Phelan_Varrent/notes/book2-kindle-publish-checklist.md

Kindle Publishing Checklist — Book 2

Generated from export_kindle.py. Review and complete before uploading.

EPUB: kindle/exports/book2-kindle.epub

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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

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
• Choose KDP categories (2 allowed) — Fantasy > Humorous; Fantasy > Mystery & Detective
• 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:)

• 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

KDP Keywords

1. sarcastic mage protagonist
2. magic system fantasy series
3. first person fantasy adventure
4. guild fantasy mystery
5. dark humor fantasy novel
6. curse breaker antihero
7. fantasy detective investigation

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

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

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

Upload

• Log in to KDP (kdp.amazon.com)
• Create new Kindle eBook
• Upload EPUB manuscript
• Upload cover image
• Fill in metadata (title, description, categories, keywords)
• Set pricing and royalty
• Enroll in Kindle Unlimited (KDP Select)
• Preview and publish