Brave New Bookshelf Episode 45: Streamlining Author Workflows with Chelle Honiker of Author Automations

By Danica Favorite July 1, 2025

This week on Brave New Bookshelf, we welcomed back a familiar and inspiring voice in the author tech space: Chelle Honiker. Known for her pioneering work in streamlining author operations through AI and automation, Chelle joined hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite to talk about her latest projects—and why automation is becoming indispensable for modern writers.

From Frustration to Innovation

Chelle’s automation journey began out of necessity. As a key player behind Indie Author Magazine, she was overwhelmed with repetitive admin tasks. Instead of pushing through inefficiency, she engineered solutions. Those early experiments eventually became Author Automations, a fast-growing Substack filled with practical automation “recipes” that indie authors can apply to their publishing processes.

"Start with your suck list. Look at the thing that is keeping you from the thing that you love to do."

Chelle Honiker, on identifying tasks for automation

AI Is Moving Fast—And So Should You

Chelle underscored how fast AI is developing, from text generation to Google’s latest video tech that animates still images. Her message to authors? Stay alert and stay nimble—those who learn to use these tools effectively will save time, reduce errors, and gain a competitive edge.

Automate What Slows You Down

A core theme in Chelle’s work is identifying and eliminating workflow bottlenecks. She shared how she and her team automated nearly every part of the magazine’s process—from article submission to publication—using platforms like Make.com and N8N. This automation allows a small team to run a thriving business with minimal manual overhead.

Think of AI as Your Co-Pilot

Rather than seeing AI as just a utility, Chelle views it as a creative ally. She explained how authors can automate book formatting, email marketing, content repurposing, and more—without giving up creative control. Her goal: let tech handle the grunt work so writers can stay in their creative flow.

Small Steps, Big Wins

For those new to automation, Chelle’s advice is to begin with low-risk, high-frustration tasks—things you dread or repeat constantly. Something as simple as setting up automated backups or scheduling posts can be a great first step.

"You don't have to be super techie. All of this to me is making the tech so much more accessible than it ever has been."

Danica Favorite, on the accessibility of AI tools

Taking Back Control with Self-Hosted Tools

Chelle also champions self-hosted options like N8N, BaseRow, and NextCloud. These tools offer authors greater data privacy and workflow flexibility. In a landscape dominated by third-party tools, self-hosting puts the power—and the data—back into authors' hands.

Key Lessons from Chelle:

Start by automating your most annoying tasks
Use AI to boost—not replace—your creativity
Consider self-hosting to gain more control
Keep iterating as you learn what works