We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, experienced business book ghostwriters.
We’ve helped people create a wide variety of business books, including memoirs, how-to’s, leadership guides, fables, and more.
Our clients have included the founders and C-suiters of billion-dollar organizations, B2B and B2C salespeople, marketing experts, consultants, and others.
You Know Your Business…
… and we know the business of book writing and how to operate in the background as business book ghostwriters.
Together, we can make a great team!
Our business books include:
What clients say about us
“Working with Barry became a journey of self-discovery, resulting in a much better book than I ever could have written on my own…”
“Thanks, Nadine, for encouraging me, for keeping me on track, and especially for your friendship. You have made this journey fun.”
“Barry Fox has an uncanny ability to understand what’s important and what’s not; to make you think more deeply about your life and come up with insights you didn’t know you had; and to transform your stories, ideas and feelings into writing that is not only beautiful but highly readable.”
“Nadine became a writer, therapist, literary critic, and friend, all rolled into one. Writing the book with Nadine was a wonderful experience that we recommend to all!”
“Barry has the unique ability of ensuring that a writer’s collection of thoughts can be weaved together with stories, images, and frameworks into one well-thought-out whole.”
“Barry is not only a great writer, but he is professional, kind, creative, genuine, honest, patient, and an all-around excellent guy. Barry helped me dig deep into my stories and ideas to produce a more complex, nuanced book than my wife and I could have ever imagined. The experience was a great one, and I would highly recommend Barry Fox to anyone looking to have their story brought to life.”
“Working with Barry became a journey of self-discovery, resulting in a much better book than I ever could have written on my own…”
“Thanks, Nadine, for encouraging me, for keeping me on track, and especially for your friendship. You have made this journey fun.”
“Barry Fox has an uncanny ability to understand what’s important and what’s not; to make you think more deeply about your life and come up with insights you didn’t know you had; and to transform your stories, ideas and feelings into writing that is not only beautiful but highly readable.”
“Nadine became a writer, therapist, literary critic, and friend, all rolled into one. Writing the book with Nadine was a wonderful experience that we recommend to all!”
“Barry has the unique ability of ensuring that a writer’s collection of thoughts can be weaved together with stories, images, and frameworks into one well-thought-out whole.”
“Barry is not only a great writer, but he is professional, kind, creative, genuine, honest, patient, and an all-around excellent guy. Barry helped me dig deep into my stories and ideas to produce a more complex, nuanced book than my wife and I could have ever imagined. The experience was a great one, and I would highly recommend Barry Fox to anyone looking to have their story brought to life.”
Call us at (818) 917-5362 to find out how we can turn your dream into reality!
Working with a Business Book Ghostwriter
Converting your thoughts and experiences into a business book may seem like a daunting prospect, but the process is pretty simple: You talk, we write.
Ideally, we’ll sit down together for several hours to discuss your book idea—and, equally important, to get to know you, your speaking style, and your “voice.” We’ll also review potential themes for your manuscript, plus ways to structure and begin it.
From there, we’ll continue speaking with you until we gather all of your relevant ideas and stories. We may also do additional research into your specific business topic to ensure that your book is complete and has a solid foundation.
Then we’ll begin writing. We’ll send you drafts of the chapters as we write them, for your review and correction.
In many cases, we’ll continue talking with you during the writing phase, as new ideas and issues often pop up during the book-ghostwriting process.
In the end, you will have a polished book that captures your ideas, your experiences your vision, with your name on it as the sole author.
You can learn more about ghostwriters and ghostwriting in general from our blog all about The Professional Ghostwriter.”
For more feedback from our clients as well as editors at major New York publishing houses, see the Testimonials page.
Please note that we ghostwrite business non-fiction books as well as fiction (such as business fables).
Working with a Business Book Ghostwriter
Converting your thoughts and experiences into a business book may seem like a daunting prospect, but the process is pretty simple: You talk, we write.
Ideally, we’ll sit down together for several hours to discuss your book idea—and, equally important, to get to know you, your speaking style, and your “voice.” We’ll also review potential themes for your manuscript, plus ways to structure and begin it.
From there, we’ll continue speaking with you until we gather all of your relevant ideas and stories. We may also do additional research into your specific business topic to ensure that your book is complete and has a solid foundation.
Then we’ll begin writing. We’ll send you drafts of the chapters as we write them, for your review and correction.
In many cases, we’ll continue talking with you during the writing phase, as new ideas and issues often pop up during the book-ghostwriting process.
In the end, you will have a polished book that captures your ideas, your experiences, your vision, with your name on it as the sole author.
Business Book Ghostwriter FAQ
Here are some of the questions our clients ask about ghostwriters, business books, and the process of creating one.
1. Can a business book ghostwriter help me develop a huge concept like Freakonomics?
That’s the ghostwriter’s goal—to develop a powerful concept that grabs everyone’s attention! When it happens, it’s wonderful.
But remember that not all ideas are groundbreaking. Indeed, relatively few books are based on paradigm-shattering ideas. Despite this, many still provide their readers with valuable information, insight, and strategies.
For example, an inside look at a company or an introduction to a new concept are extremely interesting topics. So is a new strategy for getting ahead in business. While these may not earn you a spot on the New York Times bestseller list, they can certainly help you accomplish your business-building goals.
2. Should my business ghostwriter have a business degree or experience running a business?
Neither is necessary, for the experienced ghostwriter specializes in learning on the fly and translating ideas into books that people enjoy reading.
You certainly want a ghostwriter who understands business, but it’s usually not necessary to find one with an MBA or C-suite experience.
3. What should I look for in a business book ghostwriter?
The most important skill the ghost must possess is the same one that every ghostwriter writing for the popular press must master: being a good storyteller.
That’s because unless your book is a reference book, it will tell a story.
The storytelling may be the book’s main thrust, as in a business memoir, or the tale-telling aspect may be more subtle, as with books like Made to Stick, that relate numerous stories.
But today’s popular business books are almost invariably story-based.
4. How do I find an expert ghostwriter?
There are many business book ghostwriters, each with a different degree of experience and fee.
You’ll certainly want to find one with the right résumé and expertise, but these aren’t enough.
Your ghostwriter should be willing to challenge you, to (politely) tell you when your ideas are wandering off track, and to help you do what’s necessary to make your book work.
You may be accustomed to working with people who jump when you speak. But you’ll get much better results if you treat your ghostwriter as a collaborator, rather than a simple scribe.
For more, see “How to Find a Ghostwriter: 10 Great Tips” and “How to Hire a Ghostwriter: 9 Key Steps.”
5. What’s the book ghostwriting process?
We’ll begin by interviewing you for several hours—possibly over the course of a couple of days—to learn all we can about your story and ideas and discuss likely approaches to structuring your book.
We’ll continue interviewing you as the work progresses and conduct additional research if necessary.
This research may consist of reading studies or other background material, discussions with your associates or outside experts, visiting your plant if you have one, and so on.
But even
before the research is finished, we can begin writing the early drafts of
chapters and sending them to you for comments.
As we near completion, we’ll ask that you read the entire book carefully and completely to ensure that it captures your story or ideas, and presents them in the desired tone and selected style.
6. How long does it take to ghostwrite a business book?
As a general rule, it takes about eight months to ghostwrite a business book.
The amount of time required depends on several factors, including the book’s length, the complexity of the material, and whether the initial concept is solid or needs tweaking.
Another important factor is how available you are for interviews and the reading of drafts.
7. Suppose we disagree over content or tone?
This happens, and in most cases should be welcomed.
Some business books are pretty straightforward, such as an encyclopedia of marketing terms.
Most, however, are more complex and require an exchange of ideas to discover the right structure and tone as the client and ghost sort through the various ideas, stories, case histories, and other content that might go into the text.
We’ve found that our best work comes from this exchange of ideas, with one idea building on another to produce a better manuscript than the client or the ghost could have come up with singly.
8. Do I need a best-selling ghostwriter?
It’s certainly nice to find a business ghostwriter with best-selling credentials. This suggests that she or he is able to handle the responsibility associated with major projects and see them through to the end.
That being said, even more important is whether or not you and your ghost see eye to eye on the project, and that you feel you can trust this ghost with your book.
9. Are there different ways to structure and begin a business book?
Absolutely! See “7 Winning Ways to Structure a Business Book” and “5 Ways to Begin a Business Book.” If you’re writing about leadership in business, see “How to Begin a Business Leadership Book.”
Business Book Ghostwriter FAQ
Here are some of the questions our clients ask about ghostwriters, business books, and the process of creating one.
1. Can a business book ghostwriter help me develop a huge concept like Freakonomics?
That’s the ghostwriter’s goal—to develop a powerful concept that grabs everyone’s attention! When it happens, it’s wonderful.
But remember that not all ideas are groundbreaking. Indeed, relatively few books are based on paradigm-shattering ideas. Despite this, many still provide their readers with valuable information, insight, and strategies.
For example, an inside look at a company or an introduction to a new concept are extremely interesting topics. So is a new strategy for getting ahead in business. While these may not earn you a spot on the New York Times bestseller list, they can certainly help you accomplish your business-building goals.
2. Should my business ghostwriter have a business degree or experience running a business?
Neither is necessary, for the experienced ghostwriter specializes in learning on the fly and translating ideas into books that people enjoy reading.
You certainly want a ghostwriter who understands business, but it’s usually not necessary to find one with an MBA or C-suite experience.
3. What should I look for in a business book ghostwriter?
The most important skill the ghost must possess is the same one that every ghostwriter writing for the popular press must master: being a good storyteller.
That’s because unless your book is a reference book, it will tell a story.
The storytelling may be the book’s main thrust, as in a business memoir, or the tale-telling aspect may be more subtle, as with books like Made to Stick, that relate numerous stories.
But today’s popular business books are almost invariably story-based.
4. How do I find an expert ghostwriter?
There are many business book ghostwriters, each with a different degree of experience and fee.
You’ll certainly want to find one with the right résumé and expertise, but these aren’t enough.
Your ghostwriter should be willing to challenge you, to (politely) tell you when your ideas are wandering off track, and to help you do what’s necessary to make your book work.
You may be accustomed to working with people who jump when you speak. But you’ll get much better results if you treat your ghostwriter as a collaborator, rather than a simple scribe.
For more, see “How to Find a Ghostwriter: 10 Great Tips” and “How to Hire a Ghostwriter: 9 Key Steps.”
5. What’s the book ghostwriting process?
We’ll begin by interviewing you for several hours—possibly over the course of a couple of days—to learn all we can about your story and ideas and discuss likely approaches to structuring your book.
We’ll continue interviewing you as the work progresses and conduct additional research if necessary.
This research may consist of reading studies or other background material, discussions with your associates or outside experts, visiting your plant if you have one, and so on.
But even before the research is finished, we can begin writing the early drafts of
chapters and sending them to you for comments.
As we near completion, we’ll ask that you read the entire book carefully and completely to ensure that it captures your story or ideas, and presents them in the desired tone and selected style.
6. How long does it take to ghostwrite a business book?
As a general rule, it takes about eight months to ghostwrite a business book.
The amount of time required depends on several factors, including the book’s length, the complexity of the material, and whether the initial concept is solid or needs tweaking.
Another important factor is how available you are for interviews and the reading of drafts.
7. Suppose we disagree over content or tone?
This happens, and in most cases should be welcomed.
Some business books are pretty straightforward, such as an encyclopedia of marketing terms.
Most, however, are more complex and require an exchange of ideas to discover the right structure and tone as the client and ghost sort through the various ideas, stories, case histories, and other content that might go into the text.
We’ve found that our best work comes from this exchange of ideas, with one idea building on another to produce a better manuscript than the client or the ghost could have come up with singly.
8. Do I need a best-selling ghostwriter?
It’s certainly nice to find a business ghostwriter with best-selling credentials. This suggests that she or he is able to handle the responsibility associated with major projects and see them through to the end.
That being said, even more important is whether or not you and your ghost see eye to eye on the project, and that you feel you can trust this ghost with your book.
9. Are there different ways to structure and begin a business book?
Absolutely! See “7 Winning Ways to Structure a Business Book” and “5 Ways to Begin a Business Book.” If you’re writing about leadership in business, see “How to Begin a Business Leadership Book.”