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]
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
Typos aside :=), Michel has provided a smart, very thorough and comprehensive guide that copywriters and other creative professionals would do well to heed.
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.
You’re right, this is really fascinating. Thanks for the link, Tom.
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.
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.