For more than ten years, I’ve worked with authors to bring their books to life, either through self-publishing channels such as Amazon KDP and Barnes & Noble, or through preparing their manuscript for mainstream publication.
My journey to publishing as a career was unplanned but divinely guided. I began with a childhood love for books, reading and writing, which turned into pursuing a degree in creative writing. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, I began working for a local newspaper writing obituaries and wedding announcements. It was there that I learned basic graphic design, and continued learning beyond the scope of my job because I enjoyed it.
When my mother started writing short stories and novels in the late 2000s, she asked me if I was able to design her a professional looking book cover to save costs, and from there I dove into the world of publishing to learn everything necessary to create a book cover and interior that looked more professional than other self-published books that I had seen.
In order to publish her books, my family created Penhall Publishing imprint and began publishing seven titles by Vicki Smart Penhall, followed by publishing other authors, but were limited by the high costs of printing in bulk. When Amazon created their print-on-demand service, we were able to change our business model and started working with more authors to create poetry chapbooks in order to help bring up previously unpublished writers and artists.
When I decided to make book design into a career, I manifested amazing clients who align with my values and passions, such as mindfulness, poetry, spirituality, LGBTQIA+ issues and sacred sexuality. My dream clients have allowed me to expand my business and perfect my craft over the years and they continue to refer clients to me whose books are always a timely message in my life. 
With the combined skills of academically polished creative writing and professionally crafted graphic design, I was able to provide a niche service to authors, either working with them to prepare a manuscript for publication by a major publishing house, or by designing the entire book to their vision and creating supporting marketing materials to sell the book. My passions and my purpose have combined into a super-career that provides a unique and valuable service to my community. I love serving those who have been divinely led to work with me in order to bring their vision into the material world.