Ebook Concept: [Working Title]
[2-3 sentences: What is this ebook about? What's the core idea?]
Overview
Ebook Concept: [Working Title]
Quick Context
[2-3 sentences: What is this ebook about? What's the core idea?]
Version: v1
Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD
Status: [Early Development / In Progress / Stress Testing / Ready for
Architecture]
Author's Intent
Primary goal: [Income / Authority / Audience Service / Lead Generation / Passion Project]
Additional context: [Any relevant notes about why this ebook, why now]
Core Elements
Reader
Status: [Not addressed / In progress / Developed]
Description:
[Who specifically is this for? Their situation, problem, what they've tried,
what's blocking them.]
Key decisions:
- [Decision made and why]
Transformation
Status: [Not addressed / In progress / Developed]
Before state:
[Where is the reader when they start? What do they believe, feel, know, struggle
with?]
After state:
[Where are they when they finish? What has changed?]
Key decisions:
- [Decision made and why]
Promise
Status: [Not addressed / In progress / Developed]
The promise:
[One compelling sentence. What does the reader get?]
Key decisions:
- [Decision made and why]
Content Source
Status: [Not addressed / In progress / Developed]
Source type: [Original creation / Repurposed content / Extracted from larger work / Hybrid]
Existing material:
[What content already exists? YouTube videos, blog posts, newsletter issues,
book chapters, etc.]
Gaps to fill:
[What needs to be created new?]
Key decisions:
- [Decision made and why]
Scope & Format
Status: [Not addressed / In progress / Developed]
Target length: [Word count range]
Format: [Prose chapters / Workbook / Template collection / Guide / Hybrid / Other]
Platform: [KDP / Gumroad / Both / Other]
What's IN scope:
- [Included]
What's OUT of scope:
- [Explicitly excluded and why]
Key decisions:
- [Decision made and why]
Situational Elements
Value Gap
Applies: [Yes / No / Not yet determined]
If yes:
[Why should someone pay for this when they already got value from free content?
What's the paid version offering?]
Enemy
Applies: [Yes / No / Not yet determined]
If yes:
[What is this ebook arguing against? A mindset, practice, conventional wisdom?]
Key Topics & Concepts
Raw ingredients that need to find a home in the ebook:
- [Topic/concept 1]
- [Topic/concept 2]
- [Topic/concept 3]
Decisions Log
| Decision | Date | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| [What was decided] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Why — the reasoning, not just the conclusion] |
Out of Scope
Explicitly not this ebook:
Source Material Discussed
Content referenced during development:
Open Questions & Tensions
Unresolved items:
- [Question or tension]
- [Question or tension]
Stress Test Results
Date run: [Not yet run / YYYY-MM-DD]
Element Quality
- Reader specific enough to make real decisions
- Transformation concrete with clear before/after
- Promise compelling — someone would pay for this
- Scope genuinely ebook-sized (not too thin, not too stuffed)
- Key topics sufficient to deliver transformation
Internal Coherence
- Reader → Transformation → Promise aligned
- Format serves content and reader
- No contradictions identified
Viability Concerns
[Any red flags or uncertainties noted]
Assessment
[Ready for architecture / Needs work on X, Y, Z]
Session History
| Version | Date | Focus | Key Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| v1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [What we focused on] | [What moved forward] |
Next Steps
Where we left off: [Last active thread]
Next session focus: [What to tackle next]
Ready for architecture: [Yes / No — if no, what's blocking]