Congratulations! You completed your Prospect Intake Checklist and submitted a proposal, which your prospect accepted. You now have a new project to complete for a client!

The next stop on our roadmap is to formalize the arrangement with a client copywriting agreement. No matter what type of writing project you’re working on, you want to have the terms and conditions spelled out in an Agreement. While this is especially important with new clients, I also write Agreements for new projects with existing or past clients. This protects both you and your client.

When possible, you want to be the party providing the Agreement, not your client. If the Agreement comes from your client, it will probably have been prepared by the legal department, include more legal language and be more favorable to the client. Some companies will only work with their Agreements, but if there’s an option, go with the Agreement you have prepared.

There are three primary types of Agreements — a General Agreement, an Agreement with Royalties, and a Retainer Agreement.

General Agreement