Brave New Bookshelf Episode 55: Leveraging AI for Creative Projects with Jill Cooper from The Writing Wives
In this episode of Brave New Bookshelf, hosts Steph Pajonas and Danica Favorite are joined once again by author and creative strategist Jill Cooper from The Writing Wives. Jill is known for writing across multiple genres and for the practical, highly efficient way she uses AI to support her publishing work.
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Meet Jill Cooper
Jill is one half of The Writing Wives, a team dedicated to helping authors improve their marketing and increase book sales. She writes in a wide range of genres and thrives on having several projects in motion. AI has become a core part of her creative workflow and allows her to move quickly from concept to execution.
"AI allows for creative exploration and experimentation, freeing authors from the pressure of traditional project timelines."
Jill Cooper, on the creative freedom AI provides.
AI and the Cozy LitRPG Kickstarter Project
Jill is currently building a Kickstarter campaign for a cozy LitRPG fantasy series inspired by Magic: The Gathering and World of Warcraft. AI plays a central role in bringing the project to life. She uses AI tools to create animated trailers, design backgrounds, and develop play mats for the accompanying card game.
Her approach is structured and strategic. Jill treats AI as a project manager and uses it to break large tasks into simple steps. This includes preparing campaign copy, generating visual assets, and shaping the overall presentation. With this system, ambitious projects stay manageable and each part of the process moves forward with clarity.
Using AI for Project Management
Every major project by defining goals, themes, and tropes. By giving AI a strong framework, Jill keeps her creative direction focused and avoids getting pulled into side ideas. From there, AI helps her generate blurbs, hooks, summaries, and ad copy. She organizes everything into an asset folder she can reference throughout the project. Dividing the work into smaller segments also helps her manage energy and take breaks when needed.
AI for Facebook Ads
Also highly skilled in Facebook advertising, Jill uses AI to analyze her blurbs and identify comparable titles and tropes so she can target specific reader groups. AI helps her draft headlines, primary ad text, and image prompts. Jill then refines the outputs using her own advertising experience to ensure accuracy and quality. The result is streamlined ad creation that remains closely tied to audience expectations.
"AI definitely helps me. All the balls in the air, from covers, to writing, to blurbs, to pulling out hooks, and spreading pitches."
Jill Cooper, on AI's role in managing writing tasks.
Jill’s Recommended AI Tools
Jill uses a variety of AI platforms in her creative and marketing work.
- Novelcrafter
- Ideal for building extensive Codexes and managing complex story worlds.
- Claude Projects
- Supports large, multi-step tasks like Kickstarter campaign planning.
- ChatGPT
- Used for generating ad copy, breaking down project tasks, and organizing workflows.
- Midjourney
- Her preferred tool for creating detailed, high-quality images and visual assets.
AI allows Jill to expand her creative range and move quickly between ideas. It gives her space to experiment, plan, and work in a way that feels both flexible and productive.
Key Takeaways
- AI can act as a project manager and help divide large goals into clear, actionable steps.
- Understanding your reader and genre tropes makes AI-generated ad content much more effective.
- AI boosts creative exploration and reduces pressure around timelines and scope.
- Authors can maintain multiple projects at once with more confidence and less overwhelm.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Want more insights on the evolving role of AI in publishing? Listen to this episode of Brave New Bookshelf on your favorite podcast platform.
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