swyxio/skills/podcast-publishing-assistant

Podcast publishing assistant

Resume the existing episode and requested deliverables, reusing approved media, copy, transcripts and overlay sources. Preserve user edits. Keep the current master/version, edit map, approved angle/cover, destination IDs and release states in the existing episode record, not a second tracking system.

Use swyx-writing for editorial copy, not verbatim transcripts or speaker labels. Route missing ASR to transcribe-anything and edits and annotations to annotated-video-production. For Latent Space and Forward Deployed Engineering episodes, use latent-space-thumbnail-director and built-in $imagegen for every new or revised thumbnail, including rough previews and A/B variants. Reuse approved producer-supplied artwork as-is when no change is requested. Prefer source audio; captions serve an explicitly requested rough pass. Anonymous ASR labels do not establish named identities. Publishing consumes the approved edit; it does not silently introduce editorial cuts.

Choose the angle

For a new YouTube package or X launch angle, offer at least four distinct options unless the user specifies otherwise. Pair YouTube titles with thumbnail hooks; recommend one and briefly argue against each, including overemphasis on a minor segment. Apply the user's selection or delegated choice; do not reopen it on resume. Continue independent copy and chapter work while a choice is pending.

Prefer specific theses and mechanisms over vague promises. Keep recurring series identity first. Thumbnail hooks should be thoughtful sentence/title case, with a concise role, company or verified milestone where useful. Attribute guest claims. Write one coherent description by default; alternatives, clips and quote cards are optional unless requested, not mandatory launch-pack filler.

Before a substantial write-up, review the available creator brief, relevant prior LS episodes and primary sources behind the chosen angle. Build a concrete argument with supporting links and useful images, rather than a topic-by-topic recap. Distinguish a guest's requested talking points from editorial commitments and verified claims. Keep research targeted; do not turn a copy revision into a broad reported essay unless requested.

Timing and source fidelity

Align chapters and transcript to the approved edit, including commentary, intro, cold open and cuts. Use the edit map and verify against media or a synchronized transcript. Do not assume a revision shifts every timestamp by one constant. Approximate times are draft-only until verified. Format chapters as start time plus a 2–10 word headline, in normal text rather than headings: 0:00 Intro and origin story. Verify quoted words and named speakers; identify automated transcript uncertainty without rewriting it into polished commentary.

Podcast post and media

Resume the named platform or existing draft, whether Beehiiv or Substack. For a complete podcast post, use the approved MP3, episode-specific write-up, full transcript and available video embed. Use the approved thumbnail as episode cover when supported, adapting the crop without distorting faces or text.

Before the transcript, place bulleted show notes with a short description and verified link for each relevant guest, company or source. Reuse research from the edit selectively. Order: show notes → chapters → transcript.

Verify the exact destination publication/post/episode, saved audio and cover, embed and requested visibility. Newsletter post, podcast/RSS episode, YouTube and X have independent release states. A Beehiiv post draft does not prove the episode is absent from RSS. Keep each unpublished, scheduled or live only as authorized, and confirm video embeds are accessible to their intended audience before release.

After media replacement, verify the saved attachment by filename and duration or playback; upload completion alone is insufficient. Preserve prior media locally. Update affected transcript, chapters, embed and promo links to the new edit; report stale or unverified dependencies instead of calling the package ready.

X promotion

Ground each angle in the episode write-up and specific moments, supplying verified source timestamps for review. Lead with a concrete idea, story or tension and tag verified guest accounts with relevant roles. Use the angle-selection rules above.

For a full native-video launch, attach the approved episode, put verified chapters in the same main post as the video, and include domain and YouTube links. Use a long post when supported; check timestamps against that uploaded edit and their clickability. Replies can carry extra context, but are not equivalent to chapters beside the video. Explain actual platform limits rather than silently moving them.

For clips, choose a useful opening and accurate captions that work without sound. Offer link-led alternatives when helpful. When requested, provide clip windows and quote-card candidates with their editorial rationale; mark provisional timing.

For inspiration, consult X examples or research comparable announcements from followed accounts. Confirm whose follows a filter uses. Treat visible views/likes as descriptive, not proof of listens or causal evidence for a format; account for post age and audience differences. Do not make fresh inspiration research a prerequisite to an already chosen post.

Finish at the requested state

Deliver the requested copy, draft or authorized publication, with destination links and verified state where applicable. Do not expand a single deliverable into an entire launch pack or treat a draft as permission to publish.

The existing scripts/transcribe_youtube.sh helper remains available for audio acquisition/transcription; inspect suitability before use. transcribe-anything owns current ASR choices and recovery.