Instilling Bliss

for your authoring
journey.

Independent  ·  Ethical  ·  Entirely Yours

Done-for-you and guided publishing services — crafted with patience, designed with beauty, and built entirely around your creative vision.

Begin Your Journey See How It Works
100% Author Ownership Transparent Pricing Warm Guidance

Our Promise to You

Your story matters.

At Carnelian Moon, we believe every author deserves a publishing experience that feels like coming home. We walk beside you — from manuscript to marketplace — with patience, clarity, and genuine care for your creative vision.

No pressure. No surprises. No industry jargon designed to intimidate. Just steady, knowledgeable hands helping your story find the readers it was always meant to reach.

“Not perfect. Just brave and becoming.”
— The author in all of us
Independent
Ethical
Professional
Author-Centric
Carnelian Moon Publishing

And Then…

You step into the world

as a published author.

Stories connect us. Truth sets us free. This is what we have been working toward — the moment your words leave the page and find their readers.

Begin Your Journey ✶
Authors planning their publishing and brand expansion journey

Three Paths. One Journey.

Where are you now?

Carnelian Moon meets you
exactly where you are.

We walk with authors at every stage of their creative life — from the manuscript on your desk to the thriving author brand you’re building. Each level is a complete offering, and they grow beautifully into one another.

I
The Blissful Author™  —  Writing & Publishing

Your book, brought to life.

A warm intake conversation, editorial matching, editing & proofreading, interior layout for paperback & ebook, custom cover design, metadata, and hands-on distribution guidance for KDP & IngramSpark. Every step, supported.

II
The Magnetic Author™  —  Visibility & Launch

Your book, beautifully found.

Book launch strategy & planning, author platform audit, press kit creation, ARC campaigns, newsletter & social planning — so the right readers find your work and your message lands where it is meant to.

III
The Abundant Author™  —  Business & Legacy

Your story, a full ecosystem.

Product line strategy, oracle & card deck production guidance, course & workshop design, membership community setup, speaker platform development, and brand expansion — your voice, your vision, a sustainable and soul-aligned income.

Not sure which level is right for you? Your free consultation will show you the path — no pressure, just clarity.

Book Your Free Consultation

What We Offer

How We Serve You

Non-fiction  ·  Memoir  ·  Fiction  ·  Illustrated. Every genre welcomed with equal care.

Editing & Manuscript Support

We polish your voice while protecting your intent — from first-look assessment all the way through final proofread.

  • Manuscript review & strategy call
  • Developmental & structural editing
  • Line editing & copyediting
  • Proofreading before print

Paperback & Ebook Layout

Beautiful, readable interiors for both paperback and ebook — formatted to professional publishing standards so your book feels as good to hold as it is to read.

  • Paperback print-ready PDFs for KDP & IngramSpark
  • Clean, standards-compliant EPUB
  • Kindle & wide ebook distribution
  • Accessibility-minded typography

Cover, Metadata & Distribution

Shelf-worthy covers that speak to your reader before they read a word, with smart metadata and hands-on launch guidance.

  • Custom cover design (print & ebook)
  • ISBN, BISAC, keywords & description
  • KDP & IngramSpark setup support
  • Distribution strategy guidance
DIY

DIY-Guided

You do the work; we light every step with expert guidance and encouragement.

Most Popular
Together

Done-With-You

A true partnership — working side by side through each stage of your journey.

VIP

Done-For-You

We handle everything beautifully while you focus on your next chapter.

Payment plans available — ask us what fits your situation.

No Surprises. No Guesswork.

How we work together

Five steps from first hello to your book in the world — each one clear, calm, and entirely yours to lead.

1

A conversation

Your free 30-minute consultation. We hear your story, understand your vision, and map out the path that fits you.

2

Your roadmap

We build a clear, written plan — services, timeline, and investment — so you know exactly what to expect at every step.

3

We get to work

Editing, design, layout, metadata — each stage handled with care and delivered for your review before moving forward.

4

Your approval

Nothing goes to print without your sign-off. Your book, your voice, your name — you hold final say on everything.

5

You launch

We guide your distribution, metadata, and first steps into the world. Then we celebrate you — because you did it.

Recent Titles & Redesigns

Books We’ve
Brought to Life

Four titles, four distinct voices, one guiding principle: every story deserves to be beautifully published.

Rhythm of My Heart: The Authorized Biography of Marc Jordan by Don Breithaupt

Rhythm of My Heart

by Don Breithaupt

Biography  ·  Music

The definitive account of Marc Jordan’s journey — a Brooklyn-born Canadian’s path from dyslexic schoolchild to sought-after hitmaker for Rod Stewart, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Ross, and more. With a foreword by Marc Jordan himself. Published December 2025.

Discovering the Bellyflies Method™ by Cathy Gagliardi

Discovering the Bellyflies Method™

by Cathy Gagliardi

Self-help  ·  Parenting

Giving Your Neurodivergent Child a Voice — a compassionate guide for parents navigating the world of neurodivergence with love, tools, and understanding.

Glitter in the Dust by Cheri Schroeder

Glitter in the Dust

by Cheri Schroeder

Memoir

A Memoir of Survival, Motherhood, and Becoming Whole — a raw, luminous story of finding light in the darkest of places and rebuilding a life from the inside out.

How Did I Get Here? An Immigrant’s Odyssey by Mary Appel Kooy

How Did I Get Here?

by Mary Appel Kooy

Memoir  ·  Immigration

An Immigrant’s Odyssey — a University Professor’s luminous account of her family’s journey from the Netherlands to Canada, arriving at age twelve with no language, no ties, and the quiet determination that would carry them all.

View All Titles on Amazon ↗

In Their Own Journeys

Authors who trusted us
with their stories

Every book begins with a person. Here are a few of the authors who found their way to Carnelian Moon — and what happened when they did.

Discovering the Bellyflies Method cover
Eight years & counting

Author Journey

Cathy Gagliardi

Children's Author  ·  Self-help  ·  Toronto, ON

Cathy came to Carnelian Moon after the online platform where she had originally published her children’s books unexpectedly removed them. It was an experience that left her feeling both frustrated and vulnerable — all that work, all those stories, suddenly unreachable. A friend suggested she call Judith.

That phone call turned into one of CMP’s longest and most treasured publishing partnerships. In the eight years since, Cathy has published book after book, each one reflecting her deep commitment to the children and families she serves. She is currently working on her eighth children’s book, and recently released her most ambitious title yet — Discovering the Bellyflies Method™, a compassionate guide for parents of neurodivergent children that has already earned her a devoted following of readers and a growing reputation as a mentor to others navigating the same path.

“What began as a rescue became a relationship. Cathy has grown into not just a prolific author, but a genuine voice of guidance for families who need her most.”

Glitter in the Dust cover
2026 Publishing Grant Recipient

Author Journey

Cheri Schroeder

Memoir  ·  Survivor  ·  Storyteller

Cheri had been carrying her story for years — a memoir of survival, motherhood, and the long, luminous road to becoming whole. It was her husband who finally said: this needs to be a book. He had listened to her read passages aloud and knew, with the certainty that those closest to us sometimes hold better than we do, that what she had written deserved to be in the world.

Cheri was awarded Carnelian Moon’s 2026 Publishing Grant — and with that single act of faith, the universe seemed to take its cue. She collaborated with her cousin, Fred Moon, whose breathtaking Indigenous artwork now weaves through the pages of Glitter in the Dust, honouring both the story and the culture from which it draws its strength. From a young child trying to find her footing, to the woman who chose holistic healing over silence, Cheri’s journey is one of perseverance, tenacity, and a refusal to let her story go untold.

“Cheri didn’t just publish a book. She reclaimed her voice — and gave countless readers permission to reclaim theirs.”

How Did I Get Here? An Immigrant's Odyssey by Mary Appel Kooy
Still selling. Still speaking.

Author Journey

Mary Appel Kooy

University Professor  ·  Memoir  ·  Netherlands to Canada

How Did I Get Here? An Immigrant’s Odyssey began with a University Professor who wanted to preserve something irreplaceable: her family’s story of immigration from the Netherlands to Canada, when Mary Appel Kooy was just twelve years old. It is a memoir that weaves together the courage it takes to uproot an entire family, the disorientation of arriving in a country where you speak none of the language, and the quiet, fierce determination that turned a strange new land into home.

Before she found Carnelian Moon, Mary had been quoted by two other publishing services — quotes that had nothing to do with the value of her story and everything to do with how much they thought being published meant to her. CMP collaborated with Mary’s long-time friend on a cover that honours the story within, and since publication, her memoir has sold consistently month after month. Readers have reached out from across North America and Europe, moved to tears, moved to call their own parents, moved to write. And Mary — at 80+ years young — has taken her book to the United States and Europe, speaking at book clubs, library events, and in-store presentations, still lit up by where her book continues to take her.

“At 80, Mary didn’t wonder if it was too late. She wondered how many more rooms she could fill. And she’s still filling them.”

The Hands Behind Your Book

Our Team

A small, curated team of specialists who care as deeply about your book as you do.

Judith Richardson Schroeder

Judith Richardson Schroeder

Publishing Director & PM

Calm, author-centric project leadership from idea to publication.

Susan Rooks

Susan Rooks

Editor

Clear, confident prose that sounds like you — only sharper.

Tanja Prokop

Tanja Prokop

Cover Designer

Covers that match your market and your message.

2Creative Minds — Interior Design & Layout

2Creative Minds

Interior Design & Layout

Carnelian Moon’s in-house professionals crafting beautiful paperback and ebook interiors that honour every author’s voice.

The Founder’s Story

How Carnelian Moon began.

Built from a deep love of the written word
and the people brave enough to share it.

Carnelian Moon Publishing was born from a simple but unshakeable conviction: that every author deserves a partner, not just a service provider. Judith Richardson Schroeder founded CMP after years of watching authors navigate a publishing landscape that too often left them confused, undervalued, and stripped of ownership over the very stories they had poured their lives into.

The name was chosen with intention. Carnelian — the ancient stone of creativity, courage, and vitality — represents the fire that every author carries within them. The Moon speaks to cycles and transformation: the quiet phases of writing in private, and the luminous moments of stepping fully into the world as a published author. Together, they describe exactly what Carnelian Moon is here to do.

From that founding vision, CMP has grown into something richer still. The Blissful Author™, The Magnetic Author™, and The Abundant Author™ — three pathways that honour an author wherever they are in their journey, and walk with them as far as they choose to go. From the first edited page to a fully flourishing creative brand, Carnelian Moon is here for all of it.

The mission has never changed: Instilling Bliss — for every author, at every stage, one beautiful book at a time.

Judith Richardson Schroeder Founder & Publishing Director  ·  Carnelian Moon Publishing, Inc.

Questions We Hear Often

Before you reach out

Honest answers to the questions most authors carry quietly.

  • Always. Without exception. Carnelian Moon is a publishing support service, not a traditional publisher claiming any share of your work. Your manuscript, your cover, your ISBN, your royalties — they are yours from the first word to the last sale. We are here to help you publish beautifully, not to own any part of what you create.

  • Absolutely — and we love it. Many of our authors come to us having never published a word professionally. What matters to us is not your publishing history but your story, your intention, and your willingness to be guided through the process. We will meet you exactly where you are and walk with you from there.

  • It depends on where your manuscript is when we begin, and how many services you require. A book that is already edited and needs only paperback layout, ebook formatting, cover, and distribution guidance may be publication-ready in six to ten weeks. A full journey from raw manuscript through developmental editing, copyediting, layout, cover design, and launch preparation typically takes four to six months. We will give you a clear timeline during your consultation — no surprises.

  • We work with non-fiction, memoir, fiction, self-help, wellness, biography, children’s books, and illustrated titles. If you are unsure whether your book is a good fit, simply book a call and we will tell you honestly. Our team has worked with everything from deeply personal memoirs to parenting guides to music biographies — what they all have in common is an author who believed their story mattered.

  • We are not a vanity press, and we are not a traditional publisher. We are an independent, author-centric publishing partner. That means no inflated fees designed to exploit how much being published means to you, no contracts claiming rights to your work, and no one-size-fits-all packages. Every author who works with Carnelian Moon has a direct relationship with Judith, a real project plan, and a team of specialists who treat your book as if it were their own. We have seen authors quoted two and three times our rates by other services. We price fairly, work transparently, and measure our success by yours.

  • Then you are in exactly the right place to start a conversation. Many of our authors come to us mid-manuscript, or with nothing more than a strong idea and the knowledge that their story needs to exist. Your free consultation is not a sales call — it is a conversation about where you are and what the right next step looks like. There is no pressure, no obligation, and no judgment about where your writing is right now.

Ready When You Are

Let’s talk about

your book.

Whether your manuscript is polished and ready or still living in a notebook, we’d love to hear about your vision and talk through the best path forward — together.

Our 30-minute consultation is a pressure-free conversation. Bring your word count, your goals, and your questions. Leave with clarity and a gentle plan that feels entirely right.

  • ✶ Bring your word count and publishing goals
  • ✶ We’ll outline your best-fit path
  • ✶ Leave with next steps and a clear plan
  • ✶ No commitment required — just a conversation
Book Your Consultation

Choose a time that works for you — we’ll take it from there.