Writing Standards Knowledge Pack Files

Copy-Editing Quality Checklist

Run through this checklist after completing the Nine Sweeps. Every box should be checked before the copy is considered ready for delivery.

Sweep 1: Clarity

• No sentence requires a second reading to understand
• All pronouns have clear, unambiguous antecedents
• No unexplained jargon or acronyms
• No sentence exceeds 30 words without good reason
• Opening sentences of each section orient the reader immediately
• No ambiguous modifiers (adjective placement is unambiguous)

Sweep 2: Voice & Tone

• Formality level is consistent throughout (no casual-to-corporate shifts)
• Contractions usage is consistent (all or none, not mixed)
• CTAs match the tone of surrounding content
• The piece reads as though one person wrote it
• Voice matches the documented brand context

Sweep 3: So What

• Every feature is connected to a reader benefit
• No paragraph is purely informational without a "why should I care" bridge
• Headings promise something the reader wants (not just label content)
• The reader's perspective drives the narrative, not the brand's perspective
• No "what it is" descriptions without a "what it does for you" follow-up

Sweep 4: Prove It

• No unsubstantiated superlatives ("best", "leading", "revolutionary")
• Every major claim has supporting evidence (data, quote, case study)
• Social proof is specific (named companies, real numbers, actual quotes)
• Comparison claims state what they're compared against
• No statistics without context or source

Sweep 5: Specificity

• No vague quantifiers remain ("many", "several", "various")
• Numbers are precise, not rounded ("97" not "about 100")
• Abstract benefits are replaced with concrete mechanisms
• Generic adjectives are replaced with specific details
• Metaphors and analogies are concrete enough to visualize

Sweep 6: Heightened Emotion

• The piece has at least one emotional peak (tension, curiosity, relief)
• The problem is felt, not just described
• There is contrast between before and after (or with and without)
• The CTA connects to a desire, not just a feature
• Emotional weight varies across paragraphs (not monotone)
• At least one curiosity gap makes the reader want to keep reading

Sweep 7: Zero Risk

• Every CTA makes the next step crystal clear
• Commitment level is stated near conversion points
• Major objections are addressed before they stall the reader
• Trust signals are present near decision points (guarantees, security, privacy)
• No confusing jargon near CTAs
• Risk reversals (free trial, guarantee, easy cancellation) are visible, not buried

Sweep 8: Data Verification

• Every metric is traceable to a source
• Relative claims state their baseline ("faster than what?")
• Date-sensitive data is current
• Percentages include base numbers where relevant
• Growth metrics include timeframes
• "Up to" and "as much as" claims have real-world backing

Sweep 9: Anti-AI-Slop

• No rule-of-three lists (two items or four, not three)
• No em dash overuse (commas and periods instead)
• No significance inflation ("revolutionary", "game-changing")
• No formulaic structures (binary contrasts, dramatic fragments)
• Writing-quality module score is 35/50 or higher
• No single scoring dimension is below 5/10

Final Checks

• No typos or grammatical errors
• Consistent formatting (heading levels, list styles, spacing)
• All links are valid and point to correct destinations
• Core message is preserved from the original (editing improved it, not changed it)
• Brand voice is intact (editing didn't strip personality)
• The piece reads well start-to-finish as a whole (not just sentence by sentence)
• Capitalization is consistent throughout (title case, sentence case -- pick one)
• No redundant phrases remain (see plain-english-alternatives.md)
• Meta description and page title are updated if content changed significantly
• The strongest value statement appears above the fold