Your pre-publish checklist — scored, prioritized, and actionable
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The Crimson PromiseBook 6 · Hartwell Chronicles · 87,432 words
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Overall Launch Readiness — 7 of 12 criteria fully met
Not ReadyNeeds WorkAlmost Ready ←Launch Ready
0
/ 100
⚡ Almost Ready
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Manuscript
92
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Cover Design
74
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Metadata
68
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Keywords
55
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Pricing
88
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Marketing
48
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Manuscript Readiness
Format, content, and technical requirements
92 / 100 ✓▼
✓
Manuscript fully formatted Done
Your manuscript is formatted in KDP-ready EPUB and print PDF format. Trim size 6"×9", correct margins, embedded fonts, clean chapter breaks. ✓
✓
Front matter complete Done
Title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents detected and formatted. Copyright year is 2026. ISBN placeholder present — replace with actual ISBN before publishing.
✓
Back matter complete Done
About the Author, Also By section, and newsletter CTA are present. Series order listed correctly (Books 1–6).
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Proof copy reviewed High Priority
No proof copy review logged. Every physical book should be reviewed in print before wide distribution. Common issues only visible in print: margins too tight, widow lines, orphaned chapter headings.
✓
AI editing complete Done
Book health score: 84/100. 3 issues flagged (2 POV breaks in Ch.22, pacing gap Ch.14–17). These are noted — mark as accepted or fix before launch.
2560×1600px detected. KDP minimum is 2560×1600. Print cover includes bleed (0.125"). File size: 4.2MB (within KDP 50MB limit).
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AI cover quality assessment High Priority
Your cover scores 6.8/10 for Gothic Romance genre fit. Main issue: the title typography is hard to read at thumbnail size (the most critical viewing context on Amazon). Gothic Romance readers browse by thumbnail — your title must be legible at 80×120px.
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Spine text correct Critical
At 87,432 words with cream paper, your print book is approximately 287 pages. Spine width should be 0.703". Current cover spine appears to use 0.65" — this will cause print rejection by IngramSpark.
✓
Series branding consistent Done
The Crimson Promise cover matches the visual style, color palette, and typography of Books 1–5 in the Hartwell Chronicles. Series logo placement correct.
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Book Metadata
Title, description, categories — your discoverability foundation
68 / 100▼
✓
Title and subtitle optimized Done
"The Crimson Promise" — clean, genre-appropriate, fits the series naming pattern. No keyword stuffing. Subtitle "A Hartwell Chronicles Novel" correctly identifies series membership.
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Book description needs improvement Critical
Your current description (below) is 187 words. Gothic Romance average is 250–350 words. More critically, it opens with backstory rather than with the main character in a moment of tension. Amazon A9 algorithm weights the first 30 words heavily for keyword relevance.
Current Description
"After four years of widowhood, Evangeline Hartwell believed the secrets of her late husband's death had been buried with him. But when a sealed letter arrives from beyond the grave..."
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Category selection — suboptimal High Priority
Current categories: "Romance > Historical" and "Fiction > Gothic." Recommended: "Romance > Historical > Victorian" (higher traffic) and "Romance > Gothic" (better genre match). The "Victorian" subcategory has 40% lower competition than "Historical Romance" with similar search volume for your keywords.
✓
Series metadata linked Done
Series title "Hartwell Chronicles" registered on KDP. Book #6 correctly marked. Series page will display all 6 books.
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Keyword Strategy
7 keyword slots on KDP — your search discoverability
55 / 100 — Needs Work▼
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3 of 7 keyword slots are suboptimal Critical
Keywords are your primary organic discoverability on Amazon. Weak keywords mean readers who want your book cannot find it. Here is your current keyword assessment:
Current eBook price: $4.99. For Gothic Romance series, books 2–6 at $4.99 is optimal — sits in the sweet spot where KDP pays 70% royalty and impulse purchase rate is highest. Genre average for books 4+ in series: $4.49–$5.99.
Minimum
$2.99
70% royalty floor
Your Price ★
$4.99
Optimal for Book 6
Genre Avg
$4.49
Comparable titles
Max Tested
$5.99
Diminishing returns
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Book 1 price for series funnel High Priority
Book 1 "The Widow's Lantern" is currently $3.99. For a 6-book series, Book 1 should be permanently free or $0.99 to maximize series read-through. Your royalties come from Books 2–6. Every reader who bounces from Book 1 over price is a lost $19.95 in downstream revenue.
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Launch Marketing Plan
ARC readers, promotional plan, and launch week strategy
48 / 100 — Needs Attention▼
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ARC (Advance Review Copy) distribution Critical
No ARC distribution logged. Books that launch with 0 reviews underperform books with 10+ reviews by 60% in week-one sales. You have an existing reader base from Books 1–5 — they are your best ARC source. Target 15–25 ARC readers, distributed 3–4 weeks before launch.
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Email list announcement scheduled Critical
No email campaign scheduled. Your most valuable launch asset is readers who already love your books. If you have a newsletter list from Books 1–5, a 3-email sequence (teaser → cover reveal → launch day) typically drives 20–40% of first-week sales.
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Promotional sites booked High Priority
BookBub Featured Deal — applied but not confirmed. Consider also: Ereader News Today, Robin Reads, Bargain Booksy (for Book 1 free promotion). These sites should be booked 4–6 weeks in advance. Launch day promotions are rarely available last-minute.
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Social media content planned Done
Cover reveal post scheduled. 6 character quote graphics prepared. BookTok video script drafted. Series recap post for new readers ready. Good work — this is complete.
Fix 3 critical items to reach Launch Ready
You're 72/100. Fixing the spine width, keyword slots, and adding ARC readers will push you to 90+. Don't launch at 72 when you're this close.
Estimated time to fix all critical issues: 3–4 hours
✅Done
✨ AI Description Rewrite
Claude will rewrite your book description to open with tension, introduce the love interest early, and optimize the first 30 words for Amazon's A9 algorithm.
Analyzing your description and generating a stronger opening…