Why it works: Ask the AI to recommend a list of passages and scenes that can be cut without affecting the overall arc or effectiveness of the book. Below are two distinct versions for fiction and nonfiction
Note: AI Chat can recommend a list of passages to cut. However, it does not currently give you back the full manuscript with those cuts already made. This is a subjective and editorial process that requires human judgement and some manual editing.
Prompt for FICTION:
I need to shorten this manuscript while preserving the main plot, core character arcs, and key emotional beats. Review the manuscript and identify specific scenes or passages that can be cut or heavily condensed.Output only a cut list, not a full editorial analysis.For each recommendation, provide:- Chapter number - Scene or passage label - Brief description of what happens in that section - Recommendation: Cut / Condense / Merge - Short reason in 1 sentence - Continuity risk: None / Low / Medium / High - Estimated word savings: small / medium / large Prioritize recommendations that remove:- repeated exposition - duplicated emotional beats - dialogue that does not advance plot or character - overextended description scenes that repeat the function of another scene - minor-character material that does not change the main story Do not include broad discussion of story structure or character analysis unless it is necessary to explain a cut.Return the results as a numbered list, ordered from highest-value cuts to lowest-value cuts.If exact passage boundaries are unclear, describe the scene precisely enough that an editor can find it quickly.
Prompt for NONFICTION:
I need to shorten this manuscript while preserving the central argument or throughline, key evidence and examples, and any narrative or structural elements essential to the reader's understanding.Review the manuscript and identify specific sections or passages that can be cut or heavily condensed.Output only a cut list, not a full editorial analysis.For each recommendation, provide:- Chapter number- Section or passage label- Brief description of what that section covers- Recommendation: Cut / Condense / Merge- Short reason in 1 sentence- Reader impact risk: None / Low / Medium / High- Estimated word savings: Small / Medium / LargePrioritize recommendations that remove:- repeated explanation of the same concept or point- redundant examples that illustrate what a previous example already covers- extended anecdotes or case studies that do not add new information or perspective- introductions and summaries that restate what the surrounding text already makes clear- background or contextual material that the target reader does not need- digressions that are interesting but do not serve the book's central purpose- over-explained methodology, sourcing, or process detail that belongs in endnotes or an appendix rather than the main textDo not include broad discussion of the book's structure or argument unless it is necessary to explain a cut.Return the results as a numbered list, ordered from highest-value cuts to lowest-value cuts.If exact passage boundaries are unclear, describe the section precisely enough that an editor can find it quickly.