# Copy editing Human Guide

## What This Is For
Polish and improve existing copy for clarity, conversion, and brand voice. 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
- Is the main point immediately clear?
- Can anything be misunderstood?
- Are there unnecessary words?
- Is it consistent with brand?
- Would the audience use these words?
- Very, really, actually, basically
- Excessive exclamation points
- 3-7 items (avoid long lists)
- **Edited version** (clean, ready to use)
- **Key changes** (what was improved, why)
- **Alternatives** (optional variations)
- **Notes** (any questions or suggestions)

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Editing Framework, Pass 1: Clarity, Pass 2: Conversion, Pass 3: Voice, Pass 4: Polish, Common Issues & Fixes, Clarity Issues, Conversion Issues, Voice Issues, Line Editing Checklist.

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
- 3-7 items (avoid long lists)

## 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 Marketing Engineering Podcast skill entry for `wispr-flow-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

## Editing Framework

### Pass 1: Clarity
- Is the main point immediately clear?
- Can anything be misunderstood?
- Are there unnecessary words?

### Pass 2: Conversion
- Is the benefit obvious?
- Is the CTA compelling?
- Are objections addressed?

### Pass 3: Voice
- Does it sound human?
- Is it consistent with brand?
- Would the audience use these words?

### Pass 4: Polish
- Grammar and punctuation
- Rhythm and flow
- Visual scanability

## Common Issues & Fixes

### Clarity Issues

| Problem | Before | After |
|---------|--------|-------|
| Vague benefit | "Save time" | "Cut reporting from 4 hours to 15 minutes" |
| Jargon | "Leverage our platform" | "Use our tool to..." |
| Passive voice | "Results are delivered" | "We deliver results" |
| Buried lead | [3 paragraphs then point] | [Point first, then context] |

### Conversion Issues

| Problem | Before | After |
|---------|--------|-------|
| Weak CTA | "Submit" | "Get Your Free Report" |
| Feature focus | "AI-powered engine" | "Type 4x faster" |
| No urgency | "Sign up anytime" | "Start free today" |
| Missing proof | [claim alone] | [claim + testimonial] |

### Voice Issues

| Problem | Before | After |
|---------|--------|-------|
| Corporate speak | "We endeavor to provide" | "We help you" |
| Over-enthusiastic | "Amazing!!! Best ever!!!" | "A better way to..." |
| Inconsistent | Formal then casual | Pick one, stick to it |
| Generic | "Welcome to our website" | [Specific value prop] |

## Line Editing Checklist

### Words to Cut
- Very, really, actually, basically
- In order to → to
- Is able to → can
- At this point in time → now
- The fact that → (remove)

### Words to Replace
| Weak | Strong |
|------|--------|
| Nice | Specific adjective |
| Good | Specific benefit |
| Things | Specific noun |
| Utilize | Use |
| Implement | Do/Build/Create |

### AI-Generated Tells (Remove)
- Em dashes (—)
- "Delve into"
- "Leverage"
- "Seamlessly"
- "Cutting-edge"
- "State-of-the-art"
- Excessive exclamation points