covid-19: see advice in the Freelance.

General

This "general" section of the Freelance Fees Guide offers a wealth of advice for freelance journalists. Much of it applies to all freelances: we also provide a separate section with advice that is specific to photographers.

The National Union of Journalists publishes this guide to help freelances - self-employed journalists - negotiate the best rates and conditions possible for the various kinds of work that NUJ members undertake.

Being a freelance offers freedom to those who choose it - but also responsibility for tasks that employed journalists can leave to their employers, from negotiating contracts to dealing with government bureaucracies.

The sections listed below offer advice on working as a freelance journalist.

Advice for all freelance journalists
* Cancellation fees for shifts
* Commissions and contracts
* Commissions and contracts: Indemnities - challenge them and get insurance
* Employment status
* Getting your money
* Getting your money: An invoice - defined
* Getting your money: Kill fees for commissioned articles
* Late and problem payments
* Negotiating rates and rights
* Rights and why they are important
* Rights and why they are important: Moral rights
* Rights and why they are important: Responding to rights grabs
* Rights and why they are important: Collecting societies pay for copying
* Rights and why they are important: Public Lending Right
* Rights and why they are important: Syndication and spin-off rights
* Rights and why they are important: Shift payments and copyright
* Rights and why they are important: Registering a work in the US
* Setting up a company
* Shift payments - tax and time off
* Tax and National Insurance
* Tracking down pirates
* Tracking down pirates: Effective searching for text
* Tracking down pirates: Finding photos and illustrations
* Tracking down pirates: Once you have found a rip-off...
* Tracking down pirates: Locating website owners
* Tracking down pirates: Getting remedies
* Tracking down pirates: Takedown
* VAT (Value Added Tax)
* What freelances need to charge and why
Advice tailored for photographers
* Negotiating rates and rights
* Negotiating rates and rights: Search fees
* Day/base rates
* Contracts and paperwork
* Copyright
* Copyright: Moral rights
* Copyright: Get paid for copying and lending
* Copyright: Copyright in pre-1989 photographs
* Copyright: The hazards of social media
* Copyright: Registering your photos in the US
* Selling pictures through an agency
* Tracking down pirates
* Useful networks and links
More advice and links...
* On negotiating for general / cancellation fees for shifts
* Useful publications
* Joining the NUJ
* Glossary of terms and categorisations
* NUJ Code of Conduct
* Uploaded 18/10/2121: if you have a printout, check the current version at www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/
[www.londonfreelance.org]
* Code of practice for commissioning journalists
* Copyright guidelines for editors
* Confirmation of Commission forms
* Fees Guide contents page
* What you should know about copyright
* Rates for the Job good, bad and ugly
* Join the NUJ to get individual advice & representation
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Text © Mike Holderness & previous contributors; Moral rights asserted. The collection (database right) © National Union of Journalists. Comments to ffg@londonfreelance.org please. You may find the glossary helpful.

The National Union of Journalists must not, can not and would not wish to dictate rates or terms of engagement to members or to editors. The information presented here is for guidance and as an aid to equitable negotiation only.

Suggestions apply to contracts governed by UK law only. In any event, nothing here should be construed as legal advice.