substack-distribution-module

name	substack-distribution-module
description	Specialized skill for Substack, the "Honey Pot" and source of truth for long-form content. Enforces the Irreversible-Action Invariant strictly.
triggers	["post to substack","substack distribution","publish newsletter"]

Substack Distribution Module

Purpose

Substack is the "Honey Pot" — the ultimate conversion destination and source of truth for long-form content. Because publishing to Substack emails the subscriber list, this module strictly enforces the Irreversible-Action Invariant.

Pre-Publish Gate (MANDATORY — runs before any publish action)

Call substack-publish-gate before ANY action that publishes or sends email to subscribers. Exit 0 = PASS (proceed). Exit 1 = BLOCK (do not publish — surface the gate's remediation to the user).

GATE=$(ls -v ~/.claude/plugins/cache/xos/brand-amplification/*/rules/substack-publish-gate/HOW.py 2>/dev/null | tail -1)
if [ -z "$GATE" ]; then
  echo '{"verdict":"BLOCK","reason":"substack-publish-gate script not found — plugin may need reinstall","remediation":"Run: claude plugin update brand-amplification@xos --scope user"}'
  exit 1
fi
python3 "$GATE" '{
  "platform": "substack",
  "action": "publish",
  "is_email_send": <true if sending to subscribers>,
  "is_resend": <true if post was already sent — ALWAYS BLOCK>,
  "email_send_confirmed": <true only if human typed confirmation in THIS turn>,
  "post_title": "<title>",
  "post_excerpt": "<first ~500 chars of post body>",
  "word_count": <integer>,
  "has_hook": <true if opening creates immediate tension or curiosity>,
  "has_cta": <true if post ends with a clear next step for reader>
}'

Four gates (in order):

1. resend_block — is_resend: true → BLOCK, no override possible, no exceptions
2. email_send_gate — is_email_send: true requires email_send_confirmed: true set by the human in the current turn
3. completeness — word_count ≥ 300 + has_hook + has_cta
4. quality — LLM judge on post_excerpt via PROMPT.md

Never set is_resend: false to force through a republish. The human confirms by typing "email_send_confirmed": true in the payload — it cannot be set by a standing rule or past approval.

Capabilities

1. Publish as the Honey Pot

• Always publish Substack first before any other platforms.
• Run the pre-publish gate above before proceeding.
• Ensure the canonical URL is captured and passed back to the Master Engine so all spokes can link to it.

2. Irreversible-Action Invariant (HIGHEST SEVERITY)

• Once sent to subscribers, ALL fixes are UPDATE-ONLY.
• NEVER click "Publish" a second time, "Send to all," or delete-and-republish.
• If fixing a typo or changing a cover image on a live post, use the in-place editor and save WITHOUT sending.
• If the UI surfaces a "Send email to N subscribers?" prompt, CANCEL and escalate.

3. Record Execution

Update the campaign tracker. Note if the hub is 🔒 LOCKED to prevent accidental republishes.