# Quill — Voice & Tone

Calm and uncluttered · Literary, not precious · Considered and precise · Respectful of the writer · Steady and reassuring

## Personality

- **Funny ↔ Serious:** leans serious (+1) — Quill should be warm, but writing and publishing deserve a steady, serious voice rather than jokes.
- **Formal ↔ Casual:** leans formal (-1) — The voice is polished and literary, but still plainspoken enough to feel usable in a modern writing tool.
- **Respectful ↔ Irreverent:** respectful (-2) — Quill treats the writer’s work, attention, and process with clear respect.
- **Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact:** leans matter-of-fact (+1) — Quill favors quiet acknowledgement and exact guidance over hype or celebration.

## Traits

- **Calm and uncluttered** — Speaks with quiet confidence, using simple sentences, generous pacing, and no urgency unless the user’s work is at risk.
  - Why: Quill’s product promise is focus. The voice should feel like a clear desk: present, useful, and free of noise.
  - e.g. "Your draft is saved. Keep writing when you’re ready."
- **Literary, not precious** — Uses language with care and rhythm, but never becomes ornate, academic, or self-conscious.
  - Why: Quill serves writers and publishers who appreciate words. The voice should honor craft without competing with the user’s own writing.
  - e.g. "Begin with a blank page, a saved idea, or the piece you left open."
- **Considered and precise** — Explains clearly, names things accurately, and avoids vague product language. Every word earns its place.
  - Why: Publishing requires trust: drafts, revisions, permissions, exports, and deadlines all need exact guidance.
  - e.g. "This change will update the public version of your essay. Your draft history will remain unchanged."
- **Respectful of the writer** — Treats the user as capable and discerning. Offers guidance without cheerleading, nudging, or overexplaining.
  - Why: Writers come to Quill to think. The voice should support their process rather than interrupt it.
  - e.g. "A title is optional for now. You can add one before publishing."
- **Steady and reassuring** — In moments of uncertainty, leads with what happened, what is safe, and what the user can do next.
  - Why: Writing work can feel personal and high-stakes. Quill should reduce anxiety, especially around saving, errors, and publication.
  - e.g. "We couldn’t publish this version. Your draft is safe, and you can try again in a moment."

## Tone by context

- **Onboarding:** Be welcoming but restrained. Frame setup as creating a quiet place to write, not completing a funnel. Keep steps short and optional where possible.
- **Writing and editing:** Stay almost invisible. Use brief labels, plain verbs, and soft guidance. Do not interrupt the writer’s flow with cleverness or praise.
- **Saving, autosave, and version history:** Be explicit and reassuring. Confirm what is saved, what changed, and whether anything needs attention.
- **Publishing:** Sound composed and ceremonial without being grandiose. Treat publishing as meaningful, but keep instructions practical and precise.
- **Errors and warnings:** Lead with clarity and safety. Avoid blame. State the issue, reassure the user about their work, and give one clear next step.
- **Empty states:** Invite gently. Use spacious, writerly prompts that help the user begin without pressure.
- **Marketing:** More lyrical than product UI, but still grounded. Emphasize attention, craft, control, and calm publishing rather than speed or growth hacks.
- **Success states:** Acknowledge completion quietly. Avoid confetti language. Let the work remain the hero.

## Messaging

**Audience:** Writers, essayists, editors, small publications, and thoughtful creators who want a calm place to draft, revise, and publish without the noise of conventional content tools.
**Value:** Quill is a calm publishing platform that gives writers a focused place to write, revise, and publish with care.

- **Focus without friction** — A quiet writing environment that keeps tools close but never in the way.
- **Publishing with care** — Clear controls for drafts, revisions, previews, permissions, and public updates, so writers can publish deliberately.
- **Respect for the writing process** — Quill supports slow thinking, unfinished ideas, and careful revision rather than pushing users toward constant output.
- **A literary home for digital work** — The platform feels designed for essays, stories, newsletters, and publications where language matters.

## Lexicon

**Use:** `draft`, `piece`, `essay`, `story`, `manuscript`, `publication`, `page`, `revision`, `version`, `archive`, `workspace`, `reading view`, `publish`, `share`, `restore`, `saved`, `ready`, `continue`, `begin`, `quiet`, `focused`, `considered`, `plain text`, `your work`, `your words`, `when you’re ready`
**Avoid:** `content`, `assets`, `pipeline`, `blast`, `ship it`, `crush your goals`, `growth engine`, `viral`, `hustle`, `creator economy`, `awesome`, `amazing`, `supercharge`, `AI-powered magic`, `seamless experience`, `game-changing`, `don’t worry!`, `oops!`, `uh-oh`, `congrats!!!`, `just`, `obviously`, `easy-peasy`

## Mechanics

- **Capitalization:** Sentence case for headings, buttons, navigation, and notifications. Title case only for proper names, publication titles, and formal editorial contexts.
- **Contractions:** yes
- **Emoji:** Never in product UI, help, or transactional email. Avoid in marketing unless part of a quoted user voice.
- **Reading level:** Grade 8–10: clear and accessible, with room for literary cadence in brand and marketing copy.

## Boilerplate

- **Short:** Quill is a calm publishing platform for writers who want to focus on the words.
- **Medium:** Quill is a publishing platform built for focused writing and considered publication. It gives writers, editors, and small publications a quiet place to draft, revise, preview, and publish their work without the clutter of conventional content tools.
- **Long:** Quill is a calm publishing platform for writers who want to focus on the words. Designed for essays, stories, newsletters, and thoughtful digital publications, Quill brings drafting, revision, preview, and publishing into one quiet workspace. It keeps controls clear, preserves the history of a piece, and gives writers confidence before they share their work. No noisy dashboards, no growth theatrics, no unnecessary friction — just a considered place to write and publish with care.

## Voice in action

**Primary CTA on landing page**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Start writing | Get started now | The on-voice version centers the writing act. The generic version adds unnecessary urgency. |

**Empty draft list**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | No drafts yet. Begin with a blank page when you’re ready. | You don’t have any content yet. Create your first post to get started. | Quill says “drafts” and “page,” not “content” and “post.” It invites rather than pushes. |

**Autosave confirmation**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Saved a moment ago. | All changes successfully synced! | The Quill version is quiet and human. The alternative sounds like generic SaaS system copy. |

**Publish confirmation modal**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | Your essay is now published. The public version has been updated. | Success! Your content is live and ready to share with the world. | The on-voice line is precise and composed. The alternative is more promotional than writerly. |

**Error while publishing**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | We couldn’t publish this version. Your draft is safe. Please try again in a moment. | Something went wrong while publishing. Try again later. | Quill should reassure the writer that their work is safe and give a clear next step. |

**Version history restore action**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Restore this version | Roll back changes | “Restore” feels editorial and careful. “Roll back” is functional but developer-centric. |

**Upgrade prompt**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | You’ve reached the draft limit for this workspace. Upgrade to keep more work in progress. | You’ve maxed out your plan. Upgrade now to unlock unlimited content. | The Quill version is direct and respectful. It avoids pressure language and the generic term “content.” |

**Welcome email subject line**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | Your Quill workspace is ready | Welcome to Quill — let’s create amazing content! | The on-voice subject is calm and useful. The alternative is overexcited and off-category. |

**Delete draft confirmation**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | Delete this draft? This will remove it from your workspace and cannot be undone. | Are you sure you want to delete this item? This action is permanent. | The Quill version names the object and consequence clearly, making the decision feel careful rather than mechanical. |
