Reviews
Part of How to judge copywriting services: scoring, quotes and compliance evidence
Nine checks for a copywriting services selection checklist
A nine-point copywriting services selection checklist covering scope, ownership, rights, consumer law and scoring, so UK buyers can compare suppliers like for like.
What to take away
- Most teams start with price and portfolio, then discover nobody checked who owns the words, what happens when a deadline slips, or how the winner was scored.
- A usable checklist tests scope, ownership, rights, redress and evidence before it tests creative flair.
- Every criterion needs a pass or fail line, not a vague score out of ten, or shortlists become a beauty parade.
- Consumer law and platform ad rules apply to marketing copy, so legal checks belong in selection, not only in review.
- Record your method so a losing supplier can see why it lost and a future colleague can rerun the process.
Start with a written scope
Before any supplier conversation, write one page describing what the copy must do, which channels it feeds and who signs it off. A scope that says "website copy" invites ten different quotes for ten different jobs. Name the deliverables, the word counts and the approval chain.
Scope Before Supplier Talks
- What the copy must do
- Which channels it feeds
- Who signs it off
- Name deliverables
- State word counts
- Set approval chain
Ownership and rights
Ask who owns the finished text once the invoice clears. Ask whether the supplier can reuse it in a portfolio. Ask what happens to drafts if the contract ends early. If the answer is vague, the deal is vague, and you may be paying again for words you thought you bought.
Redress and consumer law
Business-to-business contracts sit outside much of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which covers consumer rights including services, so your protection comes from the contract itself. Check liability caps, notice periods and the process for rejecting substandard work.
Defamation risk matters for case studies and testimonials. Read the Defamation Act 2013 before publishing client stories, and confirm the supplier will flag claims it cannot substantiate.
Advertising rules
Copy that promotes a product is advertising copy. The AdviceOnline library sets out detailed guidance on the ad rules, useful when a brief touches health, finance or comparative claims. A supplier who has never opened it will slow your legal review.
Scoring that survives scrutiny
Give each criterion a weight before you see any submission. Score evidence, not adjectives. If a supplier claims sector experience, ask for a sample and the brief behind it. For a fuller treatment of weighting and panel scoring, see copywriting services: reviews and comparison methods.
The nine checks
- Written scope with deliverables, word counts and approval chain.
- Named writer, plus the editor who reviews their work.
- Ownership of final copy stated in the contract.
- Portfolio and reuse rights agreed in writing.
- Liability CAP, notice period and rejection process.
- Defamation and substantiation cover for case studies.
- Advertising rules awareness for regulated sectors.
- Two relevant samples with the original briefs.
- Weighted score sheet completed before submissions open.
Evidence to request
Ask for a sample brief, the draft, the final text and the client's feedback in one pack. A finished PDF alone proves nothing about process. If the supplier cannot show how a brief changed the work, you cannot tell whether they wrote it or guessed it.
For a worked example, a team paying £2,500 a month for four long articles should expect a named editor, a revision window and a documented handover. If those are missing, the rate is buying output, not a service.
Glossary
- Brief
- the written instruction a writer works from.
- Kill fee
- payment when a commissioned job is cancelled.
- Moral rights
- an author's non-transferable rights, including the right to be identified.
- Revision round
- one defined pass of changes within the fee.
- Weighted score
- a criterion score multiplied by its agreed importance.
Common questions
How many suppliers should reach the shortlist?
Three is usually enough to compare properly. More than five and the panel stops reading closely, which defeats the purpose of scoring.
Should price be a scored criterion?
Score it, but score it late. Price only means something once scope, ownership and rights are comparable, otherwise the cheapest bid usually reflects the vaguest brief. Our review methodology in England explains how weighting is set before evidence arrives.
What disqualifies a supplier immediately?
No named writer, no ownership clause, or refusal to provide a sample with its brief. Any of these makes the rest of the score sheet academic.
How often should the checklist change?
Review it after each procurement round. Keep the core checks stable so results stay comparable, and add criteria only when a genuine gap appears.
