The system is the strategy. Every book follows the same path. The path is what scales.
At 40 editions live, this catalog should generate $270–$400/month. At 500 editions live across five years, the target is $8,000–$10,000/month — from the classics catalog combined with original Nathaniel Vale titles that share the same ecosystem. That number only works if no single book consumes disproportionate time. The pipeline exists to prevent that.
The Identity Structure
Wisdom Keep Classics — The Imprint
All 212+ public domain editions are published under this imprint name. "Edited by Wisdom Keep Classics" for Lane 1. "Translated by Wisdom Keep Classics" for Lane 2. Amazon Author Central account, Goodreads author profile, and all series branding belong to this identity. The classics catalog lives here and only here.
Nathaniel Vale — The Author
Original books only. Separate Amazon Author Central account. Separate Goodreads author profile. No classics on this page — ever. The connection between the two identities exists on wisdomkeep.org and in back matter that points readers to the broader ecosystem. The author page stays clean.
The Two Lanes
Lane 1 — Reprint
Wisdom Keep Classic
Calibre EPUB Editor · Original Text · KDP + D2D
Download the public domain EPUB. Open in Calibre. Remove all foreign branding, fix formatting, add Wisdom Keep front matter and cover. Export, upload to KDP and D2D. Zero language changes. The subtitle reads: The Complete and Unabridged Original Text.
Lane 2 — Translation
Classics in Modern English
Full Translation · New IP · KU-Eligible · KDP + D2D
Sentence-by-sentence modernization. Voice, argument structure, and ideas preserved. Language, syntax, and archaic vocabulary updated. New intellectual property. KU-eligible. The subtitle reads: A Modern English Translation with Explanatory Notes.
The Revenue Mechanism
Long-Tail Search
Someone searches "The Prince modern English" or "Leviathan plain language" on Amazon or Google. Your edition appears. No ongoing promotion required. Compounds as the catalog grows. This is where most units come from.
Catalog Halo
A reader of an original Nathaniel Vale book sees "Also by Wisdom Keep" and browses the classics. The classics become a credibility signal and a revenue tail from original work. This gets stronger over time.
Active Promotion
One session per book. Four assets. All platforms scheduled. Done. No individual book gets ongoing promotion. The catalog as a whole gets promoted when you publish original work that references it.
Version 2 — What's New
What This Version Adds Over v1
Version 2 extends the pipeline to cover the full journey from the tracker list through the final scheduled post. Added: Lane 1 Calibre production workflow, the full distribution account structure (KDP, D2D, Kobo Writing Life direct, Google Play Books direct, author pages), the four-asset promotion formula, per-platform post formats, the archive and advance protocol, and updated checklists covering all eight phases. The editorial and translation standards from v1 are preserved unchanged.
Every title passes through all eight phases in order. Lane-specific production work happens inside Phase 4. Everything before and after is identical for both lanes.
1
▾
Open the WK Classics Publishing Tracker. The tracker is the single source of truth for what gets worked on and when. Never start a book that is not in the tracker. Never work on two books simultaneously.
Identify the next title in queue. The tracker shows the title, the lane assignment (Lane 1 or Lane 2), and any notes from when it was added to the list. Read those notes before proceeding.
Confirm the lane assignment. The lane was decided when the book was added to the tracker. It does not change at this stage. If you believe it should change, update the tracker with a note and a reason — do not simply proceed under a different lane without documenting it.
Mark the title as In Progress in the tracker. One book in progress at a time. The tracker status moves from Queue → In Progress → Complete.
✔ Title Selected
✔ Lane Confirmed
✔ Tracker Updated: In Progress
2
▾
Verify public domain status. Confirm author death date plus jurisdiction. Verify no active translation copyright applies. Source from at least two independent PD repositories — Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, Wikisource.
Relevance test. Does this work influence systems, institutions, strategy, or civilizational thinking? Does it appear repeatedly across history, education, or doctrine? If neither — archive it, do not publish.
Redundancy check. Are there 20+ identical low-effort editions already in the market? If yes, the Wisdom Keep value must be clarity, trust, or structure. Identify that differentiator now. If one does not exist, do not proceed.
✔ PD Status Confirmed
✔ Relevance Confirmed
✔ Differentiator Identified
3
▾
Download from multiple sources. Pull the text from at least two PD repositories. Compare them. Resolve any missing paragraphs, formatting corruption, or scanning artifacts before proceeding.
Text sanitization. Remove OCR errors, zero-width characters, Project Gutenberg headers and footers, donation notices, other publishers' branding, and embedded metadata junk. Normalize punctuation and paragraph breaks. Do not rewrite yet — this is cleaning only.
Lock the canonical baseline. Save this clean file. This is the reference master and it is never edited again. All Lane 1 formatting and all Lane 2 translation work branches from this locked file.
✔ Clean Canonical Source Locked
4
▾
This is where the lanes diverge. Full step-by-step procedures for each lane are on the Lane 1 and Lane 2 tabs. The summary of each path:
Lane 1 — Calibre Production
Open canonical EPUB in Calibre Book Editor. Fix all formatting. Remove all non-Wisdom Keep branding. Add Wisdom Keep front matter, cover image, and edition notes. Export final EPUB and print-ready file. Zero language changes at any point.
Lane 2 — Translation Production
Pre-translation read and author voice profile. Chapter-by-chapter idiom identification. Full modernization pass. Fidelity check against original. Full manuscript review. Editor's Note and footnotes. New IP. KU-eligible.
✔ Production-Ready Manuscript
5
▾
Apply standard Wisdom Keep structure.
→Title page
→Lane-appropriate disclaimer — public domain notice (Lane 1) or translation note (Lane 2)
→Table of contents
→Editor's Note (Lane 2 only)
→Body text
→End matter: source edition(s), edition notes
Metadata engineering. Write a search-resilient product description (not SEO spam). Select correct BISAC categories. Apply series naming consistent with all other titles. The subtitle must be exactly the lane-standard wording — no variation.
Edition labeling check. A buyer must be able to determine which edition they are purchasing from the subtitle alone, without reading the product description. If there is any ambiguity, fix it before proceeding.
✔ Publication-Ready Book File
✔ Metadata Written
6
▾
Lane violation scan. No commentary or modernization in Lane 1 reprints. No claim to be "original text" in Lane 2 translations. Read the front matter fresh — it is the most common location of lane contamination.
Reader expectation test. Pick up the book as a stranger seeing it for the first time. Does the subtitle match the content? Does the front matter match the subtitle? Does the description match both?
Reputation check. Would this edition survive scrutiny by academics, lawyers, and long-term readers? If the honest answer to any of those three is uncertain — fix it or kill it.
✔ Cleared for Publishing
7
▾
Upload to KDP (Amazon). Ebook upload first, then print if applicable. Set pricing. Enroll Lane 2 Modern English editions in KU if using Select. Lane 1 reprints go wide (not Select) so D2D can also distribute them. Confirm the Wisdom Keep Classics author page is linked, not Nathaniel Vale's page.
Upload to Draft2Digital. One upload pushes to Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Scribd, OverDrive, Hoopla, Baker & Taylor, Vivlio, Tolino, and Palace Marketplace simultaneously. Use the same metadata as KDP. Set consistent pricing. D2D formats the file for each platform automatically.
Upload direct to Kobo Writing Life. Even though D2D distributes to Kobo, a direct Kobo account gives access to the Kobo promotions dashboard. Upload separately here to retain promotional access.
Upload direct to Google Play Books Partner Center. Direct account provides pricing flexibility and faster metadata updates. Google Play has meaningful organic search traffic for classics. Upload separately, do not rely on D2D's Google distribution alone.
Claim on Amazon Author Central (Wisdom Keep Classics account). Log into the Wisdom Keep Classics Author Central account. Find the newly published title and add it to the page. Confirm the book appears on the author page correctly.
Add to Goodreads (Wisdom Keep Classics account). Add the book to the Wisdom Keep Classics Goodreads author profile. Write a complete book entry — description, cover, series, edition info. A book with no Goodreads page looks invisible in Google search results.
Add to BookBub and StoryGraph author profiles. Both are free. Add the title to the Wisdom Keep Classics profile on each platform. These are set-and-leave accounts — add the title and move on.
✔ Live on Amazon
✔ Live via D2D (9 platforms)
✔ Live on Kobo Direct
✔ Live on Google Play
✔ Author Pages Updated
8
▾
Create the four promotional assets. Cover image (already exists from production), quote graphic (one striking line from the text with cover branding), two-sentence description of what makes this text worth reading today, and one "most interesting idea in this book" sentence. All four assets are created in this single session.
Schedule posts to all active platforms. Facebook, Instagram, X, Gab, Truth Social, Pinterest, and one Substack Note. Write all posts in one session and schedule them to go out over the following days using your scheduling tool. Do not post manually in real time — batch and schedule.
Save to Obsidian vault. Create a vault entry for this title containing: title, author, lane, publication date, ASIN and ISBNs, all platform links, the four promotional assets (text versions), and any production notes worth keeping.
Update the tracker. Mark the title Complete. Log the publication date, lane, and all live platform links in the tracker entry. This is the last action on this book.
Advance to the next title. Open the tracker. The next book in the queue is now In Progress. Begin Phase 1 again.
✔ All Posts Scheduled
✔ Vault Entry Created
✔ Tracker: Complete
✔ Next Book: In Progress
Lane 1 — Wisdom Keep Classic (Straight Reprint)
The editor's job in a reprint is to disappear.
A Lane 1 edition is the original text, professionally prepared. Calibre is the tool. The work is cleaning, formatting, and branding — not writing. Every formatting decision exists to make the reader's encounter with the original author cleaner, not to add a layer between them.
Calibre Production Workflow — Step by Step
A
▾
Download the EPUB from Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive. If both sources have EPUB files, download both and compare them before proceeding. The cleaner file becomes the working copy.
Add to Calibre library and immediately make a duplicate. Work on the duplicate. The original downloaded file is archived as the canonical baseline locked in Phase 3 — never touch it again.
Open in Calibre's Book Editor (Edit Book, not Convert Books). This is the EPUB editor that lets you work directly on the internal HTML and CSS files. Do not use Convert Books for this work.
B
▾
Remove Project Gutenberg materials. Delete the PG header (title block, PG license statement, the "START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK" marker), the PG footer (the "END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK" block, the full license text, the production notes). Everything before the actual text begins and after it ends.
Remove any other publisher front matter. If a previous digital edition included its own introduction, translator's note, or branding — remove it. Only the original author's content stays.
Remove donation notices, external links, and metadata junk. Any hyperlinks pointing outside the book, any "support PG" notices, any OCR artifacts. Use Calibre's Find & Replace (Ctrl+H in the editor) with regex enabled for systematic cleanup across all files.
C
▾
Fix paragraph spacing. OCR'd and digitized texts often have inconsistent paragraph breaks — extra blank lines, missing breaks, or run-together paragraphs. Normalize to consistent spacing throughout.
Fix chapter breaks. Ensure every chapter starts on a new page. Apply consistent chapter heading styling. Use Calibre's stylesheet editor to assign clean, readable typography — do not leave the default Gutenberg CSS in place.
Fix font and style assignments. Remove any inconsistent font tags, inline styles, or span elements that were introduced by OCR or digitization. The body text should be clean semantic HTML — paragraph tags and heading tags only, with styles applied via the stylesheet.
Check and fix the table of contents. The TOC should list all chapters accurately. Calibre can regenerate the TOC automatically — use this if the existing TOC is corrupted or missing.
D
▾
Add the cover image. In Calibre's Book Editor, replace the existing cover (if any) with your Wisdom Keep cover. Set it as the cover in Calibre's metadata editor as well so it displays correctly in ereaders and on retail platforms.
Add the title page. A clean title page showing the original title, the original author, and "Wisdom Keep Classics Edition" below. Nothing else on the title page.
Add the required Lane 1 front matter page. Three elements on this page: (1) public domain notice stating this text is in the public domain; (2) source transparency identifying which edition(s) this reprint is based on; (3) statement of non-alteration confirming no language in the original text has been changed. This page is mandatory.
Update Calibre metadata. Title, author (original author name), series, series index, language, and publication date. The publisher field should read "Wisdom Keep Classics." Confirm the cover is correctly assigned in metadata.
E
▾
Export the EPUB from Calibre's Book Editor using Save a Copy. This is the ebook upload file for KDP, D2D, Kobo, and Google Play.
Preview the EPUB in Calibre's viewer and in at least one other reader (Kindle Previewer for KDP submission, or a free app). Check the cover, title page, TOC, first chapter, and a middle chapter. Confirm formatting holds throughout.
Prepare the print file if publishing in print. KDP's print upload accepts a PDF or DOCX. Export from Calibre to DOCX, then do a final formatting pass in Word to meet KDP's print interior specifications (margins, gutter, page size).
✔ EPUB Ready for Upload
✔ Print File Ready (if applicable)
Lane 1 Non-Negotiable Rules
Never Permitted
Any language modernization. Any interpretation or editorial commentary inside the body text. Any annotations alongside chapters. Any reorganization of the author's structure. Any abridgment. Any updating or softening of the author's views.
Permitted Enhancements
Professional typesetting and formatting. Clear readable typography. Section headers — only if faithful to the original structure. A premium cover. Well-engineered metadata. Source attribution in front matter.
Lane 1 — Post-Production Checklist
Run this checklist after completing all Calibre production steps. Every item must be confirmed before advancing to Phase 5 — Structural Assembly. This is a standalone verification pass designed to catch anything missed during production.
Phase 1 — Text Integrity
Public-domain status confirmed — author death date, year of publication, and jurisdiction verified
Authoritative source selected — Gutenberg, Archive.org, university, or government repository
Unverified PDFs and OCR dumps rejected as source material
OCR artifacts removed — broken words, spacing errors, ligature failures
Zero-width characters and hidden tags removed
Hyperlinks, spam, and any injected text removed
Paragraphs and quotation marks normalized only — original wording, structure, and voice untouched
Final fidelity question answered: Is this 100% the author's original text?
Phase 2 — Structural Consistency
Standard Wisdom Keep Classics front matter structure applied
Clear public-domain notice present
Brief preservation statement included — one page maximum
Original table of contents preserved intact
No chapters renamed, reordered, merged, or split
Phase 3 — Metadata
Title = original title, unchanged
Subtitle = The Complete and Unabridged Original Text — exact standard wording, no variation
Author = original author name
Series = Wisdom Keep Classics
Publisher imprint consistent with all other titles in the catalog
Keywords factual and non-promotional
Description states: what the book is, why this edition exists, and what it does not do — no interpretation, no editorial context
Phase 4 — Interior Formatting
Readable serif font applied throughout
Comfortable margins and line spacing confirmed
No decorative or anachronistic design elements introduced
Clean, consistent chapter headers throughout
Phase 5 — Cover Design
Cover matches Wisdom Keep Classics branding standards
Classical typography used
Muted, timeless palette — no modern imagery that misrepresents the text's era
Cover looks credible on a library shelf
Final Go / No-Go
Text integrity verified — this is 100% the author's original text
Lane rules respected — zero interpretation, zero commentary, zero modernization
Metadata complete and consistent with catalog standards
Interior formatting readable and restrained
Cover signals longevity and institutional trust
Go Condition
All boxes checked → advance to Phase 5 — Structural Assembly. Any open item stops advancement. This checklist does not move forward with unresolved questions. Resolve it or kill it.
Lane 2 — Classics in Modern English
Preserve the voice. Modernize the vehicle.
A Lane 2 edition removes linguistic friction — not intellectual friction. If the author's argument is difficult, the modern English version is still difficult. The work has been made accessible, not easy. That distinction is what makes it defensible as new intellectual property and what makes it genuinely useful to readers.
This Is New Intellectual Property
A Wisdom Keep Modern English translation is not a reprint. It is new IP. It is KU-eligible. The translator's choices constitute a distinct creative work layered over a public domain text. The subtitle, the branding, and every platform listing must reflect this clearly.
Translation Process — Step by Step
A
▾
Read the full canonical source text before beginning any translation work. The goal is to internalize the author's voice, rhythm, and argumentative style before intervening in it.
Create an Author Voice Profile. A brief working document noting: characteristic sentence architecture, degree of formality, relationship to the reader, recurring stylistic signatures, and any title-specific vocabulary patterns. This document governs every translation decision for this title.
B
▾
Read the chapter fully. Identify all idioms, metaphors, cultural references, classical allusions, period-specific expressions, and proverbs where literal meaning differs from intended meaning.
For each item: document the original phrase, surrounding context, literal meaning, intended meaning, and two or three modern alternatives. Select one alternative before translation begins. Do not make idiom decisions mid-translation.
✔ Idiom Decision Log — per chapter
C
▾
Translate chapter by chapter, sequentially. Apply the governing question to every decision: Does this change make the author's original meaning more accessible without altering it? If anything other than yes — preserve.
Apply all pre-selected idiom replacements. Apply vocabulary modernization per the Translation Standards tab. Apply syntax corrections for archaic constructions. Do not break sentence rhythm. Do not re-paragraph. Those two rules are absolute.
D
▾
After each chapter: compare modernized paragraph against original paragraph. Ask — Would the author agree this is what they meant? Flag any uncertain passage. Default: preserve.
After all chapters: read the complete manuscript as a reader. Does the voice feel consistent start to finish? Are all recurring terms handled consistently?
Draft the Editor's Note and add all footnotes. Then proceed to Phase 5 — Structural Assembly.
✔ Complete Translated Manuscript
✔ Editor's Note
✔ Footnotes
AI Prompt Template — Per Chapter
// Copy and paste for each chapter. Fill bracketed fields.
You are translating a classic text into Modern English for the Wisdom Keep Classics series.
BOOK: [Title]
AUTHOR: [Name]
CHAPTER: [Number / Title]
GOVERNING PRINCIPLE:
Does this change make the author's original meaning more accessible
to a contemporary reader, without altering that meaning in any way?
If yes: change. If no or uncertain: preserve and document in a footnote.
WHAT CHANGES:
- Archaic pronouns (thee, thou, thy → you, your)
- Archaic verb forms (hath, doth → has, does; -eth, -est endings)
- Inverted syntax resolved to standard order (unless rhetorical structure)
- Archaic vocabulary replaced with contemporary equivalents
- Period-standard spelling modernized
- Passive voice converted to active where clarity improves
WHAT DOES NOT CHANGE — ABSOLUTE:
- Sentence length and rhythm — this is voice. Do not break sentences.
- Paragraph structure — preserve the author's paragraph breaks exactly.
- Argument sequence and organization
- Tone, emotional register, irony, gravity
- Metaphors and period-specific imagery (footnote for context if needed)
- The author's ideas, views, and positions
STEP 1 — IDIOM IDENTIFICATION:
Read the chapter. Identify ALL idioms, metaphors, cultural references,
classical allusions. For each: original phrase, context, literal meaning,
intended meaning, and 2–3 modern alternatives. Wait for my selections.
STEP 2 — FULL TRANSLATION:
After selections confirmed, produce the complete modernized chapter.
Original chapter text:
[PASTE CHAPTER HERE]
Governing Principle
"Does this change make the author's original meaning more accessible to a contemporary reader, without altering that meaning in any way?"
If yes — change. If no, or any uncertainty — preserve. The burden of justification is always on the change, never on the original.
The Three-Part Test
All three must be satisfied. A change satisfying only one or two fails the test.
01
Does the change make the text easier to read for a contemporary audience?
02
Does the change leave the meaning, tone, and intent of the original entirely intact?
03
Would the original author, if explained the purpose, have no reasonable objection to this specific change?
Complete Standards Table
| Original Feature | Modernization Standard | Changes? |
|---|---|---|
| Archaic pronouns (thou, thee, thy, thine, ye) | Replace with contemporary equivalents. Preserve grammatical person and number. Plural address remains plural. | Yes |
| Archaic verb forms (-eth, -est; hath, doth, wilt, art) | Resolve to current standard. Preserve tense and aspect exactly. | Yes |
| Inverted syntax (archaic word order) | Resolve to standard order, unless structural to a deliberate rhetorical device. Document exceptions in Editor's Note. | Usually |
| Archaic vocabulary | Replace with closest contemporary equivalent. Footnote if connotation is lost. | Yes |
| Period-standard spelling | Modernize to current standard. American English unless British-origin text. | Yes |
| Capitalized common nouns (period convention) | Normalize, unless persistent and emphatic throughout the work. | Usually |
| Punctuation (semicolons, run-ons) | Modernize to current usage. Replace semicolon-heavy linking where meaning permits. Preserve paragraph structure exactly. | Yes |
| Passive voice | Convert to active when clarity improves. Preserve when actor is unknown, unimportant, or active voice would sound forced. | Where helpful |
| Idioms, allusions, cultural references | Identify before translation. Select modern equivalent or preserve. Document all decisions. | Per decision log |
| Sentence length and rhythm | Do not alter. This is voice. Long-sentence authors keep long sentences. Short-sentence authors keep short sentences. Absolute rule. | Never |
| Paragraph structure | Preserve exactly. Do not re-paragraph for modern reading conventions. Full-page paragraphs stay full-page. Author's structure belongs to the author. | Never |
| Argument sequence and organization | The order of ideas, transitions, and resolutions — none of this changes. The editor does not reorganize. | Never |
| Tone and emotional register | Irony, wit, gravity, melancholy — all preserved. Do not smooth emotional register. | Never |
| Metaphors and period imagery | Preserved. Footnote context if needed — do not replace the image with a modern equivalent. | Never |
| Author's ideas and expressed views | Preserved unchanged. No censorship or softening. Contextual framing belongs in the Editor's Note, not the text. | Never |
Archaic → Modern Quick Reference
Archaic
Modern
hath
has
doth
does
thee / thou
you
thy / thine
your / yours
ye
you
whilst
while
amongst
among
upon
on
unto
to
ere
before
nigh
near
perchance
perhaps
forsooth
indeed
verily
truly
methinks
I think
henceforth
from now on
wherefore
why
whence
from where
Decision Protocol — When Uncertain
01
Return to the governing principle: does the change make meaning more accessible without altering it?
02
Apply the three-part test. All three must be satisfied.
03
Find the closest parallel in this guide. What does it say about this category of change?
04
If the guide doesn't address this case — preserve and footnote the decision.
05
If unchanged after steps 1–4, leave it unchanged.
Default Rule
When uncertain: preserve the original. Document the decision. The burden of justification is always on the change.
The Full Account Structure
Every account below is free to set up and free to list books on. The only platform with a per-title cost is IngramSpark — which is excluded from this catalog entirely. Public domain reprints will not generate meaningful physical bookstore sales, and $49 per title across 212 books is $10,000+ for access to a channel that doesn't apply here.
Two Identities — Two Sets of Accounts
Wisdom Keep Classics — Imprint Accounts
Amazon Author Central (separate email), Goodreads Author Program (separate email), BookBub Author Profile, StoryGraph Author Profile. All 212+ classics are claimed and managed here.
Nathaniel Vale — Author Accounts
Amazon Author Central (separate email), Goodreads Author Program (separate email), BookBub Author Profile, StoryGraph Author Profile. Original books only. No classics on this page.
Publishing Platforms — Complete Account List
| Platform | How You Access It | Cost | What It Does |
|---|---|---|---|
| KDP (Amazon) | Direct Upload | Free | Primary income channel. Ebook and print. Lane 2 Modern English editions enrolled in KU (Select). Lane 1 reprints go wide — do not enroll in Select so D2D can also distribute them. |
| Draft2Digital | Direct Upload | Free (15% of sales) | One upload distributes to 9+ platforms simultaneously. Does not replace KDP — KDP is managed separately. D2D handles everyone else. |
| Kobo Writing Life | Direct Upload | Free | Set up directly even though D2D also distributes to Kobo. Direct account gives access to the Kobo promotions dashboard. |
| Google Play Books | Direct Upload | Free | Direct account provides pricing flexibility and faster metadata updates. Google Play has real organic search traffic for classics. |
| Barnes & Noble | Via D2D | Free | Automatic via D2D upload. No separate account needed. |
| Apple Books | Via D2D | Free | Automatic via D2D upload. No separate account needed. |
| Scribd | Via D2D | Free | Subscription reading platform. Pays per page read. Automatic via D2D. |
| OverDrive | Via D2D | Free | Largest library lending platform. Automatic via D2D. |
| Hoopla | Via D2D | Free | Library digital lending. Pays a flat rate per borrow. Automatic via D2D. |
| Baker & Taylor | Via D2D | Free | Library wholesale distributor. Automatic via D2D. |
| Vivlio / Tolino | Via D2D | Free | European markets. Automatic via D2D. |
| IngramSpark | — | Skip — $49/title | Physical bookstore wholesale. Not applicable for this catalog. Excluded permanently. |
Discovery & Author Page Accounts
| Platform | Account Type | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Author Central | Two Accounts | Essential | One for Wisdom Keep Classics (separate email), one for Nathaniel Vale. Claim every book on the correct account. |
| Goodreads | Two Accounts | Essential | One for Wisdom Keep Classics, one for Nathaniel Vale. Apply for the Author Program on each once a book is published under that name. |
| BookBub | Author Profile | High | Free author profile. Add all titles. BookBub search gets used by serious readers. Featured Deals (paid) are not needed at this stage. |
| StoryGraph | Author Profile | Medium | Growing platform skewing toward serious readers. Free. Add all titles. |
Account Setup Order
01
KDP — income first. Set up before publishing anything.
02
Draft2Digital — wide distribution. Set up immediately after KDP.
03
Kobo Writing Life direct and Google Play Books Partner Center — direct platform access.
04
Amazon Author Central — both accounts (two emails). Set up before the first title publishes.
05
Goodreads — both accounts. Apply for Author Program after first published title.
06
BookBub and StoryGraph — author profiles, both identities.
07
Social accounts — Facebook Page, Instagram, X, Gab, Truth Social, Pinterest. All under the Wisdom Keep brand.
08
Parked accounts (Quora, Reddit, Payhip/Gumroad) — create accounts, establish presence, do not actively work them yet.
One session. Four assets. All platforms scheduled. Move on.
No individual book gets ongoing promotion. The per-book promotion time is capped at approximately one hour total. The catalog as a whole gets promoted when original Nathaniel Vale work references it. The system is what scales — not individual book campaigns.
The Four Assets — Create These Once Per Book
1
Cover Image
Already exists from production. Export a square version (1:1) for Instagram and a landscape version (16:9) for Pinterest. Store all three versions.
2
Quote Graphic
One striking line from the text — the most memorable, counterintuitive, or powerful sentence in the book. Set against a simple dark background with Wisdom Keep branding and the book cover small in the corner.
3
Two-Sentence Description
What makes this text worth reading today — written for a reader who has never encountered it. An answer to the question: "Why does this book still matter?" Used as caption copy across all platforms.
4
Most Interesting Idea
One sentence: the single most interesting, surprising, or counterintuitive idea in this book. Used as the hook in social posts and as the opening of the Substack Note. Write this before any other copy — it drives all the other post formats.
Per-Platform Post Formats
Substack Note
Short Note · Link to Book
Format: Asset 4 as the opening line. One sentence of context. One sentence noting availability. Direct link to Amazon listing. Under 150 words.
Facebook Page
Cover Image + Description + Link
Format: Cover image attached. Asset 3 as the post text. One line noting the edition type. Link to Amazon.
Instagram
Quote Graphic + Caption
Format: Asset 2 as the image. Caption: Asset 4 first line, Asset 3 as body. Close with "Link in bio." Hashtags on a separate comment — three to five relevant tags.
X (Twitter)
Thread Format — 4 Tweets
Thread structure:
1Asset 4 + cover image. Hook tweet.
2A second striking quote + one line of context.
3A third striking quote + one line on what this book gets right that modern readers miss.
4Asset 3 + edition type + Amazon link. The close.
Gab & Truth Social
Single Post — Adapted from X
Format: Tweet 1 and tweet 4 from the X thread combined. Asset 4 as the opening line, Asset 3 as the body, link at the close, cover image attached.
Pinterest
Cover Pin + Quote Pin
Format: Two pins per book. Pin 1: cover image in portrait orientation, linked to Amazon, description using Asset 3. Pin 2: quote graphic, linked to Amazon. Use the book's full title, author, and relevant terms in the description — Pinterest's search algorithm uses description text.
The Scheduling Rule
Non-Negotiable
All posts are written in one session and scheduled to go out over the following five to seven days — not all on the same day. Once scheduled, this book's promotion is complete. You do not return to it.
What Gets Posted Where — Quick Reference
| Platform | Asset Used | Format | Time Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack Note | Assets 3 + 4 | Short note, link | 5 min |
| Facebook Page | Assets 1 + 3 | Image + description + link | 3 min |
| Assets 2 + 3 + 4 | Quote graphic + caption | 8 min | |
| X (Twitter) | Assets 1 + 4 + 3 | 4-tweet thread | 10 min |
| Gab | Assets 1 + 4 + 3 | Single adapted post | 2 min |
| Truth Social | Assets 1 + 4 + 3 | Single adapted post | 2 min |
| Assets 1 + 2 | Cover pin + quote pin | 8 min | |
| Total | ~38 min active |
The Parked Accounts — Quora, Reddit, Payhip/Gumroad
These accounts exist and have visibility but do not receive per-book posts on this schedule. They become relevant later — when the catalog is large enough that organic participation generates meaningful traffic. Set up the accounts now, use them when the catalog earns it.
Phase 1 — Book Selection
Tracker opened, next title identified
Lane confirmed (Lane 1 or Lane 2) — no change without documentation
Tracker status updated: In Progress
Phase 2 — Eligibility
Public domain status confirmed — author death date + jurisdiction
No active translation copyright
Two independent PD sources retrieved and compared
Relevance test passed — civilizational, institutional, or strategic significance
Redundancy evaluated — differentiator identified if market is saturated
Phase 3 — Source Integrity
Multiple PD versions compared, discrepancies resolved
OCR errors, zero-width characters, metadata junk removed
PG headers, footers, donation notices, all foreign branding removed
Canonical baseline locked and saved — this file is never edited again
Phase 4 — Lane 1 Calibre Production
Working copy created from canonical baseline (original never touched)
Opened in Calibre Book Editor (not Convert Books)
All PG materials removed (header, footer, license, production notes)
All other publisher branding removed
Paragraph spacing normalized
Chapter breaks correct — each chapter starts on a new page
Inline styles and junk spans removed — clean semantic HTML
Table of contents accurate and functional
Wisdom Keep cover added
Title page added
Lane 1 front matter page added: PD notice + source + non-alteration statement
Calibre metadata updated (title, author, series, publisher: Wisdom Keep Classics)
EPUB exported and previewed in Kindle Previewer or equivalent
Print file prepared if publishing in print
Zero language changes anywhere in the body text
Phase 4 — Lane 2 Modern English Production
Pre-translation read completed — full text read before any work begins
Author Voice Profile document created
Idiom decision log completed for each chapter before that chapter is translated
Archaic pronouns replaced (thou, thee, thy, thine, ye)
Archaic verb forms updated (-eth, -est; hath, doth, wilt, art)
Inverted syntax corrected (except where structural to rhetoric)
Archaic vocabulary replaced; footnotes where connotation is lost
Period-standard spelling modernized
Passive voice converted to active where clarity improves
Sentence length and rhythm preserved — no breaking of author's sentences
Paragraph structure preserved exactly — author's breaks unchanged
Argument structure unchanged — same sequence, same order
Tone and emotional register preserved
Metaphors and imagery preserved (footnotes for context, not replacements)
Author's ideas unchanged — no softening, sanitizing, or updating
All original content present — nothing removed
Fidelity check completed: modernized vs. original, chapter by chapter
Full manuscript consistency review completed
Editor's Note drafted and placed before body text
Footnotes follow permitted functions only — no interpretation or commentary
Phase 5 — Structural Assembly
Standard Wisdom Keep structure in place (title page, disclaimer, TOC, body, end matter)
Subtitle matches lane exactly — no variation from standard wording
BISAC categories correct
Series naming consistent with all other titles
Product description written — search-resilient, not SEO-spammed
Phase 6 — Quality Control
Lane violation scan passed — no contamination
Reader expectation test: subtitle matches content; description matches both
Reputation check: would this survive academic, legal, and long-term reader scrutiny?
Phase 7 — Publishing & Distribution
KDP upload complete — ebook live (print if applicable)
KU enrollment decision confirmed for Lane 2 (enroll) / Lane 1 (do not enroll)
D2D upload complete — all 9+ platforms distributing
Kobo Writing Life direct upload complete
Google Play Books direct upload complete
Amazon Author Central — book claimed on Wisdom Keep Classics page
Goodreads — book added to Wisdom Keep Classics author profile
BookBub — book added to author profile
StoryGraph — book added to author profile
Phase 8 — Promotion, Archive & Advance
Asset 1 (cover image) — square and landscape versions exported
Asset 2 (quote graphic) — created with Wisdom Keep branding
Asset 3 (two-sentence description) — written
Asset 4 (most interesting idea) — written
Substack Note written and scheduled
Facebook post written and scheduled
Instagram post written and scheduled
X thread written and scheduled
Gab post written and scheduled
Truth Social post written and scheduled
Pinterest pins created and scheduled (cover pin + quote pin)
All posts spread over 5–7 days, not published same day
Obsidian vault entry created (title, lane, date, ASINs/ISBNs, all links, asset text)
Tracker updated: status Complete, publication date logged, all platform links recorded
Next book in tracker marked In Progress. Phase 1 begins.