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Contributing to Copy That Sells

Thank you for considering a contribution. This skill gets better the more eyes are on it.

What contributions are welcome

The most useful pull requests, in rough order of impact:

  1. New example campaigns for references/examples.md. Especially Cannes Lions or Clio winners from regions or languages the current library underrepresents (Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eastern Europe, regional work in Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Japanese). Add to the technique section that matches the move the campaign uses.
  2. Corrections to existing example attributions. Year, agency, copywriter, headline wording. If the current file is wrong, fix it with a source.
  3. New techniques for the example library. If you can identify a recurring copywriting move that is not yet a section in references/examples.md, propose a new section with three or more illustrative examples.
  4. Additional frameworks for references/frameworks.md. Especially direct-response frameworks not yet captured, or modern variants (subject-line frameworks, ad-headline tests for paid social, copy-testing protocols).
  5. D&AD or other copywriter wisdom for references/craft.md. Quotes, principles, working methods from named writers. Attribution required.
  6. Translations of the SKILL.md and references. Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin. The skill itself works in any language, but a localized reference set helps.
  7. Bug reports. If the skill misfires on a real prompt (over-triggers, under-triggers, ignores the brief, breaks the self-edit), open an issue with the prompt and the response.

What contributions are not welcome

  • Filler additions that pad the file without adding a real example, framework, or principle.
  • Examples without attribution.
  • Generic AI-generated lists of "10 copywriting tips."
  • Changes that re-introduce the banned AI words listed in references/self-edit.md to the skill's own files.

House style for the references

The reference files are themselves an example of the voice the skill produces. They follow the same rules.

  • No em dashes. No en dashes. No standalone hyphens in copy. Compound-word hyphens are also avoided ("go-to-market" becomes "GTM" or "go to market"). Exception: hyphens within standard acronyms like B2B.
  • No banned words from references/self-edit.md. The full list is at the bottom of that file.
  • Lead with the point. Lists are fine when the content is genuinely a list. Prose is preferred otherwise.
  • Examples include brand, year (approximate is fine), agency, and headline where the line is famous enough to quote.
  • Award attributions (Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, One Show) are appreciated where verifiable.

How to propose a change

  1. Fork the repo.
  2. Create a branch named after the change. Examples: add-mccann-mexico-examples, fix-fedex-year, translate-skill-md-to-spanish.
  3. Make the edit.
  4. Run a self-edit pass on your own change. Read it aloud. Strip filler.
  5. Open a pull request. In the PR description, explain what you added, why it matters, and where the attribution comes from.

A note on quoting copy

Headlines and short copy from published advertising are typically considered fair use for educational and critical reference. Quote only what is necessary. Always attribute. If a rights-holder requests removal of a specific quote, the maintainer will honour the request.

Maintainer

@avectats7. Issues and pull requests reviewed on a best-effort basis.