Freelance Writer Bookkeeping and Invoice Tracker

About this template

This bookkeeping spreadsheet is built for a freelance writer, with income lines for copywriting, retainers, articles and editing instead of one vague service income line. It is for copywriters and content writers who want to know how much of their income is steady and how much has to be found each month.

Please read: This is a tracker tool only, not financial, tax, legal, medical or any other professional advice or advisory service. It records and calculates what you enter; you are solely responsible for checking all figures, rates, dates and results and for every decision you make. By purchasing, downloading or using it, you accept these terms (your statutory consumer rights are not affected).

Income and expense lines for writing work

A generic template opens on product sales and service income. These categories describe a writing business, and both lists are dropdowns so entries stay consistent all year.

• Income: Copywriting, Content retainers, Articles and blogs, and Editing and proofing
• Expenses: Software and subscriptions, Contractors, Research and sources, Equipment and more

Retainers apart from one-off pieces

A retainer is income you can count on, while a per-piece fee is income you have to go out and find. A single service income line hides which is which. With Content retainers on their own line, the ledger doubles as a retainer tracker.

Invoices and mileage

• Invoices: an invoice tracker for invoices raised, sent, paid and overdue
• Mileage: each trip given a reason from a dropdown, such as client meeting, interview, coworking or conference, with the year totaled

The rest of the ledger

• Income and Expenses: 500 rows each
• Monthly and Quarterly: the totals tax is filed on
• Profit and Loss: built from the same two lists
• Clients: 10 client records with what each has been worth
• Balances and Dashboard: what the business holds, and the whole picture
• Start Here and Setup: setup in a few minutes

A bookkeeping spreadsheet, not an accountant. Tax rates and what you can claim are yours to set and yours to check.

Works with

• Microsoft Excel 2016, 2019, 2021 and Microsoft 365, on Windows and Mac, and LibreOffice
• Google Sheets with a free Google account. The Google Sheets version is a real workbook you copy, not a PDF with a link in it.
• No dynamic arrays, no macros, no add-ins and no subscription

What you download

• Two Excel files: a worked year with 364 income entries and 260 expense entries kept at a 67.1% margin, and a blank copy
• The instruction guide, which has one-click links to the Google Sheets versions
• The terms of use as a PDF

Your files are ready the moment payment clears. The spreadsheet is for personal and business use on your own devices, so please do not share or resell the files. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Excel, or can I use Google Sheets?

Either. The download has Excel files for Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac, and the instruction guide has one-click links to copy the Google Sheets versions with a free Google account.

Can I see retainer income separately?

Yes. Content retainers have their own income line, apart from copywriting, articles and blogs, and editing and proofing.

Does it track unpaid invoices?

Yes. The Invoices tab follows each invoice as raised, sent, paid or overdue.

Is there an estimated tax tab?

No. This file has monthly and quarterly totals and a profit and loss, but no estimated tax tab. Tax rates and what you can claim are yours to check.

How many entries does it hold?

500 income rows and 500 expense rows, plus 10 client records.