Editors, illustrators, narrators, translators, designers — get paid, keep your credit, and protect your process, even when you assign the work.
When you're the one hired to create, assigning ownership is normal — but your payment, scope, revisions, and credit still need protecting. These agreements are written from your side of the table, so "I'll just send over my contract" becomes something you can actually say.
What's inside
- Your master agreement — a creator-side master services agreement (MSA) for ongoing client work.
- Scope-of-work templates — cover design, editorial (editor edition), audiobook narration, translation, and ebook formatting, in provider editions.
- Written to protect the provider — payment terms, revision limits, kill fees, and credit, alongside a clean IP handoff.
Common questions
What should be in a freelance creative's contract?
A provider contract should define the scope and deliverables, a payment schedule with late fees, revision limits, a kill fee if the client cancels, credit and attribution, and how IP transfers on final payment. Together these protect the provider even when ownership is assigned to the client.
Can I keep credit if I assign my work to a client?
Yes — assigning copyright and keeping credit are separate terms. Your contract can transfer ownership of the work while still guaranteeing you're credited and can show the piece in your portfolio. Spell out both the assignment and the attribution clause so there's no conflict later.
When should I get paid if I'm assigning ownership?
Best practice is that IP transfers only on final payment. Until the client pays in full, you keep the rights — which gives you leverage if payment stalls. Provider scope-of-work templates tie the IP handoff to payment for exactly this reason.
