Help! I need to write a proposal for a possible web writing gig, and I have no idea what is required. | Freelance Business Chat | Writing Forum

There's no single way to write a proposal. It can be a formal document that you maintain a template for (like this one from GraphicRiver). Or it could just be an email. 

Basically in a proposal you want to lay out the scope of the project, your terms (payment policies, limits on edit requests before other fees kick in, late payment fees, etc.), and you get their agreement on those terms. Think of it almost like a short-form contract. You tell them what you'll do, how much it will cost them, and then they sign off on the work (with a physical signature or even just an email confirmation). Basically you want to make sure you're on the same page up front instead of facing confusion later when you think you gave the client what they want, but they had something very different in mind. 

As for questions, I'd just ask for clarification on anything I'm not sure about -- number of pages you're actually writing (as opposed to what's there now), does he expect any outside research or are you just working from the source material he's providing, etc. 

Allena Tapia has a sample up on her About.com site with a simple layout you could use in an email, so I'd suggest checking that out too. 

I hope that helps!

Jenn

Awesome. Let us know how it goes.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a gentle reminder, especially if they wanted the proposal by a certain date. But beyond that, I'd just be ready and willing to walk away. If they aren't communicative now, I'd be concerned about the potential working relationship later.