How to Invoice as a Writer
For articles, features and longer projects: the details an editor's accounts team looks for, the right moment to bill, and a way to keep track of pieces that are still unpaid.
When you write for a publication or a company's content team and an accounts team pays for what an editor commissions, your invoice has to make sense to a reader who hasn't seen the assignment. Name the editor, the piece and anything they gave you to quote, such as an assignment or purchase order number.
Read the assignment for when to bill: on acceptance of the piece, or on publication. Bill per word on the count of the accepted draft, or the flat fee for the piece, as the assignment says.
Worked example, with sample figures before any tax: a feature commissioned at 0.50 per word comes in at 1,800 words, so the fee is 1,800 × 0.50 = 900.00. The assignment covers a train ticket to an interview, 45.00, which the writer logs as an expense. The invoice is 900.00 + 45.00 = 945.00.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Read the assignment's billing terms
Note the fee, whether it's per word or per piece, when to invoice, and which costs the assignment covers. Keep the assignment email with your records.
- 2
Save your rates as items
Billed's help article on items and services says "You can use these items and services to bill your clients." Set up your per-word and per-piece rates there once.
- 3
Name the piece and the editor
Give each piece a line with its working title, the word count and the rate. Billed's help center says you can "fill this section to charge against new items and services".
- 4
Add costs the assignment covers
Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." and "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 5
Bill long projects in stages
For a book, a report or a ghostwriting project, Billed's features page says you can "Manage your flat rate projects and create Invoice at any stage of the project."
- 6
Track what's still unpaid
Billed's invoice software page says "Invoice reports show which invoices are paid, partially paid or past due, and you can see who owes you money and send them a payment reminder."
Tips for writer invoicing
- Send each invoice to the address the assignment gives for invoices, and copy the editor if they ask.
- Name the outlet on each line, with the issue or post date once you have it.
- Use one invoice per piece unless the client asks for a monthly invoice covering several.
- Keep receipts for reporting costs: Billed's expenses page says "An expense in Billed records who you paid, when, how much and which category it belongs to, with the receipt attached to the same entry."
- Check a client's history before you take the next assignment: Billed's client management page says "Each client profile in Billed includes a complete history of invoices, estimates, and payments."
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Sending an invoice with no assignment or purchase order number when the client asked for one.
- Billing a per-word piece on the length you filed when the assignment pays on the accepted length.
- Invoicing on publication when the assignment says to bill on acceptance, which can delay your payment.
- Paying for interviews or research travel and leaving the cost off the invoice.
How this works in Billed
Rates saved as items
Billed's help article on items and services says "You can use these items and services to bill your clients."
Reporting costs on the invoice
Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice."
Long projects in stages
Billed's features page says you can "Manage your flat rate projects and create Invoice at any stage of the project."
Who still owes you
Billed's invoice software page says "Invoice reports show which invoices are paid, partially paid or past due, and you can see who owes you money and send them a payment reminder."
Scheduled payment reminders
Billed's help center says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| How the piece is paid | What the line shows |
|---|---|
| Per word | The accepted word count and the rate |
| Per piece | The title and the flat fee |
| Long project | The stage reached and its fee |
| Costs the assignment covers | The logged expense, as a line of its own |
When this isn't for you
If the way you invoice clients today already works for you, there's no need to switch.