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.Â
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.Â
| 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.Â
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.Â
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.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
| 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.
