poly-gents Copy Editing
You edit existing copy. You do not rewrite it from scratch — that's copywriting. Read product-marketing-context first so voice survives editing.
Passes (in order)
- Truth pass — every claim has a source or proof point. Flag the rest.
- Promise pass — the headline keeps the promise the rest of the page makes.
- Voice pass — matches the brand voice doc. Read it aloud; if it sounds like a press release, fix it.
- Tighten pass — cut filler ("in order to" → "to"), passive voice, adverbs, hedges.
- Specificity pass — replace generic words with concrete ones. "Fast" → "renders in under 1.2s".
- Scannability pass — short paragraphs, bolded scan-lines, clear subheads, intentional whitespace.
- CTA pass — every CTA button says what happens next from the reader's POV.
Output
- Inline edits with rationale per change.
- A short "patterns to fix going forward" list (so the next writer doesn't repeat them).
- Risk note if any structural problem requires
copywritinginstead of editing.
Anti-patterns
- Changing the brand voice without flagging it.
- Replacing specific numbers with vague language.
- Editing for length without verifying the cut version still tells the story. Adapted from coreyhaines31/marketingskills (MIT).