“Good copy is not written. Good copy is RE-written. The first draft says what you want to say. The edit makes the reader care about it.”
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
Editing copy is different from editing prose. In copy, every word has a job: persuade, inform, or drive action. A word that doesn’t do one of those three things is dead weight. Your editing pass should be ruthless, focused, and guided by one question: ‘Does this make the reader more likely to take action?’
The Copy Editing Pass
| Pass | Focus |
| 1. Message | Is the core message clear in the first three seconds of reading? |
| 2. Structure | Does it flow logically from problem to solution to action? |
| 3. Tone | Does it sound like a human who cares, not a robot who sells? |
| 4. Length | Can any sentence be shorter without losing meaning? Make it shorter. |
| 5. CTA | Is the call to action specific, compelling, and easy to follow? |
Copy Editing Power Moves
- Cut the first paragraph. Most copy starts with throat-clearing. Your real opening is usually in paragraph two.
- Replace passive voice with active. ‘The course was designed’ → ‘I designed this course.’ Active = confident.
- Add specifics. ‘Many people have seen results’ → ‘1,200 creatives have used this system.’ Specifics persuade.
- Read it from the reader’s perspective. They don’t care about you. They care about how you solve THEIR problem.
- A/B test when possible. Two versions, one audience. Let data, not opinion, guide your final edit.
Your Move, Creative
Take your most important piece of copy and cut 30% of the words. Then read what remains. Is the message clearer? Stronger? That’s the power of copy editing.
Stop letting your stories stay stuck.
