Hello,
When a well-known person writes a book, readers are already sold. The author can skip the introductions and go straight to the message. But everyone else has to earn the right to be read.
That was my answer when the host of The Creativity, Education, and Leadership Podcast asked me what makes a good memoir, and it’s the same answer I’d give about business books. A framework from a stranger is just a set of assertions. Before the advice can land, the book has to establish who you are, what you’ve actually built, and why your experience should change how a reader thinks. Readers don’t only want your framework; they want to know why you’re the one handing it to them. Most business books need a memoir inside them for exactly that reason.
Want to hear the full conversation? Listen to the episode here.
What Writing a Book Can Reveal
We spent a good part of the conversation on the private family books we write, which run on the same instinct with an entirely different audience. Those are for children and grandchildren rather than bookstores. What surprises most of our clients is how much the process gives back: sitting with your own history tends to surface patterns you never noticed while living them, like a chance meeting, a risk taken at age twenty-six, or a decision that looked small at the time and quietly set the next thirty years in motion.
The host also asked what a ghostwriter actually does, since people assume it means inventing or dramatizing. It’s closer to the opposite. The job is to listen, ask the questions that get past the rehearsed version of the story, and organize what comes out so the book sounds like the author on their best day.
Hear more about the unexpected insights that can emerge when you take a closer look at your own story. Listen to that part of the conversation here.
Start with a Blueprint
The most practical piece of the podcast was when we discussed outlining, which is where every project starts. I compare an outline to a blueprint; you can frame a house without it, but you won’t enjoy living in the house.
We closed on publishing, where my honest advice is to be clear-eyed about the return. Very few authors make real money on sales. The value usually shows up downstream, in speaking fees, consulting work, board seats, or the client who calls because your book was sitting on someone’s desk.
If you’re weighing a book of your own—business, memoir, or something private for your family—visit MemoirGhostwriting.com to learn more about how we can help.
MemoirGhostwriting.com helps professionals become known leaders in their field through bestselling books—and helps families preserve life stories through beautifully crafted private memoirs. Whether the goal is to win more business, raise speaking fees, or create a lasting legacy, we handle the entire process end-to-end.
Reply to this email with any publishing or writing questions. My team and I would love to help.
