publishing

Files (7)

• SKILL.md
• contract-red-flags.md · references/
• copyright-page.md · references/
• launch-plan.md · references/
• metadata-checklist.md · references/
• print-interior.md · references/
• rights-one-sheet.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Publishing

## Overview

Take a final manuscript into readers' hands. This skill fills the
publishing metadata in `story.md`, writes the copyright page, builds and
checks the ebook and print interior, walks the author through
distribution, pricing, and launch, and keeps an inventory of the rights
the author holds. Planning files live under `publishing/` in the story
project. The author makes every account, upload, purchase, payment, and
signature; this skill prepares, checks, and records.

## Prerequisites

A story project whose manuscript is final or nearly so. Verify `story.md`
exists and read `title`, `status`, `author` or `authors`, `genre`,
`series`, `book-number`, `cover`, and any publishing fields already set. If
`status` is not `complete`, say that metadata and launch planning can start
now but the files must be rebuilt after the last revision.

## Language And Market

Read `language` in `story.md` (a missing field means `en`) and ask which
countries the author is publishing in. The book's language decides the
language of the description, keywords, and copyright page; the market
decides the ISBN agency, subject schemes, retailers, and pricing rules.
The references start from the US and UK English-language market and
note the rest: Thema subjects and ISBN agencies elsewhere in
`references/metadata-checklist.md`, other retail routes and fixed book
prices in `references/launch-plan.md`, and rights by language and
territory in `references/rights-one-sheet.md`. Never assume a US retailer, scheme, or
law applies elsewhere; say what to check.

## When to Use

- Filling retailer metadata: ISBN, publisher, date, description, keywords,
  BISAC and Thema subjects, language, cover alt text, AI disclosure
- Writing the copyright page and recording the permission status of quoted
  matter (clearance questions go to `editorial-review`)
- Building and checking the EPUB or the print interior; choosing trim size
- Choosing retailers and exclusivity, setting prices, planning a launch
- Recording rights, reviewing a contract offer, drafting a rights one-sheet
- NOT for query letters, agent submission, synopsis, blurb, or retailer
  description drafting (use `submission`; this skill reuses its blurb and
  retailer description)
- NOT for audiobook scripts, screenplays, translations, or other formats
  (use `adaptation`)
- NOT for revising the manuscript (use `revision-continuity`)

## Hard Rules

- Never invent an ISBN, publisher or imprint name, publication date, price,
  review, endorsement, sales figure, award, or bestseller claim. Ask, or
  leave a `[TODO: author to supply]` placeholder.
- Never assert current retailer specs, royalty rates, or fees as fact.
  They change. Give the working figure as a starting point and tell the
  author to check the retailer's current spec before relying on it.
- Legal, tax, and contract matters are **not legal or tax advice**. Flag
  issues, explain why they matter, and recommend an agent, a publishing
  lawyer, an accountant, or an author organization's contract-vetting
  service.
- Never create accounts, upload, buy, sign, or send. The author does.
- `ai-disclosure` must say what actually happened. Ask the author how AI
  tools were used; never minimise it.

## Workflow

### 1. Readiness

```shell
story reindex .
story wordcount . --write
story check .
story prose .
story build . --format metadata
```

The metadata sheet lists every missing field in its readiness checklist,
including a `Permissions cleared for quoted matter` row that names each
matter page still at `permission: pending`, whatever the story status,
a ``No `[TODO` markers in chapter prose`` row that names each chapter still
holding a `[TODO` marker, which every build would print, and a
``No `[TODO` markers on matter pages`` row that names each matter page still
holding one, such as a `[TODO: author to supply]` ISBN line. Report the
checklist with the validate findings, and any `has no prose yet` warning from the build: that
chapter would ship as a heading-only page, so ask whether to write it or
remove it. `validate` warns about
`permission: pending` only once the story `status` is `complete`, and
about a research note with a `risk` but no `reviewed-by` only when a final
or complete chapter uses it, so also list them directly before
publication:

```shell
story list matter --where permission=pending
story list research --where risk --where '!reviewed-by'
```

Report every pending permission, and every risky note without
`reviewed-by`, whatever the chapter status. If `story passes .` shows unfinished revision passes, say so
before production starts.

`story export` and every build that prints matter pages (markdown, EPUB,
DOCX, HTML, print, narration) leave out a page whose `permission` is
`pending`, misspelt, or any value but `not-needed`, `granted`, or
`public-domain`, and warn `permission-pending-left-out` for it, so a file built
for upload, a printer, or readers never carries the uncleared quote.
Report each such warning: the book builds without that page until the
author confirms the permission. Add `--include-pending` only when the
author asks to see the page in a proof they read alone, such as a print
PDF for layout, and tell them not to share or upload that file. Never add
it to a build for a retailer, a printer, advance readers, or the review
copy workflow, and never set it in `cli-defaults` (validate refuses it).

### 2. Metadata

Fill the `story.md` fields with `references/metadata-checklist.md`:
`isbn`, `publisher`, `publication-date`, `language`, `description`,
`keywords`, `subjects`, `copyright`, `cover-alt`, `ai-disclosure`, and
`authors` for co-written books, or `editor` for an anthology (each

From danjdewhurst/story-skills, MIT.

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