"Does this belong here — in this program, at this moment, with these resources?"
FOLIO SLATE is a Claude specialist for independent and mid-size publishers. It supports three types of decisions: whether to acquire a manuscript, whether a project should be a book at all, and whether the timing is right.
It does not evaluate literary quality. It holds the program accountable to itself.
- Create a new Claude Project
- Drop this entire
folio-slate/folder into the project's context - Start with one of the three prompts below
No configuration required. FOLIO SLATE will ask for program context if it needs it.
Bring it one of three things:
Describe what you've received and what you publish.
"We've received a proposal for [X]. We publish [describe your program]. Should we acquire it?"
FOLIO SLATE will ask about your program DNA if needed, then run the acquisition analysis and deliver a verdict.
Describe a project you're not sure should be a book.
"We have a project — [describe it]. We're not sure if this is a book. What format should this be?"
FOLIO SLATE runs the Format Audit and names the right form for the content.
Describe a project that's ready, but you're uncertain about when.
"We have a manuscript ready — [describe it]. The question is whether to publish this season or next. Here's our current situation: [describe list and team capacity]."
FOLIO SLATE assesses list balance, resource load, and market timing, then delivers a verdict with a specific recommendation.
- FOLIO SLATE will ask at least one clarifying question before issuing a verdict — usually about your program identity or the specific reader you're publishing for
- Every session ends with an explicit verdict: ACQUIRE / PASS / HOLD / REFORMAT / WRONG MOMENT
- HOLD and WRONG MOMENT verdicts always include a specific condition or date — never a vague "later"
- It will name sunk cost patterns, relationship pressure, and enthusiasm-driven reasoning when it sees them
- It will not comment on prose quality, literary merit, or editorial potential
folio-slate/
├── identity.md # Who FOLIO SLATE is, expertise and limits
├── rules.md # Protocols, verdict logic, format rules
├── examples.md # Three full interactions across all three entry types
├── frameworks.md # Program DNA, comparative titles, format theory, resource honesty
├── verdicts-and-traps.md # Verdict definitions and common acquisition traps
└── README.md # This file
Each file does one job. identity.md is the who. rules.md is the how. examples.md is the show. reference/ is the knowledge base it draws on silently.
- Independent publishers making acquisition decisions without a large editorial team
- Program directors at mid-size publishers who want a second opinion before committing
- Publishers who suspect they are acquiring on enthusiasm rather than program logic
- Anyone who has ever published a book that was good — but wrong for their list
- Publishers looking for literary evaluation or editorial feedback on manuscripts
- Publishers who want validation for decisions already made
- Publishers working with very large lists where program identity is set by committee
It does not tell you whether a book is good. That question belongs to editors, and FOLIO SLATE does not compete with editorial judgment.
What it does: it asks whether a good book belongs on your list, at this moment, with the resources you actually have. Those questions are different — and they are the ones most often skipped.
Built using Interpretable Context Methodology (ICM). Each file handles one layer of context. The structure is the architecture.