Learn to edit words like a pro. I've edited 3M+ words and each week, I share a lesson to teach you what to cut, how to add value, and how to finally feel confident when editing. Every subscriber gets access to my Editing Library, a database of 62 edits broken down by the problem, my take on how to improve it, and my edited version.
🪄Cut the Fluff: Writing with style
Cut the Fluff is a weekly newsletter that will help you become a confident editor. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next lesson.
Hey Reader,
Unless you live under a rock, you know the common advice to “write like you speak.” (My take on this is to write like you speak without the fluff, but that’s just me being a bit pedantic.)
Thing is, conversational writing is harder than it seems.
Especially if you’ve been trained to write academically, written for brands who prefer neutral tones, have had your “isms” edited out to within an inch of their life, or simply don’t know how to cut the fluff without cutting the YOU.
I don’t have all the answers. This is a difficult topic, and one you kind of have to journey through on your own.
But I can give you some structure and point you in the right direction.
Writing with style: đź“ą Video Lesson
A few months ago, I created a Personal Content Guidelines Template for my Platform Launchpad cohort students.
It’s designed to help you figure out:
- Your ideal tone of voice
- Your basic writing style
- Your “bold” comfort level
Today, I’ll walk you through it in a video lesson so you totally understand how to use it and feel comfortable getting started right away.
I know this is a tough topic, so please lemme know if you have any follow-up questions. I’m happy to cover them in another issue.
One final thought
I ran a live editing masterclass last week for people who bought CE101 in the presale.
One piece of feedback said, “There is a ton of practical value in hearing Erica think out loud.”
It got me thinking…would people find it valuable if I edited their work out loud in a group setting, maybe every week? Or twice a month?
I’d be happy to run group editing sessions like that if you’d find it valuable. I’d keep the price at a low monthly fee, especially at first, to see how people find it.
If you’re interested in this, can you please let me know via this form?
Cheers,
Erica
3 more ways to invest in yourself:
1. Grab Hooked on Writing Hooks. Join 649 students who've learned to write scroll-stopping hooks and finally get their content seen (without resorting to clickbait or BS tactics).
2. Grab Content Editing 101. 191 people have invested in editing skills to improve their writing and publish confidently. This course teaches you how to edit your writing from a sentence-by-sentence and big-picture view.
3. Join Power Your Platform. Over 6,100 people read Power Your Platform to embrace their unique points of view and build real authority on social. Subscribe to my free newsletter with Kasey Jones if you're keen to finally grow authentically on social.
What'd you think of today's issue? Reply and let me know :)
Erica Schneider
​
​
Cut the Fluff
Learn to edit words like a pro. I've edited 3M+ words and each week, I share a lesson to teach you what to cut, how to add value, and how to finally feel confident when editing. Every subscriber gets access to my Editing Library, a database of 62 edits broken down by the problem, my take on how to improve it, and my edited version.
Hey Reader, I record all my calls. Client calls, sales calls, coaching calls, random catch-ups with other solos. Everything. Why? Because the best content comes from real conversations. Not from sitting at your computer trying to reverse-engineer wisdom. And what I say when I'm not trying to say anything is always better than trying to force expertise all over the place. When you force it, we can feel it When you try to manufacture an insight or force an idea, it comes across as blahhhhhh. We...
Hey Reader, Sorry to email you twice in one day, but I've gone down an AI analysis hole and this is too cool not to share. My hypothesis: I shift my strategy based on what I see/feel working NOW, now what used to work.My process: This morning, I was like why don't I export all my LinkedIn posts, pop them into Claude, and run a massive analysis. (Had a no-call day. Figured what the hell.) Then I had Claude write me a full report of my activity. IT'S SO COOL. (I'll drop the full report in the...
Hey Reader, I'm slightly obsessed with my friend Jen Allen Knuth's content. Jen posts almost daily on LinkedIn, and every single time I see her name in my feed, I stop scrolling. Not just because she's an awesome human (HI JEN IF YOU'RE READING), but because her hooks are absolutely magnetic. So I decided to analyze a bunch of her recent hooks to figure out what makes them work so damn well. Also, this feels like a good way to show you the hook principles from our course in action with real...