AI tools are everywhere, but most guidance for writers and editors stop at “use ChatGPT to draft faster.” This session goes deeper, showing how you can build a complete AI-assisted production workflow—from editorial planning through drafting, reviewing, multimedia production, and distribution—without giving up judgment or voice.
Drawing on the workflow behind her independent literary Substack, the presenter demonstrates how tools like Claude, Notion, Descript and other AI tools work together as an integrated editorial system. This isn’t a tool-by-tool tutorial—it’s a practical look at how an editor sequences AI into their process, where human judgment remains essential, and how to build custom AI skills calibrated to your own voice and standards.
It’s also an invitation. This workflow wasn’t built for a client or employer—it powers a creative practice entirely separate from professional editing work. The same system that supports client work can sustain a project that’s just yours. No branding, monetization, or business case required.
Participants will take away: a framework for mapping AI into their own editorial workflow; techniques for voice-consistent drafting, reviewing, and repurposing with custom AI skills; approaches to solo multimedia production and distribution; and a practical starting point for building a creative practice on Substack.
Angela Lombardi is a strategic communications professional with 15+ years leading internal communications, employee engagement, change management, and marketing across financial services, retail, corporate real estate, and professional services. A designated AI champion in her most recent corporate role, she has built an AI-assisted editorial workflow — spanning Claude, Notion, Descript and other AI tools — that powers Books Before Bots, her literary Substack exploring literature through the lens of technology and modern life. She is a member of Editors Canada.