Fix: error handling

- refactored the big `if/else` to exit early
- added error handling for different errors while creating a release

src/github.ts

@@ -281,53 +281,65 @@ export const release = async (
     });
     return release.data;
   } catch (error) {
-    if (error.status === 404) {
-      const tag_name = tag;
-      const name = config.input_name || tag;
-      const body = releaseBody(config);
-      const draft = config.input_draft;
-      const prerelease = config.input_prerelease;
-      const target_commitish = config.input_target_commitish;
-      const make_latest = config.input_make_latest;
-      let commitMessage: string = "";
-      if (target_commitish) {
-        commitMessage = ` using commit "${target_commitish}"`;
-      }
-      console.log(
-        `👩‍🏭 Creating new GitHub release for tag ${tag_name}${commitMessage}...`
-      );
-      try {
-        let release = await releaser.createRelease({
-          owner,
-          repo,
-          tag_name,
-          name,
-          body,
-          draft,
-          prerelease,
-          target_commitish,
-          discussion_category_name,
-          generate_release_notes,
-          make_latest,
-        });
-        return release.data;
-      } catch (error) {
-        // presume a race with competing metrix runs
-        console.log(error.response.data);
-        console.log(
-          `⚠️ GitHub release failed with status: ${
-            error.status
-          }\n${JSON.stringify(error.response.data.errors)}\nretrying... (${
-            maxRetries - 1
-          } retries remaining)`
-        );
-        return release(config, releaser, maxRetries - 1);
-      }
-    } else {
+    if (error.status !== 404) {
       console.log(
         `⚠️ Unexpected error fetching GitHub release for tag ${config.github_ref}: ${error}`
       );
       throw error;
     }
+
+    const tag_name = tag;
+    const name = config.input_name || tag;
+    const body = releaseBody(config);
+    const draft = config.input_draft;
+    const prerelease = config.input_prerelease;
+    const target_commitish = config.input_target_commitish;
+    const make_latest = config.input_make_latest;
+    let commitMessage: string = "";
+    if (target_commitish) {
+      commitMessage = ` using commit "${target_commitish}"`;
+    }
+    console.log(
+      `👩‍🏭 Creating new GitHub release for tag ${tag_name}${commitMessage}...`
+    );
+    try {
+      let release = await releaser.createRelease({
+        owner,
+        repo,
+        tag_name,
+        name,
+        body,
+        draft,
+        prerelease,
+        target_commitish,
+        discussion_category_name,
+        generate_release_notes,
+        make_latest,
+      });
+      return release.data;
+    } catch (error) {
+      // presume a race with competing matrix runs
+      console.log(`⚠️ GitHub release failed with status: ${error.status}`);
+      console.log(`${JSON.stringify(error.response.data)}`);
+
+      switch (error.status) {
+        case 403:
+          console.log(
+            "Skip retry — your GitHub token/PAT does not have the required permission to create a release"
+          );
+          throw error;
+
+        case 404:
+          console.log("Skip retry - discussion category mismatch");
+          throw error;
+
+        case 422:
+          console.log("Skip retry - validation failed");
+          throw error;
+      }
+
+      console.log(`retrying... (${maxRetries - 1} retries remaining)`);
+      return release(config, releaser, maxRetries - 1);
+    }
   }
 };