Appendix A: Templates and Worksheets

Printable or digital frameworks for recurring creator decisions. Each template is designed to be completed before the relevant activity — not after.

Template 1: Video Pre-Production Checklist

Complete before filming any video.

Basic Information - Video title (working): ___ - Target length: _ minutes - Primary platform: ___ - Posting date: _______

Audience and Purpose - Who specifically is this video for? (Describe one person): __ - What problem does this solve or question does this answer? __ - What will the viewer be able to do/know/feel after watching that they couldn't before? ___

Structure - Hook type: __ - First sentence (word for word): __ - Main tension/narrative question: __ - Key moments (3-5 bullet points): __ - Resolution/ending: ___

Packaging - Title (finalized): __ - Title curiosity gap check: What question does this title create? __ - Thumbnail concept: __ - What emotion does the thumbnail convey? __

Ethics Pre-Check - Are all factual claims verified against primary sources? Yes / No / N/A - Is any sponsored content clearly disclosed? Yes / No / N/A - Would the people mentioned feel fairly represented? Yes / No / N/A - Am I proud of how I'm approaching this? Yes / Working on it / No

Template 2: Video Post-Publication Analytics Review

Complete 7 days after posting any video.

Basic Performance - Total views (7-day): __ - Average view duration: __ - Audience retention rate: _% - CTR (if available): % - Shares: __ - Comments: ___ - New subscribers attributed: _______

Retention Curve Analysis - Biggest drop-off point: _ minutes / seconds - What was happening at that moment: __ - Did viewers rewatch any section? Yes / No — If yes, which: _______

Qualitative Review - What did comments tell you about what resonated? __ - Was there a specific comment or question that revealed a gap or opportunity? __ - Performance vs. your expectation: Above / As expected / Below

Learning - One specific thing you'd do differently: __ - One specific thing you'd repeat: __ - Next hypothesis to test based on this video: ___

Template 3: Brand Deal Evaluation Worksheet

Complete before accepting any brand deal.

Deal Information - Brand name: __ - Product/service to promote: __ - Proposed compensation: __ - Deliverables requested: __ - Timeline: __ - Exclusivity terms (if any): __

Three-Question Test 1. Would I use this product honestly? Rating (1-10): _ Notes: ___ 2. Does this genuinely fit my audience? Rating (1-10): Notes: __ 3. Can I tell the truth while fulfilling the contract? Rating (1-10): Notes: ______

Contract Checklist (check only if confirmed in writing) - □ Deliverables specified precisely - □ Payment amount and timeline confirmed - □ Revision limit defined - □ Usage rights specified - □ Exclusivity terms and duration defined - □ Kill fee provision included - □ FTC disclosure requirement included

Pricing Check - My average views per video: __ - Niche CPM benchmark: $ __ - Calculated fair rate: $ __ - Offered rate: $ __ - Difference: $ ___

Decision - Accept / Negotiate / Decline - If declining, reason: __ - If negotiating, my counter: __

Template 4: Collaboration Planning Brief

Send to collaborating creator before starting any collaboration.

Collaboration Overview - Topic/premise: __ - Target audience (for both): __ - Planned posting date: ___

Creator A (your information) - What you will create: __ - Where you will post: Platform _ , Date/time _ - How you will promote: __ - Where you will mention Creator B: __ - Link you will share: __

Creator B (their information) - What they will create: __ - Where they will post: Platform _ , Date/time _ - How they will promote: __ - Where they will mention Creator A: __ - Link they will share: __

Shared Elements - Title format (if coordinating): __ - Hashtags (if coordinating): __ - Any shared thumbnail elements: ___

Agreements - Revision policy (if collaborative creation): __ - What happens if one party can't deliver on time: __ - Long-term relationship intention: One-time / Ongoing ___

Template 5: Personal Ethics Code Worksheet

Complete before encountering the situations that test it.

Core Values (3-5 underlying principles, not rules) 1. I believe that my audience deserves: __ 2. I believe that honesty in my work means: __ 3. I believe that my responsibility to accuracy requires: __ 4. __ 5. ___

Specific Commitments (5-8 in the format "When [situation], I will [action]") 1. When I make a factual error, I will: __ 2. When a brand offers a deal I'm uncertain about, I will: __ 3. When I discuss another creator in my content, I will: __ 4. When a video underperforms significantly, I will not: __ 5. When I receive coordinated hostile comments, I will: __ 6. __ 7. __ 8. __

Non-Negotiables (things I will not do regardless of compensation or opportunity) 1. __ 2. __ 3. __ 4. __ 5. ___

The Personal Limit Test Would I be comfortable if the people who know me best saw this content? Yes / No If no, what specifically would they object to? __ Is that objection valid? __

Template 6: The 90-Day Creator Launch Plan

Fill in before starting. Revise at day 30 and day 60.

Foundation (Days 1-7) - Platform chosen: __ - Channel name: __ - First 3 video concepts (ranked): 1. __ 2. __ 3. ___ - Week 1 posting goal: _____ videos

Rhythm (Days 8-30) - Weekly posting target: _ videos - Posting days: ___ - Month 1 topics (list 6-8 specific video ideas): _______

Experimentation (Days 31-60) - Variable to test: __ - Hypothesis: __ - What I'll measure: ___

Growth (Days 61-90) - Collaboration target (1 creator to reach out to): __ - Community initiative: __ - Packaging optimization focus: ___

90-Day Success Definition - What process metric will I use to evaluate month 3? __ - What does "success" look like that doesn't involve comparing to other channels? __

Template 7: Audience Retention Curve Diagnosis

Use when reviewing the retention graph in platform analytics.

Overall retention rate: _% Platform benchmark for this content type/length: ___% Versus benchmark: Above / At / Below

Drop Pattern Analysis

Common diagnoses: - Drop in first 30 seconds: Hook failure - Steady gradual decline: Normal, but if steep, pacing issues - Cliff at specific midpoint: Specific element causing exits; identify and remove/revise - Bump (retention increase): Viewers rewinding — positive signal

One specific change for the next video based on this analysis: ___