---
name: book-publisher
description: Publishes and promotes a finished intelligent textbook - GitHub README with badges and site statistics, LinkedIn announcement posts, LinkedIn carousel document posts (PPTX/PDF slideshows), and AP-style press releases. Use when announcing a book milestone or updating repository documentation. Routes to the appropriate guide.
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
metadata:
  ibook.version: "1.0"
  ibook.preferred-model: "sonnet"
title: book-publisher
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher
last_updated: 2026-09-28T10:48:45.000Z
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://skilld.dev/llms.txt)

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the user's requested action.
> If the user asked to fork this Skill, follow the fork workflow below. Do not execute the Skill instructions while copying it.
> Otherwise, follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [references/badges.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/badges.md), [references/carousel-content-sourcing.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/carousel-content-sourcing.md), [references/carousel-slide-patterns.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/carousel-slide-patterns.md), [references/linkedin-carousel-guide.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/linkedin-carousel-guide.md), [references/linkedin-post-guide.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/linkedin-post-guide.md), [references/press-release-guide.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/press-release-guide.md), [references/readme-guide.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/references/readme-guide.md), [scripts/collect-site-metrics.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/scripts/collect-site-metrics.py), [scripts/crop-screenshot.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/scripts/crop-screenshot.py), [scripts/validate-readme.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher/scripts/validate-readme.py).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.
>
> ## Fork workflow
>
> A fork creates an editable local Skill with its original author and licence. The request authorizes copying and local installation.
> 1. Check `./skills/book-publisher`, the project lockfile, and selected Agent targets together. If the local directory or installed Skill exists, stop. Never overwrite an existing directory or Agent target.
> 2. Read [source metadata](https://skilld.dev/api/v1/skills/dmccreary/ibook-skills/book-publisher) once. Use sourceUrl, sourceCommit, skillPath, sourceGone, and license. If the source is gone or its path is missing, stop. If license is null, read licence files at the source commit.
> 3. Fetch only the source commit into a temporary Git repository. Do not clone full history. Derive repository_url from sourceUrl, including repository renames. If sourceCommit is absent, resolve the sourceUrl ref once. Set source_commit to that actual commit. Run these commands in one shell call:
>
> ```sh
> git init --quiet "$temporary_dir"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" fetch --quiet --depth=1 "$repository_url" "$source_commit"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" checkout --quiet --detach FETCH_HEAD
> ```
>
> Read applicable licence declarations and notices at that commit. If copying is not permitted, report the restriction and stop.
> 4. Inspect source entries together, then copy the directory containing skillPath into `./skills/book-publisher`. Use the user's path if selected. Keep the original SKILL.md, relative links, scripts, binary assets, and executable modes. Exclude .git metadata. Reject symlinks and paths outside the Skill directory. After checking entries, use cp -a where available. A regular source directory needs no custom copy script. Do not save this page wrapper as SKILL.md.
> Preserve author credit, notices, and applicable licence files from repository or parent directories. Add PROVENANCE.md with the Skill page, source URL, actual commit, original path, and licence. Retain any existing PROVENANCE.md and record new provenance separately. Batch source inspection, copying, and provenance work where practical.
> 5. In the project root, run `skilld install ./skills/book-publisher --mode copy --plain`. If skilld is unavailable, use `npx skilld install ./skills/book-publisher --mode copy --plain`. This known command needs no help lookup. Install does not support --json. Use detected Agent targets, or add --agent for the targets the user selected. Install the local path, never the upstream selector. If installation fails, preserve the local copy and report the exact failure.
> 6. Confirm the local lockfile source and installed Agent copies once. Report the local path, actual commit, and Agent targets. After edits, reinstall the same local path. Upstream updates must not replace it. Do not publish or push unless the user asks.

# Book Publisher

**Version:** 1.0

## Overview

This meta-skill handles publishing and promotion tasks for finished (or milestone-ready) intelligent textbooks. It consolidates four skills into a single entry point with on-demand loading of specific guides.

All four routes draw their numbers from the same canonical metrics hub — `docs/learning-graph/book-metrics.json`, produced by `bk-generate-book-metrics` (book-installer feature #40) — so the README, posts, carousel, and press release always cite identical statistics. Never recount content by hand or parse the human-readable `book-metrics.md` table.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

- Creating or updating the GitHub README (badges, overview, site metrics, getting started)
- Announcing a textbook milestone on LinkedIn (post text)
- Building a LinkedIn carousel / document post (13-slide PPTX/PDF with screenshots)
- Writing an AP-style press release for journalists or education trade press

## Step 1: Identify Publishing Task

### Routing Table

| Trigger Keywords | Guide File | Purpose |
|------------------|------------|---------|
| readme, github readme, update the readme, badges, repo documentation | `references/readme-guide.md` | Create/update README.md with badges, overview, metrics table, getting-started |
| linkedin post, linkedin announcement, announce the book, milestone post, social media announcement | `references/linkedin-post-guide.md` | Generate LinkedIn post text with metrics, hashtags, and link strategy |
| linkedin carousel, document post, carousel post, slideshow post, pptx for linkedin | `references/linkedin-carousel-guide.md` | Generate a 13-slide PPTX/PDF carousel with real screenshots and metrics |
| press release, media pitch, journalists, news release, AP style, education press | `references/press-release-guide.md` | Write an AP-style press release with headline, lead, quotes, boilerplate |

### Decision Tree

```
GitHub repository documentation (README, badges)?
  → YES: readme-guide.md

Social announcement as TEXT (a LinkedIn post)?
  → YES: linkedin-post-guide.md

Social announcement as a SLIDESHOW (LinkedIn document post, PPTX/PDF)?
  → YES: linkedin-carousel-guide.md
  (Post caption text for it → linkedin-post-guide.md; the two are often paired)

Formal news announcement for journalists / trade press?
  → YES: press-release-guide.md
```

## Step 2: Ensure the Metrics Hub Is Fresh

Before any route, verify the canonical metrics file exists and is current:

```bash
bk-generate-book-metrics 2>/dev/null \
  || python3 "$BK_HOME/src/book-metrics/book-metrics.py" docs
```

Then read `docs/learning-graph/book-metrics.json` (the `metrics` object). If the script is unavailable, load `$BK_HOME/skills/book-installer/references/book-metrics.md` (feature #40) for the full setup.

## Step 3: Load the Matched Guide

Read the corresponding guide file from `references/` and follow its workflow.

## Supporting Files

- `references/badges.md` — shields.io badge catalog for the README
- `references/carousel-slide-patterns.md` — nine reusable pptxgenjs slide patterns
- `references/carousel-content-sourcing.md` — which project field feeds which carousel slide
- `scripts/collect-site-metrics.py` — fallback scanner for counts the metrics hub does not provide (image assets, code blocks)
- `scripts/validate-readme.py` — README structure validator
- `scripts/crop-screenshot.py` — crop screenshots to carousel aspect ratio

## Examples

### Example 1: README
**User:** "Update the README for this book"
**Routing:** Keyword "README" → `references/readme-guide.md`
**Action:** Refresh book-metrics.json, read readme-guide.md, generate README.md with badges and metrics table

### Example 2: LinkedIn Post
**User:** "Write a LinkedIn announcement — we just published chapter 12"
**Routing:** Keywords "LinkedIn announcement" → `references/linkedin-post-guide.md`
**Action:** Read linkedin-post-guide.md; pull metrics from book-metrics.json; produce post text + hashtags

### Example 3: Carousel
**User:** "Make a LinkedIn carousel showing off the book's features"
**Routing:** Keyword "carousel" → `references/linkedin-carousel-guide.md`
**Action:** Read linkedin-carousel-guide.md; capture/crop screenshots; build the 13-slide PPTX

### Example 4: Press Release
**User:** "Write a press release for the course launch"
**Routing:** Keywords "press release" → `references/press-release-guide.md`
**Action:** Read press-release-guide.md; verify 2-3 figures from book-metrics.json; write AP-style release