Coauthor Coordination Protocol
Set deadlines, collect approvals, and ship the manuscript
Manuscripts stall because coauthors are busy or unresponsive. This recipe creates a lightweight coordination protocol — comment deadlines, reminder cadence, approval tracking, and polite nudge templates — so "stalled at coauthor" stops blocking you.
INGREDIENTS
PROMPT
Create a skill called "Coauthor Coordination Protocol". Ask for: - Submission target date (or mark unspecified) - Coauthor list and roles (if roles unclear, mark unspecified and proceed) - Draft link/version identifier and collaboration tool (email, GitHub, Docs, etc.) Output: 1) Email templates: - "comments due by [date]" - reminder - "no response implies approval" (only if norms allow; flag as field-dependent) 2) A version naming convention and an approval ledger. 3) A reminder schedule aligned to the submission date. Rules: - If norms differ by field, explicitly label as "field-dependent (unspecified)" and offer options.
How It Works
This recipe creates a lightweight "service-level agreement" for multi-author papers:
when comments are due, what counts as approval, and what happens if someone doesn't respond.
What You Get
- A coauthor roster with roles (first author, middle author, senior author)
- Comment deadline email templates (polite, clear, specific)
- A reminder cadence (e.g., T-7 days, T-2 days before deadline)
- An approval ledger: who approved which version and when
- A version naming convention so nobody edits the wrong file
- A "no response implies approval" option (field-dependent — the Claw flags this)
Setup Steps
- Provide coauthor names/emails (or anonymized placeholders)
- Provide target submission date and venue
- Provide current manuscript status and link/file naming scheme
- The Claw generates templates + tracking ledger + reminder schedule
Tips
- Send the first deadline message early — don't wait until you're blocked
- The "implied approval" norm varies by field; the Claw labels this explicitly
- Works for any collaboration tool: email, GitHub, Docs, etc.