Introduction
# Blog to Kindle
Scrape blog/essay sites, compile into EPUB with cover art, and deliver to Kindle.
## Quick Start
```bash # 1. Fetch essays from a supported site uv run scripts/fetch_blog.py --site paulgraham --output ./pg-essays
# 2. Generate cover (uses Nano Banana Pro) # See nano-banana-pro skill for cover generation
# 3. Compile to EPUB with cover uv run scripts/compile_epub.py --input ./pg-essays --cover ./cover.png --output essays.epub
# 4. Send to Kindle uv run scripts/send_to_kindle.py --file essays.epub --kindle-email [email protected] ```
## Workflow (MUST follow this order)
1. **Fetch** - Download all essays/posts from the blog 2. **Generate Cover** - Create cover art via Nano Banana Pro skill (DO NOT SKIP) 3. **Compile** - Combine into EPUB with cover embedded 4. **Send** - Email to Kindle address
⚠️ **Always generate and include cover before sending.** Never send without cover.
## Supported Sites
| Site | Key | URL Pattern | |------|-----|-------------| | Paul Graham | `paulgraham` | paulgraham.com/articles.html | | Kevin Kelly | `kevinkelly` | kk.org/thetechnium | | Derek Sivers | `sivers` | sive.rs/blog | | Wait But Why | `waitbutwhy` | waitbutwhy.com/archive | | Astral Codex Ten | `acx` | astralcodexten.com |
For unlisted sites, use `--site custom --url <archive-url>`.
## Cover Generation
Use the `nano-banana-pro` skill to generate covers. Prompt template:
``` Book cover for '[Author Name]: [Subtitle]'. Minimalist design with elegant typography. [Brand color] accent. Clean white/cream background. Simple geometric or abstract motif related to [topic]. Professional literary feel. No photos, no faces. Portrait orientation book cover dimensions. ```
Generate at 2K resolution for good quality without huge file size.
## Kindle Delivery
Default Kindle address (Simon): `[email protected]`
Uses Mail.app via AppleScript to send. Ensure: - Sender email is on Kindle approved list - File under 50MB (EPUB compresses well)
## State Tracking
State files stored in `~/.clawdbot/state/blog-kindle/`: - `{site}-last-fetch.json` - Last fetch timestamp, article count - `{site}-sent.json` - List of sent article IDs
Use for incremental updates (only fetch new posts).
## Manual Workflow (no scripts)
If scripts unavailable, follow this pattern:
1. **Fetch**: curl archive page → parse article links → fetch each → convert to markdown 2. **Combine**: Concatenate markdown with YAML frontmatter (title, author) 3. **Cover**: Generate via Nano Banana Pro 4. **Convert**: `pandoc combined.md -o output.epub --epub-cover-image=cover.png --toc` 5. **Send**: AppleScript Mail.app with attachment
See `references/manual-workflow.md` for detailed steps.