I am looking for a "ghostwriter" for a memoir about a business career.

Writing a business memoir is a powerful way to establish your authority, share your legacy, and connect with an audience. Finding the right ghostwriter—someone who can capture your authentic voice while shaping your professional experiences into a compelling narrative—takes a strategic approach.

• Finding platforms, look at professional networks like the Association of Ghostwriters or curated literary agencies like Reedsy to browse vetted professionals with corporate or biographical backgrounds.
• Interviewing candidates, ask about their experience with business or leadership books, how they handle confidential information (NDA requirements), and their specific workflow for capturing a client's tone.
• Preparing your material, gather key milestones, performance reviews, media clips, pivotal career turning points, and core business philosophies before your first consultation to speed up the proposal phase.
• Establishing budgets and scope, understand that a full-length memoir typically ranges from $20,000 to over $100,000+ depending on the writer's pedigree, research depth, and whether proposal writing or traditional publishing guidance is included.

To help narrow down the right direction, tell me:

• Do you plan to self-publish or pitch to traditional publishing houses?
• What is your target timeline for completion?

Absolutely. For a business-career memoir, I’d look for someone who is more than a competent writer: ideally a ghostwriter who understands executive/business storytelling, interviewing, narrative structure, and memoir.

A few good places to start:

• Association of Ghostwriters — their directory has nearly 200 members and can be filtered for relevant experience. It includes writers specifically describing themselves as specialists in business memoir, entrepreneurial journeys, executive memoir, and CEO books.
• alicesullivan.com — specializes in memoir, business leadership and personal-growth books and reports extensive bestselling ghostwriting/editing experience.
• ghostwriteyourbook.com — focuses specifically on memoir, business, leadership and biographies of CEOs and other high-achieving people.
• arborghostwriters.com — a New York-based firm offering memoir and business-book ghostwriting, along with publishing-related services.
• Reedsy can also be useful for comparing individual professional ghostwriters. For example, one New York-based memoir/business specialist publicly lists a starting rate of $100,000 for a full book project, illustrating the range at the premium end.

What I'd look for in your case

The ideal person would be able to turn “here's what happened during my 30–40 years in business” into an actual story rather than a chronological résumé. I'd want them to be comfortable drawing out:

• the pivotal deals and decisions
• successes and failures
• difficult people and relationships
• turning points and crises
• what you believed at different stages of your career
• the personal cost of building the business
• lessons you learned—but without making the book sound like a business textbook
• anecdotes and scenes that reveal your personality

I'd also insist on talking to 2–4 candidates before choosing one. The chemistry matters enormously because the process typically involves many hours of recorded conversations and very personal recollections.

If you tell me what industry you were in, roughly how long your career was, your location, and whether you want a literary memoir or more of a business/leadership story, I can search for specific ghostwriters who fit your background and narrow it to a shortlist.

For a business-career memoir, look for a ghostwriter who has experience with executive biographies, founder stories, leadership books, and long-form interviewing—not just general fiction or copywriting. Some places to start:

• Reedsy — a marketplace where you can review professional ghostwriters with experience in business, memoir, and nonfiction.
• Gotham Ghostwriters — specializes in matching authors with experienced ghostwriters, including CEO and executive memoir projects.
• Alice Sullivan — works in memoir, leadership, and business-related books.
• Corinna Cunningham — focuses on business books and memoirs for executives and entrepreneurs.

When interviewing candidates, ask:

1. Can I see 2–3 published books you ghostwrote (especially business memoirs)?
2. How do you capture my voice?
3. How many interviews will you conduct, and with whom?
4. Who owns the manuscript and rights?
5. What is the expected timeline and fee structure?

A strong candidate will usually propose a process like: discovery interviews → life/career timeline → chapter outline → draft chapters → your review and revisions.

If you tell me your industry, career length, target audience (family legacy vs. public book), and budget range, I can help narrow the search.

• Finding a Professional Ghostwriter : You can hire vetted, experienced memoir and business ghostwriters through specialized literary agencies and freelance platforms like Reedsy's Ghostwriter Directory, Upwork , or high-end services like Gotham Ghostwriters.
• Defining the Scope : Decide whether you need full-service writing from scratch (interviews + manuscript creation), developmental editing of an existing draft, or a collaborative co-author arrangement.
• Budget and Royalty Sharing : Professional business ghostwriters typically charge by the project (ranging anywhere from $20,000 to well over $100,000 depending on experience) or via an hourly rate, plus a potential percentage of book royalties if they are credited as a co-author.
• The Process : Expect an initial discovery phase where the writer conducts extensive recorded interviews, outlines your career milestones, captures your unique voice, and establishes a chapter-by-chapter roadmap before writing begins.

To help narrow down the right ghostwriter or next steps, let me know:

• What is your target word count or format (e.g., standard business book vs. deep personal memoir)?
• Are you aiming for traditional publishing via an agency or self-publishing?
• What is your ideal timeline for completion?

Finding the right ghostwriter for a business memoir is a big step—you need someone who not only captures your unique voice and tone, but also understands corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, or industry nuances enough to make your journey compelling to readers.

Where to Find Qualified Business Memoir Ghostwriters

• Reedsy Marketplace : A curated platform where you can filter professional ghostwriters by genre (memoir/biography) and industry expertise, view past portfolios, and request direct quotes.
• Gotham Ghostwriters : A premium matching service that acts as an agency, vetting your project and hand-selecting top-tier writers or journalists who specialize in business and leadership books.
• Association of Ghostwriters : A professional organization where you can search directories and find established, ethical freelance writers specializing in non-fiction and memoirs.
• The Authors Guild : Offers a directory and resources for hiring professional literary talent, ensuring standard industry practices and contracts.

What to Look for in a Business Ghostwriter

• Relevant Portfolio : Ask for samples or published books they’ve worked on in the business, startup, or executive space. A great storyteller who only writes celebrity memoirs might miss the strategic weight of your career.
• Interview Process : A good ghostwriter acts like an investigative journalist and a therapist combined. They should have a structured, engaging interview style to extract the best stories from your life.
• Chemistry : You will spend dozens of hours talking and collaborating with this person. Make sure you actually enjoy their conversation and trust them with your legacy.

If you'd like, let me know:

• What is the primary focus or core theme of your career (e.g., scaling a startup, corporate turnaround, industry disruption)?
• Do you have an approximate budget or timeline in mind for the project?

I can help you prepare an outline or a pitch brief to share with prospective writers.

• Girl Friday Productions - 318 W Galer St Ste 101, Seattle, WA 98119, United States
• Beth Lord & Write Heart Memories - Seattle, WA 98125
• Heartland Publishing House - 15415 35th Ave W c306, Lynnwood, WA 98087, United States
• Write For You - 1001 Cooper Point Rd, Olympia, WA 98502, United States
• Memoir Crafters - Bellingham, WA 98227
• Novel House Publishing - 400 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
• Erick Mertz Writing - 7604 SE Insley St, Portland, OR 97206, United States
• Amy Russell-Coutts, Ghostwriter, Content Creator, Editor - 253 49 St, Delta, BC V4M 3N3, Canada

Absolutely. For a business-career memoir, I’d look for someone who can do more than simply “write well.” The right ghostwriter should be able to interview you deeply, extract the turning points and conflicts, understand business, and turn decades of experience into a compelling narrative.

I found several promising options, including some in the Seattle area:

• Girl Friday Productions — Seattle: A Seattle-based book-production and publishing company that works with memoirs and entrepreneurs. It may be particularly useful if you want help beyond writing—editing, production, and publishing as well.
• Carol Tice — Seattle: This one stands out for your particular project. She's a journalist, entrepreneur, and experienced business-book ghostwriter with expertise in entrepreneurship, leadership, finance, and startups. She has ghostwritten more than a dozen books and previously spent seven years at the Puget Sound Business Journal. Her published rate is $70K+ for a full-length ghostwriting project, depending on scope.
• Anna Katz — Seattle: A memoir-focused ghostwriter and developmental editor with experience at Hachette, W. W. Norton, Chronicle Books, and Girl Friday Productions. She's probably more literary/memoir-oriented than business-oriented, but that could be an advantage if you want the book to feel like a real memoir rather than a corporate history.
• Latham Shinder: A dedicated memoir ghostwriter who specifically describes his niche as writing for people who have built companies, careers, and fortunes. His approach combines personal story with lessons learned, which sounds quite close to what you're describing.
• Raymond Brunell: A more literary, premium option focused specifically on founders, executives, memoir, and executive voice. He publicly lists memoir ghostwriting from $45,000/book, with a six-month minimum.

There are also quite a few additional candidates on reedsy.com, including writers specializing in memoir, business, biography, and executive books.

What I'd recommend for your project

Before hiring anyone, I'd conduct 3–5 interviews and ask each candidate for:

1. Two or three examples of memoirs they've actually ghostwritten.
2. How they would turn a 30–40 year business career into a narrative rather than a chronological résumé.
3. How they capture the client's voice.
4. How many hours of interviews they typically conduct.
5. Whether they do the research, fact-checking, and archival work.
6. Exactly what is included in the fee—outline, interviews, first draft, revisions, editing, book proposal, etc.
7. Who owns the manuscript and whether they sign an NDA.
8. Whether they have experience handling sensitive business information, former colleagues, competitors, failures, lawsuits, acquisitions, or other potentially delicate material.

And I'd pay particular attention to whether the writer gets curious about you. A great memoir ghostwriter should start asking questions that make you say, “I haven't thought about that moment in 30 years.”

If you tell me (a) roughly what industry you were in, (b) how many decades your career spans, (c) whether you want a literary memoir or more of a business/leadership legacy book, and (d) your approximate budget, I can narrow this to 5–7 highly suitable ghostwriters and compare their backgrounds, pricing, location, and fit.

Finding the right ghostwriter for a business memoir is a big move—you want someone who can capture your authentic voice, structure decades of professional experience into a compelling narrative, and handle industry nuances with precision.

Here is a breakdown of how the process works, where to look, and what to keep in mind:

• Professional Associations: The Association of Ghostwriters is the premier trade association where you can find vetted, professional writers experienced in memoir and non-fiction. Another great hub is the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) , which allows you to search for experienced ghostwriters and memoir collaborators.
• Specialized Literary Agencies: Agencies like assembley or boutique book packaging firms specifically match business leaders, founders, and executives with high-level writers and journalists who specialize in business narratives.
• Referrals and Book Credits: Look at memoirs in your specific industry or business niche that you admire. Check the "Acknowledgments" section—authors almost always thank their ghostwriter or co-writer by name there.

To help narrow down the right fit or direct you better, could you tell me:

• What is your target audience or goal for the book (thought leadership, personal legacy, industry lessons)?
• Are you looking to traditionally publish via a major house or self-publish?
• What is your preferred timeline?

Absolutely. For a business-career memoir, I’d look for someone who can do more than simply turn interviews into prose. The right ghostwriter should be able to find the story in the career: the pivotal decisions, failures, rivalries, risks, people, turning points, and lessons that make the business journey compelling to someone who doesn't already know you.

A few good places to start:

• associationofghostwriters.org — Their directory and “Find a Ghostwriter” service are specifically designed to connect authors with experienced ghostwriters; the organization says its professional members have ghostwritten at least two books.
• reedsy.com — A marketplace where you can review individual writers' backgrounds, portfolios and client reviews and request proposals from several candidates.
• lathamshinder.com — Particularly interesting for your situation: he explicitly specializes in memoirs of people who have built companies, careers and fortunes, including a business memoir about the founder of a Texas telephone company.
• writewordmagic.com — Focuses on entrepreneurs, executives and thought leaders and says she has worked in nonfiction and memoir for 30 years.
• lifestoriescompany.com — A Dallas-based option focused on memoirs, executive stories and family/company histories; its founder says he has worked with executives and founders for more than three decades.

What I'd look for in your case

I'd favor an individual senior ghostwriter with actual book credits over a generic “ghostwriting company.” In interviews, I'd ask:

1. What business/executive memoirs have you actually written?
2. Can I read 10–20 pages of something comparable?
3. How do you capture the author's voice?
4. How many hours of interviews do you expect?
5. Who owns the manuscript and copyright?
6. Will you sign an NDA?
7. What exactly is included—research, interviews, first draft, revisions, fact checking, proposal, publishing assistance?
8. Who will actually write the book if I'm hiring a firm?
9. Can you help turn a chronology of events into a narrative rather than simply producing an autobiography?
10. What is your total fee and payment schedule?

Pricing varies enormously. For example, one independent literary ghostwriter currently publishes a starting price of $45,000 for a memoir/ literary nonfiction project, while other services advertise substantially lower packages. Raymond Brunell ebookwriting.co I would be cautious about choosing based primarily on price; the quality of the interviewing, voice capture and storytelling will determine whether the finished book feels like your book.

If you'd like, I can do something more useful than just give you directories: I can research and shortlist 5–10 actual ghostwriters who specialize in business/executive memoirs, compare their backgrounds, published books, location, approach and publicly available pricing, and identify the 2–3 I'd interview first.

Hiring a ghostwriter for a business memoir is a powerful way to turn your career trajectory, leadership lessons, and corporate war stories into a compelling narrative.

What to Expect: The Process

1. Discovery & Interviews: The writer will conduct a series of recorded interviews (usually 10 to 20 hours total) to extract your voice, philosophy, anecdotes, and timeline.
2. Outlining: They will draft a chapter-by-chapter blueprint for your approval before writing a single word of prose.
3. Drafting & Revisions: They will write the manuscript in phases (milestones or chapters), incorporating your feedback to ensure it sounds authentically like you.
4. Publishing Strategy: Many high-level ghostwriters also help you pitch to literary agents or transition smoothly into self-publishing prep.

Investment & Pricing Tiers

Business memoir ghostwriting is a professional craft billed by project milestone or total word count:

• $20,000 – $40,000: Early-career professionals or collaborative coaches who help structure and draft.
• $40,000 – $80,000: Mid-career professionals with robust nonfiction/memoir credits and a refined 6-to-12-month editorial process.
• $80,000 – $120,000+: Elite or bestseller-track ghostwriters with high-profile executive client lists and established publishing networks.

Where to Look for Vetted Talent

• Reedsy Marketplace: A curated platform where you can browse vetted professional ghostwriters, check their past book credits, and request direct quotes.
• Association of Ghostwriters: An industry organization providing ethical guidelines, resources, and access to professional career writers.
• Boutique Agencies: Specialized firms like MemoirGhostwriting.com that pair executives with dedicated interviewers and writers.

To help narrow down the right direction or recommend specific platforms/writers, tell me:

• What is your target budget range?
• Are you aiming for a traditional publisher / literary agent or planning to self-publish?
• Do you have an approximate word count or timeline in mind?

Absolutely. For a business-career memoir, I’d look for someone who is more than a good writer: you want a ghostwriter who can interview you deeply, understand business, reconstruct chronology and key decisions, and turn the career into an engaging story rather than a résumé.

A few good places to start:

• associationofghostwriters.org — A professional directory where you can search writers by experience and specialty. Their Professional members have ghostwritten at least two full-length books.
• reedsy.com — A marketplace with 100+ biography/memoir ghostwriters, profiles, portfolios, reviews, and a process for requesting quotes from multiple writers.
• gothamghostwriters.com — Particularly worth considering for a CEO/executive story. They specifically discuss the demands of business memoirs, including sensitive corporate history and extensive research/interviews.

A few individual writers worth investigating

• writewordmagic.com — Says she specializes in entrepreneurs, executives, thought leaders, nonfiction and memoir, with 30+ years of experience and four NYT bestseller credits.
• lathamshinder.com — Specifically focuses on memoirs for people who have built companies, careers and fortunes. He publicly lists a $250,000 fee for an approximately 250-page memoir, giving you a useful benchmark for the high end of the market.
• raymondbrunell.com — Works specifically with founders and executives on memoir/literary nonfiction and publishes a starting price of $45,000 per book.

There is a very wide price range in this field. Publicly advertised services range from several thousand dollars to $250,000+, but for a serious, traditionally publishable business memoir, I would not choose primarily on price. The writer's ability to capture your voice and the significance of your decisions is much more important.

I can help you find the right one

If you tell me a little about your career, I can narrow this down substantially. For example:

• What industry/business were you in?
• Were you a founder, CEO, senior executive, investor, etc.?
• Roughly how many years does the memoir cover?
• Is the book primarily personal, business, or a combination?
• Do you want it traditionally published, privately printed for family/business associates, or aren't sure yet?
• Roughly what budget do you have in mind?

If you give me those details, I can research and shortlist 5–10 specific ghostwriters, including their relevant books/credentials, approximate pricing where available, and why each might fit your story.