copy-editing

name	copy-editing
description	When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the user mentions 'edit this copy,' 'review my copy,' 'copy feedback,' 'tighten this,' or 'make this better.'
allowed-tools	Read, Write, WebSearch, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion
model	sonnet

Copy Editing

Expert knowledge for sharpening, clarifying, and improving marketing copy — from a single sentence to a full landing page.

Core Principle

Good copy editing removes everything that doesn't earn its place. Every word must either carry meaning or carry rhythm. Cut the rest.

The Edit Hierarchy

Apply these edits in order. Each layer builds on the previous:

1. Clarity edit — Can a reader understand this on the first pass?
2. Benefit edit — Is the customer's outcome front and center?
3. Concision edit — What can be cut without losing meaning?
4. Voice edit — Does this sound like a human talking to a human?
5. CTA edit — Is the action crystal clear?

1. Clarity Edit

Common clarity killers:

Problem	Example	Fix
Jargon	"Leverage our synergistic platform"	"Use one tool for everything"
Passive voice	"Results are delivered by our team"	"Our team delivers results"
Nominalization	"Make an improvement"	"Improve"
Abstract nouns	"Enable optimization of workflows"	"Help you optimize workflows"
Nested clauses	"The feature, which was released last year, that customers use most..."	"Customers use this feature most. We released it last year."

Clarity test: Read it out loud. If you stumble, the reader will too.

Fog Index check: Count average syllables per word and words per sentence. If average sentence length > 20 words, split sentences.

2. Benefit Edit

Features describe the product. Benefits describe what the customer gets.

Feature → Benefit conversion:

• "Real-time sync" → "Your team always works from the same data"
• "99.9% uptime" → "Never lose access when you need it most"
• "Automated reports" → "Save 3 hours every Monday morning"
• "Role-based permissions" → "Control who sees what without IT involvement"

Benefit editing process:

1. Identify every feature claim in the copy
2. Ask: "So what? What does this mean for the customer?"
3. Rewrite as a customer outcome

Lead with benefits, follow with features. Features are proof that the benefit is real. They should appear after the benefit, not before.

3. Concision Edit

Cut these immediately:

Phrase	Replace with
"In order to"	"To"
"Due to the fact that"	"Because"
"At this point in time"	"Now"
"In the event that"	"If"
"The fact that"	(cut entirely)
"It is important to note that"	(cut — just say the thing)
"We believe that"	(cut — just say what you believe)
"Utilize"	"Use"
"Facilitate"	"Help"
"Leverage"	"Use"
"Solution"	(name the specific thing)
"World-class"	(cut — says nothing)
"Best-in-class"	(cut — prove it instead)
"Seamless"	(cut — everyone claims this)

Cut filler words:

• "Really," "very," "quite," "rather," "somewhat," "essentially," "basically," "actually," "certainly"

Concision test: Remove a word. Does the sentence still mean the same thing? If yes, cut the word.

4. Voice Edit

Signs of corporate voice (bad):

• Third person about the company ("Acme provides...")
• Passive everywhere
• No contractions
• Overly formal vocabulary
• No specific people, numbers, or examples

Signs of human voice (good):

• Second person to the reader ("You can...")
• Active verbs
• Contractions ("We'll", "you're", "it's")
• Specific numbers ("3 hours" not "significant time")
• Conversational sentence starters ("Here's the thing..." "The problem is...")

Voice consistency check:

• Does this sound like one person wrote it?
• Does it match the company's brand voice guidelines?
• Would the target reader recognize their own language?

5. CTA Edit

Weak CTAs:

• "Submit"
• "Click here"
• "Learn more"
• "Get started"

Strong CTAs:

• "Start your free 14-day trial" (specific, low-friction)
• "See how [Company] reduced churn by 40%" (outcome-specific)
• "Book a 20-minute demo" (specific time commitment)
• "Download the free checklist" (clear deliverable)

CTA editing checklist:

• Does the CTA say what happens after clicking?
• Is there a friction reducer near the CTA? ("No credit card required," "Cancel anytime")
• Is the CTA visible without scrolling on mobile?
• Is there only one primary CTA per section?

Headline Improvement Formulas

Headlines are the highest-leverage copy on any page. Spend extra time here.

Weak headline patterns:

• Product name as headline ("Acme Corp")
• Category claim ("The Best [Category] Software")
• Vague promise ("Grow your business")

Strong headline patterns:

Pattern	Example
Specific outcome	"Cut reporting time by 80% — without adding headcount"
Problem → solution	"Tired of chasing approvals? Sign-off in one click."
For [ICP]	"For ops teams that run on spreadsheets — and hate it"
How we do X	"We built the only tool that connects your CRM and billing in real time"
Social proof	"10,000 teams ship faster with [Product]"
Contrast	"More features than [competitor A]. Cheaper than [competitor B]."

Headline test: Cover the rest of the page. Does the headline alone communicate the core value? If not, rewrite.

Readability Scoring

Target readability scores by content type:

• Landing pages: Flesch-Kincaid grade 7-9 (accessible to most readers)
• Blog posts: Grade 9-11 (slightly more depth OK)
• Technical docs: Grade 11-13 (audience expects complexity)

Tools: Hemingway App (free), Readable.com, Microsoft Word's readability stats.

Quick fix for poor readability:

1. Break sentences > 25 words into two sentences
2. Replace any word > 4 syllables with a shorter synonym
3. Convert passive constructions to active

Brand Voice Consistency Check

Before finalizing edits, compare against brand voice guidelines:

Dimension	Check
Tone	Is this formal/informal match correct?
Vocabulary	Does it use brand-approved terms?
Sentence length	Does it match typical sentence length in brand content?
Humor	Is any humor consistent with brand use of humor?
Punctuation	Does it match brand conventions (Oxford comma, em-dashes, etc.)?

If no brand voice guidelines exist, create a 1-page doc defining 5 core attributes before editing.

Editing Workflow

For a landing page (full edit):

1. Read once without edits — understand the whole
2. Clarity pass — fix all passive voice, jargon, complex clauses
3. Benefit pass — convert features to outcomes
4. Cut pass — remove all filler words and phrases
5. Voice pass — humanize; read aloud
6. CTA pass — sharpen every button and call-to-action
7. Headline pass — test 3 alternative headlines before deciding

For a single piece of copy (quick edit):

1. Flag passive voice instances
2. Replace jargon with plain language
3. Cut 20% of words (you almost always can)
4. Check the CTA

Common Rationalizations

Rationalization	Reality
"The original writer will be upset if we cut too much"	Copy editing is not about the writer. It's about the reader. Cut what doesn't work.
"Our audience is technical — they want detail"	Technical audiences want clarity above all. Dense copy with jargon reads as low confidence.
"We can't simplify — it's a complex product"	Complexity in the product does not require complexity in the copy. Simplify the copy; let the product be complex.
"The long headline tests better in our industry"	Maybe. Test it. But the default is: shorter wins. Prove otherwise with data.
"We should keep 'world-class' and 'best-in-class' — they sound credible"	These phrases have zero credibility because every company uses them. Replace with a specific proof point.

Verification

• Passive voice removed or minimized
• All jargon replaced with plain language
• Features converted to customer outcomes (benefits-first)
• Filler words and phrases cut
• Readability score < Grade 10 for landing page copy
• All CTAs are specific (not "Submit" or "Learn more")
• Headlines tested against at least 2 alternatives
• Brand voice consistent throughout
• Read aloud without stumbling