising from Client's
     publication of material Client supplied or altered after delivery.
10.5 Nothing limits liability for fraud, for death or personal injury
     caused by negligence, or for anything that cannot lawfully be
     limited.

11. GENERAL
11.1 Governing law: [jurisdiction].
11.2 Changes must be in writing; email is acceptable.
11.3 This agreement plus Schedule A is the whole agreement.
11.4 If any clause is unenforceable, the rest stays in force.

CLIENT                             WRITER
Name: ______________________       Name: ______________________
Title: _____________________       Title: _____________________
Signature: _________________       Signature: _________________
Date: ______________________       Date: ______________________

SCHEDULE A — SCOPE OF WORK
[Attach the signed content scope: deliverables with word counts and
target queries, research and interview access, exclusions, revision
rounds, and the payment schedule.]