@uniweb/unipress 0.4.28 → 0.4.30

package/README.md

@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ cd my-book && unipress compile .
 
 `create` writes a content-only directory — markdown, a `document.yml`, optional `theme.yml` and `assets/`; no `package.json`, no `node_modules`. Pick the template that matches your document (see [Pick a template](#pick-a-template)) — it carries the typography and structure so a book reads like a book and a directory like a directory.
 
+> **Planning to publish?** There's a full author's guide that takes a book from your folder all the way to Amazon and print — [Publishing your book](./docs/publishing/README.md).
+
 ## What it makes
 
 | Format | What it's for |
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ cd my-book && unipress compile .
 
 Equations work in the standard LaTeX style — `$E = mc^2$` for inline, `$$...$$` for displayed. Tables, lists, footnotes, code blocks, and images all behave the way you'd expect from markdown.
 
+## Publishing your book
+
+Making the files is half the job; getting your book onto Amazon, Apple Books, and print-on-demand is the other half. The **[Publishing your book](./docs/publishing/README.md)** guide is an end-to-end walkthrough written for authors — the proof → final workflow, covers and images, trim sizes, EPUB validation, print-on-demand, ISBNs, and metadata — with links to every store and service.
+
 ## Two ways to use it
 
 **For authors.** unipress is a tool. Pick a template, write markdown, compile. The template knows the conventions for its kind of document — typography, structure, the bits that make a book look like a book and a directory look like a directory. You handle the content; the template handles everything else.
@@ -140,6 +146,11 @@ unipress compile <dir> [options]
                         - URL:           https://…/entry.js
                         - path:          ./foundation, /abs/path, …
   --out <path>        Output file (default: ./<dir-basename>.<ext>).
+  --variant <name>    Build an alternate top-level config <name>.yml inside <dir>
+                      (e.g. --variant document-book → document-book.yml) instead of the
+                      default document.yml. Lets one manuscript hold several cuts —
+                      an A4 article and a trade book — side by side. The name is used
+                      as given (a .yml extension is assumed if omitted).
   --config <path>     Explicit config file (default: <dir>/unipress.config.js).
   --typst-binary <p>  Path to a typst binary (skips the managed download).
   --keep-temp         On typst-compile failure, keep the temp dir for inspection.
@@ -192,6 +203,29 @@ The content-directory-level config. Fields unipress reads:
 
 `site.yml` is also accepted as a fallback for compatibility with existing Uniweb site directories.
 
+#### Several cuts of one manuscript
+
+Keep more than one top-level config beside your content and pick one per build with
+`--variant`. The same chapters can ship as an A4 article and a trade book:
+
+```text
+my-book/
+  document.yml         # A4 article (the default: unipress compile .)
+  document-book.yml    # trade 6×9 with covers
+  assets/front.png
+  01-intro.md  02-…
+
+unipress compile .                          # → article (document.yml)
+unipress compile . --variant document-book  # → book (document-book.yml)
+```
+
+`--variant <name>` reads `<name>.yml` from the content directory — the name is used as
+given (no prefixing) with `.yml` assumed when omitted. Config-declared assets —
+`book.covers.front`, banners, logos — are resolved from the config the build reads, so
+**covers must live in the config unipress reads** (the `--variant` file or the default
+`document.yml`), not in a `unipress.config.js` `--config` override, whose asset paths
+aren't scanned.
+
 ### `unipress.config.js`
 
 Optional ESM file for things awkward in YAML — imports, computed values, format-specific overrides. Auto-discovered at `<dir>/unipress.config.js` or explicit via `--config <path>`.
@@ -236,9 +270,12 @@ unipress is **pre-1.0**. The CLI is stable enough to write real documents with
 
 **Foundations are fetched on first use.** The bundled templates pin foundations served from `https://uniweb.github.io/unipress/foundations/…`; the first compile downloads and caches the one your `document.yml` names (alongside the Typst binary). To iterate on a foundation locally, pass `--foundation <path>` pointing at a built foundation directory; to point at a different registry, set `UNIWEB_REGISTRY_URL`.
 
-## Troubleshooting
+## Documentation
 
-See [docs/troubleshooting.md](./docs/troubleshooting.md) for common errors and fixes — every named error class maps to a cause and a concrete next step.
+- **[Publishing your book](./docs/publishing/README.md)** — the end-to-end guide for authors: the proof → final workflow, covers and images, trim sizes, EPUB, print-on-demand, ISBNs, and metadata.
+- **Template guides** — conventions and settings per document kind: [article](./docs/templates/article.md), [book](./docs/templates/book.md), [monograph](./docs/templates/monograph.md), [report](./docs/templates/report.md), [data-report](./docs/templates/data-report.md), [directory](./docs/templates/directory.md).
+- **[Troubleshooting](./docs/troubleshooting.md)** — common errors and fixes; every named error class maps to a cause and a concrete next step.
+- **[For developers](./docs/for-developers.md)** — building a foundation: section types, data sources, and custom output formats.
 
 ## See also
 

package/docs/publishing/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+# Publishing your book
+
+You've written a book. unipress turns your folder of markdown into the files a
+publisher or store needs — a print-ready PDF, an EPUB, a shareable digital
+edition. This guide covers the rest of the journey: what those files are, how to
+make them well, and how to get your book onto Amazon, Apple Books, and print-on-
+demand services so readers can buy it.
+
+It's written for authors, not programmers. Where a step needs a command, it's one
+line. Where it needs a decision (a trim size, an ISBN, a store), it's explained in
+plain terms with a link to the authoritative source.
+
+> This guide is about **publishing**. For the full list of `document.yml` settings
+> — every trim, font, and structure toggle — see the [`book` template
+> reference](../templates/book.md).
+
+## The journey
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+  W[Write] --> P[Proof]
+  P -->|revise| P
+  P --> F[Finalize]
+  F --> E[EPUB]
+  F --> D[Digital PDF]
+  F --> I[Print interior]
+  E --> SE[Ebook stores]
+  D --> SD[Sell direct]
+  I --> SP[Print-on-demand]
+```
+
+1. **Write and proof.** Draft in markdown, compile constantly, read, revise.
+2. **Finalize.** Set your trim size, add covers and front matter, do a layout pass.
+3. **Produce your files.** An EPUB for ebook stores, a print-ready interior for
+   print-on-demand, a digital PDF to sell or share.
+4. **Publish.** Upload to the stores, order a proof copy, set your price, go live.
+
+## Two builds: a proof and a final
+
+unipress lets one manuscript produce several **cuts** — different shapes of the
+same content — from one folder, using [`--variant`](../../README.md#cli-reference).
+The recommended setup is two configs side by side:
+
+```text
+my-book/
+  document.yml         # the PROOF  — unipress compile .
+  document-book.yml    # the FINAL  — unipress compile . --variant book
+  assets/front.png  assets/back.png
+  01-…  02-…  (your chapters)
+```
+
+**`document.yml` — your proofing copy (the default).** A comfortable single-column
+read on Letter or A4, generous margins for notes, **no covers**. Build it with a
+bare `unipress compile .` — fast, so you run it constantly while writing. This is
+where you catch typos, awkward sentences, and pacing.
+
+```yaml
+# document.yml
+format: pdf
+paths: { pages: . }
+book:
+  kind: article      # single column, roomy — easy to read and mark up
+  trim: letter       # or a4
+content: [ ... ]
+```
+
+**`document-book.yml` — your final book (a variant).** The real trade 6×9, with
+covers and full front matter. Build it with `unipress compile . --variant book`.
+This is the file you send to a store, and — via `--format epub` — your ebook. Build
+it near the end to also proof the **layout**: page breaks, widowed lines, where
+images land. Things the proofing copy can't show you.
+
+```yaml
+# document-book.yml
+format: pdf
+paths: { pages: . }
+book:
+  trim: trade-6x9
+  structure: { titlePage: true, copyrightPage: true, toc: true, frontMatterNumbering: roman }
+  covers: { front: assets/front.png, back: assets/back.png }
+content: [ ... ]
+```
+
+Why this split? You compile a hundred times while writing, so the least-friction
+default should be the fast reading copy. The polished book — heavier, with
+full-bleed cover art — is the deliberate "I'm ready to publish" build. There are
+two kinds of proofreading, and this covers both: **content** proofing in the proof
+copy, **layout** proofing in the final.
+
+> Going to print adds one more cut — a cover-less **print interior** for the
+> print-on-demand service. See [print.md](./print.md#the-two-files-you-upload).
+
+## What you'll produce
+
+| File | Build | For |
+|---|---|---|
+| Proof PDF | `unipress compile .` | Reading and marking up while you write |
+| Final PDF (with covers) | `unipress compile . --variant book` | A shareable/sellable digital edition; layout proofing |
+| EPUB | `unipress compile . --variant book --format epub` | Ebook stores (Kindle, Apple, Kobo, Google) |
+| Print interior PDF | `unipress compile . --variant print` | Uploading to print-on-demand (see [print.md](./print.md)) |
+
+## Before you publish — a checklist
+
+- [ ] **Content** proofread in the proof copy — spelling, grammar, facts, flow.
+- [ ] **Layout** proofread in the final variant — no widowed headings, images in
+      place, chapters start cleanly, front matter correct.
+- [ ] **Trim size** chosen and consistent everywhere ([size-and-layout.md](./size-and-layout.md)).
+- [ ] **Covers** sized for your trim, front and back ([covers-and-images.md](./covers-and-images.md)).
+- [ ] **Images** are high-resolution enough for print ([covers-and-images.md](./covers-and-images.md#images-in-your-book)).
+- [ ] **Title page and copyright page** say what you want, including rights and
+      any ISBN ([isbn-and-metadata.md](./isbn-and-metadata.md)).
+- [ ] **EPUB validates** ([ebooks.md](./ebooks.md#validate-before-you-upload)).
+- [ ] **A physical proof copy ordered and read** before you press publish
+      ([print.md](./print.md#order-a-proof-copy)).
+
+## The rest of this guide
+
+- **[size-and-layout.md](./size-and-layout.md)** — trim sizes, margins, bleed,
+  front matter, and typography. How to pick a shape for your book.
+- **[covers-and-images.md](./covers-and-images.md)** — front and back covers, and
+  images inside the book. Dimensions, resolution, and the difference between the
+  cover unipress makes and the wrap-around cover a printer wants.
+- **[ebooks.md](./ebooks.md)** — what an ebook is, generating and validating your
+  EPUB, and the stores and aggregators that sell it.
+- **[print.md](./print.md)** — print-on-demand explained, the two files you
+  upload, KDP Print vs IngramSpark, and ordering a proof.
+- **[isbn-and-metadata.md](./isbn-and-metadata.md)** — ISBNs, the metadata stores
+  ask for, and your copyright page.
+
+## What unipress does and doesn't do
+
+unipress produces the **files**: PDF, EPUB, Word, spreadsheet. That's the
+technical handoff. It doesn't upload your book, generate ISBNs, design your cover,
+edit your prose, or market your book — those are yours (or a professional's) to do.
+This guide points you at how.

package/docs/publishing/covers-and-images.md

@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+# Covers and images
+
+Two kinds of artwork go into a book: the **covers** (front and back), and the
+**images** inside the text. unipress handles both — this page covers how to add
+them and how to make them the right size and resolution for print.
+
+## Covers
+
+Your book has a front cover and, optionally, a back cover. Put the image files in
+your project's `assets/` folder and point to them under `book.covers`:
+
+```yaml
+# document-book.yml  (your final variant)
+book:
+  covers:
+    front: assets/front.png
+    back:  assets/back.png
+```
+
+That's it. On the next build the front cover becomes the first page of the PDF and
+the thumbnail of your EPUB; the back cover becomes the last page of the PDF. (EPUBs
+have no back cover — ebook readers only use the front.)
+
+> **Covers must live in the config unipress actually reads** — your default
+> `document.yml` or the file you pass to `--variant`. Covers set only in a
+> `unipress.config.js` (`--config`) won't be picked up. If a cover silently doesn't
+> appear, see [troubleshooting](../troubleshooting.md#cover-image-or-other-config-asset-doesnt-appear-in-the-output).
+
+### Size and resolution
+
+Make the cover image the **same proportions as your trim** so it fills the page
+without stretching or letterboxing. A 6 × 9 book is a 2 : 3 (0.667) ratio, so a
+portrait image around **1800 × 2700 px** covers it at print quality (300 DPI at
+6 × 9). For the ebook thumbnail, a tall image of at least **1600 × 2560 px** is a
+safe, widely-accepted size.
+
+| Your trim | Cover proportions | ~300 DPI pixel size |
+|---|---|---|
+| 6 × 9 in | 2 : 3 | 1800 × 2700 |
+| 7 × 10 in | 7 : 10 | 2100 × 3000 |
+| A5 (148 × 210 mm) | ~1 : 1.41 | 1748 × 2480 |
+
+Use PNG or high-quality JPEG. The title and author usually live **in the artwork**
+itself — if yours does, turn off the typeset title page so it isn't repeated:
+`book.structure.titlePage: false` (see
+[size-and-layout.md](./size-and-layout.md#front-matter)).
+
+### The print cover is a different file
+
+This is the one thing that surprises first-time authors. The `book.covers` images
+above are your **digital** covers — used for the EPUB and the standalone PDF. A
+**print** book needs something else: a single **wrap-around** cover image —
+back + spine + front in one piece, with **bleed** past the edges.
+
+The catch is the **spine width**, which depends on your page count and paper stock,
+so you can only make the wrap cover once the interior is final. Every
+print-on-demand service gives you a **cover template generator** that outputs the
+exact dimensions for *your* book:
+
+- [KDP cover calculator](https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator)
+- [IngramSpark cover template generator](https://myaccount.ingramspark.com/Portal/Tools/CoverTemplateGenerator)
+
+Feed it your trim, page count, and paper, drop your art onto the template, and
+upload that as the cover — separate from the interior PDF. See
+[print.md](./print.md) for the full upload flow.
+
+### Getting cover art made
+
+A good cover sells the book; it's worth doing well. Realistic options:
+
+- **Hire a designer** — [Reedsy](https://reedsy.com), [99designs](https://99designs.com),
+  or [Fiverr](https://www.fiverr.com) span a wide range of budgets.
+- **Use a cover tool** — Canva and Adobe Express have book-cover templates.
+- **Make your own** if you have the skill; start from your trim's proportions above.
+
+Whichever you choose, match the size and bleed your print service asks for.
+
+## Images in your book
+
+Put image files in `assets/` and reference them from your markdown with a normal
+image link. The book foundation numbers figures and renders your caption:
+
+```markdown
+![A cross-section of the cell, labelled.](/assets/cell-diagram.png)
+```
+
+The text in the brackets becomes the caption (and the accessibility description —
+worth writing well). You don't manage figure numbers; the foundation does.
+
+### Resolution: enough pixels to print
+
+Screens are forgiving; print is not. A print needs about **300 pixels per inch at
+the size the image appears on the page**. So an image printed 4.5 in wide (roughly
+the text width of a 6 × 9 book) wants to be about **1350 px wide** minimum; a
+full-page plate wants more. A photo that looks crisp on screen at 600 px will print
+soft and blocky.
+
+Rule of thumb: **printed width in inches × 300 = minimum pixels wide.** Supply the
+highest-resolution originals you have; unipress embeds them at full quality, so the
+source image is what determines how it prints.
+
+### Color
+
+Screens are RGB; presses are CMYK. Print-on-demand services accept RGB images and
+convert them for you, which is fine for most books. If exact color fidelity matters
+(art books, brand colors), ask your print service whether they want CMYK and
+proof a physical copy before publishing — on-screen color never fully matches ink.
+
+### Formats and file size
+
+PNG for diagrams, line art, and anything with text or sharp edges; JPEG for
+photographs. There's no need to hand-optimize — but very large originals make for
+large PDFs, so a few-MB photo is plenty; you rarely need 20 MB camera raws.
+
+## Next
+
+- Set your [size and layout](./size-and-layout.md).
+- Produce your [ebook](./ebooks.md) or go to [print](./print.md).

package/docs/publishing/ebooks.md

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Publishing an ebook
+
+An **ebook** is your book as an [EPUB](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB) file —
+the format every major store except Amazon takes directly, and that Amazon accepts
+and converts. Unlike a PDF, an EPUB is **reflowable**: the reader's device chooses
+the font, the size, and where lines break, so your book adapts to a phone, a
+tablet, or a 7-inch e-reader. That's the mental shift — an ebook is your *content*,
+not your print *layout*. Trim size, margins, and page breaks don't apply; the cover,
+the text, the chapters, and the metadata do.
+
+## Make your EPUB
+
+One command, from your book folder:
+
+```bash
+unipress compile . --variant book --format epub --out my-book.epub
+```
+
+This uses your final variant, so it picks up your [covers](./covers-and-images.md)
+— the front cover becomes the ebook's thumbnail — your chapters, and your title and
+author. You get `my-book.epub`, ready to upload.
+
+## Validate before you upload
+
+Stores reject EPUBs that don't meet the standard, and a bad file can fail *after*
+you think you've published. Check yours first with **epubcheck**, the official
+validator:
+
+- Online: the [EPUBCheck validator](https://www.w3.org/publishing/epubcheck/) (or
+  search "epubcheck online").
+- A green result means every store will accept the file.
+
+unipress produces valid EPUBs, but validating takes a minute and rules out a whole
+category of upload problems — always do it.
+
+## Where to sell it
+
+Two strategies, and many authors use both:
+
+### Direct to each store
+
+Open an account with each retailer and upload your EPUB. More work, but you keep the
+larger share and get each store's full tools and reporting.
+
+| Store | Reaches | Sign up |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Amazon KDP** | Kindle — the largest ebook market | [kdp.amazon.com](https://kdp.amazon.com) |
+| **Apple Books** | Apple devices | [authors.apple.com](https://authors.apple.com) |
+| **Kobo Writing Life** | Kobo, and libraries via OverDrive | [kobo.com/writinglife](https://www.kobo.com/writinglife) |
+| **Google Play Books** | Android and the web | [play.google.com/books/publish](https://play.google.com/books/publish) |
+
+### Through an aggregator
+
+Upload once; the aggregator distributes to many stores and pays you. Less work, and
+they take a small cut. The main two:
+
+- **[Draft2Digital](https://draft2digital.com)** — the popular default; reaches
+  Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and more (you can still do Amazon yourself).
+- **[Smashwords](https://www.smashwords.com)** — now part of Draft2Digital; broad
+  reach including library channels.
+
+A common setup: **KDP directly** (for Amazon's reach and terms) plus an
+**aggregator** for everywhere else.
+
+## Pricing and royalties
+
+Each store pays a **royalty** — a percentage of your list price — that depends on
+the price you set and the store's terms. Amazon, for example, offers a higher
+royalty band for ebooks priced within a middle range and a lower one outside it;
+other stores have their own rules. Set your price on each store's dashboard, and
+read its current royalty terms there — the numbers change, so trust the store over
+any guide (including this one). As a starting point, look at what comparable books
+in your category charge.
+
+## A few practical notes
+
+- **Cover thumbnail.** Kindle and most stores want a tall cover of at least
+  ~1600 × 2560 px — the same front-cover image unipress already uses. See
+  [covers-and-images.md](./covers-and-images.md#size-and-resolution).
+- **DRM.** At upload each store asks whether to apply DRM (copy protection). Most
+  independent authors publish **DRM-free**; it's your call and it's reversible only
+  in one direction, so decide deliberately.
+- **ISBN.** An ebook doesn't strictly need one on every store (Amazon issues a free
+  internal ID), but some stores prefer or require an ISBN. See
+  [isbn-and-metadata.md](./isbn-and-metadata.md).
+- **Metadata.** Title, description, categories, and keywords are entered on each
+  store, not baked into the file. Getting them right is how readers find you — see
+  [isbn-and-metadata.md](./isbn-and-metadata.md#metadata).
+
+## Next
+
+- Also selling in print? See [print.md](./print.md).
+- Sort out your [ISBN and metadata](./isbn-and-metadata.md).

package/docs/publishing/isbn-and-metadata.md

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# ISBNs and metadata
+
+The last mile of publishing isn't about your book's pages — it's about the
+information *around* it: the identifier stores file it under, and the title,
+description, and categories that help readers find it.
+
+## ISBNs
+
+An **ISBN** is the book industry's identifier — the number behind the barcode.
+Retailers and libraries use it to order and track your book.
+
+A few things to know:
+
+- **Each format needs its own ISBN.** Your paperback, your hardcover, and your
+  ebook are three products and get three different ISBNs. (You don't need one for a
+  PDF you only sell direct.)
+- **You can get them free — with a catch.** KDP and IngramSpark will assign a free
+  ISBN, but it's **tied to that service** — you can't take it elsewhere, and that
+  service is listed as the publisher of record.
+- **Or you can own them.** Buy your own from your country's ISBN agency and they're
+  **portable** across every service, with you as the publisher. In the **United
+  States** that's [Bowker](https://www.myidentifiers.com) (paid, usually cheaper in
+  blocks of 10). Many other countries issue them free or cheaply through a national
+  agency — search "ISBN" plus your country to find yours.
+
+**Which to choose?** Owning your ISBN gives you flexibility and a cleaner
+publisher record; the free option saves money. Many first-time authors start with
+the free ISBNs and buy their own later. If you plan to sell the same edition across
+multiple services, owning one avoids being locked to a single store.
+
+### Where the ISBN goes
+
+Once you have it, put it in your book's config so it prints on the copyright page:
+
+```yaml
+book:
+  isbn: "978-0-000000-0-0"
+  rights: "© 2026 Your Name. All rights reserved."
+  publisher: "Your Imprint"
+```
+
+You'll *also* enter the ISBN on each store's dashboard when you upload — the
+copyright page shows it to readers; the store record makes it orderable.
+
+## Metadata
+
+Metadata is everything a store knows about your book besides the file itself. It's
+entered on each store's dashboard (not baked into the EPUB or PDF), and it's how
+readers discover you. Worth real thought:
+
+- **Title and subtitle** — exact and consistent across stores. A subtitle is prime
+  search real estate for nonfiction.
+- **Description / blurb** — your sales pitch. The first sentence has to earn the
+  second. Write it for a browsing reader, not a summary.
+- **Categories (BISAC).** Stores classify books with
+  [BISAC subject codes](https://www.bisg.org/complete-bisac-subject-headings-list).
+  Pick the most specific categories that fit — a smaller, accurate category is
+  easier to rank in than a giant vague one.
+- **Keywords** — the search terms a reader would type. Concrete beats clever.
+- **Author name** — consistent everywhere, so all your books group under one author
+  page.
+
+unipress carries a few of these into the book's own pages —
+`book.title`, `book.subtitle`, `book.author`, `book.description`, `book.subject` —
+but the store dashboards are the authoritative place for discovery metadata. Fill
+them in carefully; they do more for sales than almost anything else in this guide.
+
+## The copyright page
+
+The imprint page on the back of the title page. Turn it on with
+`book.structure.copyrightPage: true`, and it's built from your config:
+
+```yaml
+book:
+  rights: "© 2026 Your Name. All rights reserved."
+  publisher: "Your Imprint"
+  isbn: "978-0-000000-0-0"
+  structure:
+    copyrightPage: true
+```
+
+A typical copyright page carries the copyright notice, a rights statement, the
+edition/printing, the ISBN, and the publisher or imprint. If you're unsure what to
+put, open a few books from your shelf in the same genre and follow their lead —
+conventions vary by market and you can match yours.
+
+## Next
+
+- Back to the [overview and checklist](./README.md#before-you-publish--a-checklist).
+- Make your [ebook](./ebooks.md) or [print](./print.md) files.

package/docs/publishing/print.md

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Publishing in print
+
+You don't need a print run or a garage full of boxes. **Print-on-demand** (POD)
+services print and ship each copy as a reader buys it — no inventory, no upfront
+cost. You upload two files, set a price, and your book appears for sale as a real
+paperback (or hardcover).
+
+## The two files you upload
+
+This is the part that trips up first-time authors. A print book is **two separate
+files**, not one:
+
+1. **The interior** — a PDF of the book's pages, **with no cover**. Just front
+   matter and chapters, sized to your trim.
+2. **The cover** — a single **wrap-around** image: back + spine + front, with
+   bleed. Made from your print service's cover template. See
+   [covers-and-images.md](./covers-and-images.md#the-print-cover-is-a-different-file).
+
+If you upload your with-covers PDF as the interior, your cover art prints as
+interior *pages* — wrong. So print gets its own cover-less cut of the book.
+
+### Make the interior
+
+Add a `document-print.yml` beside your other configs — the same trade book, front
+matter and all, but with the `covers` block **left out**:
+
+```yaml
+# document-print.yml
+format: pdf
+paths: { pages: . }
+book:
+  trim: trade-6x9
+  structure: { titlePage: true, copyrightPage: true, toc: true, frontMatterNumbering: roman }
+  # no covers: — the wrap-around cover is uploaded separately
+content: [ ... ]
+```
+
+Build it:
+
+```bash
+unipress compile . --variant print --format pdf --out interior.pdf
+```
+
+`interior.pdf` is your print interior. It's already what POD services want: pages at
+the exact trim size, with fonts embedded. Confirm your inside margin is generous
+enough for your page count ([size-and-layout.md](./size-and-layout.md#margins-and-the-gutter)),
+and if any interior image runs to the page edge, read the bleed note in
+[size-and-layout.md](./size-and-layout.md#bleed).
+
+## Choosing a print service
+
+The two that matter for English-language books:
+
+| Service | Reaches | Cost | Notes |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **[Amazon KDP Print](https://kdp.amazon.com)** | Amazon | Free to set up | The easy default; huge reach, but Amazon-centric. |
+| **[IngramSpark](https://www.ingramspark.com)** | Bookstores and libraries worldwide | Small per-title fee | The path to non-Amazon retail and library orders. |
+
+Many authors use **both**: KDP for Amazon's reach, IngramSpark for everywhere else.
+The same interior and cover files (adjusted to each service's exact template) feed
+both. Read each service's file-prep guide before uploading —
+[KDP's](https://kdp.amazon.com/help/topic/G201953020),
+[IngramSpark's](https://help.ingramspark.com/hc/en-us/categories/360002107591).
+
+## Order a proof copy
+
+**Always order a physical proof and read it before you press publish.** A screen
+can't show you ink density, paper feel, a cover that's a few millimeters off, or a
+gutter that swallows text on a thick book. Both services offer proof copies (KDP
+also has a free digital previewer, but order the real thing at least once). Read it
+cover to cover with a pencil. This single step catches the errors that are
+expensive to fix after readers have bought the book.
+
+## Pricing
+
+Your **list price** has to cover the **printing cost** (POD charges you per copy,
+based on page count, trim, color vs. black-and-white, and paper) plus the retailer's
+cut, and leave you a royalty. Each service shows your per-copy print cost and
+computes your royalty as you set the price. Price too low and you earn nothing per
+sale; too high and readers balk — look at comparable books in your category, and
+remember color interiors cost noticeably more to print than black-and-white.
+
+## ISBN
+
+Print books effectively need an **ISBN** to sell through retail. KDP and IngramSpark
+can assign one free (tied to that service), or you can buy your own so it's portable
+across services. This is a real decision — see
+[isbn-and-metadata.md](./isbn-and-metadata.md#isbns).
+
+## Next
+
+- Sort out your [ISBN and metadata](./isbn-and-metadata.md).
+- Also publishing digitally? See [ebooks.md](./ebooks.md).