copy-editing

Overview of copy-editing skill

What the copy-editing skill does

The copy-editing skill is for improving existing marketing copy, not generating first-draft messaging from scratch. It is built for cases like proofreading, tightening landing page text, cleaning up awkward phrasing, sharpening claims, and making copy more persuasive without changing the core message.

Who should install this copy-editing skill

This copy-editing skill fits marketers, founders, PMMs, agencies, and AI users who already have draft copy and want a more reliable editing workflow than a one-shot “make this better” prompt. It is especially useful for copy-editing for Proofreading when you want edits that preserve intent instead of replacing the whole piece.

Real job-to-be-done

Most users do not need a full rewrite. They need to:

• remove vague language
• improve clarity and flow
• keep brand voice intact
• spot weak claims and unsupported promises
• make conversion copy sound more specific and credible

This skill addresses that job with a structured editing method rather than ad hoc suggestions.

What makes this different from a generic edit prompt

The main differentiator is its Seven Sweeps framework: sequential passes for clarity, voice and tone, value, proof, specificity, emotion, and risk reduction. That structure is the real reason to use the skill. It reduces the common failure mode where an AI “improves” grammar but misses positioning, weak proof, or generic marketing language.

Best-fit content types

Use the copy-editing skill for:

• homepage and landing page copy
• product page sections
• email drafts
• ad or campaign copy
• short-form sales messaging
• proofreading existing marketing text before publishing

It is less suited to long-form developmental editing or net-new strategy work.

Most important adoption note

Before editing, the skill explicitly prefers product marketing context if available, especially .agents/product-marketing-context.md or .claude/product-marketing-context.md. If your team has brand voice, ICP, or positioning docs, this skill gets materially better when that context is supplied up front.

How to Use copy-editing skill

Install context for the copy-editing skill

Install the skill from the repository with:

npx skills add https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill copy-editing

If your setup uses a different skill runner, keep the same repository and skill slug: copy-editing.

Read these files first

For fast evaluation, start here:

1. skills/copy-editing/SKILL.md
2. skills/copy-editing/evals/evals.json
3. skills/copy-editing/references/plain-english-alternatives.md

Why this order:

• SKILL.md shows the actual workflow and trigger conditions
• evals/evals.json reveals what “good usage” looks like in practice
• the plain-English reference helps you understand how the skill simplifies bloated wording

What input the skill needs

The copy-editing skill works best when you provide:

• the exact draft text
• the asset type: homepage, email, ad, CTA, etc.
• audience and awareness level
• desired tone
• brand or product context
• constraints such as word count, legal sensitivity, or must-keep claims

Without those inputs, the model can still edit, but it is more likely to overgeneralize or flatten your voice.

Best prompt shape for copy-editing usage

A weak request is:

“Proofread this and improve it.”

A stronger request is:

“Use the copy-editing skill on this homepage hero section. Keep the core message, preserve a confident but plainspoken tone, and do not rewrite from scratch. Apply the Seven Sweeps, flag the biggest issues first, then provide a tightened version under 45 words. Audience: operations leaders at mid-market SaaS companies. Product promise: faster reporting from existing systems. Avoid hype.”

That prompt is better because it tells the skill what to preserve, what to optimize, and what constraints matter.

Recommended workflow in practice

A practical copy-editing usage flow:

1. provide the draft
2. provide brand/product context
3. ask for the Seven Sweeps analysis
4. ask for a revised version
5. review what changed and why
6. run one more pass on your highest-risk issue, usually clarity or specificity

This workflow is better than asking for only a final rewrite because you can catch unwanted message drift earlier.

The Seven Sweeps you should expect

From the repository evidence and evals, the copy-editing skill should systematically inspect:

• clarity
• voice and tone
• “so what” or value relevance
• proof and evidence
• specificity
• emotional weight
• zero-risk or trust-reducing friction

If the output skips most of these and jumps straight to a rewrite, you are not getting the full value of the skill.

How to use copy-editing for Proofreading

For proofreading, this skill is strongest when proofreading means more than typo cleanup. It is useful for:

• awkward phrasing
• wordiness
• jargon reduction
• generic benefit claims
• weak openings
• company-centered language

If you only want spelling and punctuation correction, this skill may be more opinionated than necessary. But for marketing proofreading, that added editorial judgment is usually the point.

How to keep the skill from over-rewriting

State these constraints explicitly:

• “Preserve the core message”
• “Keep the original structure unless a line is clearly weak”
• “Do not introduce claims we cannot prove”
• “Keep the tone close to the draft”
• “Show edits with reasons”

These instructions align with the skill’s philosophy and reduce the chance of a fresh rewrite disguised as editing.

Practical tip from the references folder

The file references/plain-english-alternatives.md is useful when your draft sounds formal, inflated, or enterprise-generic. If your copy contains terms like “optimize,” “leverage,” “seamlessly,” or “meaningful results,” ask the model to prefer plain-English substitutions and remove empty phrases entirely where possible.

What good output should look like

A strong result from the copy-editing skill usually includes:

• a brief diagnosis by sweep or issue type
• concrete examples of weak phrases
• explanation for important edits
• a revised version that is shorter, clearer, and more specific
• minimal drift from your original message and target audience

When this copy-editing guide matters most

This copy-editing guide is most helpful when the draft is already decent but underperforming. If your problem is unclear positioning or no real offer, editing alone will only help so much. In that case, use product marketing context first, then edit.

copy-editing skill FAQ

Is this copy-editing skill beginner-friendly

Yes. It is easier to use than many strategy-heavy skills because the task is concrete: improve existing copy. Beginners still get better results if they specify audience, channel, and tone instead of pasting raw text with no context.

How is this different from ordinary prompting

Ordinary prompts often produce surface polish. This copy-editing skill pushes a fuller review sequence: clarity, voice, value, proof, specificity, emotion, and trust. That structure is the main advantage over “please improve this paragraph.”

Should I use this for rewriting from scratch

No. The repository explicitly frames it as editing existing copy. If you need a first draft, angle, or message architecture, this is not the best fit. Use a copywriting-oriented workflow first, then apply copy-editing.

Is the skill only for marketing copy

Mostly, yes. The language and evaluation examples are centered on marketing and conversion copy. You can adapt it to other persuasive text, but its strongest fit is customer-facing messaging.

Does the copy-editing install include extra tools or scripts

No meaningful script dependency is surfaced here. The value is in the editing framework, eval examples, and reference material rather than automation code.

What blocks good results most often

The biggest blockers are:

• no product context
• asking for editing when the message itself is weak
• giving no audience or channel
• wanting proofreading but actually needing strategic rewriting
• not telling the model what must stay unchanged

When should I not use copy-editing

Skip this skill when:

• you need brand-new messaging
• the copy has legal/compliance constraints that need human review only
• you want deep developmental editing for long-form content
• the main issue is product positioning, not wording

How to Improve copy-editing skill

Give stronger source material

The fastest way to improve copy-editing output is to provide the real draft, not a paraphrase. Include neighboring lines, CTA text, headline/subhead pairs, or the surrounding section so the model can preserve flow and hierarchy.

Supply product marketing context first

If you have .agents/product-marketing-context.md or .claude/product-marketing-context.md, use it. If not, paste a compact equivalent:

• who the product is for
• main pain point
• differentiated value
• proof points
• preferred voice
• banned phrases

This is the single highest-leverage improvement for this copy-editing skill.

Ask for analysis before the rewrite

For better decision quality, request:

1. top issues by sweep
2. the smallest set of edits that would matter most
3. the revised copy

This prevents the model from making unnecessary changes and helps you judge whether the edits are directionally right.

Be explicit about what must not change

If you care about message preservation, say so. Good examples:

• “Do not change the core promise”
• “Keep the CTA concept”
• “Retain the technical meaning”
• “Do not add proof we do not have”

This matters because editing tools often improve fluency by inventing certainty or simplifying nuance too far.

Push for specificity when copy sounds generic

If the first result still sounds like generic SaaS copy, ask follow-up questions such as:

• “Which phrases still feel interchangeable with competitors?”
• “Where are we making claims without proof?”
• “What wording is too abstract for a skeptical buyer?”
• “Which lines should become more concrete?”

That follow-up uses the skill the way it was designed, as a deliberate editorial pass system.

Use the plain-English reference deliberately

When jargon is the issue, tell the model to consult the plain-English alternatives approach and replace pompous wording with direct language. This is especially effective for benefit statements, feature descriptions, and old enterprise copy.

Watch for common failure modes

Common failure modes with copy-editing usage include:

• polishing weak strategy instead of flagging it
• replacing brand voice with bland AI voice
• removing nuance to gain brevity
• adding stronger claims than the evidence supports
• fixing sentence quality while leaving value clarity weak

If you see these, ask for a narrower second pass focused on the missed dimension.

Improve the second iteration, not just the first

After the first output, do not ask only for “another version.” Instead ask for a targeted revision:

• “Make the proof problem explicit”
• “Keep this voice but reduce hype”
• “Cut 20% without losing specificity”
• “Give me three headline options that preserve the edited body copy”

Focused iteration compounds the value of the Seven Sweeps better than repeated generic rewrites.

Validate against the evals

evals/evals.json is worth reading because it shows what the repository treats as successful behavior. If your model output is not checking for context, not identifying vague language, or not questioning unsupported claims, tighten your prompt until it behaves more like the eval expectations.

Know when the draft needs strategy, not copy-editing

Sometimes the best improvement is to stop editing. If the draft lacks a clear audience, offer, or differentiator, copy-editing can only make weak messaging cleaner. In those cases, fix positioning first, then come back to the copy-editing skill for final refinement.