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Nash & Nacho/The Author's Guide
A Guide for First-Time Author-Illustrators

From Mom With an Idea to Published Author in Two Weeks

How I wrote, illustrated, and published Nash & Nacho — without a publishing background, an illustrator, or a plan.
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Nash and Nacho, the real dogs behind the book, with printed copies of the book
The Idea That Wouldn't Leave Me Alone

I wasn't trying to become an author.

I was a mom, a photographer, running a business between school pickups and client galleries — telling my kid a bedtime story about our two goldendoodles, Nash and Nacho. One dog's the confident one. One's the try-hard. Watching them together always made me laugh, and somewhere around the third night of retelling their story, I thought: this is actually a book.

This guide isn't about becoming a bestselling novelist. It's about taking an idea that's already sitting in your life and turning it into something real — in two weeks, in the cracks of an already full schedule.

No illustration skills. No publishing background. No putting the rest of your life on hold. If I could do it, you can too — and this guide hands you the exact path, day by day.

Is This You?

Built for real life, not a publishing career

This guide is for you if —

  • You have a story idea sitting in your head (a pet, a family joke, a bedtime tale) and no idea where to start
  • You can't draw and don't want to hire an illustrator
  • You have small windows of time, not open weeks
  • You want a real, physical book — not just a someday idea

This probably isn't for you if —

  • You're looking for a traditional publishing / literary agent path
  • You want a deep-dive illustration or fine art course
  • You're hoping for a guaranteed bestseller formula
What's Inside

Everything I actually did, laid out in order

Not a theory course. The real, unpolished process — including the parts I'd do differently.

01
Before You Write a Single Word
Getting honest about your why, and finding the true (not big) idea already sitting in your life.
Foundation
02
The Two-Week Timeline
Day-by-day: drafting, structuring pages, illustrating with AI tools, formatting for print, and publishing.
Core Guide
03
The AI Illustration Method
How I kept two characters looking consistent page after page, starting from real photos and quick reference sketches.
Deep Dive
04
What I'd Do Differently
The honest lessons — what I'd change if I started over today.
Lessons
05
Bonus: Simple KDP Setup Walkthrough
A no-tech-experience-needed, step-by-step walk from account setup to hitting publish on Amazon.
Bonus
06
Your Two-Week Framework
A simple table you can copy and follow for your own book, start to finish.
Template
The Framework

Fourteen days. Six real steps.

The same path from "idea" to "published," broken into pockets of time you can actually find.

1–2
Draft the story arc
3–4
Break it into page spreads
5–8
Illustrate with AI tools
9–10
Format for print
11–12
Set up your KDP listing
13–14
Proof, fix, publish
Get the Full Guide

From Mom With an Idea
to Published Author

A digital, magazine-style PDF guide — the full two-week process, the AI illustration method, and the complete no-tech-experience KDP walkthrough.

$27 $47
  • The full two-week, day-by-day framework
  • The AI illustration consistency method, step by step
  • Beginner-friendly Amazon KDP setup walkthrough
  • Printable publish-day checklist
  • Instant digital download — start today
🐾 Get the Guide — $27
Instant PDF download. No publishing experience required.
Questions

Before you get started

Do I need to know how to draw?

No. This guide walks through the exact AI illustration approach I used instead of hiring an illustrator or teaching myself to draw — including how to keep characters looking consistent across every page.

Do I need any publishing experience?

None. The bonus KDP walkthrough is written for someone who has never self-published anything, with every step spelled out in plain language.

What format is the guide?

It's a digital, magazine-style PDF you can read on any device or print at home. You'll get instant access after purchase.

Will my book actually look professional?

The guide covers formatting for print, trim size, margins, and bleed — the exact details that separate a homemade-looking file from one that prints cleanly through KDP.

How long will this actually take me?

The framework is built around two weeks of small pockets of time, not full free days. Some people move faster, some slower — the point is that it's genuinely doable around a full life.

🐾 🐾 🐾

If you finish this guide and write your book, I'd love to hear about it.

I started this not really knowing what I was doing — the only reason it worked is that I didn't wait until I felt qualified. You don't have to either.

🐾 Get the Guide — $27