My publisher expected weeks of work on Podium Entertainment’s audiobook production forms. Monday morning they’ll find complete submission materials in their inbox—detailed character breakdowns, comprehensive content warnings, and a 200+ entry pronunciation guide covering four distinct linguistic systems. Total time invested: one Friday evening. Here’s the exact process I used with Claude Sonnet 4 to compress what’s typically 2-3 weeks of tedious work into 5 focused hours. For a 136,000-word space opera with body-swapping operatives, multiple aliases, and invented languages, systematic beats casual every time. Use AI for data processing, not creative judgment. Keep your weekends free.
The Lord of the Flies Was Wrong About Human Nature
We’ve internalized Golding’s vision: strip away civilization and children become monsters. But in 1965, six Tongan teenage boys actually got stranded on a deserted island for fifteen months. Instead of tribal warfare and murder, they thrived. They organized into rotating work teams, maintained a signal fire, built gardens, and created conflict resolution systems. When one boy broke his leg falling off a cliff, the others set his bone and adapted their work to include him. When Captain Peter Warner found them, they were healthy, organized, and still friends. The real story was unknown until 2020 while Golding’s fiction became cultural gospel. Maybe the question isn’t whether human nature is good or evil—it’s what conditions promote cooperation versus conflict.
Kintsugi and the Human Soul
As a philosophy, Kintsugi treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. My daughter survived open-heart and spinal surgery. Other girls mock her scars in the locker room. They don’t understand she’s a warrior. Whether our scars are from surgery, war, or trauma; whether visible or hidden—they’re proof we survived. It’s our scars that make us beautiful.
Write What You Love… To Market
Asking “should I write what I love or write to market?” is the wrong question. The writing world has manufactured a false binary that’s keeping writers from building sustainable careers. It’s not about compromise. It’s about understanding what you genuinely love writing and finding readers who are hungry for exactly that. The market isn’t your enemy. Your passion isn’t a liability. Find where they meet. That’s the sweet spot.
Fire Your Cover Artist
Your indie book cover doesn’t need expensive custom artwork to compete with traditional publishers. After thirty years in graphic design, I’ve learned that bold typography often outperforms elaborate illustrations—especially at thumbnail size where most readers first see your book. Typography-focused covers are budget-friendly, easier to maintain across a series, and cut through the noise when someone’s scrolling Amazon on their phone. The trick isn’t slapping words on a background; it’s understanding hierarchy, color psychology, and genre conventions. Learn these principles, avoid amateur mistakes like font overload and poor contrast, and you can create professional covers yourself.
Disney Princesses Gone Goth
Someone suggested I do a series of Goth Disney Princesses, and I thought it sounded like a fun AI art challenge so here we go… Cinderella Rapunzel Snow White Sleeping Beauty Merida Belle Pocahontas Ariel Jasmine Moana Mulan Tiana Elsa
Characters Holding Novels They Appear In
Figured it would be fun to make images of characters holding copies of the books they appear in, so here goes—some of mine and some from books I like. These were all generated with DALL-E 3. Mary Anne O’Sullivan, The Widow’s Son Zarahemla Two Crows, A Fistful of Demons Sister Magdalena, The Spear of Destiny … Continue reading Characters Holding Novels They Appear In
The Art of Digital Remixing
I’ll admit right off the bat that I’m not an illustrator. I have no drawing or painting talent whatsoever (aside from stick figure cartoons that my kids find mildly amusing). But one thing I’m somewhat good at is digital remixing of other people’s art.
Custom Book Trailer Services
Book trailers are an important, but often overlooked part of your marketing strategy. Book trailers can make a lasting impression, for good or for ill.
Book Cover Design Services
Your book cover has one job: make browsers stop scrolling and click “Buy Now.” Generic templates and amateur covers are invisible. You need professional design that captures your book’s essence and signals you’re worth their time. I’ve been doing this for over twenty years—simple or complex, realistic or abstract, any genre. Fast turnaround, competitive pricing, free consultation with mockup before you commit. Your cover isn’t decoration—it’s marketing. It’s a billboard for your author brand that needs to grab attention in thumbnail size, communicate genre instantly, and differentiate you from competition. In a crowded market, your cover is your competitive edge.
The Annex 