Concept to Cover

This week we are joined in conversation by Michael Levin, a veteran ghostwriter, who has worked with industry leaders, top consultants, celebrities, athletes and other outstanding individuals to help them achieve their dreams of becoming a respected author. He has appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank; on the BBC and FoxNews; in Inc., Forbes, and Bloomberg/Business; and in People Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Michael has two New York Times best sellers; 19 legitimate national best sellers; more than 750 books created, edited, written, or published.

This week we are joined in conversation by Devon Ritter. Devon is the chief manuscript editor for science and economic journals at University of Chicago Press. Devon has also been a freelance editor for Jenkins Group for more than 24 years. 

This week I talk with Jen Singer, a veteran ghostwriter, editor and writing coach who works with all kinds of professionals, from CEOs to Olympic athletes, fighter pilots to marketing executives to bring their stories to the page. Jen also has a writing niche in the area of medical and health care writing. As such, she's just launched a new series of books called Just Diagnosed Guides to help people get the information they needs most after a scary diagnosis. https://justdxguides.com/

Jennifer Dolce, account manager at Pathway Book Service talks about what book distribution entails and how Pathway assists independent publishers in getting retail trade distribution for their books.

In this episode, David Wolf, the owner of Audivita, discusses the process of creating audio books. We go through the process of narrator read and talent read books and how the final product gets delivered to the final listener.

Ellen Neuborne, an expert ghostwriter discusses her career in writing as well as her book writing process.

In this podcast conversation, host Leah Nicholson interviews Marcia Layton Turner, a seasoned ghostwriter with over 20 years of experience. Marcia discusses her entry into the world of ghostwriting, which began when she was asked to rescue a book that was severely behind schedule. She shares how she transformed an outline and boxes of notes into a finished manuscript in just six weeks. The conversation then delves into the growing prominence of ghostwriting in recent years. Marcia attributes this to several factors, including the rise of self-publishing, the willingness of celebrities and thought leaders to admit to using ghostwriters, the demand for content on social media platforms, and the pursuit of thought leadership through book publishing. Leah and Marcia also touch on the emotional aspects of ghostwriting, as clients often revisit and work through their personal histories during the writing process. They highlight the role of ghostwriters as pseudo-therapists who help clients explore the "why" behind their stories. They discuss the compensation for ghostwriters, ranging from lower-paying ebook projects to higher-end contracts with celebrities and thought leaders. Marcia also mentions her founding of the Association of Ghostwriters, a community and resource hub for professional ghostwriters, aimed at networking, sharing best practices, and promoting the profession.