The exact 10 questions to ask a copywriter before you hire one, plus how to read the answers. A practical checklist for UK SMEs from Sage Writers.
Every SME who’s hired a bad copywriter has the same story: the sales conversation felt fine, the invoice looked reasonable, and then the first draft landed and everything unravelled. The best defence isn’t a longer contract, it’s better questions to ask a copywriter before you brief them. This is the exact 10-question checklist I’d use if I were on the buying side.
I’m Bijal Shah, founder of Sage Writers. I’ve worked on both sides of this hire — briefing writers when I was in-house, and being briefed now as a freelance copywriting agency. Here are the questions that separate the professionals from the pretenders, and how to read the answers.
1. “Who will actually be writing the copy?”
Why it matters: At agencies, the person selling you the work is often not the person writing it. That handoff loses briefs, drops nuance, and puts your project in front of a stranger. With a freelancer this question is trivial — but ask anyway to confirm the writer isn’t quietly outsourcing to a cheaper contractor.
Good answer: A named person, ideally the one you’re talking to.
Red flag: “One of our writers will pick it up when it’s assigned.”
2. “Can you show me a sample rewrite of one of my pages?”
Why it matters: Portfolios are curated. Anyone can show you their best work. But asking for a fresh 100–150 word rewrite of a page from your current site during the sales process tells you what they’d actually produce for you. It also tells you how much they care about winning your brief.
Good answer: “Sure, I’ll send it over within a working day.”
Red flag: “We only do custom samples once you’ve signed the contract” — that’s a business protecting themselves from being judged on real work.
3. “How do you approach SEO?”
Why it matters: SEO isn’t optional for website or blog content in 2026. But it’s frequently sold as a separate service to inflate invoices. The right answer treats SEO as inseparable from the writing itself.
Good answer: Specifics — keyword research, search-intent mapping, headings structured for the SERP, internal linking, meta title/description written for the click. All baked in from the outline stage.
Red flag: “We can also do SEO for a bit extra” — that’s copywriting sold without SEO, then SEO sold without copywriting. You pay twice for one job.
4. “Where does AI sit in your process, and where doesn’t it?”
Why it matters: AI has changed the economics of copywriting in a specific way: research and outlines are cheaper, but the actual writing still needs a human. Watch for extremes on either side.
Good answer: Specific about the split — AI for research, brainstorming, outline scaffolding, spelling/grammar checking. Human for strategy, SEO planning, tone, editing, final read. See the workflow I actually use as one example.
Red flags: “We never touch AI” (naive, means they’re slow and probably 30% more expensive) OR “We use AI to write faster” (dangerous, means they’re shipping unedited machine copy). The middle answer is the only defensible one in 2026.
5. “How many revisions are included, and what happens if I need more?”
Why it matters: Two revision rounds is the industry standard. “Unlimited revisions” is a red flag because it prices in the writer’s expectation that the first draft will be bad. Every third round after the standard two should have a clear paid rate.
Good answer: “Two rounds included, and a third round is £150 flat. If a project needs more than two rounds, that’s usually a brief problem not a copy problem, and we’ll spot it before you spend more.”
Red flag: “Unlimited revisions until you’re happy” — polite corporate-speak for “I know the first draft won’t be great.”
6. “What’s your process for understanding my market?”
Why it matters: Good copy is only ever partly about the writing craft. The other 60% is understanding the buyer, the market, the alternatives, the objections. A copywriter who dives straight to writing hasn’t done the actual work.
Good answer: “I’ll read your existing site, your top three competitors, at least a month of your social output, your customer reviews, then send you 3–4 clarifying questions before drafting.” That’s the 5-lens framework or equivalent.
Red flag: “We work from your brief and start writing” — means they’re writing to a template, not for your market.
7. “How long will this take?”
Why it matters: Realistic turnaround signals professional pace. Too fast = they’re rushing. Too slow = you’re not a priority.
Good answer for a single page: 5 working days from brief-sign-off. For a 5-page website: 3 weeks including one revision round.
Red flags: “Same-day turnaround” (impossible without shipping bad work); “6–8 weeks” (you’ve been deprioritised behind bigger accounts).
8. “What happens if I don’t like the first draft?”
Why it matters: Every copywriter says their first drafts are good. What matters is what happens when they aren’t. You want a clear, non-defensive process, not a professional who gets touchy at the first critique.
Good answer: “We’ll get on a call, you tell me exactly what’s off, I ask a couple of questions to make sure I’ve heard it, then I rewrite. Included in the price.”
Red flag: Any answer where they explain why your feedback would be wrong before you’ve even given it.
9. “Who owns the copy when the invoice is paid?”
Why it matters: This is a legal fact that copywriters sometimes get wrong. Once you’ve paid, you own the copy. Full stop. The writer can list you in their portfolio (unless you ask them not to), but they can’t reuse the actual words for anyone else.
Good answer: “You own everything when the final invoice is paid. Copyright transfers to you.”
Red flag: “We retain a licence to reuse elements for other clients” — you’re paying for content you don’t own outright. Walk away.
10. “Have you written for a business like mine before?”
Why it matters: Not because they need identical experience, but because it filters generalists from writers who know your market’s specific dynamics. A copywriter who’s written for six D2C skincare brands understands the buyer for a seventh far better than one who’s never written the category.
Good answer: “Yes, here are two similar clients [names + brief context]. What’s specific to your business that’s different?”
Also acceptable: “No, but here’s how I’d research your buyer before writing a word.” — honesty + a plan beats a made-up “yes.”
Red flag: A vague “we work with all industries.” That’s another way of saying they don’t know yours in particular.
How Sage Writers answers each of these
Since you’re going to ask a shortlist of copywriters these questions, here’s how I’d answer them if you sent them my way — so you have a benchmark:
- Who writes: Me. Every word. Nothing outsourced.
- Sample rewrite: Free 100-word sample of one of your pages, delivered within one working day of your brief.
- SEO: Baked in from the outline stage. Keyword research, search intent, headings, meta, internal linking. Included in the base price, not billed separately.
- AI: Research + outlines + grammar. Human writes the actual copy. Full workflow explained here.
- Revisions: Two rounds included. A third round is £180 flat if it’s genuinely needed.
- Market process: Existing site + top 3 competitors + last month of your social + customer reviews. Then 3–4 clarifying questions before drafting.
- Turnaround: 5 working days for single pages. 2–3 weeks for multi-page projects with one revision round.
- First draft feedback: Call, listen, rewrite. Never defended, always rewritten if you flag it.
- IP: Yours. Full copyright transfers to you when the final invoice is paid.
- Sector experience: UK SMEs across B2B SaaS, ecommerce, consumer brands, professional services, hospitality. See the about page for context.
If you’d like to run these same 10 questions past me for a specific project, send a brief. I’ll reply within one working day with the answers, a written quote, and the sample rewrite from question 2 so you can judge the writing itself before committing.
Related reading
- Copywriting service in Birmingham: a buyer’s guide for UK SMEs
- The 4-line copywriting brief template that saves you 3 calls
- The AI + human copywriting workflow I use on every project