Write Ebook Workflow

Write Ebook Workflow

Core Workflow

Use this skill to guide a book from idea to releasable manuscript. Prefer editing project files directly when the user asks to execute.

1. Define the book:
   • Title, subtitle, author, target reader, promise, scope, and expected output format.
   • If the user already gave chapter titles, preserve them unless a continuity fix is needed.
2. Build or refine the structure:
   • Create a chapter list with a clear learning progression.
   • Use one Markdown file per chapter when working in a repo.
   • Keep appendices for checklists, commands, prompt templates, and error references.
3. Draft chapters consistently:
   • Use the chapter template from references/chapter-template.md.
   • Include goal, concepts, steps, examples, common mistakes, and summary.
   • Keep technical examples executable and specific.
4. Expand content:
   • Add screenshots only when they clarify a real operation.
   • Add command examples, checklists, tables, and troubleshooting cases where useful.
   • Avoid placeholder text in final manuscript content.
5. Edit for continuity:
   • Check chapter order, repeated content, stale version numbers, unexplained jumps, and mismatched screenshots.
   • Prefer concise patches over broad rewrites unless the chapter is structurally weak.
6. Prepare release:
   • Build EPUB/web preview when scripts exist.
   • Run validation tools such as EPUBCheck.
   • Commit local changes when requested or when the workflow has been completed locally.

Repo Patterns

For Markdown ebook repos, expect this shape:

manuscript/
metadata/
styles/
assets/images/
assets/cover/
tools/
docs/
dist/
output/

Use rg to locate chapter content and image references. Use existing build scripts before inventing new ones.

Quality Checks

Before saying a manuscript is ready, check:

• Every chapter has a purpose and flows from the previous chapter.
• Screenshots have captions or surrounding explanation.
• Tables render with readable borders if used.
• Commands match the project scripts and paths.
• EPUB metadata matches bookstore/listing copy.
• Generated or placeholder content has been removed from final-facing chapters.

For detailed templates and review prompts, read:

• references/chapter-template.md
• references/review-checklist.md
• references/expansion-patterns.md

Final Response

Report what was changed, where it was changed, what validation ran, and any remaining publishing risks. Keep it practical and brief.