The Prompt Engineering Library
A prompt guide, just for you
Hey there,
Google published a 68-page prompt engineering guide. OpenAI released their GPT-4.1 Prompting Guide.
Corporate giants sharing the instruction manuals to their most powerful tools.
So I took them.
Both of them.
And I made something useful for us—the writers, the content people, the ones trying to make this tech work for our needs.
What I Built for You
I extracted the most powerful prompting techniques from both guides and transformed them into a content creator's prompt library.
A Google Sheet with:
19 distinct prompting techniques
Original examples from both guides
When to use each technique
Content marketing & writing-specific examples for each
→ Get the Prompt Library Here
(Make a copy to use it)
Why This Matters for Writers
I know this newsletter wasn’t supposed to be about prompting, but it’s still a valuable skill to learn and practice.
Which is why I made this for you. And me.
To become better at our craft.
My favorites from the library:
Step-Back Prompting
First: What makes a good blog intro?
Then: Write an intro paragraph for a post on content planning.
It's like teaching the AI to think before it acts. To consider the fundamentals before attempting the specific task.
Role Prompting
Act as a senior marketing consultant. Suggest 3 improvements for this landing page copy.
When my creativity runs dry, the AI shows up in a clean shirt with a different perspective and no ego.
Self-Reflective Prompting
Write a LinkedIn post. Then critique it like a content strategist. Suggest 2 improvements.
This is the secret to turning mediocre AI drafts into useful starting points. Make the AI edit itself first.
The Key Pattern I Found
Reviewing the guides revealed something important: the more structured your prompts, the more useful the outputs.
Not complicated. Structured.
These AI companies are essentially telling us: "Here's how to speak our language."
And when you speak their language, you get better results while maintaining your voice.
What To Do With This
Pick one technique from the library that resonates with your current needs
Test it on a real project you're working on
Track what works – the exact phrasing, the approach
Make it yours – adapt it to your voice and style
The best prompt engineers are the ones who iterate. Who play. Who treat each prompt like a rough draft that needs editing.
Your Turn
I'm curious: Which of these techniques have you tried? Which ones might solve your current content challenges?
Hit reply and let me know. I read them all.
Creating with you,
— Carlos
P.S. Here’s a summary of key takeaways + cheat sheet from both guides if you want the bigger picture. No obligation to read it. Just there if you need it.