An editable freelance writer invoice with pieces, word counts, revision rounds, plus a filled-in example. Download it for Word, Excel or Google Docs without an email gate.
Word, Excel, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.
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INVOICETemplate preview · Example
01
Bill to
Bramble Software, with contact, address and PO reference.
02
Line item
Homepage copy: Up to 800 words, two revision rounds. 1 item at $750.00.
03
Total due
$2,990.00, due in 14 days.
04
How to pay
Bank transfer details or a card payment link, and your late payment terms.
What to include on a freelance writer invoice
A freelance writer invoice is a request for payment for work you’ve delivered. It needs to be clear enough that the client’s accounts team can approve it without coming back to you.
Field
Why it matters
Invoice number and date
Unique, sequential numbers make payments easy to match and keep tax records tidy.
Your details and the client’s
Business names, addresses and, if registered, your tax or VAT number.
Line items
What you did, how much and at what rate, in terms the client recognises from the agreement.
Due date and how to pay
An actual date, bank details or a payment link, and any late payment terms.
Word count or piece
Shows what each line paid for
How freelance writers usually bill
Writers price per piece, per word or per hour, with a set number of revision rounds included.
Invoice per piece on approval, or monthly for ongoing content.
Include word counts and titles so the client can match each line to the work.
State your kill fee in the contract, then invoice it if a piece is cancelled.
Example: billing a website copy and two blog articles
Inkwell Content invoices each piece when the client approves the final draft, listing titles and word counts. A cancelled article after the first draft is billed as a 50% kill fee, exactly as the agreement set out, so there’s nothing to negotiate.
The template
Invoice details
Invoice number: [INV-0001]
Invoice date: [Date]
Due date: [Date — e.g. 14 days after the invoice date]
Word count or piece: [Word count or piece]
From
Business name: [Your business name]
Address: [Address]
Email: [Email]
Tax or VAT number: [If registered]
Bill to
Client: [Client company]
Contact: [Name, email]
Address: [Address]
Client reference or PO: [If provided]
Line items
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Homepage copy
[Up to 800 words, two revision rounds]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Service page copy
[Up to 600 words each]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Blog article
[1,500 words with SEO brief]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Research interview
[One-hour call with subject expert]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Totals
Subtotal: [Amount]
Discount: [If any]
Tax: [Rate and amount, if you’re registered]
Total due: [Amount and currency]
Payment
Payment terms: [e.g. 14 days]
How to pay: [Bank details or payment link]
Late payment: [Your late payment terms, if any]
Notes
[Anything the client needs to know, such as what the invoice covers, a reference to the approved quote or timesheet, or when final files will be released.]
How to fill it in
Add your business details and the client’s, including any purchase order or reference they gave you.
Give the invoice the next number in your sequence and set the invoice and due dates.
List each item of work using the same names as your quote or agreement, such as “Homepage copy”.
Show quantities, rates and amounts, then the subtotal, any discount, tax if you’re registered, and the total.
Fill in the word count or piece, then add how to pay and your payment terms.
Check it against the agreement, attach what backs it up (for freelance writers, usually shows what each line paid for), and send it as a PDF or payment link.
Use it in Word, Excel, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
Excel and Google Sheets
Download the Excel (.xlsx) file. It has a blank sheet and a worked example.
Enter quantities, hours and rates: amounts, totals and tax calculate with built-in formulas.
To use Google Sheets, upload the file to Drive and choose Open with → Google Sheets; the formulas carry over.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Inkwell Content invoice for Bramble Software
A filled-in example for a website copy and two blog articles. Both companies are fictional.
Invoice details
Invoice number: INV-0142
Invoice date: 3 June
Due date: 17 June
From: Inkwell Content
Bill to: Bramble Software
Line items
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Homepage copy
Up to 800 words, two revision rounds
1 item
$750.00
$750.00
Service page copy
Up to 600 words each
3 items
$450.00
$1,350.00
Blog article
1,500 words with SEO brief
2 items
$400.00
$800.00
Research interview
One-hour call with subject expert
1 hour
$90.00
$90.00
Totals
Subtotal: $2,990.00
Tax: Not charged in this example
Total due: $2,990.00
Payment terms: 14 days, by bank transfer or card link
Notes
Thank you for your business. Please quote the invoice number with your payment.
Send invoices from Angelwood
Angelwood’s invoicing creates invoices with line items, tax and discounts, can build an invoice from approved billable time, and lets clients view and pay through Stripe in their portal.
Name each line the way your quote or agreement did. If the client can match “Homepage copy” to what they approved, the invoice gets paid without questions.
02
Bill the way freelance writers get paid.
Invoice per piece on approval, or monthly for ongoing content. Writers price per piece, per word or per hour, with a set number of revision rounds included.
03
Keep the evidence close.
State your kill fee in the contract, then invoice it if a piece is cancelled. Reference the approved quote, timesheet or report behind each invoice, so any query is answered in one message.
Should freelance writers charge per word or per piece?+
Per piece is simpler to invoice and stops clients counting words. Per word works for publications with fixed rates. Either way, state the length and revision rounds included.
What is a kill fee on a writing invoice?+
A kill fee is the part of the fee payable if the client cancels a piece after work has started, often 25–50%. Agree it in the contract first, then invoice it as its own line.
What payment terms should I put on an invoice?+
Fourteen or thirty days are the most common. Write the actual due date on the invoice as well as the terms, and include every way the client can pay.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.
Does the Excel version calculate totals?+
Yes. Enter quantities, hours and rates and the amounts, subtotal, tax and total calculate automatically. It also works in Google Sheets: upload it to Drive and open it with Google Sheets.