Imported from markus-michalski/storyforge (skills/beta-promo-writer/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add markus-michalski/storyforge --skill beta-promo-writer. Copyright stays with the author.

Beta Promo Writer — Beta Reader & ARC Recruitment Content

This is the recruitment step: getting readers to sign up, before any file goes out. It sits upstream of /storyforge:export-engineer --arc (produces the downloadable ARC file, if needed) and /storyforge:beta-feedback (processes feedback that already came back). See StoryOrigin Modes below for which of those two downstream steps actually applies to a given campaign.

Prerequisites

• Load book data via MCP get_book_full(book_slug) — read book_category, status, and series. Reuse this same result in Step 0 — don't call it again. Why: book_category gates the feedback-question set (fiction vs. memoir); status tells you whether recruitment is premature (see Step 0); series (the series slug, or empty string "" for a standalone book — never null, the field is normalized to "" server-side) gates series-specific screening/feedback questions. If book_category is missing or not one of fiction/memoir, stop and ask the user to confirm/set it before proceeding — do not guess a default.
• Call resolve_path(book_slug) (MCP, component omitted) to get the resolved book root — {project} throughout this skill refers to that base path and handles both standalone (projects/{slug}/) and series-nested (series/<series-slug>/{slug}/) layouts.
• Read synopsis.md (via resolved path) for pitch material. Why: Recruitment posts need a short, spoiler-free pitch — the Short Synopsis section is the raw material; if {project}/export/blurb.md already exists (from promo-writer), reuse its Hook + Conflict elements instead of re-deriving a pitch from scratch.
• Load author profile via MCP get_author() — recruitment voice should match author brand. Word/phrase-level bans live in writing_discoveries.donts[].text. Why: Same authenticity requirement as promo-writer — mismatches break trust with a community that will scroll past (or call out) anything that reads as generic ad copy.
• Load genre README(s) — ## Characteristics, ## Common Tropes, and ## Anti-Patterns indicate how heavy the genre's content runs and which reader communities fit. Note: genre READMEs do not contain content-warning lists. Derive concrete warnings from the book's own material, or from a prior /storyforge:sensitivity-reader pass (Category 4, if one exists) — never invent a warning list from the genre label alone. Why: A dark/heavy-content genre needs explicit content-warning framing in every screening question and post; a light genre doesn't need the same gate.
• Fiction: Call resolve_path(book_slug, "characters", "INDEX.md") then read it if character-surprise feedback questions need a name check.
• Memoir: Call resolve_path(book_slug, "people", "INDEX.md") then read it — use real names as they appear in the memoir (or their anonymization aliases). Never use a protected person's real name in public recruitment copy — same rule as promo-writer.
• Read {plugin_root}/reference/promo/beta-platforms.md — recruitment-framed platform characteristics, post templates, and the screening-question / feedback-form question banks. Why: Recruitment posts are an ask, not a pitch — this file's framing differs from reference/promo/platforms.md (sales/launch promo) on purpose; do not reuse the sales templates here.

StoryOrigin Modes

StoryOrigin has two distinct features for this. Step 1 asks the user which one applies (or both), since it changes what happens downstream:

Both modes: 6–8 weeks before launch is the typical lead time to start recruiting. Set a feedback/review deadline (4–6 weeks is a common default) and consider a mid-point check-in so a stalled reader is caught early rather than discovered at the deadline.

The exact upload format StoryOrigin's Beta Copies feature expects (docx/txt/EPUB) was not clearly documented as of this skill's authoring — verify at actual upload time rather than assuming.

Workflow

Step 0: Readiness Check

Use the status already loaded in Prerequisites — don't call get_book_full() again. Book statuses run … → Drafting → Revision → Editing → Proofread → Export Ready → Published (CLAUDE.md). Recruitment can reasonably start once the manuscript is at Revision or later — earlier than that, the book isn't stable enough to hand to readers.

Note that Revision is only auto-derived once every chapter reaches Revision rank — a book mid-revision-pass still reports Drafting, which is a normal state for early recruitment, not a red flag. If status is earlier than Revision, warn the user, state which condition triggered the warning, and ask whether to proceed anyway (e.g. a very early beta-reader/critique-partner round is a legitimate exception, not a hard block).

Step 1: Campaign Basics

Ask the user (AskUserQuestion):

• StoryOrigin mode: Beta Copies / ARC Team (Review Copies) / Both / Not using StoryOrigin
• Feedback/review deadline: default 4–6 weeks out
• Mid-point check-in: yes/no

Gate: Present the campaign basics summary. Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding to Step 2 — implicit agreement doesn't count.

Step 2: Screening Questions

Pick 3–5 questions from the Screening-Question Bank in beta-platforms.md, tailored to:

• Genre (content-warning question mandatory for dark/heavy-content genres — never soften this to inflate signups)
• series (add the series-specific question only if series is a non-empty string)
• StoryOrigin mode (drop the "active on Goodreads/StoryGraph" question for Beta-Copies-only, feedback-focused campaigns — it only matters when public reviews are the goal)

Output: {project}/promo/beta/screening-questions.md

Gate: Present the questions. Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding.

Step 3: Feedback-Form Questions

Build the post-read feedback form from the Feedback-Form Question Bank in beta-platforms.md:

• Tone-shift question — only if the book has a deliberate genre/tone shift (check plot/tone.md if present, or ask the user directly)
• Character-surprise question (fiction) or the two memoir-specific questions (memoir) — branch on book_category
• Series-specific questions — only if series is a non-empty string

Output: {project}/promo/beta/feedback-form.md. Close the file with a collection note: responses should be consolidated into {project}/research/beta-feedback.md in the format /storyforge:beta-feedback parses — one ### heading per item, body text, and an Affected: Ch N, Ch M line where the reader points at specific chapters. This skill does not collect or parse responses; it only defines the questions.

Gate: Present the form. Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding.

Step 4: Platform-Specific Recruitment Posts

If a platform was passed as the skill's optional positional argument, pre-select it and skip the question below. Otherwise ask the user which platforms to generate for (AskUserQuestion, multiSelect) — suggest a default set based on genre (e.g. LGBTQ+/dark-fantasy genres → Reddit, Goodreads, StoryGraph, TikTok as strong defaults; adjust per the book's actual genre combination).

For each selected platform, apply the characteristics and post template from beta-platforms.md. Generate native content per platform — never cross-post identical text.

Available platforms: reddit.md, goodreads.md, storygraph.md, tiktok.md, facebook.md, bluesky.md, newsletter.md

Output files: {project}/promo/beta/{platform}.md

Verify before finalizing:

• Bluesky: 300 character limit
• No purchase/buy links anywhere — this is a free-copy ask, not a sales post
• Content warnings present and honest wherever the genre calls for them
• Memoir: anonymization aliases used consistently, never a protected person's real name

Gate: Present the generated platform files. Wait for explicit user confirmation before proceeding to Step 5.

Step 5: Community Shortlist

List concrete community types worth approaching, grounded in the book's actual genre combination (e.g. "an LGBTQ+ fantasy Goodreads group," "a dark-fantasy subreddit") — never fabricate a specific group name, subreddit name, or URL as if it's a verified, currently- existing community. Point the user at the kind of community to search for and verify themselves, not a manufactured link.

Output: {project}/promo/beta/communities.md

Gate: Present the shortlist alongside a closing next-steps summary — for ARC Team mode, point at /storyforge:export-engineer <book-slug> [format] --arc to produce the downloadable file; for either mode, point at /storyforge:beta-feedback for when responses come back. Wait for user acknowledgement before ending the skill.

Rules

• Every post is an ask, not a pitch — no purchase/buy links, no sales CTA. The CTA is always "apply / DM / comment," never "buy now."
• Content-warning honesty is non-negotiable for heavy-theme genres — never underrepresent dark content to inflate signup numbers. This holds even if the user asks to soften a warning to get more readers — decline and explain why instead of complying.
• Never fabricate a specific subreddit, Goodreads group, Facebook group, or URL as verified/existing. Name community types, and tell the user to verify the live posting rules of the actual community immediately before posting — these rules change without notice.
• Recruitment voice must match author brand (respect writing_discoveries.donts[].text) but reads as more personal/unpolished than launch-promo copy — BookTok and Reddit specifically punish anything that reads like an ad.
• Never promise anything beyond a free early copy plus (for ARC Team mode) an honest review, or (for Beta Copies mode) structured feedback — no payment, no other obligation.
• Memoir: anonymization aliases in ALL public recruitment text — same hard rule as promo-writer.
• For the downloadable-file step, point to /storyforge:export-engineer <book-slug> [format] --arc — do not attempt to build or describe export logic in this skill.
• For processing feedback that comes back, point to /storyforge:beta-feedback — this skill's job ends at recruitment.