What if your book cover isn’t just a marketing tool—but one of the most powerful storytelling elements you have?

In this episode of The Write Podcast, I’m joined by cover designer Holly Dunn for a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes into creating a cover that sells your story.

And here’s what makes Holly different: she actually reads the entire manuscript before she designs. (Yes—really.) Which means her covers aren’t just beautiful… they’re deeply aligned with the tone, emotion, and promise of the book itself.

We dive into her creative process, how she translates story into visual language, and what she’s looking for as she reads a manuscript. We also talk about the rise of AI in design—what it means for authors, where it can help, and where human creativity still matters most.

And of course, we explore the truth behind the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”… and why readers absolutely do.

If you’re an author who wants your book to stand out, connect with the right audience, and truly reflect the story you’ve written, this episode is a must-listen.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• Why reading the book changes everything in cover design

• How to visually communicate tone, genre, and emotional promise

• The role of AI in publishing and creative work

• What makes a cover actually sell a book

• How to think about your cover as part of your storytelling

Find Holly online at: https://www.hollydunndesign.com/

Some launches go exactly to plan. This one didn't — and I'm telling you everything.

Heartbeat Song released on the 12th of April 2026, and in the lead-up to launch day, Amazon cancelled all of my preorders. Before I could even speak to a real person at KDP, I had to fight through a wall of AI bots — frustrating, time-consuming, and genuinely stressful when your launch window is closing in real time.But here's the thing. My book was also live on Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play — and those platforms delivered. Being wide didn't just make business sense in theory. It literally cushioned my launch.

In this episode I'm sharing the full story: what went wrong, what I didn't do, and exactly how I'm building the runway differently for Our Song later this year.

What you'll learn in this episode:

- Why preorders are about so much more than sales — and what losing them actually costs you

- Why selling wide across multiple platforms is non-negotiable

- The honest list of launch strategies I skipped — ARCs, street team, BookTok, Meta ads, email sequences

- How to build an ARC team that generates reviews before launch day

- Why your Shopify store (or direct sales channel) should lead your strategy, not follow it

- What a proper email launch countdown sequence looks like

- How to shift from creation mode to launch mode — before you finish the last chapter

Links mentioned:Grab Songbird and Heartbeat Song from my website: https://serenadepublishing.myshopify.com/collections/songbird

The Author CEO: https://www.serenadepublishing.com/the-author-ceo

If this episode resonated, please leave a review or share it with a writer friend. It genuinely helps this show reach more people.

Have you ever thought about building a business in the book world… without actually writing a book?

In this episode of The Write Podcast, I’m joined by Shara—the creative force behind Aura and Alchemy, a beautifully unique, book-inspired perfume brand that captures the magic of stories in scent form.

What I love most about this conversation is how it expands what’s possible for you as a creative. Because being part of the writing and publishing world doesn’t have to mean becoming an author—it can look like building something entirely your own, rooted in your love of books.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

• How Shara came up with her incredibly clever bookish business idea

• What it really takes to turn a creative concept into a product-based brand

• The different ways you can be part of the book industry beyond writing

• Why thinking outside the box might be exactly what your creative journey needs
  

Whether you’re a writer, an aspiring author, or someone who simply loves books and wants to turn that passion into something more—this episode will open your eyes to new possibilities.