Prepare coordinated book editions for an owner-controlled publishing handoff

Proposed inputs

1. Name

   Approved publication source

   Owner

   Author or publisher

   Minimum scope

   One final manuscript copy, explicit version identifier and approved title/author/imprint text.

   Quality check

   Resolve conflicts between filenames and internal version marks; record which file controls each edition.

2. Name

   Authorized cover and content assets

   Owner

   Rights holder

   Minimum scope

   Final artwork and permitted reuse scope, plus figure and accessibility information required for the chosen formats.

   Quality check

   Confirm the permission applies to publication and the intended territories; supplied files alone are not evidence of ownership.

3. Name

   Edition decisions

   Owner

   Publisher

   Minimum scope

   Desired formats, territories, release plan, content disclosures and commercial choices the publisher has actually approved.

   Quality check

   Leave unapproved fields open. Check current retailer requirements at the time of use rather than copying defaults from the recipe.

Access and setup — proposed or unknown

Proposed minimum

1. Prepare an offline draft manifest and metadata sheet first, using fictional content for evaluation.

2. Before any authorized retailer work, verify current official requirements, account readiness, intended browser and approved uploads. The owner handles credentials and financial/tax setup.

Compatibility unknowns

1. Unknown: present retailer forms and terms, converter fidelity, cover-tool behavior, royalties, print charges and regional account availability.

External actions requiring approval

1. Uploading manuscripts/art, paid generation, accepting terms, changing commercial choices, enrolling in distribution programs or publishing.

Why use this

1. A usable ebook file is only one part of release readiness. The cover may name an old subtitle, the print manuscript may be a different revision, or a copied form default may make a declaration the author never approved.

2. The useful outcome is a coherent release package whose assets and decisions can be checked together. The author should be able to see exactly which edition and file would be submitted before making any permanent choice.

Why an agent / simpler alternative

Useful judgment

Reconcile inconsistent manuscript and cover versions, map author-approved facts across edition forms and identify missing choices that should not be filled from a generic example.

Simpler alternative

Use the retailer's own preparation tools and checklist directly when there is one simple edition and the author already has validated assets.

Unsuitable when

The manuscript is still under editorial revision, distribution rights are unresolved, or the author expects the agent to choose legal declarations, exclusivity or financial account details.

Expected deliverable and review checks

Proposed artifact

An edition manifest tying every asset to a version, a field-level approval sheet and a review packet for the owner's final submission.

Critical checks

1. All edition titles, author names and manuscript versions agree or have an explicitly approved difference.

2. A technical validation pass is accompanied by content-completeness and visual checks; chapter counts, figures, links and text samples reconcile with the source.

3. Rights, content declarations, AI-use disclosures and accessibility answers come from verified publisher information rather than generic defaults.

4. Check actual displayed commercial terms and print settings at decision time; do not reuse a historical price as a current promise.

5. The exact candidate files and edition are confirmed before upload or final owner handoff, and publication remains a separate action.

Missing output evidence

No converted book, retailer preview, account access or publication result was verified in this research.

First check — proposed, unexecuted

Status

proposed_unexecuted

Synthetic fixture

Use a fictional 12-page community-gardening booklet with two figures. Its cover says 'Balcony Notes, Second Edition' while the approved manuscript says 'First Edition'; an obsolete metadata sheet proposes exclusive distribution, and no such decision has been approved. No retailer account is opened. Make the existing two figures visibly distinct and independently labelled F1 and F2. Include a synthetic candidate manifest or mock preview where F1 appears twice and F2 is absent. This is a proposed, unexecuted review check.

Acceptance checks

1. The edition mismatch and unapproved distribution choice block a ready-to-publish status.

2. Both figures and all chapter identifiers appear in the proposed reconciliation plan; validation alone cannot satisfy content completeness.

3. The asset manifest separates manuscript, cover, metadata and owner decisions and authorizes no upload or publication.

4. Reject the duplicated-first-figure candidate even if figure count and a mock technical-validation status look correct; require source-to-candidate figure identity and placement reconciliation.

Stop conditions

1. Publication rights or an essential declaration is unresolved, source versions conflict, or the flow requests unapproved credentials, terms or spending.

2. Any figure is repeated, substituted, missing or cannot be matched to its source; block readiness and publication handoff.

Failure signals and proposed responses

1. Signal

   The cover and manuscript show different subtitles or revisions.

   Why it matters

   The published editions could misrepresent the approved book or require a costly correction.

   Proposed response

   Stop preparation at the mismatch, ask which source is authoritative and regenerate only the affected draft assets.

2. Signal

   A validator passes but a chapter or illustration is absent.

   Why it matters

   Technical conformance is not evidence that readers will receive the complete manuscript.

   Proposed response

   Reject the candidate, compare the source-to-output manifest and inspect the affected conversion before another review.

3. Signal

   A form is prefilled with an unapproved rights or commercial choice.

   Why it matters

   The choice can create a legal representation or distribution commitment.

   Proposed response

   Leave the field unresolved, show the actual current options and require the publisher's decision before proceeding.

Effort and cost — unknown

Setup work

1. Lock the manuscript, identify authorized assets and collect edition choices.

Ongoing review

1. The publisher reviews each format's preview and the exact declarations and commercial terms before release.

Unknowns

1. Unknown: model/conversion costs, image licensing, proof-copy costs, retailer fees, taxes, royalties and correction effort.

Limits

1. This is a publication-readiness proposal, not legal advice or evidence that the source recipe's retailer instructions are current. No conversion or publication workflow was executed.