Introducing Personal Publishing Services
Professional Book Design for Your Art, Stories, and Histories
I’m excited to share something new: I now offer Personal Publishing services for artists, writers, collectors, and families who want to turn their words, images, and histories into professional-quality books.
For years, I’ve designed books for publishers—covers, interiors, and full series you’ll find in bookstores. Now I’m bringing that same level of professional design and production directly to individuals who want to create something lasting: a memoir, an art book, a family history, a cookbook, a novel or book of poetry, or even a catalog of a collection.
Why Personal Publishing?
We all have stories. Some come as novels or poetry collections. Others live in boxes of photographs, letters, and recipes, or in a lifetime of artwork and journals. Some are told through the objects we’ve gathered, or through the voice of a parent or grandparent who has seen a century of change.
Too often, these materials sit unseen in drawers, digital folders, or storage boxes. A book changes that.
A book gives your work permanence, structure, and presence. It can be held, shared, and passed down through generations.
This is what personal publishing is about: turning meaningful material into a thoughtfully designed, professionally produced book—not a flimsy online template, but a work that feels intentional, beautiful, and built to last.
How AI Can Help You Preserve and Prepare Your Stories
AI tools can make personal publishing faster, easier, and more accessible—especially when you’re working with old or complex material. In fact, I drafted much of this post with ChatGPT’s help, the same way I might brainstorm with a collaborator or editor. AI can’t replace creativity or judgment—but it’s becoming an incredible partner in the process.
Do you have a box of letters your parents wrote to each other, or correspondence from a relative who traveled the world? You can scan or photograph those pages and drop them into ChatGPT (or another AI transcription tool) to get clean, digital text ready for editing and layout. The same applies to journals, family recipes, or typed manuscripts—AI can save hours of retyping while preserving every word.
AI can also help with:
Transcribing handwritten notes, interviews, or recordings
Organizing material into timelines or story sequences
Summarizing long letters or documents to uncover themes you might not otherwise see.
Outlining structure for books that mix stories, images, and reflections
Proofreading text before layout
Personally, I rarely use AI to produce images unless I have considerable time to train the model on what I’m looking for, but it’s excellent at producing informational charts or tables. Or, if you have thirty recipes scrawlled inconsistently by your grandmother on paper, you can photograph them, feed them into AI, and ask the AI to organize them all into a consistent format for publication.
Used thoughtfully, AI doesn’t replace the creative process—it supports it. Combined with professional design, these tools make it easier to bring your family archives, artwork, or writing into a form that feels both timeless and contemporary.
“I never imagined how powerful it would feel to hold my own printed story in my hands. Stefan’s design turned my memoir into a book that looks like it belongs in a national bookstore chain. My family treasures it—and I’ve never been prouder. Thank you, Stefan!”
What I Offer
My Personal Publishing services cover every stage of the process:
Book Planning & Development – Helping you clarify your idea, shape the story, and organize material.
Editing & Proofreading – Ensuring your text is clear, engaging, and polished.
Photo & Image Preparation – From family snapshots to fine art, I’ll help ensure your images print beautifully.
Book Design & Layout – Creating elegant interiors and striking covers tailored to your story and style.
Printing Guidance – Helping you choose the right printer, paper, and binding.
Marketing Support – For authors and artists, I can provide websites, one-sheets, and promotional materials.
Whether you’re creating a memoir, family history, poetry book, photography collection, art monograph, cookbook, or private catalog, I’ll guide you through every step—from idea to finished book.
Why Not Just Use an Online Template?
There are plenty of online tools that can turn files into a book quickly and cheaply. They’re fine if all you need is a simple record. But I offer templated or custom design and professional craft.
With my process, every element—organization, typography, layout, imagery, pacing—is chosen to tell your story. The result isn’t just a record; it’s a book that feels intentional, cohesive, and moving.
Pricing Options
To make this accessible, I offer two clear paths:
Template Designs – A streamlined, affordable option using my pre-designed templates. Ideal for memoirs, family histories, or poetry.
Custom Designs – A fully tailored design process for art books, photography, and projects that need something one-of-a-kind.
Pricing depends on page count, cover design, and whether images are included, but I always provide a clear estimate before we begin.
Who This Is For
Artists & Photographers who want to showcase their work in a professional monograph or portfolio.
Authors who want to self-publish a memoir, novel, or poetry collection with bookstore-quality design.
Families & Historians who want to preserve life stories, recipes, or genealogies in a form that will endure.
Collectors & Archivists who want to document personal or family collections with context and meaning.
Getting Started
Every project begins with a free, no-pressure conversation. We’ll talk about your goals, your material, and what you’d like the finished book to be. From there, I’ll provide a clear estimate and outline the steps.
If you’ve been thinking about self-publishing your story, your art, or your history, this is the time to bring it to life. Personal Publishing offers a way to preserve what matters most—in a form that’s elegant, professional, and lasting.
