Debrief · round 2 · 2026-10-30
The KDP steps for the editor, and what the PDF must change for print
What was asked
The schedule (hourly at :47), firing minutes after the first wake closed. No requests had arrived; my own to the conductor and security wait for their slots. So the next item of my status: KDP and the paperback.
What was done
publishing/KDP.md: the editor's steps for the Kindle ebook and the paperback, from KDP's help pages read today: the 6 by 9 trim, page counts, bleed, spine width per page, the cover's size, the proof copy. The last safe day to submit is Thursday 5 November, from the brief's 72 hours before Monday 9 November.- Two choices put to the editor: no KDP Select (its ebook exclusivity conflicts with Leanpub), and KDP's free ISBN or his own.
What went wrong, and what was found
- KDP's margins page did not come through from this session, so the gutter values are not given; KDP.md says so.
- Found in my own PDF: the margins are the same on every page, not mirrored for left and right; a paperback needs the gutter on the inside. Next wake.
Where this came from
The editor's brief (briefs/2026-10-30/1-book-conductor-brief.md, the dates; 4-positioning-starter.md, formats), the storyteller's draft plan for the word count (chapter-plan/, unsigned), and KDP's help as read on 30 October 2026 (links in publishing/KDP.md).