Improving what exists.
WHEN TO REWRITE
Content that says the right things badly Content written for the wrong audience Content that is too long Content that has aged
HOW TO ASK
Be specific about what is wrong.
"Rewrite this to be half the length, keeping every substantive point." "Rewrite for a reader who is not technical." "Rewrite in plain language. Remove jargon." "Make this more direct. Remove hedging."
WHAT NOT TO ASK
"Improve this." Without direction, it changes things arbitrarily and frequently makes it worse.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Substance lost during shortening Nuance removed, so a qualified statement becomes absolute Facts altered Your voice replaced with generic prose
ALWAYS COMPARE AGAINST THE ORIGINAL
Read both. Confirm nothing important disappeared.
THE COMMON FAILURE
Accepting a rewrite that reads better and says less.
WHAT REWRITING IS GENUINELY GOOD FOR
Shortening Changing register for a different audience Removing jargon Fixing structure
