Publishing Studio

Purpose

Produce one canonical, source-traceable publication that can compile into several editions without fragmenting content, rights, claims, or product identity.

When it fires

• A governed source collection must become an ebook, guide, workbook, curriculum, course, print edition, or audiobook packet.
• An existing publication needs a new edition, channel package, evidence repair, or quality review.
• A KDP, Apple Books, owned-store, Gumroad, Notion, or Canva package must be prepared from canonical source.

Inputs

• Product manifest and exact source repository revision.
• Publishing Studio task envelope with buyer job, deliverables, token ceiling, deadline, target channels, acceptance and stop conditions.
• Source inventory, claim/citation map, rights record, design-contract revision, commercial state and previous release receipt.

Workflow

1. Resolve the canonical product, brand, repository, Publishing Studio pack and requested channel adapters from the reviewed Empire Registry. Stop on unresolved authority or conflicting sources.
2. Bind the task envelope. Preserve at least 25% of its token ceiling for verification and stop after three production/review rounds.
3. Build a source map separating primary evidence, interpretation, original contribution, fiction, quotations, licensed material and unresolved claims.
4. Give non-overlapping ownership to source editor, developmental editor, edition designer, production editor and independent verifier. The manager alone owns synthesis.
5. Create the canonical manuscript and learning architecture around the named buyer job. Record inclusions, exclusions, examples, assessment, navigation and support boundaries.
6. Run developmental, line, factual, citation, rights, accessibility and format review. Mark non-applicable gates with reasons; never silently omit them.
7. Compile channel packages from the canonical edition: EPUB, PDF, print interior/cover, course assets, workbook, sample, metadata, previews and instructions as required by each adapter.
8. Produce a release receipt bound to exact revisions, artifacts, checks, token/cost actuals, unresolved decisions, rollback or takedown route and independent recommendation.

Output contract

Return:

• canonical manuscript and edition manifest;
• source, claim, citation and rights map;
• accessible multi-format package;
• requested channel packages and their validation evidence;
• exact-revision release receipt;
• one of PR_READY, MERGED_NOT_LIVE, LISTED_VERIFIED, LIVE_VERIFIED, or BLOCKED.

Tools and MCP

Use GitHub for canonical source, contracts and release history; Google Drive for private masters, evidence and review handoff; Notion for founder-readable projection; Figma or Canva for governed derivative layouts; and publishing validators for EPUB, PDF and print preflight. A connected tool is an adapter, never the source of product truth.

Quality bar

• Every material claim and external asset is traceable.
• Reader transformation, structure and exercises form one coherent mechanism.
• Editable source, accessible reading order, metadata, sample and support boundary exist.
• Channel files derive from one canonical edition and agree on version, title, rights and commercial state.
• No submission, public price, rights grant or third-party communication occurs without explicit authorization.

Built on SIP — Starlight Intelligence Protocol Vertical: federated-product-studios · portable capability layer