5 ways to make sure a copywriting project succeeds (based on 3 projects I flopped)
I had three projects in my early freelancing days that made me think I SUCKED at copywriting.
First: The client who hired me because he “wasn’t a detail guy.”
I quickly learned this meant he couldn’t remember what we were doing, ignored every deadline, and would never implement the copy.
The work was good. The results could’ve been great. But the project flatlined, because he wasn’t present enough to apply any of it.
Second: The solopreneur who was SO ready for a website refresh...
…But he didn’t have a developer. Or time. Or the budget to get help.
So every small revision turned into a three-week detour, and the “quick project” stretched into oblivion.
Third: The consultant who was still figuring out her brand.
She hadn't defined her voice, her offer, or her target audience.
So we’d write emails, refine them, rewrite them, and somehow still end up off-brand — because the brand itself didn’t technically exist. There was nothing to anchor the copy to.
None of these people were "bad clients."
And none of these experiences meant I was a "bad copywriter."
They were just… wrong matches. Misaligned expectations. Missing foundations. A lack of readiness, clarity, or partnership.
And I learned (the hard way) that no amount of word-smithing can fix a project that wasn’t set up for success to begin with.
So what can you learn from my flopped projects?
Copywriting is a partnership.
It only works when both sides bring the right pieces to the table: clarity, trust, communication, and readiness.
When those pieces aren’t there, projects take longer. Results suffer. Tension rises. And the copy — no matter how good — falls flat.
But when they are there: Projects move fast. Revisions shrink. The final product feels aligned, powerful, and actually gets implemented.
And everyone walks away saying, “Wow, that was smooth.”
Whether you’re the one writing the copy or the one paying for it, understanding what makes a great partnership is the difference between:
Copy that sits in a Google Drive folder collecting dust,
and
Copy that turns into revenue, clarity, and growth.
5 ways to make sure a copywriting project succeeds
On either side of the equation
Here are a few universal green flags that tell you a partnership is set up for success:
1. The offer is solid.
No copywriter can save a broken offer. But a great one can elevate a strong offer into something magnetic. (And if they double as a strategist, they can help you tweak it to perfection, too.)
2. The business direction is clear.
You don’t need every detail figured out. But you do need a general direction and specific goals — otherwise the copy becomes a guessing game.
3. There’s trust in the process.
Copywriting requires feedback, transparency, and communication — AND it requires letting the expert do their job. Both are crucial.
4. There’s a plan for implementation.
Great copy doesn’t work if it never leaves the Google Doc. Whether it's a VA, a developer, automation tools, or your own time, someone has to execute.
5. Expectations are aligned from the start.
Get clear on scope, timeline, deliverables, revisions, and access to information. The more aligned you are upfront, the smoother everything goes.
If you can check off these boxes — as a writer or a client — the project is already 80% of the way to great results.
Not sure if your copywriting project is set up for success?
Read this — it’ll tell you whether you’re actually ready to hire a copywriter (with stats, human-vs-AI comparisons, and real-world stories).
This article was originally shared in my embarrassing, brutally-honest newsletter: Sloppy Copy.
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