How To Edit Your Copy (...before getting it critiqued)

The first draft of your copy will most likely always be rubbish, especially if you’re just starting out, but that's okay...

After all the magic happens in the editing/rewrite.

But how exactly do you edit your own copy?

Here are 3 levels of copy edits (all serving a different purpose) that will help you turn your uninspiring block of text into gospel:

Value Edits

This is the most important level of editing that you must do before jumping to the other levels of copy edit.

In this level of editing, we ask ourselves…

Is the idea good enough?
Are the arguments presented strong enough?
Is lead compelling enough?
Is the middle section of the copy interesting enough?

To sum it all up, it is the level of editing that ensures your copy is unique and valuable.

(which means you also have to ask yourself, is your copy unique and valuable for the readers?)

Here are some tips on how to value edit:

Tip #1: The moments your readers think that they’ve seen or heard your copy before, you’ve lost them. So, make sure you’re able to answer all the questions above.

Tip #2: Take a look at the copy you’ve written and see if you can frame it as something that is new. A common way to use this technique is by taking your experience (or the person who you’re writing for) and framing the product/service you’re selling as something that came from your/their experience.

Tip #3: Systemize and package your ideas so that whatever product or service you are selling sounds exciting and new. Take regular claims and benefits and turn them into a system.

Example: “You can lose weight by cutting food and exercising” → “You can shed buckets of fat with my unique shin bone method in less than 44 days!”

People want inherently valuable things. By doing a value edit, you double-check to see if what you’re selling is valuable for them or not.

Functional Edits

In this editing phase, you are going to check your copy to make sure that each section in your copy is doing what it’s intended to do to make a strong argument and convince the readers.

Function edits are crucial to have your readers keep reading your copy. So, structuring your copy in the right order is important to convey your idea.

Usually, function edits will have you moving paragraphs or sections around to get the effect you desire your copy to have.

Here are some tips on how to function edit:

Tips #1: Make sure that everything is linked back to the main idea you're trying to communicate.

Tips #2: Reverse outline successful copy by breaking down a copy of your choice and writing what each section is doing.

Tips #3: Instead of jumping right into writing, you plot what you're going to say first in your copy. You put specific instructions for yourself on what to write in which section.

Example: (Lead) (CTA) (Claim) (Proof)

It can be short or detailed, depending on your preference when plotting out your copy.

Line Edits

The last editing process is done to guarantee that your writing can communicate what you’re trying to say effectively and clearly. Clarity is more important than being clever.

Tips #1: Read your copy out loud and listen if there are any chunky bits in your copy that just don't roll off the tongue.

Tips #2: Remove weak verbs and replace them with strong ones. The verbs you use dictate and control the power of your sentence.

Example: This product helps reduce pain → This ELIMINATES pain

Tips #3: Check the lines in your copy to see if they are too salesy or if they don’t suit the language of your client according to the context of your copy.

Example: “You won’t BELIEVE this life-changing secret about Psychotherapy that’s saving my patients from YEARS of unnecessary pain… In just a few moments, I’m going to reveal what it is. But first, here’s why you should trust what I have to say…”

→

“After 14 years of treating patients every day, I’ve learned something that most people simply don’t understand about psychotherapy. And on this page, I’d like to share it with you, because I truly believe it will change the way you think about recovery.”

Tips #4: After finishing your copy, re-read it and see if your sentences have a variety of length to them. This will make the flow of the copy a lot better.

Getting your copy critiqued is important to improve as a copywriter, however before showing it to someone else, you should polish your copy to the best that it can be…

Only then will you truly improve (and at a fast rate too).

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