Jed Donahue is a writer, a ghostwriter, and an editor who helps authors, publishers, agents, and businesses create great content to achieve their goals.​

He has collaborated on several books with bestselling authors. He has ghostwritten many book proposals, articles, speeches, and video scripts for authors, media figures, and CEOs. Authors and publishers frequently call on Jed as a book doctor as well.

Before starting Jed Donahue Editorial in 2021, he spent 25 years in book publishing. As senior editor at Penguin Random House and editor in chief of an award-winning independent press, he edited hundreds of books, including 30+ New York Times bestsellers.

Leading organizations like Amazon Business, T-Mobile, Grammarly, the Museum of Science, Pearson, and Infobase turn to Jed when they need good writing.

Jen Singer is an author, ghostwriter, developmental editor, and writing coach. She writes and edits books and speeches for a variety of authors and speakers, including: fighter pilots, CEOs, Olympic athletes, corporate executives, DEI experts, cryptocurrency and digital asset managers, and more. One of the original mom bloggers, she launched MommaSaid.net, a Forbes Best of the Web, in 2003, and later published five parenting books. For two years, she penned the “Good Grief” blog for GoodHousekeeping.com, and she served as a spokesperson for major brands and companies, including Hershey’s, Microsoft, and Pull-Ups. She is the author of THE JUST DIAGNOSED GUIDES for new patients and the people who love them.

She has appeared on numerous live and taped, local and national radio and TV programs, including Today and the CBS Evening News. Her work has appeared in many publications and on websites, including McSweeney’s, the New York Times, Next Avenue, Parents, and The Wall Street Journal.

Jim Sloan is a former Manuscript Creative at Scribe Media. He has written more than 40 books for Scribe, working with lawyers, doctors, CEOs, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, and nonprofit executives who are thought leaders in their fields. He also works as a freelance writer, editor, and publication designer. He is the former senior editor/projects at the Reno Gazette-Journal and has 25 years of newspaper experience. He has written extensively about health, fitness, and environmental issues for various newspapers and magazines on the West Coast. His freelance partners include the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the Emerald Media Group, and Oregon State University, where he edits and designs publications for the Extension Service. His first book, “Nevada: True Tales from Neon Wilderness,” was published in 1993 by the University of Utah Press. He is also the author of “Staying Fit After Fifty: Conditioning for Outdoor Activities,” from The Mountaineers Books in Seattle, WA, and "Render Safe," available on Amazon.com.

A bold and innovative writer who has written thirteen nonfiction books and two novels, edited both fiction and nonfiction, and shepherded books to publication with traditional publishers, hybrid, and self-publishers. My fiction has won national awards for creativity and excellence, and my ghostwritten memoirs have become bestsellers. I’ve demonstrated a mastery over difficult topics. Among others I’ve written a biography of a physicist, a therapy book on overcoming addiction, a physician’s story of discovering and using a potent nutrient, an adventure memoir, and a memoir recreating an exciting and tense courtroom drama where the author wins a unanimous victory over a powerful corporate employer.

I make difficult and challenging subjects easy to understand and compelling to read by marrying the material to a relevant story arc.

After an exhaustive study of the art of storytelling, I applied the craft of the story arc to the art of the memoir. The memoir itself is a malleable genre fit for experimentation and adaptation to anyone’s life experiences. Contemporary story arcs have been deeply influenced by the Hero’s Journey popularly written about by Joseph Campbell in “The Hero With a Thousand Faces.” Campbell’s work has been adapted to almost every form of contemporary movies and books.

While the word “hero” may sound pretentious and irrelevant because of its ancient roots, in our democratic age modern storytellers have reinvented the hero as any person who has overcome significant obstacles to achieve unexpected life goals and satisfaction. Memoirs in the past were dominated by “great men” stories of their accomplishments. This is no longer true. Entrepreneurs fiddling in their garages with a new sole for running shoes, moms selling vintage clothing online, anyone with an idea and passion to build something, who persevere and overcome formidable obstacles to achieve remarkable success are today’s heroes. Immigrants with few resources who build productive and affluent futures for themselves and their families are celebrated in books and films. Individuals overcoming family dysfunction, abuse in any form, disabilities, race and ethnic prejudice to achieve the American Dream, are examples of popular stories. Published works are too numerous to mention, but I have a long list of excellent examples on my website, www.johndesimone.com

I’ve even adapted a corporate history, The C & D Story, to the story arc format, chronicling the rise of an energetic and ambitious entrepreneur who started with one product and a few thousand dollars and by continually reinventing the product and processes, built a billion-dollar company over thirty years. People are transformed by their experiences, and so are companies run by creative individuals who are driven to succeed.

The story arc, artfully used, in its various forms (there are different forms of the story arc: positive, negative, static, as well as personality and character types) is the key to telling your story, any story, in your voice, your way, to reach an audience waiting to participate vicariously in your success. Stories like this are the seeds of inspiration for the next generation.

Contact Information: I respond to emails daily, but feel free to call me. If I'm not available, I always return calls if you leave a message. All of my bonafides are on my website, and I have a complete list of references available upon request.

jrd@johndesimone.com

714-244-0554

www.johndesimone.com

Hi, I’m Jonathan and I help people tell their stories, so here’s a brief version of mine. After growing up in the Washington, DC area, going on a church mission to Japan for two years, and later getting a Master’s in English at the University of Utah, I wound up working as a contract technical writer back home in the DC area. After working in that career for a little over 15 years, I knew I needed a change, so I moved back to Utah and started a small consulting firm. The work went well and I made good money, but after a few years, I found that I missed writing. One morning as I was attending a weekly business networking meeting, a visitor stood up and told everyone that he was a ghostwriter and got paid to write books for other people. Suddenly, a light went off in my head. Writing for others in one form or another was something I had been doing for years, even in college as a writing tutor and student newspaper editor, so why not make it my business? I soon got back into writing, this time as a ghostwriter, and I haven’t looked back. As a ghostwriter, I specialize in memoirs and self-help/motivational books. I write memoirs because I love helping people tell their stories, especially stories where the author triumphs over tragedy and adversity. Writing memoirs is great too because it seems that each client I help becomes a friend. I write self-help and motivational books because I grew up reading a ton of self-help and motivational books, and I have to think they’ve positively influenced my life. I also write self-help books because I love helping people improve their life. Plus, my clients who hire me to help them write self-help books are some of the best people I’ve ever met. So, here’s the deal. If you want to write your memoir or a self-help book and you want to make sure it’s easy-to-read and well-written, I’m your ghostwriter. You’ll like what I can do for you. Location: Ogden, Utah Specialties: Memoirs and Self-help Years of Experience: 23 Memberships: Association of Ghostwriters Books: A few of the books I’ve recently written or edited:

• Freedom Keeper: the Life of Zoltan Toth by Zoltan Toth (co-author)
• Living with DM: My Family’s Story, by Ann Woodbury (co-author)
• Soldier and Spouse and Their Traveling House, by Matthew Alan House (co-wrote and edited)
• Your Breakaway Life: The Secret to Achieving Lifelong Success, by Paul R. Quist (co-wrote and edited)
• Enthusiastic YOU! Rediscover Your Passion & Energy: Tools For Success in Your Daily Life by Joshua M. Evans (edited only)
• Book on coping with compassion fatigue (ghostwrote and edited)
• Book on success (ghostwrote)
• Life-coaching book (ghostwrote)

How you can contact me:  Website: www.jwghostwriter.com Email: ghostwriter@jwghostwriter.com

Are you looking for a writer to bring your best ideas to life?

Do you have limited time to write?

Do you want punchy and impactful writing that's still relatable?

If so, I’m your guy.

I'll help you with:

Ghostwriting: I'm well-suited to writing engaging and valuable content on personal development/growth, business, sports, wellness, leadership, spirituality, and a variety of other topics. I've written 7 books under my name, and have ghostwritten/heavily edited 10+ for clients over the course of the last 8 years. 

Editing: Get your manuscript publish-ready no matter its current state.

Working with me is fun, and I will meet or exceed your expectations. I work best with people who trust the process and are ready work with a book-writing partner.

Connect with me and let's have a video chat. I’m always available and ready to answer any questions and respond to comments. 

Here are some of my testimonials, but you can see video testimonials (as well as links to published works) on my website here: https://jmring.com/hire-jordan/

...

📢 “It’s less and less common to work with people who exceed your expectations, who do much more than the things that are required, and it speaks volumes to the pride they take in their work. Jordan is one of these rare breeds. He puts in extra of his own time to make his and your work great. I couldn’t recommend working with him enough. Bring your “A” game in working with him, because he is bringing his.” —Brian Dyer, Business Consultant

📢 I fully and wholeheartedly recommend Jordan if you want to write a book. —Chinazom "Sunny" Nwabueze Founder, Dreamcatchers Performance

📢 “I’ve been working with Jordan for over a year now he’s been helping us put together this amazing first book… I felt in really good hands. He’s knowledgeable about the process, super responsive, and has great attention to detail. He always goes out of his way to make sure there’s quality work being done. So, I can’t recommend highly enough working with Jordan if you get the chance.” —Sandy, Founder, The Padel School

Karen Lacey is an Amazon best-selling author and insightful contributor for scores of published books. She recently wrote the business books The Complete Idiot's Guide to Elance for Penguin, and co-authored Pinterest Power for MacGraw Hill.

She is a highly versatile writer with a dynamic voice and unique experience authoring, collaborating, ghostwriting, editing, and proofreading self-help and how-to books in business, finance, health, and more. She translates complex, routine material in an easy-to-read, engaging, and often humorous manner that allows audiences to become absorbed in the topic.

Karen writes clean, on-point copy requiring very limited publisher editing, and she delivers copy on-time or ahead of schedule. She is collaborative yet independent, is self-motivated, and works well with others to achieve a common vision.

Donya Dickerson, Executive Editor, MacGraw Hill Professional, said of Karen, “I’d love to do another book with Karen. She’s definitely a dream author.”

Jason Miles, co-author and collaborator for Pinterest Power, said, "Karen welcomed me into this project and wrote tirelessly to make this book the best it could be.”

Please visit Karen at her website, www.theuncommonoctopus.com, or contact her directly at karenlacey11@gmail.com.

Katherine Ellison is eclectic, curious, energetic, and always passionate about the power of the written word.

Her skills as a writer and editor are "unparalleled," says best-selling author and UCSF Prof. Stephen Hinshaw. "She'll make your work focused, incisive, hard-hitting and at the same time deep. She is a wordsmith who delivers lasting messages."

A Pulitzer-prize winning former foreign correspondent who has spent 15 years reporting from Asia and South and Central America, Katherine went on to author, co-author and ghost-write a dozen books, on topics ranging from environmental conservation to ADHD to Imelda Marcos to true crime.

As a prolific writer diagnosed with ADHD, she can not only help craft winning proposals, books and other content, but give hard-earned advice on combating procrastination and distraction.

She lives in northern California with her husband, son, and three dogs.

Kelsey Erin Shipman is a writer, educator and performer. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at Texas State University and is the founder of The Freehand Arts Project, a non-profit that brings creative writing classes to Texas jails and prisons.

Her work has been published in The African American Review, The Austin Chronicle, The Dillydoun Review and Reunion: Dallas Review. She served as the 2014 Writer-In-Residence at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center, and was the recipient of the 2007 San Jacinto & Althean Literary Societies’ Grand Prize in Poetry. In addition to her literary work, she's published web content for USA Today, Livestrong, Garden Guides, eHow and many others. 

Kelsey has also developed a successful career as a ghostwriter, writing over a dozen memoirs and biographies. Some of her favorite projects were:

• Compiling a memoir spanning 30+ years in the US army.
• Completing a high school student's YA trilogy.
• Writing text for a 350 page graphic novel.
• Organizing & fleshing out a memoir compiled by three lifelong friends.
• Writing a serialized short story on raising twin toddlers.
• Designing & writing a local company's blog on women's health.

An educator for over thirteen years, Kelsey has taught in a variety of public and private environments including international schools, universities, non-profit organizations and public schools. She's worked extensively with students of all ages in the fields of ESL, Spanish, academic writing, creative writing, public performance, and editing.

Kelsey is also an accomplished spoken word artist having performed her work on four continents and released a full-length album of jazz/funk spoken word poetry. 

A native Texan, she loves big dogs and breakfast tacos. 

Share Your Brilliance with Those Who Matter Most

Since you’re here looking for a writer, you probably have ideas, expertise, data or stories that you want to share. Get them out of your head, and give them life beyond your scribbles, docs and spreadsheets. I can help distill your brilliance down to its essence, so you can share the real you with those who matter most.  

Business, science, technology or policy

Since 1996, I’ve been ghostwriting for experts across a range of industries: public policy, urban resilience, transportation, healthcare, energy, leadership development, and more.

Expertise in sustainability

With a Harvard master’s in sustainability and environmental management, I’m especially drawn to subjects related to making cities livable and neighborhoods walkable.

Knack for story-puzzling

I specialize in taking something complex and making it clear and compelling, whether piecing together 100+ hours of interview transcripts, or turning my city’s municipal code into haiku for fun.

Accepting projects for

• Books
• Reports
• Research proposals
• Thought leadership content

Eager to brainstorm unique ways to share your expertise

Some people need traditional thought leadership pieces like articles or presentations. I’ve also used creative storytelling tools, like ArcGIS StoryMaps, or even designed my own tools to find fun ways to share what you know.

Favorite recent projects

• Academic book (traditionally published) for two co-authors (a university president and a university faculty member), combining their multiple years of experience with their recent research into a book that takes a new approach to the challenges of professional relationships.
• Business leadership book (self-published by best-selling author) focused on the value of individuality. I also adapted the book content into a full online training curriculum, and created an assessment tool so people can see if they’re suppressing individuality in the way they lead people.
• Communications strategy for a Los Angeles-based public policy think tank, to change the way they communicate with their audiences of policymakers, civic leaders and residents. Analyzed raw research data about bus service in LA and turned it into a compelling report using ArcGIS StoryMaps. Translated in-depth reports into easily digestible formats, broadening the reach and impact of their research and analysis.

Testimonials

Creating content that authentically represents you:

“Kim is the most talented writer I’ve ever worked with in my career. Her unique ability to capture my thoughts and intentions, then translate them into highly compelling content is masterful. Kim invests time in understanding who you are as an individual, ensuring that the content she produces authentically represents your values and core beliefs. Having collaborated for nearly a decade, I can confidently say that no project is too complex for Kim; she approaches each challenge with enthusiasm and excellence."

—Glenn Llopis, entrepreneur and founder of business strategy consulting firm GLLG

Elevating your messaging to a new level:

"When I met Kim, it was like hitting the jackpot. I was struggling to convey our big ideas and dense research into compelling messages for our public policy advocacy regarding Los Angeles’ streets and sidewalks. Kim's expertise has been transformative. Over the past two years, she's consistently elevated our work with her insightful thoughts, meticulous edits, and impactful rewrites. Beyond her role as a powerful communications strategist, Kim is a compassionate and supportive collaborator, guiding us through every step of the process. Working with her has been an incredible gift."

—Jessica Meaney, executive director of Investing in Place

Designing and conducting original research:

“A superb thesis, with an impressive combination of GIS modeling, ground-trotting fieldwork and statistical analysis!”

—Dr. Mark Leighton, Harvard University, director of sustainability program

Translating complexity – I won a prize from Harvard for the quality of my research and for:

“Writing skill that makes all sections of the thesis interesting and easily understandable; complex GIS and 3D modeling concepts are elucidated in terms anyone can digest.”

—Jeff Blossom, Harvard University Center for Geographic Analysis

How to get started

Send me a note and we’ll talk. If it seems like a good fit for both of us, I’ll prepare a customized quote.

Email: kim@kimdixonperez.com

StoryMap: for a more detailed narrative of my own journey, go here