A Fascinating Peek at the Project Start Questionnaire of a Successful Copywriter

Michel Fortin has posted what I’d call a Project Start Questionnaire–a client checklist for starting a project that also includes his project payment terms.

There’s no shortage of general advice on the Internet (including mine) but this provides a very useful glimpse into the specific business practices of a successful copywriter.

Read it, save it, and copy the bits that make the most sense.

[tags]copywriting, freelancing[/tags]

6 Comment(s)

  1. Interesting….from their Step #7:

    “7. RESPONSIBILITY

    While we do our best to ensure accuracy, we are not a lawyers.”

    Apparently they’re not proofreaders either. ;)

    Dave Rakowski
    Allentown, PA

    Dave Rakowski | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply

  2. Typos aside :=), Michel has provided a smart, very thorough and comprehensive guide that copywriters and other creative professionals would do well to heed.

    Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply

  3. I’ve always been a better writer than a businessman (a lesson realized the hard way), so I swipe this kind of stuff whenever possible.

    Tom Chandler | Mar 8, 2007 | Reply

  4. You’re right, this is really fascinating. Thanks for the link, Tom.

    Susan Minarcin | Mar 8, 2007 | Reply

  5. It’s an impressive questionnaire but I wonder whether a prospective client might be turned off by some of its more outre requirements (100% surcharge if you don’t write us a reference, for example). Still, seems to work for them.

    For what it’s worth, my briefing checklist is on my website: http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=346. It’s more of a writer’s brief than a legal contract but it might be helpful.

    Matthew Stibbe (Bad Language) | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply

  6. I agree, parts of Michel’s form aren’t a good fit with every client, but the goal is always to steal the stuff that works and leave the rest behind.

    Tom Chandler | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply

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