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Free Writer Invoice Template

The commission named in a side column, the fee and any agreed expenses in the main one, and the rights you granted noted at the foot. Set like the opening page of a journal.

Sloane Mercer

61 Pineapple Street · Brooklyn, NY 11201
sloane@sloanemercer.com · (718) 555-0144 · sloanemercer.com

Invoice

No. INV-0042

Amount due

$3,834.50

Due Oct 31, 2026

Project

Winter issue — “The Last Ferrymen”

Description QtyUnit price Amount
Feature, 4,500 words 1$3,150.00 $3,150.00
Column, “Notes from the Shore” 1$600.00 $600.00
Research travel, Staten Island ferry archive 1$84.50 $84.50
Subtotal
$3,834.50
Total USD
$3,834.50
Sloane MercerInvoice INV-0042
Example

Sloane Mercer invoicing Harbour Review. Your own details replace these as you type.

Who it is for

Writers usually invoice editors, and editors forward invoices to someone else to pay. The invoice needs to say which piece it is for, in which issue or on what date, so the payments team can match it to the commission without asking.

This template sets “Invoice” as a large serif title with the number beside it, and keeps the client, dates, commission and payment details in a ruled side column. The fee, word count and expenses get the full width of the main column.

It suits freelance writers, journalists, editors, copywriters, translators and illustrators working for publications, and anyone who wants their invoice to have a little presence.

What to include

What to put on a writer’s invoice

Commission
The piece, the publication and the issue or date: “Winter issue — ‘The Last Ferrymen’”.
Fee
The agreed fee, with the word count or format in the description: “Feature, 4,500 words”. Per-word rates work as words × rate.
Expenses
Agreed expenses, such as research travel or archive fees, as their own lines at cost.
Rights
The rights granted, for example first North American serial rights, in the notes, as agreed in the commission.
Kill fee
If a piece was cancelled under a kill-fee agreement, invoice the agreed fee and say so in the line.
Tax details
Your tax ID if the publisher needs it; in the US, publishers usually ask for a W-9.

How to fill it in

From this page to a PDF.

  1. 01

    Open the example

    Customize this invoice opens a writer’s invoice in the generator.

  2. 02

    Name the commission

    Enter the publication and the commission in the Project field, then the fee and any expenses.

  3. 03

    Rights and payment

    Note the rights in the notes and add your payment details.

  4. 04

    Send to the editor

    Download the PDF and send it to your editor, copying the payments address if they have one.

Customize this invoice

Questions

How do freelance writers invoice publications?

After filing or after publication, as the commission says, to the commissioning editor or the payments team. Name the piece and issue, give the agreed fee, add agreed expenses, and include how to pay you.

Should I bill per word?

Only if that is how the fee was agreed. Enter the word count as the quantity and the per-word rate as the price; most commissions are a flat fee for a target length.

What is a kill fee?

A fee paid, under the commission’s terms, when a publication cancels a piece. Invoice it like any fee, describing it as a kill fee for the named piece.

Where do I put the rights I’m granting?

In the notes, exactly as the commission states them, so the invoice and the agreement match.

Related templates

Other templates to try.

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Guides & tools

Guides and tools for this invoice.

  1. GuideHow to invoice as a freelancerA practical routine for freelance invoicing: agree the terms first, choose how to bill, take deposits, invoice promptly and keep records for tax.
  2. GuideHow to write an invoiceThe words on an invoice decide how quickly it is approved. How to write line items, terms, notes and the covering email, with examples.
  3. GuideHow to send an invoiceWhen to send it, who to send it to, what to write in the email, and how to follow up politely when a payment is late.
  4. ToolInvoice number generatorChoose a prefix, the year and the number of digits, see your next invoice numbers, and start an invoice with the first.

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Your editorial invoice, in three minutes.

Open the example in the generator, put in your own details and download the PDF. Your business details are remembered for next time.

Customize this invoice