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When Chani began working with me, she had a clear message and a long-standing intention to write her first book. She knew that she wanted to self-publish but also that she definitely did NOT want to self-publish. Like many entrepreneurs, she wanted the ownership, flexibility, and control that self-publishing offers, without having to personally manage the technical, production, and distribution details required to do it well.
Chani Bergen is a financial-services professional, entrepreneur, caregiver, wife, and mom, and the founder of the Women Mean Business platform. Her life reflected competence, responsibility, and outward success, alongside a growing internal awareness that traditional definitions of success no longer aligned with how she wanted to live or lead. That awareness became the foundation of How to Fail with Flying Colors, a book rooted in redefining success on personal terms.
At the start of her author journey, the book existed as a concept and an internal outline. There was no manuscript yet, but there was clarity around why the book mattered and a basic outline of topics in her head.
So many entrepreneurs are in that exact same spot.
The structure of our work was based upon a plan that the manuscript would be written gradually over the course of her monthly payment plan, with the final month reserved for editing, production, and publishing execution.
This mirrors how most entrepreneur self-publishing projects actually happen. Writing has to coexist with client work, family responsibilities, and the ongoing demands of running a business; not a quiet sabbatical or a publisher-backed cash advance (which is more rare than you think).
During the planned writing phase, Chani was also enrolled in my author email drip sequence for writers still in the manuscript stage. That sequence provides ongoing guidance and encouragement for first-time authors navigating the mental load of writing while juggling real life.
Early in our work together, Chani had applied to an author conference. The application was aspirational, and she did not ever expect to be accepted, at least not THIS year. After submitting it, she largely forgot about it and continued forward with her work, soon even forgetting that she had applied.
Then the acceptance email came in.
Within hours, my phone rang. She left me a voicemail that said, “Help, Vicky. I’m screwed and I need to be unscrewed.”
The conference required participants to arrive with a finished, printed book in hand. But her regular work and life had gotten in the way. With no manuscript written, not even an outline committed to paper, the project instantly moved into a fixed three-month window.
Under normal circumstances, taking a book from a blank page to a professionally printed copy in hand within the timeframe we suddenly faced is extremely unrealistic. Publishing timelines involve far more than writing. Editing, layout, platform approvals, print scheduling, and shipping all introduce constraints that cannot be compressed without experience. And sometimes not even with experience.
This is where many first-time self-publishing authors underestimate what they are actually taking on. Writing the book is only one part of the process, even though it is a big one. Everything else is just as big a part of the process of publishing a book.
Professional editing, interior layout, cover design, platform approvals, print specifications, pricing strategy, and distribution sequencing all carry technical requirements and hard constraints. Without prior publishing experience, most authors don’t realize how quickly a single misstep can create delays, added costs, or a finished product that doesn’t reflect the seriousness of the work.
Once the deadline was real, I laid out exactly what would need to happen and when, based on how publishing actually works … not how people hope it works.
That included a week-by-week writing plan for which chapters needed to be finished, designed around Chani’s actual life. Instead of carving out mythical “quiet writing time,” we focused on capturing ideas where she already existed:
The goal was progress without adding pressure.
I told Chani to use what she already had access to … the microphone and notes app on her mobile phone or tablet; microphone on her computer with a Google doc; and to simply speak and “brain dump” her thoughts into a document. No worry about flow, punctuation, or even grammar and spelling. Just get the thoughts and stories out of her head and onto paper.
From there, I guided her on how to use AI as a transcription and organization tool. This is not using AI for the actual writing … I would never recommend this to any of my authors (and tons of reasons why). For one thing, AI doesn’t have your background or your story. Chani wrote every word of the book herself. AI did not generate ideas, voice, or content. It was used to help turn her large blocks of dictated text into sentences with punctuation and readable chapters using carefully controlled prompts I suggested that preserved her voice and intent.
This matters, especially for entrepreneurs exploring AI-assisted writing who still care deeply about authorship, credibility, and originality. You would use AI the same way that you would use a human transcriptionist, like an audio file that you would send to them to type. The transcriptionist isn’t authoring anything, just typing. Same here.
Alongside writing strategy, I defined the non-negotiable production sequence: edit lock dates, Amazon KDP review windows, author copy printing timelines, and shipping buffers. These were based on real platform and print constraints, not optimistic estimates.
With the sequence handled, Chani could dictate and then write without constantly wondering what would break later.
While Chani defined her message, voice, and purpose, I advised at a strategic level on how the book would function once it existed in the world. That includes how nonfiction books support speaking opportunities, platforms, and long-term business growth, not just launch-week sales.
Her book intentionally blends memoir, mindset guidance, and reflection, creating a reading experience that feels human, grounded, and accessible.
Because of the compressed timeline, I did not review draft chapters as they were written; my editing had to be reduced to one read-through at the end due to tight timeline. Instead, I advised at a strategic level on reader experience, something most first-time self-publishing authors don’t realize can or should be designed intentionally.
That included guidance on where reflection moments tend to be most effective, how journaling prompts can support clarity rather than feel like homework, and why restraint is just as important as inclusion. The goal was not to add “extras,” but to help the book breathe so readers could stay engaged without fatigue.
These were conceptual guardrails rather than detailed content direction, allowing Chani to write freely while staying aligned with how readers would experience the finished book.
Interior design, formatting, and production execution were fully handled by me as her publisher. This is one of the most underestimated parts of self-publishing.
I selected the trim size, designed the interior layout system, established visual hierarchy, and created consistent treatments for recurring sections. White space, section breaks, and imagery were used intentionally to support pacing and emotional weight.
Early in the process, Chani had created a rough cover concept in Canva. While it’s a helpful design platform, Canva is almost never appropriate for commercially printed book covers. It lacks the technical requirements for professional book cover printing, including accurate color handling, bleed setup, spine calculations, and print-ready files. Some early design choices would have resulted in washed-out text and reduced legibility in print.
These are not mistakes. They are simply things most entrepreneurs have never learned because they haven’t worked in the commercial printing or book printing industry.
Drawing on my experience as a graphic designer and publisher, I redesigned the cover and prepared files correctly for commercial printing, preserving the spirit of her original idea while ensuring the final product met professional standards.
Once her deadline was fixed, the project required multiple moving parts to progress in parallel: writing, editing, formatting, pricing, platform approvals, printing author copies, and shipping.
We moved into a bi-weekly meeting cadence to keep decisions moving efficiently. I handled ISBN management, Amazon KDP sequencing, pricing logic for paperback and ebook formats, submission timing, and print coordination. I collected her bio, book description for the listing, and other points along the process where she needed to provide additional information.
All of the complicated, unglamorous, high-risk publishing mechanics were handled, rather than those becoming one more thing she had to learn on the fly (and maybe not learn as fully as needed) while trying to also finish the book and working full-time while also being a busy mom. For entrepreneurs, this is often the difference between completing a self-publishing project and quietly abandoning it … or releasing something that doesn’t fully reflect you as a professional.
How to Fail with Flying Colors is complete, professionally produced, and available for order on Amazon. Author copies were ordered on a timeline aligned with conference requirements, and she had her printed books in hand to distribute at the conference (along with a companion workbook that we added on after the fact.)
More importantly, the book now exists as a durable asset Chani can build on through speaking engagements, future programs, and expanded platform work.
Extra marketing advice and support after printing will also help her boost her book sales and use the book to enhance her perceived expertise in her field.
Many entrepreneurs want to write a book and choose the self-publishing route believing it offers freedom and control. And sure, it does. What often happens instead is that they unintentionally release something that looks rushed, inconsistent, or amateur, not because their ideas lack depth, but because publishing itself is a discipline.
Books signal seriousness. Books establish entrepreneurs as an expert. They quietly communicate how much weight someone carries in their field. The perception of all of those can be lowered unintentionally by small errors or oversight.
This project worked because the book was handled by a publisher from the start. Writing strategy, smart workflows and timelines, production realities, design execution, and marketing context were applied together. The complexity stayed contained. The author’s energy stayed focused.
The result is a book that reinforces the seriousness of its author and the depth of her message, rather than accidentally undermining it.
For entrepreneurs considering self-publishing their first book, this case study shows the difference between simply publishing a book and publishing a book that reflects how seriously you want to be taken.
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Perfect for entrepreneurs who need an ISBN plus guidance on setting up their publishing platforms. This package provides the foundational elements you need to publish professionally while keeping full control over your book. |
A professional publishing solution for authors who need more than just an ISBN—includes formatting, metadata optimization, and detailed publishing guidance. This package ensures your book looks polished, correctly categorized, and professionally formatted for print and eBo… |
A done-for-you publishing experience for busy entrepreneurs who want a fully professional book without the hassle. This package provides everything needed for a professional, high-end book production and publishing experience, ensuring long-term success. |
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