Having reviewed some of the key components of a freelance contract it’s time to look at a couple of actual contracts. I’m not saying that these are the contracts you ought to use (I’m not a lawyer – you should get legal advice before signing a contract) but they’re examples of the sorts of contracts you should try to use.
From the International Federation of Journalists
I quite like the model contract provided by the IFJ. The download link is on this page [as at 21 January 2011]. There’s a version in Microsoft Word format that can be easily modified to suit your specific needs.
The language is simple, it covers the key areas of payment and terms, defining the work and ownership and copyright and it’s usable for different types of work.
From the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Written for Australian journalists, the MEAA model contract [as at 21 January 2011] also ticks all the boxes for freelance workers and is a good template for building your own contract. It also covers indemnity for the freelancer.
So, that’s the end of this short series. I hope it’s been of value to you. Please share your thoughts through the comments and keep coming back to Journo Advice.