142,000 writers and authors worked in the United States in 2021. As a writer or author, you want to invest in an insurance policy considering your industry's unique risks. The broadcasting company might sue for financial losses after an article you’ve made offended a particular group. Also, misleading information from you can result in media liability claims. Consider getting writer insurance for the best protection. Read further to know what policies are included, the cost of premiums, and the best companies:
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | No |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | Can be included |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Can be included |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
One of the most useful liability insurance for your business is general liability. This policy will protect your business from third-party injury and property damage. While most insurance companies offer general liability as a long-term policy, it’s possible to get this as a short-term coverage that only lasts for hours, days, or weeks.
Below are a few examples of when this coverage might be helpful:
A customer slips and falls at your business property and needs help paying for medical expenses
One of your employees accidentally breaks a customer’s property, which needs to be replaced
You get served a lawsuit for your writing causing copyright infringement, requiring you to handle court costs
You can customize your general liability through add-ons. Examples include:
Tools and equipment–Helps you pay for repairing or replacing damaged business equipment and tools
Employment practices liability–Protects your business from employee claims of harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination
The coverage limit of your general liability policy will be around $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate.
General liability can be used as libel insurance. Libel, defamation, and other related offenses are included in the personal injury section of a general liability policy’s language.
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No |
Professional liability insurance, also called errors and omissions insurance, covers claims for negligence, breach of contract, inaccurate advice, or failure to deliver a service. Insurance companies offer this as a claims-made or occurrence policy. Professional liability insurance covers the legal costs, settlements, and judgments.
Your professional liability policy offers a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence and aggregate limit. It’s possible to get more if you request the insurance company.
Media liability insurance for authors offers a specialized form of professional liability insurance that protects liabilities that stem from disseminating content. This policy protects publishers and authors from issues like invasion of privacy and misappropriation of names and identities.
Your writer insurance policy can use product liability protection to cover injuries that result from selling a faulty product. For writers, this can include situations like
You release a defective product that damages a customer's personal property
Your business sells merchandise and fails to warn customers that it can be harmful when ingested
A standard coverage limit for product liability is $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate.
No, your product liability insurance will not be legally required to operate your writing business. However, sometimes you want to purchase it anyway since clients may want you to provide evidence that you can cover damages to your products if you do business with them.
No. Product liability insurance for freelance writers might not cover your business expenses when you need to recall a product. You want a product recall endorsement to cover those costs.
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| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $260,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $22,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 | $60,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/10,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included | Excluded |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Included | Excluded |
Commercial property insurance can make a good companion policy for your writer or author liability insurance. You get protection from damage to your business building and its commercial property. Some example situations include:
A thief breaks into your writing business and steals a working outline for a book
Your business property gets damaged by a fire and needs replacement
Equipment breakdown insurance–Adds protection for mechanical breakdowns from power outages and power surges for equipment you use in your writing business
Flood insurance–Helps you compensate for property damage from flood waters
Commercial property insurance will have an average coverage limit of $60,000. The coverage limit depends on the value of your commercial property.
Freelance writer insurance can still benefit from commercial property coverage providing extra protection for business equipment that a homeowner’s policy might not. If you rely on business equipment to make your business work, you should consider commercial property insurance.
No, your commercial property policy will only cover your business property at the location outlined in the policy. If you want to cover the property you are storing off-site, you will want inland marine coverage. An inland marine insurance policy can also cover your business property while transported over land.
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| CoverWallet | Thimble (Best) | NEXT | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $300,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property coverage limit | $50,000 | $500,000 | $260,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
This insurance for content writers combines commercial property coverage with general liability into one convenient policy. This means that you get third-party liability protection in addition to protecting your business property. Some example situations for your business may include:
A member of the public wanders onto your business property and trips over a desk
A windstorm causes property damage to your business, and it needs repairs
Cyber liability–Protects you from data breaches and cyber-attacks that your writing business may experience
Commercial crime–This policy will cover incidents related to employee theft, forgery, and other activities that cause financial harm to your writing business
Since your BOP contains commercial property and general liability, you will have separate coverages for different events. Property coverage will range between $20,000 and $60,00. On the other hand, general liability coverage will range from $1 million to $2 million.
Professional indemnity insurance for authors is typically not included in a business owner's policy. Suppose you want protection for professional mistakes you make as a writer. In that case, get professional indemnity as a separate policy.
| NEXT | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate limit | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | $15,000/$25,000 | $5,000-$10,000 |
| Covers hired and borrowed equipment? | $3,000/$10,000 | $2,500/$5,000 | No | Yes |
| Miscellaneous equipment also covered? | $5,000/$10,000 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Offered as an endorsement to general liability insurance? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $0 | $0 |
Tools and equipment insurance help you repair or replace your writing tools when damaged, lost, or stolen. This inclusion in technical writer insurance also covers your tools even when off your business premises. Situations to use this coverage include:
While traveling, you bring your computer to write while away from the office. It got lost during the trip
Someone steals your writing equipment, and you need to replace it
Some common add-ons for tools and equipment insurance include:
Earthquake damage–This covers the costs that you might need to repair or replace tools and equipment when exposed to landslides, mudslides, or earthquakes
Equipment breakdown–Since tools and equipment insurance doesn’t cover equipment breakdowns, this policy can be an excellent way to supplement such gap
The coverage limit for tools and equipment insurance is $10,000-$25,000 for each item covered.
Tool and equipment insurance doesn’t apply to the following:
Rental equipment–By default, rental equipment would need another policy to get coverage like rental insurance
Negligence–If you damage your equipment through your negligence, then you will not get coverage
Wear and tear–Equipment and tools naturally degrade over time. If one of your writing equipment breaks for this reason, it is generally not covered by this policy
Commercial auto insurance protects vehicles you use for business purposes. Standard protections are for damage to the vehicle from accidents, liability claims, and more. Your writing business will benefit from this coverage in situations like:
While meeting with a publisher, the car you use for your writing business gets stolen
Your car gets into a road accident while transporting a client for your writing business
Commercial auto insurance for writers is typically comprised of several standard components, which include:
Collision coverage–Covers damage to your vehicle resulting from road accidents
Comprehensive coverage–This helps protect your vehicle from physical damages like fire, weather events, and vandalism
Auto liability–Covers the medical treatment of third parties who got injured in a vehicular accident you caused
You can customize your commercial auto insurance further through more policies like:
Medical payments–This can help pay your medical payments and any passengers in your car, regardless of who is at fault in the accident
Rental reimbursement–This covers the costs for a rental vehicle while your original vehicle is in the repair shop
Roadside assistance–Helps you pay for towing and other services when your car breaks down at the side of the road
The coverage limits for commercial auto insurance will typically start at around $100,000 for auto liability coverage. Typically you will want to get at least $500,000 in liability coverage to cover your bases.
Definitely. Tailored insurance for self published authors might include a commercial auto policy because you might travel nationwide to hold events and do book signings.
Yes. Your commercial auto insurance can be used to cover your personal vehicle when it is used for business purposes.
Excess liability coverage can add financial protection and a higher policy limit for an underlying liability policy. Situations to use thing insurance include:
Your general liability policy only covers $1 million, so you get excess liability insurance to help cover a $1.5 million claim
A professional liability policy of $2 million is met with a $3 million claim. You purchase $1 million in excess liability insurance to cover the rest of the claim
Excess liability insurance has a limit of $1 million-$25 million. You purchase this coverage in $1 million increments.
Excess liability only covers the underlying policy you bought it for. If you want a similar add-on that covers multiple policies, you will want to purchase an umbrella policy.
Workers' compensation insurance benefits your employees when they are sick or injured while working at your writing business. Also, many workers comp policies will include employer’s liability coverage that helps an employer pay damages to an employee who sues for their work injury. You can use this insurance when:
An employee develops a chronic condition for writing, requiring medical treatment
One of your employees trips while reorganizing the office and cannot work for some time
Yes. Suppose an author who is an employee is impaired, disabled, or unable to work due to a workplace injury. In that case, authors will be eligible for coverage. An author insurance package may not need to include worker’s compensation if no employees qualify for coverage.
There is a waiting period for workers comp insurance that will prevent benefits from kicking in until an employee misses a certain number of working days. This waiting period will range between three and seven days.
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Deductible | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General liability insurance | $34 | $408 | $0-$500 |
| Professional liability insurance | $40 | $480 | $500-$1,000 |
| Excess liability insurance | $39.00 | $468 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial property insurance | $50 | $600 | $1,000-$2,000 |
| Business owner's policy | $80 | $960 | $1,500 |
| Tools and equipment insurance | $37 | $444 | $500-$1,000 |
| Commercial auto insurance | $60 | $720 | $500-$1,000 |
| Workers compensation insurance | $93 | $1,116 | $2,500-$5,000 |
The average writer insurance cost is $34 per month or $408 per year for a $1 million general liability policy. Factors that affect the cost of premiums are claims history, business history, policy limits, deductibles, location, annual revenues, and number of employees. Here’s a table showing the cost of a $1 million general liability policy from the best writer insurance companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $14 | $168 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for writers |
| The Hartford | $17 | $204 | Workers compensation insurance for writers |
| CoverWallet | $19 | $228 | Comparing writer insurance quotes online |
| Tivly | $23 | $276 | Comparing writer insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $26 | $312 | On-demand coverage for freelance writers |
| Hiscox | $29 | $348 | Writer insurance with worldwide coverage |
| Authors Guild | $39 | $468 | Media liability insurance for authors |
| Writers Guild of America | $50 | $600 | Life insurance for writers |
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Here are the best writer insurance companies. Read some of the review below to know their pros, cons, and average rate for a $1 million general liability policy.
Best overall
Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
Fastest general liability insurance for writers
Great customer service and reputation
Excellent rates
Outstanding value for money
Get a 10% discount if you buy two or more policies
Accessible app for Android and Apple users
Couldn’t find any
NEXT has customized insurance offerings for writers. This insurer offers insurance options like workers' compensation, general liability, and commercial auto insurance. NEXT boasts an A- minus financial score with AM Best and a B+ with the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for writers
Average cost: $14 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Over 200 years of insurance expertise
Highly reviewed insurer by customers
Mobile app
Some states are not covered
The Hartford offers business insurance for writers and authors tailored to fit your needs. The company has many important policies, one of which is general liability. Their default coverage offers protection for injury and property damage, reputational harm, advertising injuries, and damage to rented premises. The company has an A+ BBB rating and a 4.8 satisfaction rating in its customer reviews.
Best for: Workers compensation insurance for writers
Average cost: $17 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Easy to track policies and claims
Choose from different top insurers
Compare quotes online
Requires making a call for some steps in the process
CoverWallet offers a digital space to compare rates from their top providers like Hiscox, Progressive, and Markel. This company offers phone consultations to help writers get policies like business interruption, general liability, and commercial property insurance. Coverwallet has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: Comparing writer insurance quotes online
Average cost: $19 per month
Our rating: 10/10
200+ partners to pick from
Matches you with the best insurers
Quick quote process
You need to talk to a representative to get quotes
At Tivly, you can experience an insurance marketplace with over 200 providers all vying for your attention. Tivly will help connect you to insurers that can provide writers insurance policies like product liability, workers comp, and general liability. Tivly enjoys an impressive A rating from the Better Business Bureau for customer satisfaction. Call now to compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing writer insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $23 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Get your insurance quotes quickly
Great online resources
Flexible insurance coverage periods
Customer support not available 24/7
Thimble is a quick way to get your writer's insurance. You can get quotes and policy purchases done quickly to get peace of mind. This company has writer and author insurance and an A-rated general liability policy designed for freelance writers. Thimble has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: On-demand coverage for freelance writers
Average cost: $26 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Get a uniquely crafted policy that addresses your writer's business needs
14-day refund policy
Has a mobile app for your convenience
Some policies are sourced from partners
Hiscox has personalized policies in mind as their insurance strategy, which it excels at. The company offers you a chance to get the most efficient coverage. This means you can be sure you are paying for what you need. The company offers general liability, workers comp, cyber security, business owner’s policy, and more. Hiscox has an A+ financial rating from Fitch and an A rating from AM Best.
Best for: Writer insurance with worldwide coverage
Average cost: $29 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Medical, hospital, dental, and life insurance
Pension plan
Writers industry health fund
Doesn’t offer liability insurance
Writers Guild of America insurance offers writer insurance policies that covers things like vision, dental, and medical costs. You also get a life insurance policy that pays out benefits to participants of the Writers Guild as well as eligible dependents. Writers guild insurance offers a health fund that kicks in when you work for a signatory employer and meets an annual earning requirement of $41,000.
Best for: Life insurance for writers
Average cost: $50 per month
Our rating: 8/10
Health insurance through the affordable care act
Exclusive discounts for members
Supplemental coverage for dental, vision, and critical care
Fewer options for liability insurance
Authors guild insurance offers media liability insurance that protects you from liability costs from your job as a writer. A specialized lawyer reads your book and reviews any marketing materials you produce to ensure you are legally safe. You enjoy the benefits of being an Authors Guild member, including car rentals, essential magazine subscriptions, and electronics discounts.
Best for: Media liability insurance for authors
Average cost: $39 per month
Our rating: 8/10
1 / 5
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
1 / 5
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
1 / 5
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
5 / 5
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
5 / 5
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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