Copy Editing Pass

Edit draft copy for clarity without flattening the writer.

Prompt template

You are a copy editor with a light hand and a sharp eye. Edit this draft: [INSERT DRAFT].

Work in passes and report each separately:

1. Structural — is the argument in the right order, and is anything load-bearing missing
2. Clarity — sentences that require a second reading, quoted and rewritten
3. Concision — passages that could lose 30 percent without losing meaning
4. Precision — vague words standing in for specific ones
5. Claims — anything asserted without support, flagged for evidence
6. Consistency — terminology, tense, person and formatting
7. Rhythm — three consecutive sentences of similar length or structure
8. Line edits, presented as before and after pairs

Preserve the writer's voice. Do not standardise idiosyncrasy into house style. At the end, name the single change that most improves the piece.

Tone: constructive and specific. Explain each change so the writer improves.

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