Layout, not content

Turn a finished manuscript into a print-ready file — without touching a single sentence.

Two independently-built pipelines, proven across five shipped books, produce the trim-sized print PDF, EPUB, DOCX, and Markdown master a publishing channel actually requires. Nothing theoretical — this is a repeat of what already worked, twice.

See the two pipelines View on GitHub

Two pipelines. Neither invented for this.

Both were built independently, for the same problem, by sessions that didn't know the other existed. Which one applies depends entirely on what already exists for the book.

When there's fresh markdown, no template yet

CSS Paged Media

A build script parses markdown chapter source into structured components — chapter, part-opener, pull-quote, callout, reflect-box, timeline, quote-spread — and assembles the final HTML.

  • 6in × 9in trade trim, 0.95in / 1in margins
  • Running heads + page counters via CSS Paged Media @page rules
  • Rendered with pagedjs-cli
When a finished book already exists to copy

Structural Template

Copy the finished book's HTML as the new book's structural template, reference the shared stylesheet, replace content, keep every class name intact.

  • 6in × 9in trade trim, outer 1.1in / inner 0.85in margins
  • A documented color-token + typography system
  • Eleven named components, rendered via Chrome print-to-PDF
The gotcha this skill exists to catch

Chrome-headless rendering silently drops running heads and page-number counters. The page count is right, the content is right, nothing errors — the only way to catch it before a printer does is to know it's there. This specialist renders with pagedjs-cli and names the gotcha every time, never as a footnote.

One packaging convention, proven on five books

Every finished book — regardless of which pipeline built it — packages to the same six files, plus a README stating what each one is for.

Front CoverPNG
Back CoverPNG
Full BookPDF
E-RetailEPUB
Kindle CreateDOCX
Stripped MasterMarkdown

Sample output — the two margin specs, side by side

Both pipelines independently landed on 6in × 9in trade trim. Neither converged on the same margins — and this skill doesn't force them to.

SpecCSS Paged MediaStructural Template
Trim6in × 9in6in × 9in
Top / Bottom0.95in / 1in1in / 1in
Left / Right1in / 1inouter 1.1in / inner 0.85in
Running heads@page :left / :rightundocumented — verify before assuming
Renderpagedjs-cliChrome print-to-PDF

Books shipped on these pipelines

Proof of shipped titles goes here — added by the operator, not invented.

Setup

  1. Load this folder into a Claude Project, or point a Claude Code session at it — SKILL.md lets it auto-discover and trigger from a natural request.
  2. Confirm the manuscript has completed revision passes (that's a different skill's job — this one refuses to lay out anything still mid-revision).
  3. Say which situation applies: fresh markdown with no template, or an existing book's HTML to copy.
  4. Let the specialist choose the pipeline, lay out the book, and flag any open items (missing title, missing cover file) rather than guessing.
  5. Review the packaged six-file output and the retail-technical check before sending anything to a printer or KDP.

FAQ

Will it edit my manuscript while laying it out?

No. It never rewrites, trims, or "improves" a sentence — that's a different skill's job entirely. This one lays out finished prose exactly as written.

What if I don't have a locked title yet?

It accepts a clearly marked placeholder and flags it — it doesn't block, and it doesn't write a title for you.

Does it design book covers?

No. Cover creative direction is a separate, not-yet-built skill. This one places a finished cover file into the package.

Does it handle the ISBN or the KDP upload?

No — it hands off a complete package for the operator to take through the ISBN/upload step. That relationship stays operator-only.