How do I install the Compile Book skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add abetatos/compile-book in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Compile Book safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Compile Book?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Compile Book free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Compile Book?

abetatos (@abetatos) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Compile Book by abetatos — Agent Skill

Name: Compile Book
Author: abetatos

Compile Book

Compile a book's finished chapters into a single Kindle-ready EPUB and (optionally) email it to your Kindle via Send-to-Kindle. Use this when the user says "compile the book", "export to Kindle", "build the EPUB", "send it to my Kindle", or wants to read the draft on an e-reader to gather notes. Reads only the prose chapters — never canon, plan, or shadow.

abetatos 2ec6efa 3.5 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

compile-book

You are running the compile-book skill. Your job is to turn the written chapters/NN.md prose into a clean, navigable EPUB the user can read on a Kindle (or any e-reader) and mark up for revision — and, if asked, deliver it to their Kindle by email.

When to invoke

"Compile the book" / "export to Kindle" / "build the EPUB" / "compílame el libro" / "mándalo a mi Kindle".
The user wants to read the current draft on a real device to gather their own critiques and improvements.

What goes in the EPUB

Only the prose. Chapters in order, each # Capítulo N — Title heading becoming an EPUB section with a TOC entry.
A title page and author from setup.md (# Title + **Autor:**); when the book declares no author, the project-wide pen name from config.toml ([author] name) is used.
A reading stylesheet (scripts/assets/epub.css): justified prose, first-line indents, centered scene breaks.
Never include canon/, plan/, shadow.md, seeds.md, or summaries — those are spoilers and writer-only.

Steps

1. Build the EPUB

python3 scripts/build_epub.py --series-slug <slug> --book-number <N>

Useful flags:

--from 1 --through 10 — compile a chapter range (read a partial draft).
--title "…" / --author "…" — override the metadata.
--cover path/to/cover.jpg — override the cover. By default the cover is read from the fixed location assets/cover.{jpg,jpeg,png} inside the book folder, so normally you just drop the file there and never pass this flag.
--out path.epub — choose the output path.

Output defaults to output/<series>/book-NN/build/<title-slug>.epub. Requires pandoc (static binary in ~/.local/bin, or apt install pandoc).

2. (Optional) Send it to Kindle

Only if the user asks to deliver it to their device:

python3 scripts/send_to_kindle.py --series-slug <slug> --book-number <N>

This reads KINDLE_EMAIL + SMTP settings from .env and emails the EPUB. The SMTP_FROM address must be on Amazon's Approved Personal Document E-mail List (see README → "Reading on Kindle"). If .env is missing SMTP credentials, tell the user to fill it in (copy .env.example) rather than guessing.

3. Report

Tell the user the output path, chapter count, and size; if sent, confirm the destination address and remind them it can take a minute to arrive.

Cover image

The cover lives at one fixed place per book:

output/<series>/book-NN/assets/cover.jpg   # (or cover.jpeg / cover.png)

build_epub.py picks it up automatically — no flag needed. If the user gives you a cover image somewhere else, copy it to that path rather than relying on --cover, so every book is laid out the same way. Recommended image: JPEG/PNG, portrait, ~1.6:1 (e.g. 1600×2560), no transparency.

What this skill does NOT do

Does not write, critique, or modify chapters — it only reads them.
Does not invent a cover or author; it uses setup.md / config.toml / assets/ / flags.
Does not store or print SMTP credentials.

Files this skill writes

output/<series>/book-NN/build/<slug>.epub — the compiled book.

---name: compile-bookdescription: Compile a book's finished chapters into a single Kindle-ready EPUB and (optionally) email it to your Kindle via Send-to-Kindle. Use this when the user says "compile the book", "export to Kindle", "build the EPUB", "send it to my Kindle", or wants to read the draft on an e-reader to gather notes. Reads only the prose chapters — never canon, plan, or shadow.---# compile-bookYou are running the **compile-book** skill. Your job is to turn thewritten `chapters/NN.md` prose into a clean, navigable **EPUB** the usercan read on a Kindle (or any e-reader) and mark up for revision — and,if asked, deliver it to their Kindle by email.## When to invoke- "Compile the book" / "export to Kindle" / "build the EPUB" / "compílame el libro" / "mándalo a mi Kindle".- The user wants to read the current draft on a real device to gather their own critiques and improvements.## What goes in the EPUB- **Only the prose.** Chapters in order, each `# Capítulo N — Title` heading becoming an EPUB section with a TOC entry.- A title page and author from `setup.md` (`# Title` + `**Autor:**`); when the book declares no author, the project-wide pen name from `config.toml` (`[author] name`) is used.- A reading stylesheet (`scripts/assets/epub.css`): justified prose, first-line indents, centered scene breaks.- **Never** include `canon/`, `plan/`, `shadow.md`, `seeds.md`, or summaries — those are spoilers and writer-only.## Steps### 1. Build the EPUB```bashpython3 scripts/build_epub.py --series-slug <slug> --book-number <N>```Useful flags:- `--from 1 --through 10` — compile a chapter range (read a partial draft).- `--title "…"` / `--author "…"` — override the metadata.- `--cover path/to/cover.jpg` — override the cover. By default the cover is read from the fixed location `assets/cover.{jpg,jpeg,png}` inside the book folder, so normally you just drop the file there and never pass this flag.- `--out path.epub` — choose the output path.Output defaults to `output/<series>/book-NN/build/<title-slug>.epub`.Requires **pandoc** (static binary in `~/.local/bin`, or `apt install pandoc`).### 2. (Optional) Send it to KindleOnly if the user asks to deliver it to their device:```bashpython3 scripts/send_to_kindle.py --series-slug <slug> --book-number <N>```This reads `KINDLE_EMAIL` + SMTP settings from `.env` and emails theEPUB. The `SMTP_FROM` address must be on Amazon's *Approved PersonalDocument E-mail List* (see README → "Reading on Kindle"). If `.env` ismissing SMTP credentials, tell the user to fill it in (copy`.env.example`) rather than guessing.### 3. ReportTell the user the output path, chapter count, and size; if sent, confirmthe destination address and remind them it can take a minute to arrive.## Cover imageThe cover lives at one fixed place per book:```output/<series>/book-NN/assets/cover.jpg # (or cover.jpeg / cover.png)````build_epub.py` picks it up automatically — no flag needed. If the usergives you a cover image somewhere else, copy it to that path rather thanrelying on `--cover`, so every book is laid out the same way. Recommendedimage: JPEG/PNG, portrait, ~1.6:1 (e.g. 1600×2560), no transparency.## What this skill does NOT do- Does not write, critique, or modify chapters — it only reads them.- Does not invent a cover or author; it uses `setup.md` / `config.toml` / `assets/` / flags.- Does not store or print SMTP credentials.## Files this skill writes- `output/<series>/book-NN/build/<slug>.epub` — the compiled book.

Frequently asked questions