My story began with a change of direction.

When my son was young, I left my boring job and retrained in graphic and website design. Working from home suited family life and, after years of wanting a more creative career, the change felt less like starting again and more like finally getting on with it.

My first publishing projects began sat at the kitchen table, where I made colouring books for my son and printed them on a home printer with more enthusiasm than ink. That led me to self-publishing on Amazon and eventually to books about young adulthood, positive thinking, birdhouses and rustic window boxes. Current projects include natural candle recipes and a collection of short stories, so the subject list remains pleasingly difficult to explain at parties.

Along the way, I noticed many non-fiction writers had the knowledge and ideas for a strong book but felt defeated by the design process. Professional software seemed daunting and basic templates often looked exactly like basic templates.

Wilsonian Press grew from there. I began creating flexible Canva templates for independent authors who wanted a polished book without surrendering control of their work. Today, Wilsonian Press offers templates, practical guidance and design services, with more resources and learning opportunities already taking shape.

The aim is simple: to help good ideas become books their authors feel proud to publish.