The Guerrilla Publisher: Lara Helmling on Independence, Authorship and AI
Finishing a book is an achievement. Knowing how to publish it, promote it and find its readers requires a different set of skills.
That gap is the focus of The Guerrilla Publisher, the YouTube channel presented by Lara Helmling, publisher and founder of Forest City Publications. Her channel’s opening declaration—“No gatekeepers. No excuses.”—captures an approach built around helping authors take responsibility for what happens after the manuscript is finished.
For writers overwhelmed by publishing choices, her message offers a practical starting point: understand your options, develop your skills and make informed decisions about your work.
The woman behind the channel
Helmling founded Forest City Publications in 2019. According to the company’s website, she wanted to address a problem she saw in existing publishing arrangements: authors could get their books produced without receiving the individual mentoring needed to build a sustainable publishing career. Her emphasis was on guidance before, during and after publication.
Forest City Publications describes its services as including hybrid publishing and guided self-publishing, with an emphasis on author involvement and creative control. That background helps explain the channel’s focus on the decisions surrounding a book, from production through to reaching readers.
What does guerrilla publishing mean?
As an approach, guerrilla publishing draws on the resourcefulness associated with guerrilla marketing: finding practical ways to reach people, often with limited resources.
For an independent author, that might mean developing a reader newsletter, collaborating with other writers, approaching relevant community groups or creating promotions aimed at a specific audience.
The useful principle is that publishing requires initiative. Uploading a book makes it available; helping suitable readers discover it takes further work.
That also places responsibility on the author. Independence involves decisions about editing, cover design, production costs, distribution and promotion. Authors need enough knowledge to assess the help they purchase and understand what they are receiving.
Taking on the AI debate
In the video description supplied for this article, Helmling turns to one of publishing’s most contentious subjects: artificial intelligence.
She describes participating in a panel with a literary agent who discussed using AI in her own self-published writing. Helmling uses that experience to question the differing expectations that authors may encounter across traditional and independent publishing.
Her argument centres on several questions that are often bundled together. Does using AI affect a writer’s creative identity? What does a publishing contract permit? What can receive copyright protection? What does the author personally consider ethical?
Those questions overlap, but each requires its own answer.
An author’s confidence in their creative contribution does not determine a publisher’s contractual requirements. Equally, complying with a platform’s rules does not settle every ethical concern a reader or collaborator might have.
Authorship, access and responsibility
The supplied video description also raises accessibility and the possibility that AI tools can help people participate in writing.
That deserves thoughtful discussion. Writers have different abilities, resources and support needs. Assistance may help someone organise ideas, work through a difficult passage or communicate more effectively.
The nature of that assistance still matters. Asking a tool to identify repetition involves a different creative process from asking it to generate a chapter.
Copyright adds another distinction. The US Copyright Office says that using AI assistance does not automatically prevent copyright protection, while protection depends on qualifying human authorship. That does not mean every AI-generated element becomes protected because a person requested or selected it.
A conversation worth approaching thoughtfully
Helmling’s position, as outlined in the supplied description, challenges the idea that every use of AI should attract the same judgement. She also argues that stigma can encourage authors to conceal their methods.
A productive response is to examine the actual process: what the author created, what assistance was used, what permissions apply and what has been communicated to the people involved.
The wider appeal of The Guerrilla Publisher is its invitation for authors to become informed participants in their own publishing careers. Whether discussing marketing, production or AI, that is a useful ambition. Creative independence becomes more meaningful when writers understand both their choices and the responsibilities attached to them.
The detection wars: AI is publishing’s ‘wicked problem’ Orna Ross, Alliance of Independent Authors · 16 October 2026.
Recognises responsible AI-assisted and AI-integrated authorship as legitimate approaches, challenges reliance on AI detectors, and argues for accountability and fair treatment of authors.
Best AI Tools for Authors in 2026: 22 Rated, Priced and Fact-Checked Robert Prime, Publishing.co.uk · 2 September 2026.
Explores practical AI tools for independent authors, including writing assistance, cover imagery, marketing and audiobook production, with guidance on costs, limitations and disclosure.
Artificial Intelligence for Self-Published Authors Randall Wood, ScribeCount · 27 June 2026.
Discusses how human–AI collaboration can support creative writing, editing, visual design, marketing and audiobook production, with authors directing and refining the results.
How AI Is Changing Book Cover Design Howard Lovy and Pablo Yáñez, Self-Publishing with ALLi · 15 July 2026.
An audio interview with a written transcript exploring AI-generated covers as an affordable option for independent authors, alongside the importance of genre conventions, human judgement and professional designers.
AI Platforms Compared for Indie Authors Randall Wood, ScribeCount · 27 June 2026.
Compares AI platforms for creative drafting, scene generation, brainstorming, editing and marketing, helping authors assess which tools suit their publishing workflow.
The 2026 Indie Author Report on AI Covers Pablo Yáñez, BeYourCover · 31 October 2026.
Explores how independent authors use AI-generated covers, drawing on BeYourCover’s own customer data. A commercial provider’s perspective on AI cover design.
Paradox Book Covers & Formatting | 11 November 2026 There is more than one way to create a beautiful book cover — and each approach deserves an informed choice.
For indie authors and cover designers
Beyond Stock Photography:
Twelve places to find cover art, the creative freedom of AI, and the publishing rules every indie author should know.
Paradox Book Covers & Formatting | 11 November 2026
One of the things I love most about designing book covers is helping authors bring the picture in their heads to life. Sometimes that picture begins with a beautiful stock photograph. Sometimes it needs a combination of several images. And sometimes the scene the author imagines simply does not exist in any stock library.
That is why I use a mixture of traditional design techniques and AI tools. I am not interested in making every book look alike. I want the characters, setting, mood and little details to feel right for that particular story — without asking an indie author to spend thousands on bespoke artwork.
There is a place for traditional stock photography, professional illustrators and AI-assisted design. What matters is choosing the approach that suits the book, the budget and the author, then being transparent about how the artwork was made.
The beauty — and the limits — of stock photography
Stock-image libraries are wonderful resources. They let designers license professional photographs, illustrations and backgrounds without commissioning each image from scratch. I have used stock images for years, and they can make gorgeous, effective covers.
But there is an obvious catch: the same images are available to other authors and designers. Unless you have a genuinely exclusive agreement, someone else can license that same photograph. You could find the perfect couple for a romance, only to spot them on another romance cover months later.
Even when an image has the right feeling, the details may be wrong. Perhaps the dress is the wrong colour, the characters are standing in the wrong position, or the weather and landscape do not match the scene in the novel. A skilled designer can do a tremendous amount with stock photography, and that work can take hours too. But not every visual problem can be solved using the photographs already available.
Stock does not mean poor quality. It simply means the source image is usually licensed non-exclusively. The design, typography and combination of images can still make a cover distinctive.
Why Adobe Stock is my personal choice
Of all the stock-image services available, Adobe Stock is the one I choose to use in my own cover-design work. It has an enormous range of professional photography and illustrations, and I find it particularly useful for the sorts of covers I create for indie authors.
I have a paid Adobe Stock account, which gives me discounted pricing for licensed artwork. When an author chooses an Adobe Stock image for a cover I am designing, I include that image's licensing cost as part of my cover-design service; I do not charge the author an additional Adobe artwork fee. The licence still has conditions, of course, and it is important to check that an image is suitable for its intended use.
I do not have paid accounts with the other stock libraries listed below. They are worth exploring, but any licensing costs for artwork sourced from those other sites need to be considered separately.
Why I also love AI as a design tool
AI gives me another way of working when stock photographs cannot provide exactly what a story needs. An author might want a particular style of house, a different hairstyle, an unusual sky, a specific arrangement of characters, or a very particular atmosphere. Instead of accepting the closest available photograph, I can work towards those details in a more flexible way.
That does not mean I type a sentence and accept whatever appears on the screen. I can spend hours refining an image, correcting elements, experimenting with light and colour, adjusting the composition, removing distractions and bringing the artwork together with appropriate typography. The finished cover still needs to work as a small thumbnail, fit its genre and communicate the promise of the story.
My goal is to keep refining the design until it looks exactly how the author wants it.
For me, one of the great advantages is the opportunity to make artwork more individual than a widely reused stock photo, without automatically incurring the hundreds or thousands of dollars that fully commissioned custom illustration can cost.
There is one important qualification: AI cannot guarantee absolute uniqueness or exclusivity. Another designer could independently create something similar; AI outputs can resemble existing work; and the legal protection available for AI-generated images varies by country and by the extent of human authorship. What I can aim for is a distinctive, custom-directed cover, carefully developed for the particular author and book — not a promise that nobody in the world could ever produce anything similar.
And I completely respect authors who prefer not to use generative AI at all. That is their choice to make, and I believe designers should discuss it with them before creating their covers.
12 places to find artwork for book covers
Whether you are an author searching for inspiration or a designer gathering possible source images, these websites are a useful starting point. They have different pricing, licensing and content rules, so always check the specific asset you intend to use.
Large stock-image libraries
Adobe Stock — My preferred library for professional photographs, illustrations, backgrounds and other cover elements.
Shutterstock — An extensive collection of photography, illustrations and design assets.
iStock — Photographs and illustrations, including people, places and lifestyle imagery.
Depositphotos — A broad catalogue of commercial photos and illustrations.
Dreamstime — Stock photography and illustrations across many genres and themes.
Alamy — Particularly handy for specialised subjects, places and documentary-style images; check the licence type.
Creative Market — Illustrations, fonts, textures, templates and other design resources; terms differ by seller and product.
123RF — General-purpose photographs, illustrations and creative assets.
Specialist publishing image libraries
Trevillion Images — A specialist collection made with book publishing and cover storytelling in mind.
Arcangel Images — Atmospheric, story-driven imagery created for publishing and commercial creative use.
Free-image resources
Pexels — Free photographs, subject to the applicable licence and restrictions.
Pixabay — Free photographs, illustrations and graphics, subject to its content licence.
A licensing reminder: Royalty-free does not mean copyright-free, and a paid stock licence usually does not give exclusive ownership of the image. Check restrictions on book covers, print runs, resale, models, logos, property, editorial-only content and any use in promotional graphics. Adobe's own licensing FAQ expressly lists book covers as a permitted creative use for eligible non-editorial assets and says standard stock licences are not exclusive.
An important tip: stock websites also sell AI images
Many stock libraries now offer AI-generated illustrations and photographs alongside traditional work. Finding an image on a familiar stock site does not automatically mean it was captured by a camera or drawn by a human artist.
If you want non-AI artwork, use the website's filtering and labelling options. Adobe Stock has a Generative AI search filter that can exclude AI images. Check the information attached to the particular asset as well, because filters and labels are not a guarantee about every image's provenance.
One more distinction matters: Adobe's rules for labelling content submitted to Adobe Stock are not the same as a retailer's rules about declaring AI use on a finished book cover. Publishing platforms have their own definitions, which brings us to the next section.
What do the major publishing platforms allow?
There is no single worldwide rule about AI-created cover art. Amazon, Draft2Digital, IngramSpark and other publishers or distributors have different disclosure requirements and different approaches to fully generated content. These are the key published AI, originality and cover-content rules relevant to indie authors as of 11 November 2026 — not a replacement for each service's complete terms.
1. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon allows both AI-assisted and AI-generated material, including cover images, but requires you to declare AI-generated text, images and translations when publishing or editing and republishing a book.
AI-assisted: You created the original content and used AI to edit, refine, check or improve it; or you used AI for ideas and created the actual final image yourself. Amazon says this does not need AI disclosure.
AI-generated: An AI tool created the actual content or visual element. It remains AI-generated even after extensive human editing. An AI-created character, background or other artwork incorporated into a largely human-assembled cover therefore still counts as AI-generated content to disclose.
Practical takeaway: It is not the number of hours you spent refining the design that decides its KDP category; it is whether AI actually generated an element of the finished content. You must also make sure you have the necessary rights and that the content meets KDP's quality rules.
Draft2Digital says it supports AI-assisted content, but does not accept content generated entirely by AI or large language models without extensive human editing. Its wider rules also reject infringing material, low-quality work, deceptive metadata, and mass-produced automated submissions.
The public guidelines do not describe the same detailed book-cover AI disclosure categories that Amazon uses. That is not a free pass to mislabel content: authors must comply with D2D's requirements and those of the retailers receiving the book. Check any questions presented during upload and ask D2D support if an unusual cover workflow needs clarification.
Ingram's published guidelines deserve particular attention. They identify automated and AI-generated content among the types of material that may be rejected, but they also set out specific acceptable AI uses.
Their acceptable examples include AI used only in an assistive way; content or images where the majority of the work comes from human creativity and contribution; and work using generative AI that has significant, material human editorial review and contribution with proper attribution.
They identify as unacceptable works created solely using generative AI, and work that violates copyright or intellectual property law. They also state that proper attribution of creation must accompany works, and they warn that some distribution channels may decline titles even where Ingram accepts them.
Practical takeaway: Do not assume that simply spending hours prompting and editing will automatically satisfy Ingram's human-contribution and attribution requirements. Keep records of your design process and ask IngramSpark to clarify any uncertain submission before uploading a book.
B&N Press asks publishers during its Build-a-Book process whether generative AI was used anywhere in the project — including the cover, artwork, interior images, manuscript or translations.
If AI was used, it asks whether the work was AI-Assisted or AI-Created. Its definitions mirror the important principle that content generated by AI remains AI-Created even if a human edits it afterwards. AI-assisted content is content you created and then used AI to edit or expand. It also requires the work to meet its content and intellectual-property policies.
Apple's published formatting and content guidelines say that when a material portion of the book's content is AI-generated rather than created by a human author or illustrator, it must be labelled using the “AI Generated by” artist role and the AI-generated creation method must be declared in the description.
Apple expressly includes the production of cover images for a book composed by a human author or illustrator among its examples of AI-assisted activity that does not require disclosure. So Apple's published approach to cover-image production is not identical to Amazon's. Read the current wording carefully if you publish directly to Apple Books or through an aggregator.
Kobo's published content rules focus on genuine human effort, quality and original reader value. They say they may remove automated content that lacks meaningful human contribution or quality control, and they prohibit misleading covers and metadata and material for which the publisher lacks rights.
I did not find an official Kobo Writing Life cover-specific AI checkbox or a KDP-style generated-versus-assisted disclosure definition in the current public resources reviewed. That is not a claim that Kobo has no additional requirements; it means authors should follow the current upload workflow and consult Kobo directly if they need a definitive answer for a particular design.
Google Play Books' official publisher policies prohibit misleading or deceptive covers and metadata, poor-quality or spam-like books, and infringement of others' rights. Publishers must provide readable files and valid cover images.
I did not find a separate Google Play Books policy in the official sources reviewed that defines an Amazon-style AI cover disclosure category. Do not confuse Google Play Books with Google Play's separate rules for apps that generate AI content; they are different services.
Lulu's AI content policy prohibits using automation or AI to flood its service with low-quality, repetitive or misleading books. Authors using AI are responsible for complying with copyright, intellectual-property and consumer-protection laws. Lulu may take action against accounts that misuse automated tools or breach those rules.
Its published distribution guidance does not set out the same cover-image disclosure options as KDP or B&N Press. Authors should still check the current Lulu workflow and any retail partners' additional requirements.
One cover, several policies. A book can be acceptable to one retailer and still need different disclosure or review elsewhere. Aggregators such as Draft2Digital do not remove the need to comply with the shops and libraries receiving your book. Always use the current policy for each destination.
A few real-world cover-design examples
Example A: A licensed photograph assembled manually. You license a traditional photograph from Adobe Stock, cut out the subject in Photoshop or Canva using conventional tools, and manually place it over another licensed photograph. This process does not become AI-generated simply because you used digital design software. You still need suitable licences.
Example B: AI helps with corrections. You begin with human-created artwork and use an AI-powered tool only to edit or refine it. Depending on what the tool actually does, Amazon may regard the result as AI-assisted, which does not require AI disclosure.
Example C: AI creates a new character or background. You prompt a generative model to create a new character, building or scene and then spend hours incorporating that element into a cover. Under Amazon's rules, that generated element still requires disclosure, even after extensive editing. B&N Press would likewise ask for an AI-Created declaration.
Example D: AI helps with an idea. You brainstorm possible layouts with AI, but personally produce the actual final artwork without including AI-created image content. Amazon's definition treats the brainstorming as AI-assisted, not AI-generated.
There can be grey areas, especially with newer tools that both edit pixels and generate new visual content. When uncertain, read the specific platform policy or ask support rather than relying on the name of the software.
Don't forget the practical cover-file rules
AI disclosure is only one part of preparing a professional cover. Your art still needs to meet each platform's technical requirements.
Amazon KDP print: Build to the correct trim size, spine width, bleed and barcode area; use sharp images at the recommended print resolution. KDP cover guidance.
Draft2Digital ebook: Its FAQ recommends a portrait JPEG around 1600 × 2400 pixels and requires the title and author name on the cover; it can also generate a print wrap or accept a custom one. D2D FAQ.
IngramSpark print: Use the custom cover template, a separate print-ready cover PDF, CMYK, 300 ppi and the required bleed and barcode space. Different hardcover styles can require different wrapping allowances. IngramSpark print specs.
Apple Books ebook: Apple specifies a JPEG or PNG cover in RGB with at least 1400 pixels on its shortest side. Apple cover preparation.
Google Play Books: The official book-file guide gives supported image formats and a minimum cover resolution of 640 pixels, with a maximum height and width of 7200 pixels. Google file requirements.
Always download the current print template for the exact edition you are making. An ebook's front-cover image and a paperback's full wrap are not the same file.
What I think every author and designer should discuss first
Before a cover is commissioned, there are a few questions worth answering together:
Do you want only traditional photographs or illustrations, or are AI-generated elements acceptable?
Where will the cover artwork come from, and which commercial licences are needed?
Do you need exclusive commissioned artwork, or would a distinctive non-exclusive design suit your budget?
Which platforms will you publish through, and what must you declare to each?
Who will keep the licences, proof of rights and notes about how the final artwork was created?
Those conversations protect the author, help the designer do their best work, and prevent surprises at the upload stage. An author who doesn't want AI in the artwork should be able to say so from the beginning. An author who likes AI's possibilities should know that it comes with disclosure and rights considerations, too.
My final thoughts
I will always enjoy working with beautiful stock photography, and Adobe Stock remains my favourite source for that side of my design work. I also enjoy what AI makes possible when a stock image cannot capture the exact vision behind a story.
For me, AI is a tool — not a substitute for creative direction or the care that goes into designing a cover. I like being able to make the elements work together just the way an author imagines, and to create something personal and distinctive without the price of a fully commissioned illustration.
There is room for both approaches. There is room for talented illustrators, photographers, digital artists and designers who use newer tools. Most importantly, there is room for authors to decide what feels right for their books.
The best book cover is the one that tells the right story, catches a reader's eye and makes its author proud.
Paradox Book Covers & Formatting Helping indie authors bring their stories to life through book-cover design and formatting.
Policy and licensing information reviewed 11 November 2026. Rules can change, and requirements may differ between distributors and individual retailers. This is publishing guidance, not legal advice; check the linked official policies and your image licences before uploading.
AI can help an indie author clean up a cover, find repetitions in a manuscript or test a blurb. It can also create the cover artwork or write passages of the book. Those uses may happen in the same software, but Amazon KDP does not treat them as the same thing. Download your FREE practical guide.
The important question is not simply, "Did I use AI?" It is: "Did AI improve something I created, or did it create part of the finished content?"
That distinction affects what you need to tell Amazon, what rights you may have in the finished work and how carefully you need to document your process.
A quick note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Platform rules and copyright law can change, and copyright law varies by country. The Amazon guidance linked below was checked on 10 November 2026.
The short version of Amazon's rule
Amazon KDP separates AI use into two categories:
AI-generated: an AI-based tool created the actual text, image or translation used in the book. KDP says this remains AI-generated even if you substantially edit it afterwards.
AI-assisted: you created the content and used AI to edit, refine, error-check or otherwise improve it. Brainstorming with AI also falls into this category when you ultimately create the actual words or images yourself.
KDP requires publishers to inform Amazon about AI-generated text, images or translations when publishing a new book or editing and republishing an existing one. KDP does not require disclosure of AI-assisted content.
This is not a percentage test. There is no published KDP rule saying that a passage becomes human-created after you change 20, 50 or 80 per cent of it. If the AI created the actual content, substantial editing does not move it into the assisted category.
Nor is disclosure the same as an automatic rejection. The current guideline focuses on informing KDP and meeting its content, rights and quality requirements. Amazon may reject or remove content that breaches those requirements or creates a poor customer experience.
The simplest test: who made the finished expression?
The word "editing" can be misleading because modern editing tools can do much more than crop a picture or flag a comma. Some features analyse your work. Others invent new pixels or new sentences.
Try this practical test:
If the tool points out a problem and you decide how to fix it, that is usually AI-assisted.
If the tool supplies words or visual material that remain in the finished book, that is AI-generated under KDP's definition, even if you later alter them.
If the tool gives you ideas, but you put the output aside and create the final prose or artwork yourself, that is AI-assisted.
Book covers: editing an image is not the same as creating one
Imagine you take your own photograph of a stormy beach. You choose the composition, press the shutter and own or control the rights. You then use an AI-enabled editor to reduce noise, correct colour, sharpen the image or remove a small dust mark. The human created the image; AI helped refine it. Under KDP's wording, that is AI-assisted.
Now imagine you type, "A ruined castle above a stormy sea at sunset," and the tool produces the artwork used on your cover. That is AI-generated. Adding the title, changing the colours and painting over part of the sky does not change KDP's classification, because AI created the underlying artwork.
Where cover editing becomes generation
Generative fill is the awkward middle ground. If you extend a landscape beyond its original edge, replace a person, invent a new sky or ask the software to add a castle, the tool is creating new visual content. Amazon does not publish an example for every editing feature, but the safest reading of its rule is to treat finished AI-created pixels as AI-generated content.
A cover may also contain both kinds of material. You might use a licensed stock photograph, add human-designed typography and include an AI-generated background. Because the finished cover includes AI-generated imagery, disclose AI-generated image content to KDP.
Cover workflow
Likely KDP category
Why
Your photograph, cropped and colour-corrected with AI tools
AI-assisted
You created the image; the tool refined it.
Licensed human-made stock art, arranged and typeset by you; AI checks legibility
AI-assisted
AI did not create the finished artwork.
Image made from a text prompt, then retouched and typeset
AI-generated
AI created the underlying image, even though you edited it.
Your photo extended with generative fill or given a newly generated sky
Treat as AI-generated
The final cover contains visual material created by AI.
AI artwork supplied to a designer who builds the final cover
AI-generated
Hiring a designer does not change the origin of the artwork.
Manuscripts: editing your writing is not the same as asking AI to write it
The same distinction applies to the manuscript.
If you write the chapter and ask AI to identify repeated words, unclear pronouns, inconsistent tense or possible continuity errors, the AI is acting as an editing tool. You investigate its suggestions and write the changes yourself. That is AI-assisted.
If you ask AI to rewrite a paragraph and paste that version into the book, AI has created actual text. It is AI-generated content under KDP's rule, even if you polish it heavily. The same applies to AI-written scenes, dialogue, poems, descriptions, nonfiction explanations or translations that appear in the finished book.
Brainstorming is different. You can ask for questions about a character, possible complications or ten ways to raise the stakes. If you then make your own choices and write the actual chapter yourself, KDP classifies that as AI-assisted.
Manuscript workflow
Likely KDP category
Why
You write the prose; AI flags grammar, repetition or continuity risks
AI-assisted
AI analyses your words; you decide and write the corrections.
AI suggests plot possibilities; you independently write the chapter
AI-assisted
Ideas and brainstorming are assisted when you create the final text.
AI rewrites a paragraph and some of that wording remains
AI-generated
The tool created actual text used in the book.
AI produces a first draft that you substantially edit
AI-generated
KDP expressly says substantial later edits do not change the category.
AI translates your book and a human reviews the result
AI-generated translation
The tool created the translation used in the edition.
Disclosure is only one part of the job
Whether your work is AI-assisted or AI-generated, KDP says you remain responsible for meeting all of its content guidelines and respecting intellectual property rights. That means "the tool let me do it" is not a defence if the output infringes someone else's rights, misleads readers or delivers poor quality.
Before using AI-created words or images commercially, check:
Rights and licences. Read the tool's current terms. Confirm that your plan, subscription and source material allow commercial use.
Inputs. Do not upload artwork, manuscripts, client files or personal information unless you have the right and permission to do so and understand how the service handles that material.
Similarity. Do not deliberately imitate a living artist or author. Check that a generated cover does not closely resemble an existing book, brand, celebrity or protected character.
Accuracy and quality. Inspect hands, faces, small objects, typography, continuity and factual claims. AI can produce confident mistakes in both images and prose.
Cover specifications. AI origin does not replace ordinary production checks. Your cover still needs readable type, correct metadata, suitable dimensions and resolution, and the proper print-wrap file when publishing a paperback or hardcover.
Evidence of your work. Keep dated drafts, source images, licences, prompts, edit notes and exported versions. IP Australia recommends keeping records that distinguish what you created from what the AI created.
What about copyright?
Amazon's disclosure categories are platform rules, not a complete legal test for copyright. A work can satisfy KDP's upload process and still raise copyright questions.
IP Australia notes that copyright protection for many works requires a human author and that extensive use of generative AI can make ownership and protection more complex. It also recommends checking each tool's terms and keeping records of your human contribution. The U.S. Copyright Office similarly says AI-assisted creation does not prevent copyright protection, but protection generally extends to human-authored expression, creative selection, arrangement and sufficiently original human modifications, not automatically to purely machine-generated material.
For an indie author, the practical lesson is simple: the more important a cover or manuscript is to your long-term catalogue, the more valuable it is to preserve clear evidence of human authorship and to understand the rights attached to every element.
A five-minute check before you upload
List every place AI touched the cover, manuscript, interior images or translation.
For each item, ask whether AI only analysed or refined your work, or created finished words or visual material.
If AI-created material remains in the book, classify it as AI-generated for KDP, even if you edited it later.
Check the tool terms, source licences, factual accuracy, metadata and final production quality.
Save a short creation record and recheck KDP's live Content Guidelines when you publish or republish.
If a feature sits in a genuine grey area, do not guess based on what the software company calls it. Look at what the feature actually did. When necessary, contact KDP support and describe the workflow plainly.
The tool is not the whole story
I do not think every use of AI belongs in the same basket. Asking a tool to flag repeated words is not the same as asking it to write a chapter. Cleaning up a photograph you created is not the same as generating the entire cover from a prompt.
But those differences only help us if we describe them honestly. Use AI where it supports your work. Keep control of your voice, your sources and your files. Tell Amazon when the finished book contains AI-generated content. Then give the reader the same thing every good book has always needed: care, judgement and a reason to keep turning the page.
Where does AI sit in your own publishing process: idea partner, editor, image tool, generator or nowhere at all?
Useful sources
Amazon KDP Content Guidelines - Official definitions of AI-generated and AI-assisted content, disclosure, rights and quality responsibilities.
At a glance: W3C has clarified what EPUB 3.4 will change. It is still being tested as a candidate standard—not yet a final Recommendation—and it is deliberately backward-compatible. Existing EPUBs that already validate do not need rebuilding. No new KDP, IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Kobo or Apple Books file requirements were found this week.
EPUB 3.4 enters its final testing stage
What changed: EPUB 3.4 introduces a fixed-layout “roll” mode for vertically scrolling comics and webtoons. It also recognises newer image and media formats—including AVIF, JPEG XL, OPUS and AAC—and refines accessibility metadata, including a contact-email field. Older features such as font obfuscation, OPF2 guide/NCX elements, content fallbacks and some prefixed CSS are being marked outdated or deprecated, so EPUBCheck may issue notices when they appear.
Why it matters to Patti: Patti’s ordinary reflowable novels and current Vellum exports are not affected if they validate. The new roll layout matters only if Patti later formats webtoons or other specialised fixed-layout books. EPUBCheck notices about older features should be reviewed, but they do not automatically mean a retailer will reject the book.
Review: Add one note to the EPUB QA checklist: separate genuine validation errors from “outdated” or “deprecated” notices. Do not alter existing Vellum files, covers, print interiors, contracts or pricing.
Review soon: Continue validating new EPUB deliveries with EPUBCheck 5.4.0. If a file passes but produces advisory notices, record them and test the ebook in the relevant retailer previewer before changing anything. If a future client requests a scrolling comic or webtoon, quote it as specialised fixed-layout work and confirm retailer support first.
Brooke returns to Wyoming seeking peace—but finds a second chance at love, betrayal and deadly secrets. Can Adam protect her when danger strikes?
After the sudden death of her abusive husband, Brooke Montgomery returns to her family's Wyoming ranch in search of serenity. Busy with a client, her father is unable to welcome her. Instead, neighboring rancher and life-long friend, Adam Tower trots over from the arena on a horse belonging to her. Older now and still devilishly handsome, he disturbs her in every way. But more disturbing are her father's evasive answers as to why Adam is training their show horses and living in their house. https://link.amazon/B07nsoOXY
Adam Tower has loved Brook from the day she was born. The difference in their ages kept him from pursuing a relationship. When Brooke attended UCLA and unexpectantly married, he was devastated. Now eight years later, he may have a second chance, depending on how she handles the fact that she will not inherit the ranch.
Ranches bordering Hightower Mountain see a spike in crime. Within days of her arrival, Brooke is a victim of physical attacks and written warnings. Adam is determined to keep her safe. A trail of betrayal and deadly secrets lead them to a final showdown, where they lay their lives on the line to protect each other.
Reader ratings:Secrets of the Heart by Judith Luke has a Goodreads rating of 4.33 out of 5.
A new preorder option changes the launch calendar for indie authors and their publishing partners.
Monday Indie Publishing Brief
Period reviewed: 29 September–5 October 2026
At a glance
One consequential platform change this week: Smashwords now accepts ebook preorders. No new cover dimensions, print-interior specifications, retailer file rules, or metadata requirements were found from KDP, IngramSpark, Kobo, or Apple Books during the review period. There is also an important EPUBCheck 5.4.0 validation caveat to add to last week’s update.
1) Smashwords ebook preorders are now live
Status: In force from 29 September 2026.
What changed: Draft2Digital’s Smashwords Store now accepts customer preorders, up to 12 months before release. Assetless preorders are allowed: the final manuscript and cover may be supplied later, but Draft2Digital says both must be uploaded at least 10 business days before release. Smashwords Presales can also provide early reader access, but those require the final manuscript and cover before the presale begins.
Image and announcement: Draft2Digital. Select the image to read the official release.
Why it matters: You can open preorders for your own books before production is complete. For client work, this creates a hard handover deadline for the final EPUB and cover, and it separates “preorder setup assets” from “release-ready files.”
Review: Update project calendars, intake forms, client handover checklists, and any agreement that promises delivery around a launch. No cover template or interior specification change is required.
Act now
For any book using Draft2Digital/Smashwords, set the internal final-file deadline at least 15 business days before release. That gives a five-business-day safety buffer beyond Draft2Digital’s stated minimum.
Status: EPUBCheck 5.4.0 remains the latest production-ready release, but known validation problems are being tracked.
What changed: Last week’s brief noted that EPUBCheck 5.4.0 supports checking against the EPUB 3.4 Candidate Recommendation. The important caveat is that version 5.4.0 can incorrectly report aria-labelledby on a nav element as an error. The EPUBCheck project classifies this as a critical false positive and has assigned the correction to version 5.4.1.
A clean validation report is useful, but it is not a substitute for accessibility checks and a human review.
Why it matters: Removing valid accessibility markup simply to silence a false positive could make the ebook less accessible. A separate accepted issue also shows that, when a spine toc attribute incorrectly points to a non-NCX item, EPUBCheck 5.4.0 can emit CHK-008 and skip further checks on that item. Genuine errors inside it may then go unreported.
Review: If 5.4.0 flags aria-labelledby on the navigation document, check the known issue before changing the file. If you see CHK-008, correct the package-document reference and run validation again so the skipped item is actually checked.
Act now
Keep accessibility markup intact unless you have confirmed it is invalid. Record the EPUBCheck version used, investigate these known cases, and pair structural validation with an accessibility checker and a manual reading-system test.
Add Smashwords to your preorder plan, but build in more time than the platform minimum. For EPUB quality control, use the newest validator with informed caution: investigate unusual results, keep valid accessibility features, and always test the finished book beyond a single automated report.
Over to you: Does your launch checklist already include an internal final-file deadline, or will the new Smashwords preorder option change the way you schedule production?
Platform requirements and software releases can change quickly. Check the linked official sources before making a production or launch decision.
A young-adult paranormal fantasy series by Patti Roberts
Enter Witchwood Estate
Witches, ghosts, wolves, dangerous love and a family legacy steeped in dark magic.
Some homes hold memories. Witchwood Estate holds magic.
Orphaned at five, Alexandria Harvey-Santorini grows up far from the place where her parents were murdered. At seventeen, she must leave the safety of Catnip Cottage and return to Ferntree Falls to claim her birthright: Witchwood Estate.
But homecoming brings more than old rooms and unanswered questions. It awakens a world of witches, ghosts, sprites, shape-shifters, wolves and vampires, where friendship can be enchanted, love can be dangerous and evil is already waiting in the woods.
Read the series in order
These quick, episodic adventures build on one another. Begin with Going Home and follow Alexandria as every answer reveals a deeper mystery.
Book One
Going Home
Alexandria has always known she is different. Now, twelve years after losing her parents, she is returning to the house where she was born and the legacy they left behind. Ferntree Falls should feel like home, yet something sinister is determined to stop a Harvey witch from reclaiming Witchwood Estate. When Alexandria's new best friend vanishes in daylight, she realises the town's secrets are stranger than she ever imagined.
Alexandria's arrival in Ferntree Falls raises more questions than it answers. Andrew appears only after dark, unsettling dreams feel far too real and someone she believed she could trust wants her dead. As the line between friend and enemy blurs, Alexandria must decide whom to believe and whether leaving Catnip Cottage was a terrible mistake.
In Ferntree Falls, even the shadows carry messages.
Book Three
Cursed
Pulled back from death by a power she does not understand, Alexandria longs for something resembling normal life. With Andrew, Kat and River beside her, the future finally begins to look hopeful. Then a handsome stranger arrives in Ferntree Falls, forcing Alexandria to wonder whether his presence is a blessing or a curse.
Alexandria has claimed Witchwood Estate, but claiming her power is another matter. With Aunt Mindy guiding her towards her place as head of the white witches, Alexandria faces an evil clan intent on stealing that power. Black magic, dangerous loyalties and the possibility of love close in as the mysteries of Ferntree Falls grow deeper.
Black magic is stirring in Ferntree Falls, and the danger surrounding Alexandria is closing in. The Saken Circle remains incomplete while cursed romances, missing girls and cryptic omens test the whole household. With Mindy, Aradia, Kat, Andrew, Nina, River and Bran drawn into the gathering storm, the Harvey witches and their mismatched allies must stand together to protect the town they love.
Have you visited Witchwood Estate? Share your favourite character, magical moment or mystery in the comments, and please keep it spoiler-free for new readers.
Retailer availability, editions and prices may vary by country and can change without notice. Search links are used where a current Kindle ASIN could not be independently verified.
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