In her debut poetry devotional, In the Stillness: 40 Days of Poems for the One Learning to Abide, author Stacy Brantner invites readers to slow their hurried hearts and discover peace in the presence of Jesus. Written out of her own journey of recovery and healing, Stacy’s words tenderly guide others who are learning to trust God again after seasons of loss and pain.
Through forty days of original poems paired with Scripture and prayer, In the Stillness offers a rhythm of reflection that leads readers from brokenness toward abiding—finding rest, renewal, and hope in the One who restores all things.
About This Recent Project
Manuscript Edits & Formatting
Working with Stacy on this special collection was an honor for our team from start to finish. Each phase of the project reflected her heart for ministry and her prayer that these words would become a source of healing and encouragement for others walking similar roads.
The process began with our editor Milena’s review of Stacy’s collection of poems, and Milena provided a developmental framework to guide the first pass of content revisions. Together, they refined the structure so that each day’s poem would be paired with a meaningful verse and closing prayer, creating a devotional flow that echoed the book’s theme of stillness and surrender. After this initial pass of edits, Milena then completed the copy and line edits to address inconsistencies and grammatical concerns.
Once the manuscript was polished, Randi handled the final proofread, ensuring every line was smooth and the file was clean and properly formatted before handing it off to design.
Cover and Interior Design & Typesetting
From there, Nelly brought the book to life through a beautiful cover and interior layout that reflects the quiet elegance of the title. Stacy provided detailed input at the start of the project, sharing a variety of visuals that were important to her. With those details in mind, Nelly created the perfect serene scene for the cover, reflecting the heart of worship found in the book, and chose fonts that maintained the overall feel Stacy hoped for.
Gentle typographic details and soft design elements of the interior mirror the tone of Stacy’s writing—calm, contemplative, and full of grace. The book’s dedication to The Summit of Fort Payne, a ministry close to Stacy’s heart, anchors her testimony of redemption and serves as a tribute to the place where she found new life in Christ. The themes of restoration and renewed purpose carry throughout her writing, reminding readers that beauty truly can rise from ashes. Each day’s spread provides a literal invitation to pause and pray, and the author page fittingly closes this inspirational book as Stacy shares insight into her personal story and her prayer for each reader.
Publishing & Optimization
Once In the Stillness was designed and formatted for both IngramSpark and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Mandy walked Stacy through the publishing steps so the book would be available in both print and eBook formats across most major retailers. We performed our metadata and market research and optimized the product description to ensure the devotional could be discovered by its ideal readers. As a final step in the publishing process, we also established an author profile for Stacy in Amazon Author Central. During release week, In the Stillness ranked as a hot new release on Amazon in several of its assigned categories, reaching as high as #3 in Religious Poetry and #9 in Prayer!
Because Stacy is a first-time author and her online platform is limited, we included simple marketing options for her that would be easy for her to maintain going forward. Hallie designed and developed a beautiful single-page author website at stacybrantner.com, which now serves as Stacy’s home base online and features the book, her story, and a simple subscribe form for new followers. Mandy also established Stacy’s branded email list and template, giving her an easy way to share new encouragement and updates with her growing audience.
Every detail of this project was guided by the same truth that flows through Stacy’s poetry—that even in the waiting, God is near. From the first manuscript review to the final book proofs, our team worked closely with Stacy to honor her voice and preserve the raw honesty of her story.
The result is a devotional experience that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. Each poem, verse, and prayer invites readers to pause, reflect, and remember that healing happens not in striving but in abiding.
What Stacy had to say…
“Thanks to you and the team for making my journey more rewarding than I could have ever imagined! Can’t wait to see what God does. You are all amazing! Thanks for all the hard work you and the team put in! I am forever grateful! Much love goes out to you all.”
Services Included in this Project
- Abbreviated manuscript review, copy and line edits, and proofreading
- Book cover and interior design, formatting, and typesetting for IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing (Print and eBook)
- Metadata, category, and keyword research for IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing
- Marketing copy for the product listing and author bio
- Product(s) and author profile setup and optimization for Amazon Author Central
- Market Refined Publishing imprint
- Single-page website design and development
- Branded email list setup and template
Team Members Involved
Randi Avant
Nelly Murariu
Mandy Roberson
Milena Ulrich
Hallie Woodham
Find out more about these ladies and the rest of the team here at MRM: Meet the Team
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