One-on-One Support for Authors Who Expect Quality in Every Detail
Professional Publishing Built on Experience, Detail & Quality
Hello, I’m Kathy Amen, and my specialty design firm is dedicated to the art of bookmaking—classic editing, intentional design, and print expertise, all tailored to your story. With more than thirty years in publication design and printing, I’ve honed my practice to focus on what I love most: helping authors create beautiful, well-crafted books. If you’re new to publishing, you’re in the right place. I’m here to walk you through the process, explain each step clearly, and make everything feel manageable—and even exciting. The journey is big, but the rewards are bigger.
Traditional Editing, Thoughtful Design & Expert Print Production
I do more than design books—I help you shape them. With a background in editing, decades of design experience, and deep knowledge of printing, I bring all three disciplines together to create books that feel intentional, polished, and built to last. I’m a traditionalist at heart—I follow time-tested standards, respect classic book design principles, and understand how those choices translate to the printed page. From the first round of edits to the final bound book, you’ll have guidance from someone who knows the entire process, not just one piece of it.
Shared Client Experiences
I’m always grateful (and a little humbled) by what clients say after we finish a project. Their reviews remind me why I do this work: to help them create a book they’re truly proud of.
JOANNE GREENBERG, author of I Never Promised You A Rose Garden (now a Penguin Classic), Jeffrey Fortuna and Chuck Knapp, both long-time psychotherapists and former agency directors, challenge the common belief that psychosis, schizophrenia, and other severe mental health struggles inevitably lead to lifelong decline.
Instead, they reveal a more hopeful reality: many people do heal, grow, and reclaim meaningful lives. Through moving stories, thoughtful reflections, and compassionate clinical wisdom, this book explores the power of relationship, community, dignity, and the enduring sanity that can remain present even in times of profound distress.
Most of Us Recover offers a fresh and deeply human look at extreme mental states, healing, and what recovery can truly mean. For readers seeking a more humane and realistic perspective on mental health recovery, this book offers insight, encouragement, and possibility.
“I wish I’d read this book 20 years ago.”
EARLE SHUGERMAN, M.D.
Former medical director of both the Jefferson Center for Mental Health and the Behavioral Health Program at Boulder Community Hospital; psychiatrist in private practice from 1989–2024
Read Kathy’s behind-the-scenes account of working with Joanne, Jeff, and Chuck to bring Most of Us Recover from manuscript to published book on Substack. Most of Us Recover is available now at the Boulder Bookstore, and Amazon.
GARY SCOTT STEFFENS explores the history of Ohio Creek Valley, where ranchers, miners, and frontier women overcame hardship to build a life. Blending rich stories, ghost tales, and local legends, this book pairs vivid narrative with past and present imagery that captures the valley’s enduring spirit. Spanning the rugged landscape from Irwin and Crested Butte to Powderhorn and Lake City, through Gunnison and the Ohio Creek Valley, it serves as an encyclopedic account of the region—an essential volume for ranchers, historians, and enthusiasts of mining and railroads.
“A great story from a unique part of the Western Slope and the American West.”
Duane Vandenbusche
Moss and Sharon hit the old hippie trail in the early ’70s, traveling from Europe and North Africa to India and Nepal with backpacks, worn-out guidebooks, and a loose plan. What followed was a mix of comedy, chaos, history, and occasional danger—crowded buses, cheap rooms, border guards, and unforgettable characters. It’s an easy, fast read for anyone who’s ever wondered what it was really like out there.
When you’re ready, let’s talk about your book.