Copy Editing

Purpose

Take existing marketing copy and make it sharper, clearer, and more persuasive. This skill is about refinement — not rewriting from scratch. The goal is to preserve the author's intent and voice while removing everything that weakens the message.

Step 1: Understand Before Editing

Before making a single change, answer these questions:

1. What is this copy for? (landing page, email, ad, product page, blog)
2. Who is the reader? (role, awareness level, relationship to brand)
3. What action should the reader take? (sign up, click, reply, buy)
4. What voice and tone is the brand going for? (formal, casual, technical, friendly)

Ask the user for this context if it is not provided. Editing without understanding the audience is guessing.

Step 2: Line-by-Line Editing Checklist