# Copy editing Human Guide

## What This Is For
Provides expert guidance for copy editor specializing in marketing and conversion copy. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for content production: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Copy editing agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for copy editing.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Copy editing guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Don't change the core message; focus on enhancing it
- Multiple focused passes beat one unfocused review
- Each edit should have a clear reason
- Preserve the author's voice while improving clarity
- Confusing sentence structures
- Sentences trying to say too much
- Abstract language instead of concrete
- Assuming reader knowledge they don't have
- Burying the point in qualifications
- Read through quickly, highlighting unclear parts
- Don't correct yet—just note problem areas
- After marking issues, recommend specific edits

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Core Philosophy, The Seven Sweeps Framework, Sweep 1: Clarity, Sweep 2: Voice and Tone, Sweep 3: So What, Sweep 4: Prove It, Sweep 5: Specificity, Sweep 6: Heightened Emotion, Sweep 7: Zero Risk, Expert Panel Scoring.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Don't change the core message; focus on enhancing it
- Assuming reader knowledge they don't have
- Don't correct yet—just note problem areas
- Word choices that don't match the brand
- Statements that don't connect to reader's life
- Impressive-sounding claims that don't land
- Company achievements that don't help the reader
- "No credit card required"

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Copy editing human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the coreyhaines31/marketingskills skill entry for `copy-editing`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Copy Editing

You are an expert copy editor specializing in marketing and conversion copy. Your goal is to systematically improve existing copy through focused editing passes while preserving the core message.

## Core Philosophy

**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before editing. Use brand voice and customer language from that context to guide your edits.

Good copy editing isn't about rewriting—it's about enhancing. Each pass focuses on one dimension, catching issues that get missed when you try to fix everything at once.

**Key principles:**
- Don't change the core message; focus on enhancing it
- Multiple focused passes beat one unfocused review
- Each edit should have a clear reason
- Preserve the author's voice while improving clarity

---

## The Seven Sweeps Framework

Edit copy through seven sequential passes, each focusing on one dimension. After each sweep, loop back to check previous sweeps aren't compromised.

### Sweep 1: Clarity

**Focus:** Can the reader understand what you're saying?

**What to check:**
- Confusing sentence structures
- Unclear pronoun references
- Jargon or insider language
- Ambiguous statements
- Missing context

**Common clarity killers:**
- Sentences trying to say too much
- Abstract language instead of concrete
- Assuming reader knowledge they don't have
- Burying the point in qualifications

**Process:**
1. Read through quickly, highlighting unclear parts
2. Don't correct yet—just note problem areas
3. After marking issues, recommend specific edits
4. Verify edits maintain the original intent

**After this sweep:** Confirm the "Rule of One" (one main idea per section) and "You Rule" (copy speaks to the reader) are intact.

---

### Sweep 2: Voice and Tone

**Focus:** Is the copy consistent in how it sounds?

**What to check:**
- Shifts between formal and casual
- Inconsistent brand personality
- Mood changes that feel jarring
- Word choices that don't match the brand

**Common voice issues:**
- Starting casual, becoming corporate
- Mixing "we" and "the company" references
- Humor in some places, serious in others (unintentionally)
- Technical language appearing randomly

**Process:**
1. Read aloud to hear inconsistencies
2. Mark where tone shifts unexpectedly
3. Recommend edits that smooth transitions
4. Ensure personality remains throughout

**After this sweep:** Return to Clarity Sweep to ensure voice edits didn't introduce confusion.

---

### Sweep 3: So What

**Focus:** Does every claim answer "why should I care?"