Business writing
Writing a brief that gets good bids
What to put in a brief so the bids you get are clear, comparable and priced fairly, and what a vague brief costs you.
2 min read · Last checked 18 October 2026
Bids are only as good as the brief
Every bid on WBA states the same things in the same order, so you can lay them side by side:
| Every bid states | So you can compare |
|---|---|
| Price | What each writer charges for the whole job |
| Stages and gates | How the work is split, and what you approve at each step |
| Timeline | When each stage will be delivered |
| Revision rounds | How many rounds of changes are included |
| Exclusions | What the price does not cover |
| AI-use declaration | Whether and how the writer uses AI |
| Relevant experience | Why this writer suits this job |
That structure lets you compare bids fairly. What it cannot do is supply detail your brief left out.
What to include
- What the work must achieve, and who will judge whether it did
- The audience, in one sentence
- The length, or a range, and why
- The deadline, and whether it is fixed by someone else
- What you already have: research, interviews, transcripts, an earlier draft
- What you will supply, and when
Choosing a budget band
You choose a band, not an exact number:
Entry
Up to ₦250,000
Standard
₦250,000 to 750,000
Professional
₦750,000 to 2,000,000
Premium
₦2,000,000 and above
Writers whose rate does not fit your band cannot bid and are not alerted. That saves everyone from bids that could never have been accepted.
What a vague brief costs you
When you are ready, post a brief.