Publishing
Decide whether a revision is a new edition
A changed file is not always the same thing as a new edition. Describe the revision first, then check the identifier and listing requirements that apply.
Give each published format its own entry
The paperback and ebook may share a manuscript but use different cover files, identifiers and release dates. Record them separately. Use one entry per format and edition, with the title, identifier where applicable, publication date and the destination through which it is supplied.
Link that entry to the exact approved files. A filename alone may be ambiguous if the same name was reused during production. Keep the release copies in an identified folder and note when they were supplied. The purpose is to answer “Which version is available here?” without reconstructing the answer from emails.
Include the listing information that readers see: subtitle, series information, description and cover version. If a retailer or distributor uses a different field structure, record the relevant difference. A single master description is useful, but it should not hide changes made for a particular channel.
Record the status you actually verified
Distinguish a file uploaded, a file accepted, a listing visible and a format available to order. Those stages can occur at different times. Mark the date and evidence for the stage you checked instead of using “published” to cover every intermediate step.
Keep a short note of discrepancies. An old cover, a missing subtitle or an incorrect edition link should become a defined follow-up task. Record where it was reported and whether the correction has appeared, so the same issue is not repeatedly rediscovered without progress.
If a correction affects several formats, use the record to identify each required update. A typo fixed in the ebook may remain in the print interior until that file is separately revised and approved. Closing the overall task before every relevant format is checked can leave the catalogue inconsistent.
Use the record for later enquiries
When a reader reports a problem, ask which format and edition they used. The publication record helps you compare their description with the correct file. That can distinguish an old edition, a current content error and a display issue specific to one format.
Review the entries after a new release, a price change or a distributor change. Preserve earlier entries rather than rewriting history as though the latest arrangement had always existed. A dated record explains why an old receipt, review or catalogue reference may differ from the current listing.
This is a compact release log, separate from the larger project archive. It needs enough detail to trace a public version back to its files and metadata. Keep it small enough to update at the moment a publication decision is made.
