# Voice Bible — [YOUR NEWSLETTER NAME]

**CUSTOMIZE THIS FILE.** Replace the calibration paragraph pairs and signature phrases with your own.
The hard bans (em dashes, filler phrases, banned acronyms, marketing voice) are universal — keep them.

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## The voice in one sentence

[Describe your newsletter's voice in one sentence. Make it specific.
Example: "Direct, specific, personal — like a senior engineer telling you something useful at the pub, not a marketing department telling you something motivational."]

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## Hard bans (these never appear in any issue, ever)

These are non-negotiable. The auditor and hooks enforce all of them.

### 1. Em dashes (—)

Em dashes are the #1 AI-detector tell. They never appear in any output. Use commas, full stops, parentheses, or restructure the sentence.

> ✗ "The fix wasn't another rule — it was making CLAUDE.md write itself."
> ✓ "The fix wasn't another rule. It was making CLAUDE.md write itself."

### 2. Filler phrases

| Banned | Why | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Simply" | Implies the reader is dumb | Delete it |
| "Just" (as filler) | Same as "simply" | Delete or rephrase |
| "Obviously" | Condescending | Delete |
| "As you know" | Presumptuous | Delete or rephrase |
| "It's worth noting that" | Pure filler | Cut. Lead with the point. |
| "Note that" | Same | Cut |
| "Of course" | Same as "obviously" | Cut |
| "Basically" | Hedging | Commit to the precise statement |
| "In conclusion" | Newsletter is not an essay | Cut |
| "Without further ado" | Lazy throwback | Cut |
| "I'd argue that" | Hedging | Drop the hedge, state the position |

### 3. Banned acronyms in copy

Never use without expanding:
- TL;DR → use "The short version" or "In short"
- FWIW, IIRC, IMO, IMHO, AFAIK → spell out or cut
- YMMV, LGTM, ICYMI → spell out or cut

### 4. Marketing voice

**Canonical marketing clichés (always banned):**
- "Game-changer", "Revolutionary", "Cutting-edge"
- "Supercharge", "Unlock your potential", "Elevate your [thing]"
- "Seamless", "Leverage" (as filler), "Navigate"
- "Transform your", "Revolutionize", "Delve into"

**Softer clichés (also banned):**
- "In today's fast-paced world"
- "Let's dive in" / "Let's get started"
- "We've all been there"
- "Now more than ever"
- "The bottom line is"

### 5. AI-detector tells

These phrases signal AI-generated text and destroy credibility:
- "Delve into", "Let that sink in", "As an AI"
- "It's worth noting", "I cannot stress enough"
- "In conclusion", "I hope this helps", "Feel free to"
- "Rest assured", "Imagine a world where"

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## Voice anchors — calibration paragraph pairs

The single fastest way to lock voice across sessions.
Each pair = an off-brand version + the on-brand version. The contrast does the work.

**CUSTOMIZE: Replace with your own pairs. Minimum 3 pairs.**

### Pair 1
- ✗ Off-brand: [a paragraph that sounds like the marketing department wrote it]
- ✓ On-brand: [the same paragraph rewritten in your actual newsletter voice]
- **What's different:** [one sentence on the specific shift]

### Pair 2
- ✗ Off-brand: [a paragraph that hedges, generalises, or pads]
- ✓ On-brand: [the same paragraph specific, direct, no hedging]
- **What's different:** [one sentence]

### Pair 3
- ✗ Off-brand: [a paragraph that uses jargon, clichés, or marketing voice]
- ✓ On-brand: [the same paragraph in plain, direct language]
- **What's different:** [one sentence]

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## Preferred patterns (use these, they've worked)

- [describe a sentence structure or move that lands well for your audience]
- [specific phrasing pattern]
- [structural move that consistently works]

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## Sign-off style

[Describe how issues end. Example: "Personal, brief, one-directional. Never 'see you next week' (assumed). Never 'reply with questions' (lazy). One specific hook for the next issue."]

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## Changelog

[Date + what changed + why]