Copy. Adapt. Keep a record.

Writing & Editing Project Brief

For website copy, articles or book editing, specify the manuscript stage and the level of editorial work needed.

Your editable project brief

WRITING & CONTENT PROJECT BRIEF
Replace the prompts below with your details. Label supplied claims and their evidence.

1. PURPOSE
Content type:
Reader and their main question:
Where the content will be published:
Action the reader should be ready to take:
Project owner and final editor:

2. SCOPE
Number of pages, articles, or products:
Approximate length by item:
Drafting, rewriting, substantive editing, or proofreading:
Included research and interviews:
Titles, metadata, captions, or CMS entry required:
Explicit exclusions:
Total budget and delivery deadline:
Outline/draft/review milestones:

3. INPUTS
Approved product or service facts:
Primary sources and permitted references:
Claims we can substantiate:
Claims or topics to avoid:
Current copy and what is wrong with it:
Brand voice with two annotated examples:
Required spelling convention and terminology:
Target search intent, if relevant:
Internal links to consider:

4. PROCESS
Person responsible for fact verification:
Allowed use of AI assistance and required disclosure:
Handling of confidential material:
Citation and quotation expectations:
One consolidated reviewer feedback process:
Included revision rounds and boundaries:
How new requirements change the quote:

5. ACCEPTANCE AND HANDOVER
Check every factual claim against the supplied evidence.
Check tone, structure, intended audience, and actual usefulness.
Check links, units, names, punctuation, and repeated passages.
Confirm that no testimonials or customer experiences were invented.
Receive editable copy, a source list, and any agreed change notes.
Specify format and where final files should be delivered:
Questions for the writer or editor:

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Website copy based on a supplied facts pack

Fictional teaching example. Business, budget and schedule are illustrative—not a client case, seller quote or market-price estimate.

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WORKED EXAMPLE — WRITING & CONTENT BRIEF
Fictional teaching example by BestSift. The business and its service facts below are invented for instruction, not client results or a real commercial offer. Budget and timing are illustrative, not typical Fiverr prices.

1. PURPOSE
Business: Alder Ledger, a fictional bookkeeping service for local small businesses.
Reader: An owner trying to understand which records to prepare and whether the service fits their needs.
Destination: A new English-language business website.
Desired action: Request an introductory conversation using an enquiry form.
Approver and fact owner: The business owner; the writer flags unclear claims for the owner to resolve.

2. SCOPE
Items: Home page approximately 450 words; Services page 650 words; About page 250 words; eight FAQ answers totaling approximately 400 words.
Work: Original drafting from the approved facts pack, one outline, and two consolidated revision rounds. Lengths are planning guides, not a reason to add filler.
Additional outputs: One proposed title and meta description per page; CTA labels and internal-link suggestions.
Excluded: Contact form implementation, privacy/legal copy, interviews, original market research, image sourcing, and CMS entry.
Illustrative cap: USD 450 including applicable checkout charges. Request a complete quote; this is not a market-price claim.
Proposed timing: Outline within three business days of receiving inputs, draft within five business days of outline approval, then agreed revision dates. Owner reviews within two business days. Confirm calendar dates in the offer.

3. FACTS, SOURCES, AND VOICE
Scenario facts supplied: The service organizes monthly transaction records, prepares a monthly summary, and flags missing documents for the client. Clients provide records through their separately agreed secure process.
Scenario exclusions: No audit, tax filing, legal advice, guaranteed savings, or guaranteed revenue improvement.
Evidence pack in a real project: Approved service descriptions, process notes, and the owner's verified biography. This teaching example supplies no actual qualifications or customer evidence.
Claims to avoid: “Certified,” “award-winning,” years of experience, number of clients, and customer testimonials unless the owner supplies verifiable support.
Voice: Calm, direct, welcoming. Example: “Know which records to send each month.” This names a useful task. Avoid “Unlock effortless financial success,” which promises an undefined result.
Spelling: U.S. English. Explain bookkeeping terms when first used.
Search intent: Help an owner understand monthly bookkeeping scope and inputs; no keyword density target or ranking guarantee.
Links: Home to Services; Services and FAQ to Contact; About to Services.

4. PROCESS
Questions: Writer lists missing facts before drafting. Unresolved claims remain editorial comments, never invented facts in publishable copy.
AI assistance: May help organize an outline if disclosed to the owner; do not upload confidential records. Writer remains responsible for checking the draft against supplied evidence.
Sources: Link external factual claims to suitable primary references; distinguish them from the owner's approved business facts.
Feedback: One owner returns one list per round. Additional services or a changed audience require a revised quote.

5. ACCEPTANCE AND HANDOVER
Review every factual claim against the facts pack; remove unsupported credentials, outcomes, and testimonials.
Check that scope and exclusions stay consistent across all four pages.
Read CTA labels with their destination pages; check names, spelling, tone, and internal links.
Receive editable text with page headings, metadata separately labeled, source notes, and a list of unresolved publication questions.
Question before ordering: Are research, metadata, both feedback rounds, and editable delivery included in your offer?

Why this brief works

Give the writer approved facts and mark claims that still need evidence.
Specify which pages, metadata, research, and CMS tasks are included.
Annotate a tone example so “friendly” means something concrete.
Assign fact checking to a project role and use one consolidated feedback list.

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Website copy based on a supplied facts pack

Why this brief works

Match the brief to the service