# Pre-Publishing Checklist

## Content Quality

### Writing
- [ ] Title is compelling and SEO-optimized
- [ ] Opening hook captures attention within first 3 sentences
- [ ] Clear thesis/value proposition stated early
- [ ] Logical flow between sections
- [ ] Strong conclusion with takeaway or CTA
- [ ] Proofread for typos and grammar (Ulysses phase)

### Accuracy
- [ ] All facts verified with sources
- [ ] Statistics include source and date
- [ ] Links tested and working
- [ ] No outdated information presented as current
- [ ] Technical accuracy reviewed

### Formatting
- [ ] Consistent heading hierarchy (H2 → H3 → H4)
- [ ] Paragraphs appropriately sized for readability
- [ ] Code blocks properly formatted with language tags
- [ ] Lists used only for actual list content
- [ ] Emphasis (bold/italic) used sparingly

## SEO Elements

### On-Page
- [ ] Primary keyword in title
- [ ] Primary keyword in first 100 words
- [ ] Secondary keywords naturally distributed
- [ ] URL slug: short, descriptive, keyword-rich
- [ ] Meta description: 150-160 chars, includes CTA

### Technical
- [ ] Internal links to related posts (2-3 minimum)
- [ ] External links to authoritative sources
- [ ] Alt text for all images
- [ ] Heading structure is semantic (one H1 only)

## Visual Elements (Web UI Phase)

### Featured Image
- [ ] High quality, relevant to content
- [ ] Proper dimensions for channel
  - Ghost: 1200 x 630px recommended
  - Medium: 1500 x 750px recommended
- [ ] Alt text added
- [ ] Copyright/license verified

### In-Post Images
- [ ] Compressed for web (< 200KB ideal)
- [ ] Descriptive filenames (not IMG_001.jpg)
- [ ] Captions added where helpful
- [ ] Alt text for accessibility

## Channel-Specific

### Ghost (blog.ourdigital.org, journal.ourdigital.org, ourstory.day)

**Before Publishing:**
- [ ] Tags assigned (3-5 relevant tags)
- [ ] Author profile selected
- [ ] Excerpt/custom snippet written
- [ ] Publication date/time set
- [ ] Email newsletter toggle reviewed

**Ghost Admin Settings:**
- [ ] Code injection (if needed): header/footer scripts
- [ ] Facebook/Twitter card preview checked
- [ ] Canonical URL set (if republishing)

### Medium

**Before Publishing:**
- [ ] Tags selected (max 5)
- [ ] Publication submitted to (if applicable)
- [ ] Subtitle/kicker written
- [ ] Reading time appears reasonable
- [ ] Preview in both web and mobile

**Medium-Specific:**
- [ ] No excessive self-promotion
- [ ] Paywall setting decided (member-only?)
- [ ] Cross-post canonical URL added (if from blog)

## Final Verification

### Preview Check
- [ ] Desktop preview looks correct
- [ ] Mobile preview is readable
- [ ] Links work in preview mode
- [ ] Images display properly
- [ ] Social share preview correct

### Publication
- [ ] Schedule vs. publish now decided
- [ ] Social sharing plan ready
- [ ] Newsletter inclusion decided
- [ ] Analytics tracking confirmed

## Post-Publication

### Immediate (within 1 hour)
- [ ] Verify live URL works
- [ ] Share to social channels
- [ ] Notify team/subscribers if relevant

### Follow-up (within 24-48 hours)
- [ ] Check initial engagement metrics
- [ ] Respond to comments
- [ ] Fix any reported issues

### Long-term (monthly)
- [ ] Review analytics performance
- [ ] Update outdated information
- [ ] Add internal links from newer posts