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Copywriting Proposal Template for Freelance Writers

A proposal for freelance copywriting projects that you can copy and send. After the template: why a messaging brief protects you from endless revisions, and how to price writing without counting words.

Updated September 30, 2026

The template

Copywriting proposal template
COPYWRITING PROPOSAL: [Project name]
Prepared for: [Client name], [Company]
Prepared by: [Your name]
Date: [Date]   Valid until: [Date + 30 days]

1. WHAT YOU NEED
[E.g. "Your new homepage and three service pages go live in May. The current copy lists features but doesn't say who the service is for or why it's different, and the sales team says prospects still ask basic questions on first calls."]

2. DELIVERABLES
- [Number] pages / emails / articles: [list each one]
- Approximate length: [e.g. 600-900 words per page]
- For web pages: page title, meta description and suggested headings
- [Optional: 2 headline variations per page for testing]

3. HOW I'LL WORK
1. Kickoff call (60 minutes) and a short questionnaire
2. Review of your existing materials, reviews and [2-3] competitors
3. A one-page messaging brief (audience, key message, proof points, tone) for your approval
4. First drafts
5. [2] rounds of revisions
6. Final copy delivered in [Google Docs]

4. NOT INCLUDED
- Design, layout or uploading to your website
- Original research or interviews beyond the kickoff call (can be added)
- Translation
- Ongoing content after this project (happy to propose a monthly retainer)

5. TIMELINE
Week 1: Kickoff and messaging brief
Week 2: First drafts
Week 3: Revisions and final copy
Feedback within [3] business days keeps this schedule.

6. INVESTMENT
[Project price or per-piece price]: [price]
Payment: [50]% to start, [50]% on delivery of final copy.

7. TERMS
- Revisions: [2] rounds, each a single set of consolidated comments. A change of brief after the messaging brief is approved is quoted as new work.
- Ownership: full rights to the final copy transfer to you on payment. I may show it in my portfolio unless you ask me not to.
- Kill fee: if the project is cancelled after drafts are delivered, [50]% of the remaining fee is due.

8. NEXT STEPS
Accept this proposal and I'll send the kickoff questionnaire and the first invoice.

Use a messaging brief as the approval gate

Most copy revisions aren't about wording. They're about the message: who it's for, what to lead with, how formal to be. A one-page brief approved before drafting settles those questions once. When feedback on the draft reopens them, you can point back to the brief and treat it as a change of scope rather than a revision.

Messaging brief outline
Audience: [who, and what they're trying to do]
Main message: [one sentence]
Proof points: [3-5 facts, results or reasons to believe]
Objections to answer: [what makes them hesitate]
Tone: [3 words, plus one "not": e.g. "clear, warm, confident, not salesy"]
Call to action: [the one thing the reader should do next]

Pricing copy by project, not by word

Per-word pricing rewards length, which is the opposite of what good copy does. Pricing per page, per email or per project reflects the thinking time (research, messaging, revisions), which is most of the work. If a client insists on per-word, set a minimum fee per piece.

Example numbers only: a homepage at $900 and service pages at $450 each. Base yours on the hours each piece really takes, including calls and revisions.

Why include a kill fee

Writing projects sometimes get cancelled mid-way, often because the client's plans change rather than anything about your work. A kill fee pays for the time you've already committed and set aside. Keep it proportional and state it plainly so it doesn't read as a trap.

Checklist before you send

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