15 AI prompts for magazine editors (copy and paste)

These are prompts for editors, not writers. Each one is built so the tool does a small, checkable job and you keep the decision. Replace the square brackets with your own details.

Before pasting anything, remove names, email addresses and private information.

Proofreading and tidying

1. Proofread without rewriting

Proofread the text below. List spelling, grammar and punctuation errors only. Quote each one and give the correction. Do not rewrite for style. Use [UK/US] spelling.

2. Check consistency

Read the text below and list inconsistencies: names spelt differently, mixed capitalisation, numbers written two ways, and dates in different formats. Do not change anything, just list them.

3. Flag unclear sentences

Identify sentences in the text below that a general reader might find unclear or too long. Quote each one and say why. Do not rewrite them.

Headlines and summaries

4. Headline options

Suggest ten headlines for the article below. Keep them under 70 characters, plain and specific, with no clickbait and no puns. Our readers are [description].

5. Standfirst

Write three options for a one-sentence standfirst (the line under the headline) for the article below. Each should add information the headline doesn't.

6. Short summary for the contents page

Summarise the article below in 25 words or fewer, for a contents page. Say what a reader will learn.

7. Email teaser

Write three versions of a two-sentence teaser for this article to go in our member email. Start with the most useful fact.

Planning and checking

8. Fact-check list

List every factual claim in the text below that should be checked before publication: names, titles, dates, figures, quotes, and any statement about law or regulation. Present as a checklist.

9. Questions for an interview

I'm interviewing [role] about [topic] for a member magazine. Suggest 12 open questions, ordered from easy to probing, that would produce practical, quotable answers.

10. Story ideas

Our members are [description]. Suggest 15 story ideas for the [season/quarter] issue, with a one-line angle for each. Include some that feature members and some that are practical how-tos.

11. Gaps in an article

Read the article below. List the questions a reader might still have when they finish it. Do not answer them.

Adapting content

12. Plain-English check

Identify jargon or abbreviations in the text below that an average member might not know. List each one and suggest a plain-English alternative or a short explanation.

13. Social post from an article

Write three short LinkedIn posts (under 60 words) that point to this article. Each should lead with a different useful fact. No hashtags, no emojis.

14. Pull quotes

Choose five sentences from the text below that would work as pull quotes. Quote them exactly and say which are best for a print or flipbook layout.

15. Alt text

Write alt text of 15 words or fewer for a photograph described as: [description]. Say what is shown, not what it means.

How to use them well

• Paste one article at a time.
• Add your style rules at the top if you have them. How to write a one-page style guide.
• Treat everything as a suggestion. You choose.
• Check names, numbers and quotes against your own notes.
• Read the finished piece aloud. A simple proofreading routine.

Which of these you use will say something about your magazine. Keep the ones that save you time without changing what your readers value about it.