If you're thinking about working with a designer and wondering where AI fits in, this post is for you. AI is everywhere right now, and the conversations around it in writing forums range from enthusiastic to outright hostile. I want to give you an honest answer. One that's useful whether you're self-publishing a book, building a website, or figuring out your business for the first time.

A good discovery call saves time, energy, and the risk of misunderstandings later. It helps avoid scope creep, ensures the project is realistic, and makes sure the design process feels calm rather than overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know.

Last year, someone reached out to me in a panic. They had designed their own book cover in Canva. When they uploaded it to KDP (Amazon’s print-on-demand service), the book was rejected due to a copyright infringement. They were given 48 hours to fix the issue, or their entire project would be removed.

How do you know if your words are consistent, precise, and engage the reader? If you’ve been working on your words for some time, you may be too close to tell. This new guide is an example of how not having an editor can lead to scope creep. It’s from a project I worked on a few years ago, and a great example of when an honest appraisal can be useful and why working with an experienced designer is a benefit.

Imagine trying to read a book or a website without any headings. How would you know when you had started a new chapter or new section? It’s easy to get into a tangle with headiings, and this post shares a useful tip on how to get them in order to help your audience.

Starting a design project? Don’t skip the prep. Think Mastermind! You need your specialist subject ready before you take the hot seat.

One of the areas that can often trip people up is knowing when you need to get a designer involved in your project. This post explains when you need creative support, and when you may not.

For work that's been around for longer and requires professional touches because the audience is investing more time, effort, and money, I advise using specialist software. Often, it's only when a book is out there and readers give feedback that authors appreciate that book page design is specialist.