Self-Publishing

The full pipeline, outline to listing

A guide to the full self-publishing pipeline — from a blank outline to a live KDP listing — using Claude at every stage. This isn’t about having Claude write your book for you. It’s about using Claude to handle the parts of publishing that slow most people down so the parts that require your judgment get the attention they deserve.

Five areas, one complete pipeline

• manuscript-pipeline — A chapter-session template that starts each session with a continuity file (what was decided, where the argument is, what comes next) and ends with a word-count gate and a brief for the next session. Maintains momentum across a 10-week manuscript without losing the thread.
• self-editing — Four editing passes in order: structural (argument flow and chapter transitions), pacing (section length variance), mechanical (passive voice, hedges, filler), and tell-scan (LIKE Engine + ARC Engine). Each pass is a prompt template. The gate runs after pass four.
• kdp-metadata — Title, subtitle, description, categories, and keywords calibrated to the Amazon search algorithm. The description format that converts: hook sentence, three concrete benefits, credibility close. Category selection strategy. Seven keyword slots, each targeting a different search-intent angle.
• cover-brief — How to brief a designer or an AI image tool so the result is usable on first delivery. Required specs: 2,560 × 1,600 px at 300 dpi, RGB for digital / CMYK for print, spine width from page count (0.0025 in/page for cream stock), 0.125 in bleed on all sides.
• upload-and-review — The KDP submission checklist: interior PDF (embedded fonts, no security flags), cover PDF (KDP cover calculator dimensions), EPUB validation (no NCX errors, proper TOC). The four most common review-rejection patterns and how to fix each before resubmitting.
• self-editing — The editing passes that catch structural problems, pacing issues, and the mechanical errors that slip past a first read.
• kdp-metadata — Title, subtitle, description, categories, and keywords that make a book findable on Amazon.
• cover-brief — How to describe a cover so a designer (or an AI tool) produces something you can actually use.
• upload-and-review — The KDP submission process, what the preview checker catches, and how to get a book through review on the first submission.

A preview

“Most books don’t fail to publish because the writing is bad. They fail to publish because the author runs out of momentum before they’re done. The pipeline is what keeps you moving.”

“KDP metadata is not marketing copy. It’s a search document. Write the description for someone who just typed your keywords into Amazon and is scanning the first three results.”

Anyone ready to publish

Anyone who wants to publish a book and is willing to do the work of writing and editing it. Claude handles the pipeline; you make the judgment calls. No prerequisites — standalone.

A longer excerpt is available to newsletter subscribers.

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