You’ve already done the heavy lifting. You wrote the manuscript. You’ve lived the story, refined the ideas, built the frameworks, and wrestled with the blank page more times than you care to admit.
Now the only thing left to do is self-publish it.
You want your book to catapult your business and impact your audience, just like it did for the powerhouse women in business before you.
There is only one thing stopping you.
Your book is still living in Google Docs, because you don’t have the time or patience to figure out typography pairings, margin and gutter widths or the hyphenation rules which make your book a premium reading experience.
And yes it matters more than you think.
It signals:
It’s how your book presents itself on the shelf and online.
It determines whether your ideal reader beelines to your book and grabs it from the shelf OR if they skip right over it because it screams amateur.
And I know you didn’t work THIS hard and this long on your manuscript JUST for your ideal reader to walk past it because of the cover.
The good news:
You don’t need to be a designer, spend late nights trying to figure out safe text areas, or give up and try to crack into a publishing house just to make your book look legit.
You just need to know a really good designer who just so happens to work in the publishing industry.
And who knows how to make your book look as powerful as your message.
Here’s the thing most self-publishing guides won’t tell you: shelf appeal isn’t a feeling. It’s not “I’ll know it when I see it.” It’s the result of three specific things working together, and when one is missing, something specific breaks down.
Knowing what a legitimate book looks like in your category. The conventions, the signals, the visual language your reader has been trained to recognise without even realising it. Get this wrong and your book looks like it wandered onto the wrong shelf. Get it right and it earns its place before anyone’s even read the blurb.
Understanding your content deeply enough to tease the story on the cover — without giving it away. That IYKYK (if-you-know-you-know) moment between author and reader. A great cover makes you ask a question, not answer one. You see an image, a symbol, a colour and you’re intrigued without knowing exactly why. That pull? That’s Story Instinct doing its job.
This is why the briefing call exists before anything is designed. Before I touch a single visual, I need to know the story, the themes, the symbolism, the mood — everything that lives inside the book that the cover needs to gesture toward without giving away.
Where strategy and story become design. Colour, typography, focal point, hierarchy — every decision grounded in what your reader needs to feel and what your genre demands they see. The aesthetics aren’t decorative. They’re the argument.
When all three are present, you get shelf appeal. When one is missing:
Genre Literacy + Story Instinct without Visual Translation — the idea is there. The execution lets it down.
Genre Literacy + Visual Translation without Story Instinct — it looks right for the shelf, but the cover either tells everything or says nothing meaningful.
Story Instinct + Visual Translation without Genre Literacy — it looks wrong in the space. Too woo for business. Too personal development for memoir.
Twelve-plus years in design.
A background in publishing and communications.
A psychology lens.
A storytelling brain.
And a slight obsession with making authors look like leaders (and spending way too may hours in book stores analysing book covers).
I design books for women who’ve outgrown the DIY era —
and are ready to step into the thought-leadership era.
Your words are powerful.
And I want to help you get your books/message into as many hands as possible. My job is to package them with the strategy, intelligence, and visual authority they deserve.
Hey, I’m Heidi
Introducing
I’ll design your book so it’s something your readers want to pick up, flip through and finish. We’ll start by designing the front cover so it instantly communicates what your book is about and who it’s for. Then we choose the best layout and typography that makes it effortless to read and stay immersed in.
Yep, your brand needs its own logo, brand colours and typography too. While your business branding sells your services, your author brand is connected to you as a personal brand and thought leader, and is essential to build the presence that will help to sell your book.
Instead of chucking around an Amazon link or trying to promote your book purely on Instagram, you’ll have a cohesive website you can send your podcast listeners, potential clients to and a space to share your story and message, and ultimately build your audience.
Your book can’t sell itself if no one sees it. I’ll create a suite of mockup imagery and Canva templates so you can promote your book consistently and confidently without scrambling to design something every time you want to post about it.
Because visibility isn’t just about showing up… it’s about showing up well. And when your visuals match the quality of your book, people are far more likely to stop, pay attention, and actually click through.
In other words you’re getting everything you need to turn your finished manuscript into a book and online presence that grows your business, makes you an industry name, and spreads your message to more of the right people.
“From my first consultation with Heidi, to the result, the experience has felt seamless. She clearly executed my ideas almost reading my mind. Her vision and expertise were professional, and I found her presentation layout informative, making it easy for me to understand the different options and their impact. Overall, I loved working with her, and I look forward to working with her in the future. I would highly recommend Heidi.”
The book is where it starts. The brand and platform are what make it land. Here’s how I build all of it.
There are four parts to how I approach this work. They build on each other, and they all matter.
Strategy first. Before a single design decision is made, we get clear on your reader, your genre, and the shelf your book belongs on. This is what makes sure your cover fits within the conventions of your category — so it earns the trust of the right reader — while still standing out from everything sitting next to it. For the right reasons. A book that blends in won’t get picked up. A book that stands out for the wrong reasons won’t get finished. Audience work is what makes the difference.
Strategy and story made visible. Every visual decision draws from two places: the strategy (your genre, your reader, your positioning) and the story (your themes, your symbolism, your mood, the meaning living inside the book). Colour, typography, focal point, hierarchy, imagery — none of it is chosen because it looks good. It’s chosen because it does something. It signals where your book belongs. It pulls the right reader in. And it carries something of the book itself on the outside, so the reader feels the connection before they’ve opened a single page. A beautiful cover that’s wrong for the shelf — or wrong for the story — is still the wrong cover.
Authority. The word author is literally inside authority. That’s not a coincidence. Your book already proves you know what you’re talking about — but your reader, your podcast host, your potential collaborator needs to see that the moment they land on your page or find you online. We build your author brand identity and website so you can show up to promote and market your book looking exactly as credible as the content inside it. Because a brilliant book and a scrappy online presence is a disconnect your ideal reader will feel, even if they can’t name it.
Your platform, ready to go. You’ve written the book. The marketing of it is yours to do — and honestly, no designer can do that part for you. What I can do is make sure you have somewhere to send people. A website that clearly explains your book, your message, and what to do next. Marketing templates you can actually use without starting from scratch every time you want to post. The platform exists. Showing up on it is up to you. (But at least you won’t be scrambling for an Amazon link and marketing purely through Instagram and hoping for the best.)
Payment plans available.
If you’re not ready for the full author ecosystem, or you already have an established brand and website, there are more streamlined options below, designed to support your book without overbuilding what you don’t need.
Step 1
I only work with finished manuscripts so I can design a cover and interior that reflects the finished message and is ready to publish.
Step 2
This is where we get on the same page before anything is designed. We’ll talk through your book, your audience, and how you want to be perceived—along with any inspiration you’ve gathered. This stage shapes the creative direction, so the concepts aren’t just beautiful… they’re aligned, intentional, and positioned to connect.
Step 3
Now we bring it to life. I’ll develop three cover concepts and three internal styling directions, grounded in your message, audience, and positioning. You’ll choose a direction, and from there we refine so what we land on doesn’t just look good, it feels right.
Step 4
Once the design direction is approved, I move into the full layout of your book. This is where readability, flow, and structure come into play because great writing deserves to be experienced effortlessly.
And honestly? This is the part that determines whether your book is devoured and passed around book club… or quietly lands in the DNF (did not finish) pile because the font was painful to read. I’ll ensure your typography, spacing, and margins are considered and refined so your reader stays immersed in your message, not distracted by the design.
Step 5
This stage is for thoughtful refinements — polishing details, tightening consistency, and catching any final tweaks. Because the strategy and concept work has been done properly upfront, this isn’t about endless changes — it’s about finishing strong.
Step 6
You’ll receive professionally prepared print files ready for IngramSpark, along with a formatted eBook version.
You’ll handle the upload, but I’m here to support you if anything feels unclear or technical along the way. No “good luck, hope it works” energy.
Step 7
We’ll map out the timing for this during your discovery call, but ideally this work begins early so your brand and website are ready to support your book as soon as it’s published.
Because your book doesn’t exist in isolation… it’s part of a bigger presence, and everything should feel aligned from day one.
Working with Heidi exceeded my expectations. From our early discovery session, I felt like she understood my needs and desires, listened deeply, and supported me in a way that made me feel seen and heard. The work she produced went above my expectations — I adore the outcome, and it was all better than I could have imagined or hoped. Heidi brought to life elements of my brand I hadn’t considered or wasn’t yet confident to dream up. I now have a suite of brand tools, an awesome website I love, and a clear plan for promoting my work. I feel more confident, more “legit,” and genuinely excited to show up for my brand.
Your manuscript should be fully edited and final — no rewrites or major changes once we begin the design process as this can result in a complete redesign. Word documents are preferred, and I’ll handle the formatting from there.
Nope. As a designer with 12+ years experience in design, I focus purely on design. But I do work with your chosen platform’s specs (like IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, etc.) to make sure everything uploads smoothly.
If you need support with writing, structure, editing, mindset, marketing or the publishing process I’m happy to connect you with trusted professionals who can help get you across the line. When you’re ready for design, I’ll be here to take it from polished words to a print-worthy book you’re proud to share.
Most projects take 8-12 weeks between the branding, website and book design. If you’ve got a launch date, let me know early so I can plan accordingly.
If your book is tied to you (your ideas, your frameworks, your voice), then yes — your business brand isn’t enough.
Your business brand is built to market your services.
Your author brand is built to position your thought leadership.
They’re not competing identities — they’re complementary.
Your author brand gives your book a recognisable, credible home. It also makes your work easier to market, quote, promote, and reference outside the context of your business.
A strong personal/author identity is the bridge that takes you from
“I run a business”
to
“I’m a recognised voice in my field.”
And the women who build longevity in their space — Brené, Marie, Denise, Rachel —all have both.
This is the biggest fear every author has, and it’s valid. Your book cover isn’t just artwork… it’s identity, market positioning, genre signalling, and first impression wrapped into one moment.
Here’s the good news: I don’t design in a vacuum.
I take into account your vision, your preferences, your story, your themes, your genre, your audience, and actual market research (because what works for memoir doesn’t work for self-help, and what works for self-help absolutely does not work for literary fiction).
We explore multiple creative concepts, refine what feels aligned, and make sure the final cover feels like you — and feels at home on the shelf beside books in your category.
This isn’t “hope for the best” design.
It’s thoughtful, strategic, collaborative magic.
Each project includes 2 rounds of minor amendments. If you need extra tweaks after this, they can be added at an hourly rate. I’ll always be upfront if we’re getting close to scope.
Yes — I can export a reflowable or fixed-layout EPUB version as an add-on. Let me know your distribution plans and I’ll quote accordingly.
Yes! I can offer a payment plan spread over 4-10 weekly payments, depending on your package.
If you want a design partner who can take your vision, do all the heavy lifting to design a book that creates this ripple effect (not just get overlooked), book a Shelf Publishing Planning Call and we’ll make it happen.
Your words are ready. Let’s build the book.
