Astra Is My New Publishing Assistant - A Successful Project

Hi everyone,

As I mentioned previously:

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/melwaller/blog/i-am-running-tests-with-chatgpts-new-astra-model-and-so-far-im-impressed

I was doing some small tests on Astra's performance and it did very well.

So using my GPT Chief of Staff, we assigned Astra the task of transcribing an entire public domain book PDF.

Here is some of our work.

Astra:

Proposed workflow

1. Establish the edition and production brief. Confirm which file governs the text, the intended printer, trim size, and whether this is formatting only or includes copyediting. The existing 6 × 9-inch format is a practical starting point. Request the InDesign package and original cover artwork if available.
2. Create a separate working edition after approval. Preserve the source files, record their checksums, and compare Word against PDF for omissions, additions, and differences in front matter.
3. Clean the manuscript structure. Apply consistent styles to chapters, articles, petitions, commandments, dialogue, and lists. Review manual breaks individually, preserve meaningful emphasis, and build an automatic contents structure.
4. Produce a small design proof. Prepare approximately 8–12 representative pages: title and copyright pages, contents, a chapter opening, dialogue, and a dense numbered passage. This lets you approve typography and spacing before applying them throughout.
5. Lay out the complete book. Resolve stranded speaker labels, widows and orphans, awkward hyphenation, chapter spacing, page numbering, and blank-page treatment. Review the title-page wording and edition credits.
6. Prepare the cover and publication files. Develop the cover from suitable artwork, adding spine and back cover once pagination and paper specifications are settled. Check the final files against the chosen printer’s requirements.
7. Proof and verify. Compare final text against the approved manuscript, inspect every rendered page, check contents references and font embedding, and review a physical proof before publication.

My recommended next step is the manuscript comparison and a short design proof. No manuscript edits or redesign have been started.

Mel:

Proceed with the next stage. Do not alter any original files.

Create a new working folder inside G:\Astra Test called Astra Working.

First, compare ::: Snip :::: .pdf to determine whether there are any substantive textual differences, omissions, additions, or front-matter differences.

Preserve the wording of the Word manuscript exactly. Do not modernize, rewrite, correct theology, or silently repair suspected errors. Put any questionable wording or suspected errors into a separate review report.

Then create an 8–12 page professionally formatted design proof using a COPY of the Word manuscript. Use the existing 6 × 9 trim size and include representative material such as the title page, copyright page if appropriate, contents, a chapter opening, Master–Scholar dialogue, and a dense passage or list.

Keep all new files inside G:\Astra Test\Astra Working.

Before proceeding to full-book production, stop and show me:

1. the manuscript comparison findings,
2. the files you created,
3. the design decisions you made,
4. any problems that require my decision.

Do not redesign or process the entire book yet.

Monday 5:10 AM Worked for 16m 29s

Astra:

Completed the 12-page design proof and comparison. All originals remain unchanged, verified by checksums. All new files are inside G:\Astra Test\Astra Working.

1. Comparison findings

• All 22 chapters through “FINIS” match in wording and punctuation after accounting for PDF hyphenation and Word’s automatic list markers.
• The PDF adds editor, publisher, copyright, ISBN and imprint information.
• Word’s trailing editorial note and detailed contents outline are omitted from the PDF.
• Chapter IX’s contents wording differs from its body heading.

-----------------------------------------

I am in the process of publishing this book now on KDP Amazon.

I have selected the next titles that I will have Astra work on.

During the process, I could see that it was constantly double checking itself and it worked on batches of several pdf pages at a time.

The more I work with it, the more latitude I can give it.

If something was unclear in the pdf, a smudge or smear, Astra marked it (unclear) for me to examine later.

And we are given x amount of credits and I did not need to use more than I already had so it costs me no money to use besides being a ChatGPT plus member.

Have you tried Astra yet?

To Our Success!

Mel Waller