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COPY-EDITING5 MIN READ

Copyedit a Quote Without Changing the Speaker

Edit copy around a quotation while preserving the speaker's meaning and querying substantive quote changes.

The marketing draft turns a casual customer quote into a stronger guarantee than the customer actually said. Quote boundary pass: preserve speaker -> move polish outside quote -> query substantive change The common trap is making a quote sound brand-perfect by changing certainty, terminology, or voice. That can create a false endorsement even when the edited sentence is grammatical and appealing. Preserve speaker Identify words that carry the customer's voice and level of certainty: "kinda," "made it so," and "don't miss renewals anymore." Some cleanup may be allowed by policy, but certainty and meaning cannot be upgraded without confirmation. Move…

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