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Install in OpenClaw
/install format-book
Description
Formats a manuscript into a 5.5" x 8.5" Printed Paperback and a Kindle Ebook, generating a cover page, TOC, headers, and an About the Author section.
README (SKILL.md)
Book Formatting Expert
You are an expert book typesetter and formatting agent. Your task is to take a raw text or markdown manuscript provided by the user and format it into two professional, publication-ready formats:
- A 5.5" x 8.5" Printed Paperback (PDF or DOCX)
- A Kindle Ebook (EPUB)
Processing Steps
1. Manuscript Analysis
- Parse the provided manuscript to extract the Book Title, Author Name, Chapter Titles, the main chapter content, and the About the Author text.
- If the "About the Author" section or Book Title is missing, pause and ask the user to provide them before proceeding.
2. Format 1: Printed Paperback (5.5" x 8.5")
Write and execute a typesetting script (using Python's reportlab, python-docx, or pandoc via LaTeX) to create a document with these exact specifications:
- Dimensions: 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches (Trade Paperback size).
- Cover Page: Centered Book Title (and Author Name if available). Insert a hard page break afterward.
- Table of Contents: List each Chapter Title mapped to its corresponding starting page number. Insert a hard page break.
- Chapter Formatting:
- Begin each chapter on a new page.
- Headers: Include "Chapter [Number]" and "[Chapter Title]" at the top header of each chapter page.
- Page Numbers: Insert sequential page numbers at the bottom center of every page (excluding the cover page).
- End Page: Add the "About the Author" section on the final page.
3. Format 2: Kindle Ebook (EPUB)
Generate an EPUB file optimized for Amazon Kindle:
- Dimensions: Reflowable text (Do not hardcode the 5.5" x 8.5" dimensions, as Kindle readers resize dynamically).
- Cover Page: Standard Title HTML splash page.
- Table of Contents: A hyperlinked TOC that jumps directly to chapter sections. (Do not include static page numbers here).
- Chapter Formatting:
- Use \x3Ch1> or \x3Ch2> tags for "Chapter [Number]" and "Chapter Title".
- Do not inject static page numbers or fixed headers, as Kindle e-readers handle reading progress and headers natively. Fixed headers will break the Kindle reading experience.
- End Page: Add the "About the Author" section at the end of the manuscript.
Execution Requirements
- Write the necessary local code/commands to output both files in the user's current working directory.
- Name the output files cleanly: [Book_Title]_Paperback.pdf and [Book_Title]_Kindle.epub.
- Upon completion, present the file paths to the user and confirm that all formatting constraints were successfully applied.
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to do what it says, but before running it: 1) Confirm you have python3 and pandoc (and a TeX distribution if pandoc→PDF via LaTeX is used). The SKILL.md also references Python packages (reportlab, python-docx) that may need pip installation — the skill doesn't install them for you. 2) Expect the agent to write and execute local scripts and create files in your current working directory; run it in a folder you control or a sandbox if you're cautious. 3) The skill source/homepage is unknown and registry metadata conflicts with SKILL.md about required binaries — consider asking the publisher for clarification or a reproducible requirements list, and inspect any generated scripts before allowing execution.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: format-book
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle 'format-book' is designed to automate the typesetting of manuscripts into PDF and EPUB formats. The instructions in SKILL.md are strictly focused on book formatting tasks, such as generating tables of contents, headers, and specific page dimensions using standard tools like Python and Pandoc. No indicators of malicious intent, data exfiltration, or unauthorized command execution were found.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The name/description (book formatting) aligns with the runtime instructions: generating paperback and EPUB outputs, cover/TOC/headers/About section. Declared tooling in SKILL.md (python3, pandoc) is appropriate for these tasks. Note: the registry metadata earlier stated 'Required binaries: none' while SKILL.md lists python3 and pandoc — this inconsistency should be clarified.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md stays within the formatting scope: it parses manuscript content, asks for missing metadata, writes local files, and instructs how to format paperback vs. EPUB. It explicitly requires writing and executing local typesetting scripts — expected for this task but means the agent will create/execute code in the user's current working directory. It references Python libraries (reportlab, python-docx) and LaTeX/pandoc usage but does not provide installation or sandboxing instructions for those packages.
Install Mechanism
There is no install spec (instruction-only), which is low-risk for hidden downloads. However, SKILL.md requires pandoc and suggests using Python packages/LaTeX; the skill gives no install instructions for those (e.g., pip packages or TeX distribution). Users must ensure required tools exist locally — missing guidance could lead the agent to fail or ask to install packages at runtime.
Credentials
The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths, which is proportional to its purpose. It does not ask to read unrelated system files or transmit data to external endpoints.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false and the skill is user-invocable. It does not request permanent presence, nor does it instruct modifying other skills or system-wide settings. It will write output files in the current working directory as expected.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install format-book - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/format-book - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
- Initial release of the format-book skill.
- Automatically formats a user manuscript into two professional, publication-ready formats: 5.5" x 8.5" printed paperback (PDF/DOCX) and Kindle ebook (EPUB).
- Generates a cover page, table of contents, headers, and an "About the Author" section.
- Ensures print version has fixed layout with correct dimensions, page numbers, and headers; Kindle version uses reflowable EPUB with clickable TOC and no fixed headers.
- Requests any missing required information (Book Title, About the Author) from the user before proceeding.
- Outputs both formatted files in the user's working directory with clear file naming.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Format Book?
Formats a manuscript into a 5.5" x 8.5" Printed Paperback and a Kindle Ebook, generating a cover page, TOC, headers, and an About the Author section. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 52 downloads so far.
How do I install Format Book?
Run "/install format-book" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Format Book free?
Yes, Format Book is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Format Book support?
Format Book is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Format Book?
It is built and maintained by vega6dev (@vega6dev); the current version is v1.0.0.
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