87 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
87 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
# Kindle Publishing Checklist — Book 2
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Generated from `export_kindle.py`. Review and complete before uploading.
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EPUB: `kindle/exports/book2-kindle.epub`
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---
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## Front & Back Matter
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- [x] Copyright page — `kindle/templates/copyright-page.md`
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- [x] Dedication — `kindle/templates/front-matter.md` (family dedication)
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- [x] "Also by the Author" page — `kindle/templates/also-by.md` lists *The Floundry Affair*
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## Metadata
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- [x] Confirm pen name / author name — **Phillip Tarrant**
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- [x] Confirm book title and subtitle — **The Drenwick Drainings: A Phelan Varrant Novel, Book Two** (title uniqueness verified 2026-04-15)
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- [x] Write book description / blurb (for KDP listing) — see below
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- [ ] Choose KDP categories (2 allowed) — Fantasy > Humorous; Fantasy > Mystery & Detective
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- [x] Select 7 keywords for KDP search — see below
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- [ ] Set price (consider KU 70% royalty tier: $2.99–$9.99)
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### Book Description
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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.
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Phelan Varrant finds the flaws in unbreakable magic. That's the job.
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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.
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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.
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The Locksmith is back. The case gets personal. And this time, saving the weapon matters more than breaking it.
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**KDP compliance:** No comparable titles/authors named. Sells on voice, Flaw Sight premise, personal stakes. See CLAUDE.md Section 14.
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### KDP Keywords
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1. sarcastic mage protagonist
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2. magic system fantasy series
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3. first person fantasy adventure
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4. guild fantasy mystery
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5. dark humor fantasy novel
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6. curse breaker antihero
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7. fantasy detective investigation
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## KDP Compliance Checks
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- [x] No keywords contain other authors' names or series titles
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- [x] Book description does not name comparable titles or authors
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- [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)
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- [x] Title/subtitle cannot be confused with existing published works (web search 2026-04-15: no collisions)
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- [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)
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## Cover Image
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- [x] Cover image ready — `images/book2-cover.jpg` (generated via Stable Diffusion, Ultimate 4x upscale)
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- [x] Cover concept finalized — skeletal drained victim kneeling + Mallory focusing crystal with extraction thread, graphic-novel ink style, cold blue + sickly amber palette
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- [ ] Verify final dimensions meet KDP minimum (1600×2560px, 1.6:1 portrait) — confirm post-upscale size
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- [ ] 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"
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- [ ] Cover passes KDP image quality checks (DPI ≥ 300, RGB color, JPEG/TIFF)
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- [x] Cover is visually distinct from well-known series in the genre (different pose, palette, composition)
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- [ ] Run `export_kindle.py --cover images/book2-cover.jpg` to embed cover in EPUB
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## Quality Checks
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- [X] Open EPUB in Kindle Previewer — check rendering on multiple devices
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- [X] Verify Table of Contents links work (dedication + "Also by" entries present)
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- [X] Verify chapter breaks (each chapter starts on new page)
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- [X] Verify scene breaks (`* * *`) are centered and styled
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- [X] Check smart quotes, em dashes, ellipses throughout
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- [X] Check first paragraphs are not indented after headings/scene breaks
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- [X] Proofread front and back matter
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- [x] Confirm no `[CONTINUITY FLAG]` markers remain in text (verified multiple passes)
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## Upload
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- [ ] Log in to KDP (kdp.amazon.com)
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- [ ] Create new Kindle eBook
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- [ ] Upload EPUB manuscript
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- [ ] Upload cover image
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- [ ] Fill in metadata (title, description, categories, keywords)
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- [ ] Set pricing and royalty
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- [ ] Enroll in Kindle Unlimited (KDP Select)
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- [ ] Preview and publish
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