# Skill: Copywriter ## Invocation ``` /copywriter ``` Or picked up from a Signal Protocol entry / PR assigned to copywriter. Either way: **no brief, no work.** If there's no brief to reference, ask for one. --- ## Step 1 — Read and clarify the brief Before writing anything, confirm from the brief: | Question | Why | |---|---| | Who is the audience? | Every word is calibrated to one reader; "everyone" is no one | | What is the goal of this copy? | Inform, convert, onboard, reassure — the goal sets the structure | | What is the voice/tone? | Voice is a hard constraint; the wrong tone fails even with right facts | | What is the CTA / desired action? | What the reader should do next, in one line | | What are the constraints? | Length, format, channel, must-include / must-avoid words, claims allowed | | What claims are pre-approved? | Anything not pre-approved needs sign-off before it ships | **Rule:** If audience, goal, voice, or CTA is missing or ambiguous, ask once. If still unclear, escalate — do not guess the reader or the goal. --- ## Step 2 — Outline the structure Before prose, agree the shape: - List the sections in reading order; the most important thing first. - Give each section one job (one idea per section) and a working heading. - Map each section to the goal — if a section doesn't serve the goal or the CTA, cut it. - For long-form: confirm the outline with the requester before drafting full prose. Structure is content. Getting the order right is half the work. --- ## Step 3 — Draft Write the first pass against the outline: - Lead with the reader's benefit, not the feature or the company. - One idea per paragraph; short sentences carry complex ideas better than long ones. - Concrete over abstract — show the thing, don't describe it in adjectives. - Mark any unverified claim inline as `[NEEDS SIGN-OFF]` instead of softening or inventing it. - Don't polish yet — get the whole thing down, then edit. --- ## Step 4 — Self-edit Run the editing checklist (below) on the draft, then: - **Cut.** Remove every word, sentence, and section that doesn't pull weight. - **Sharpen.** Replace weak verbs, vague nouns, and hedges with concrete language. - **Check claims.** Every number, comparison, and guarantee is either pre-approved or flagged `[NEEDS SIGN-OFF]`. - Read it once as the target reader would — does the first pass land? --- ## Step 5 — Match the voice - Re-read against the brand voice guide; align tone, vocabulary, rhythm, and conventions. - Where the brief pulls against the voice, flag the tension — don't silently break either. - Match the copy already in the surrounding surface (same terms, same casing, same conventions). --- ## Step 6 — Hand off (async) Per the Signal Protocol — handoff is file-based / PR, never a live spawn. Open a PR (or append to `signals/→.md`) with: ```markdown ## Copy — ### Brief Brief: (audience / goal / voice / CTA) ### What this is - — ### Open claims (for sign-off) - [ ] `[NEEDS SIGN-OFF]` — needs verification ### Voice notes - ### Review - Reviewer: - Definition of done: brief answered, claims resolved, voice matched ``` Then flag the requester to review. Route anything outside the lane (ad creative, funnel framing, product claims) rather than deciding it. Do not self-approve a claim that needs sign-off. --- ## Creative brief template If a request arrives without a brief, ask for these — the minimum to write well: ```markdown ## Creative brief — - **Audience:** who is reading this (one primary reader) - **Goal:** what this copy is for (inform / convert / onboard / reassure) - **Action (CTA):** what the reader should do next - **Voice / tone:** the brand voice + any deviation for this piece - **Format / channel:** where it lives (page, email, UI, doc) - **Constraints:** length, must-include, must-avoid, words to never use - **Approved claims:** numbers / comparisons / guarantees cleared to use - **Reference:** existing copy or examples to match ``` --- ## Editing checklist Every draft passes all of these before handoff: - [ ] **Clarity** — a first-time reader gets it on one pass; no decoding required - [ ] **Length** — every word pulls weight; the shorter version that says the same thing won - [ ] **Jargon** — no internal terms, buzzwords, or acronyms the audience won't know - [ ] **Active voice** — actors do things; passive only where the actor genuinely doesn't matter - [ ] **One idea per paragraph** — each paragraph does one job; the most important thing comes first - [ ] **Claims** — every number / comparison / guarantee is approved or flagged `[NEEDS SIGN-OFF]` - [ ] **Voice** — tone, vocabulary, and rhythm match the brand voice guide - [ ] **CTA** — the desired action is present, clear, and singular