bestseller, bestselling book, author, Barry Fox, ghostwriter

“Hey ghostwriter, can you write a bestselling book for me?”

The quick answer is: It’s quite likely.

After all, I’ve written bestsellers before and can probably do so again. Books I’ve worked on have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, UPI, Amazon, and other lists, and it’s always a pleasure to see them there.

However, seeing your book on the bestseller lists is not the only mark of success. It’s just one of many indicators, and not necessarily the most important.

The real question authors should ask of ghostwriters is this: Can you ghostwrite a successful book for me?

What is a successful book?

Simply put, a successful book is one that meets—or exceeds—its goals. Being a bestseller is just one of many possible goals, a fact I learned very early in my writing career.

Many years ago, when I was a young health book writer, I was asked to ghostwrite a book for a plastic surgeon. This was an intriguing project, for the doctor was going to self-publish his book and only print ten or fifteen copies.

Why print fifteen copies, maximum? The plastic surgeon only wanted to use the book to get on local radio programs and talk about his new techniques. The doctor knew he would be heard by wealthy people in the surrounding area—which included Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Westwood, and Santa Monica—and some of these listeners would come to him for their surgeries. Signing up eight or ten patients would pay for the book. Everything beyond that would be gravy. Having a bestselling book was irrelevant to him.

I didn’t ghostwrite this book because I had to return to school. However, I have worked on many very successful books that never got anywhere near a bestseller list.

Success: Getting Speaking Engagements

Early in my career, I coauthored my first motivational/inspirational book, titled Wake Up! You’re Alive.

Unfortunately, it was doomed by an “editorial shuffle.” This happens when the editor who shepherded your book through the writing and publication process is fired, assigned to a different position, or quits, and you no longer have a protector to ensure your book gets the support it deserves.

As a result, shortly before publication, our book was left to die. There was no way it was going to make any bestseller list.

But to our surprise, it came alive again when I did a radio interview at a tiny station with a studio barely bigger than a closet. After the interview, the host asked if my coauthor and I would speak about the book at his wife’s church—his wife was the minister.

I said yes, and soon my coauthor and I found ourselves going from church to church talking about “waking up and living,” selling books in the back of the room and collecting speaking fees.

We continued speaking about positive thinking, motivation, and inspiration through two follow-up books! Wake Up! You’re Alive was a huge success, without being a bestselling book.

Wake Up! You're Alive, book ghostwriter Barry Fox

Success: Acquiring Clients

More recently, I ghostwrote a series of business books that I cannot name due to confidentiality clauses in the contracts.

I can tell you, however, that this author had no desire to see his books on bestseller lists. He wouldn’t have objected if that happened, but for him, success was not measured by copies sold and royalties earned.

This client was a high-level consultant to large public firms and government concerns in the United States and abroad. He had absolutely no interest in securing a deal with a standard New York publisher and seeing his books in bookstores.

Instead, he self-published his books and literally gave them away, sending them to CEOs, CFOs, and board members who could bring him in to consult. Yes, he listed the books on Amazon, but that was just for the convenience of clients who might want to acquire extra copies.

For him, success was measured by the number of consulting jobs he got with each new book.

Success: Preserving Your Legacy

Several years ago, I was asked to ghostwrite a book for Bill Dorè, who has an amazing story of business success.

In brief, he took over a dying, debt-ridden diving company and turned it into a large oil firm with crews working all around the world and publicly traded stock. I knew that Bill’s story would include his wife, Kay, who had been his quiet but essential partner from the time they met in high school. So, I asked my wife and fellow ghostwriter, Nadine, to work with me on this project.

We first met with the Dorès in Southern California, then flew around southern Louisiana with them, touring the neighborhoods, houses, buildings, and locations that had been important to them.

Toward the end of the stay, while in the airplane, Nadine suggested writing the book from Kay’s point of view. It would be more interesting, she said, to make it a family legacy story told through the eyes of the very smart and talented woman who, according to the norms of the day, remained in the background.

And so, with Nadine taking the lead, we did just that, creating a unique book that flipped the script for legacy memoirs.

We know the book was a huge success because the Dorès told us so—and because they hired us to create a follow-up book a few years later.

Success: The Bestselling Book

And then there is success measured the way most people think: through bestseller lists and sales.

My very first book, written many years ago when I was still in school, hit the UPI bestseller list. But like Wake Up! You’re Alive, this book was caught in an editorial shuffle.

It was supposed to be published by a boutique imprint (division) of Simon & Schuster—and I was thrilled because I dealt directly with the imprint’s publisher. We called each other by our first names, he treated me as if I was a seasoned writer, and then, suddenly, he was gone. His assistant told me that the imprint had been abruptly closed by Simon & Schuster and our book was already transferred to a different imprint.

Our agent told us that Simon & Schuster was just going to print enough books to fulfill the contract but would offer no publicity support. Our book—my very first one!—was going to die.

But it didn’t, because a scientific researcher who had provided us with research material did an amazing thing. Despite having no PR background at all, he got on the phone and called the “Merv Griffin Show,” one of the major talk shows decades ago, and persuaded them to invite my coauthor on the show to talk about the book!

That one appearance drove book sales so much that soon enough, our book hit the bestseller list and eventually sold over 70,000 copies.

DLPA To End Chronic Pain and Depression, by Arnold Fox, M.D. and Barry Fox

Yes, I can write a bestselling book…

I know what it takes to create a book with bestselling writing, theme, voice, and structure. I have also earned praise from top editors at major publishing houses, which I’ve included below. My books have appeared on the New York Times and other bestseller lists. In other words, I have the writing chops.

But having worked on scores of books, I can tell you that setting out to write a bestseller is not the best approach.

Why? Because that will have you thinking about appealing to the masses rather than writing the best possible book. You’ll be trying to be everything to everybody, instead of something special to a targeted audience.

Instead of trying to write a best-seller, focus on a specific goal such as:

● Capturing your story as a legacy
● Teaching certain lessons
● Raising your profile in your industry
● Introducing a concept
● Supporting or launching a business
● Bringing attention to a cause
● Sharing your thoughts or adventures
● Working through certain issues
● Righting a wrong
● Having fun

…or some other targeted goal. That’s the first step toward writing a successful book that meets—or exceeds—your goals.

If You’d Like Help Writing Your Book…

Barry Fox explains how to begin a business memoir or autobiography

Contact us! We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, professional ghostwriters and authors with a long list of satisfied clients and editors at major publishing houses.

You can learn about our business ghostwriting work and credentials on our Business Ghostwriter Page.

For more information, call us at 818-917-5362 or use our contact form to send us a message. We’d love to talk to you about your exciting idea for writing a business book or memoir!