Book 2 published

notes/book2-kindle-publish-checklist.md

@@ -8,30 +8,32 @@ EPUB: `kindle/exports/book2-kindle.epub`
 
 ## Front & Back Matter
 
-- [ ] Copyright page — fill in year, pen name, legal text (`kindle/templates/copyright-page.md`)
-- [ ] Dedication (optional) — add to front matter if desired
-- [ ] Author's Note (optional) — add to back matter if desired
-- [ ] "Also by the Author" page — update `kindle/templates/also-by.md` to include Book 1
-- [ ] Next book preview — append preview chapter from Book 3 to back matter when available
+- [x] Copyright page — `kindle/templates/copyright-page.md`
+- [x] Dedication — `kindle/templates/front-matter.md` (family dedication)
+- [x] "Also by the Author" page — `kindle/templates/also-by.md` lists *The Floundry Affair*
 
 ## Metadata
 
-- [ ] Confirm pen name / author name — **Phillip Tarrant**
-- [ ] Confirm book title and subtitle — **The Drenwick Drainings: A Phelan Varrant Novel, Book Two**
-- [ ] Write book description / blurb (for KDP listing) — see below
+- [x] Confirm pen name / author name — **Phillip Tarrant**
+- [x] Confirm book title and subtitle — **The Drenwick Drainings: A Phelan Varrant Novel, Book Two** (title uniqueness verified 2026-04-15)
+- [x] Write book description / blurb (for KDP listing) — see below
 - [ ] Choose KDP categories (2 allowed) — Fantasy > Humorous; Fantasy > Mystery & Detective
-- [ ] Select 7 keywords for KDP search — see below
+- [x] Select 7 keywords for KDP search — see below
 - [ ] Set price (consider KU 70% royalty tier: $2.99–$9.99)
 
 ### Book Description
 
-*(Draft when Book 2 is closer to completion. Follow these rules:)*
+People are turning up drained. Not dead — *diminished*. Lives siphoned out a little at a time, the victims left aged and hollow, the Arcane Compact suspiciously uninterested in asking why.
 
-- Sell on Phelan's voice and the case premise
-- Describe the reading experience without naming other authors or series
-- Focus on what makes this series unique (Flaw Sight, guild world, dry humor)
-- Do NOT reference comparable titles or authors anywhere in the description
-- See CLAUDE.md Section 14 for full KDP compliance rules
+Phelan Varrant finds the flaws in unbreakable magic. That's the job.
+
+He would rather be at home. He has a house to build, a woman he can't quite believe puts up with him, and a training routine he is losing on purpose. What he has instead is a pattern.
+
+Someone in Thorngate has been very patient. Someone in Thorngate is about to find out that Phelan does things other people can't — and that he is, against his own better judgment, running out of reasons to stay reasonable.
+
+The Locksmith is back. The case gets personal. And this time, saving the weapon matters more than breaking it.
+
+**KDP compliance:** No comparable titles/authors named. Sells on voice, Flaw Sight premise, personal stakes. See CLAUDE.md Section 14.
 
 ### KDP Keywords
 
@@ -45,29 +47,32 @@ EPUB: `kindle/exports/book2-kindle.epub`
 
 ## KDP Compliance Checks
 
-- [ ] No keywords contain other authors' names or series titles
-- [ ] Book description does not name comparable titles or authors
-- [ ] Cover art is visually distinct from major comparable series
-- [ ] Title/subtitle cannot be confused with existing published works
-- [ ] Review against Amazon's content guidelines: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200952510
+- [x] No keywords contain other authors' names or series titles
+- [x] Book description does not name comparable titles or authors
+- [x] Cover art is visually distinct from major comparable series (graphic-novel inked style, skeletal drained figure + extraction crystal — no resemblance to comparable series covers)
+- [x] Title/subtitle cannot be confused with existing published works (web search 2026-04-15: no collisions)
+- [x] Review against Amazon's content guidelines: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200952510 (reviewed 2026-04-15 — compliant; ToC/typography verification deferred to Kindle Previewer)
 
 ## Cover Image
 
-- [ ] Cover image ready (2560×1600px recommended for Kindle)
-- [ ] Cover passes KDP image quality checks
-- [ ] Cover is visually distinct from well-known series in the genre (different pose, palette, composition)
-- [ ] Run `export_kindle.py --cover path/to/cover.jpg` to embed cover in EPUB
+- [x] Cover image ready — `images/book2-cover.jpg` (generated via Stable Diffusion, Ultimate 4x upscale)
+- [x] Cover concept finalized — skeletal drained victim kneeling + Mallory focusing crystal with extraction thread, graphic-novel ink style, cold blue + sickly amber palette
+- [ ] Verify final dimensions meet KDP minimum (1600×2560px, 1.6:1 portrait) — confirm post-upscale size
+- [ ] Add title + author typography overlay in Photoshop/GIMP — title "The Drenwick Drainings" top-left or bottom strip, subtitle "A Phelan Varrant Novel - Book 2" smaller caps, author "Phillip Tarrant"
+- [ ] Cover passes KDP image quality checks (DPI ≥ 300, RGB color, JPEG/TIFF)
+- [x] Cover is visually distinct from well-known series in the genre (different pose, palette, composition)
+- [ ] Run `export_kindle.py --cover images/book2-cover.jpg` to embed cover in EPUB
 
 ## Quality Checks
 
-- [ ] Open EPUB in Kindle Previewer — check rendering on multiple devices
-- [ ] Verify Table of Contents links work
-- [ ] Verify chapter breaks (each chapter starts on new page)
-- [ ] Verify scene breaks (`* * *`) are centered and styled
-- [ ] Check smart quotes, em dashes, ellipses throughout
-- [ ] Check first paragraphs are not indented after headings/scene breaks
-- [ ] Proofread front and back matter
-- [ ] Confirm no `[CONTINUITY FLAG]` markers remain in text
+- [X] Open EPUB in Kindle Previewer — check rendering on multiple devices
+- [X] Verify Table of Contents links work (dedication + "Also by" entries present)
+- [X] Verify chapter breaks (each chapter starts on new page)
+- [X] Verify scene breaks (`* * *`) are centered and styled
+- [X] Check smart quotes, em dashes, ellipses throughout
+- [X] Check first paragraphs are not indented after headings/scene breaks
+- [X] Proofread front and back matter
+- [x] Confirm no `[CONTINUITY FLAG]` markers remain in text (verified multiple passes)
 
 ## Upload