book-manuscript-edit

name	book-manuscript-edit
description	Edit, rebuild, visually review, reverse-sync, and stage KDP upload for The Six Tongues Protocol and similar SCBE book projects. Use when asked to edit chapter prose, do a style pass, sync LibreOffice edits back to Markdown, rebuild the KDP DOCX, prepare a review packet, or keep the Markdown to DOCX to review to upload flow aligned.

Book Manuscript Edit

Use this skill to keep book work moving through one clean lane:

• Markdown is the source of truth unless the user explicitly made changes in LibreOffice first.
• Build the review artifact from source.
• Review visually in LibreOffice.
• Sync back from DOCX only when the visual review introduced real edits.
• Treat KDP upload as the last step, after text and metadata are locked.

Workflow

1. Lock the edit target.

• Identify the exact chapter, interlude, scene, or packaging task.
• Read the target files before changing anything.
• If the user asks for a style pass or prose changes, read C:\Users\issda\.claude\projects\C--Users-issda\memory\feedback_writing_style.md first.

2. Edit the real source first.

• Default source of truth: C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE\content\book\reader-edition\.
• Read the matching file in C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE\content\book\source\ before mirroring edits there. Do not assume the text matches.
• Keep Markdown formatting stable:
  • *italic* for internal thoughts
  • -- for em dashes
  • * * * for scene breaks
  • # Title for chapter headings

3. Rebuild the review manuscript.

• Run:

cd C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE
python content\book\build_kdp.py

• Expect output at C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE\content\book\the-six-tongues-protocol-kdp.docx.
• Verify the build summary still reports roughly 150K+ words and 43 sections.

4. Open the review artifact in LibreOffice.

• Run:

start "" "C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\program\soffice.exe" --writer "C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE\content\book\the-six-tongues-protocol-kdp.docx"

• Use this lane for visual checks:
  • headings
  • page rhythm
  • ornaments
  • side art / cover placement
  • TOC and front matter
  • obvious formatting breaks

5. Reverse-sync only when DOCX edits happened.

• If the user edited prose in LibreOffice, run:

cd C:\Users\issda\SCBE-AETHERMOORE
python content\book\sync_docx_to_md.py

• After sync, read the touched Markdown files and confirm the imported text is sane before rebuilding again.

6. Stage the KDP upload lane.

• Build the final .docx.
• Confirm title, author name, front matter, and cover asset path are correct.
• Gather metadata, categories, keywords, description, and pricing notes before opening KDP.
• Keep upload steps human-confirmed. Do not publish on assumption.

Writing Rules

Apply these rules when editing prose for Issac's voice:

• Keep internal thoughts in italics.
• Prefer short sentences by default.
• Use longer sentences only when the thought genuinely needs more turns.
• Choose specific sensory language over generic description.
• Leave negative space where the reader can do work.
• Avoid pretension and system-jargon flattening.

Output Contract

Return:

• which source files were edited
• whether reader-edition and source were both updated
• whether the KDP DOCX was rebuilt
• whether LibreOffice review was part of the run
• whether reverse-sync from DOCX was run
• whether the upload packet is only staged or actually ready

Guardrails

• Read before editing. Never guess at manuscript text.
• Do not change chapter ordering. INDEX.md and build_kdp.py control that.
• Do not run publication/upload actions in the same breath as exploratory editing unless the user explicitly wants that.
• Run sync_docx_to_md.py before rebuilding only when LibreOffice introduced edits worth preserving.
• Treat Markdown as canonical for normal prose work.
• Keep build scripts unchanged unless the user explicitly asks for toolchain changes.
• Keep publication claims factual. If current KDP rules matter, verify them from official sources before giving upload guidance.

References

• references/project-paths.md

  • Read for the exact repo paths, command snippets, and review loop.

• references/kdp-upload-lane.md

  • Read when staging metadata, final checks, and the manual KDP upload pass.