COPYWRITING PROPOSAL ==================== Disclaimer — not legal advice. This template is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. It is jurisdiction-neutral: you are responsible for adapting it, for your own legal and tax compliance, and for having a qualified professional in your jurisdiction review it before you rely on it. Full terms: https://trycolo.co/terms-of-use Prepared for: [CLIENT CONTACT NAME], [CLIENT COMPANY NAME] Prepared by: [YOUR NAME], [YOUR EMAIL] Date: [DATE] | Proposal ref: [PROPOSAL NUMBER] | Valid until: [EXPIRY DATE] 1. Project summary ------------------ [ONE PARAGRAPH. Example: "[CLIENT COMPANY] is relaunching its website on [DATE]. The current copy describes features but not why [AUDIENCE] should choose you over [COMPETITOR TYPE]. This proposal covers research, customer interviews and new copy for [NUMBER] key pages plus a five-email welcome sequence, written to convert visitors into [DESIRED ACTION]."] Audience: [WHO THE COPY IS FOR] Main action we want readers to take: [E.G. BOOK A DEMO / REQUEST A QUOTE / BUY] Total fee: [CURRENCY] [TOTAL FEE] 2. Deliverables --------------- # | Piece | Purpose | Approx. length | Format - | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ----------- 1 | Homepage | Explain the offer and route visitors | [500–800] words | [DOC / CMS] 2 | [SERVICE / PRODUCT PAGE x NUMBER] | Convert visitors researching [SERVICE] | [400–700] words each | [DOC / CMS] 3 | About page | Build trust | [300–500] words | [DOC / CMS] 4 | Welcome email sequence | Onboard new subscribers | [5] emails, [150–300] words each | [DOC] 5 | [CASE STUDY / SALES PAGE / AD COPY] | [PURPOSE] | [LENGTH] | [FORMAT] Each web page includes: headline options, body copy, calls to action, page title and meta description. 3. Research and interviews -------------------------- Activity | Included ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Review of existing materials | Website, sales decks, reviews, support FAQs Competitor review | Up to [NUMBER] competitor sites Stakeholder interviews | Up to [NUMBER] interviews of [45] minutes Customer interviews | Up to [NUMBER] interviews of [30] minutes, arranged by the client Messaging summary | One-page summary of key messages, approved before drafting 4. Voice and SEO ---------------- - Voice: based on [EXISTING BRAND GUIDELINES / VOICE NOTES DEVELOPED FROM INTERVIEWS / SAMPLE COPY THE CLIENT LIKES]. - Keywords: [CLIENT SUPPLIES ONE PRIMARY AND UP TO [NUMBER] SECONDARY KEYWORDS PER PAGE / KEYWORD RESEARCH INCLUDED AS LINE ITEM / NOT REQUIRED]. - Reading level and style notes: [E.G. PLAIN LANGUAGE, US SPELLING, NO JARGON WITHOUT EXPLANATION]. 5. Drafting and edits --------------------- 1. Messaging summary approved by the client. 2. First draft of each piece. 3. Edit round 1: consolidated written feedback within [5] business days, revised draft returned within [3] business days. 4. Edit round 2: final consolidated feedback and a final draft. 5. Proofread and delivery in the agreed format. Rules for edit rounds - Feedback comes from one approver, [APPROVER NAME], in one consolidated set per round. - Comments sent after a round closes are carried into the next round. - Changes to the audience, offer, positioning or structure after the first draft are a new brief and quoted separately. - Additional rounds: [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] per piece. 6. What I need from you ----------------------- Input | Due ----------------------------------------------- | --------------- Completed [COPYWRITING BRIEF] | [DATE] Existing materials and access to current site | [DATE] Interview contacts and scheduling | [DATE] Product or service facts checked by your team | During drafting Legal or compliance review of claims, if needed | Before final I write from the information you supply. You are responsible for confirming factual, legal and regulatory claims in the final copy. 7. Timeline ----------- Stage | Target date -------------------------------- | ----------- Deposit received, kickoff | [DATE] Research and interviews complete | [DATE] Messaging summary approved | [DATE] First drafts delivered | [DATE] Edit round 1 complete | [DATE] Edit round 2 and final delivery | [DATE] 8. Investment ------------- Piece | Fee ------------------------------------------ | ---------------------- Research, interviews and messaging summary | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Homepage | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] [SERVICE PAGES x NUMBER] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] About page | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Welcome email sequence | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] [OTHER PIECE] | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Total (excluding [TAX] where applicable) | [CURRENCY] [TOTAL FEE] Optional Add-on | Price ----------------------------------- | ------------------- Keyword research for [NUMBER] pages | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Loading copy into CMS | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Additional interview | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Payment schedule Payment | Trigger | Amount -------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------- Deposit ([PERCENT]%) | On acceptance | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] Balance | On final delivery | [CURRENCY] [AMOUNT] 9. Usage rights --------------- - On payment in full, the client may use the final copy for any purpose. - Drafts, notes and unused headlines remain with the writer. - I may show the published work in my portfolio unless you ask otherwise in writing. - If the project is cancelled, completed work is billed pro rata and usage rights apply only to paid work. 10. Acceptance -------------- Client | Copywriter ------------------------------- | ------------------------------- Signature: ____________________ | Signature: ____________________ Name: [CLIENT SIGNATORY NAME] | Name: [YOUR NAME] Company: [CLIENT LEGAL NAME] | Business: [YOUR BUSINESS NAME] Date: [DATE] | Date: [DATE] ------------------------------------------------------------ How to use this template 1. Use word counts as ranges, never as the basis for the fee. 2. Name the approver in section 5 before you send. 3. Keep the "brief changes are new work" line. It is the clause you will need most. 4. Put claim checking with the client in section 6, especially in regulated industries. 5. Attach a [COPYWRITING CONTRACT] for full terms. Template provided by Colo (trycolo.co). Not legal advice — review with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.