Professionals who invest in building their own brand can experience up to a 25% increase in the recognition of their skills, according to a survey by Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV). At the same time, on-demand publications — including books developed with ghostwriters — grew by 15% in 2023, with a focus on the non-fiction segment, according to data from the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL). The combination of these factors drives the production of original works as a tool for positioning and generating new business opportunities.
Experts, executives, and entrepreneurs seeking to expand their presence in the market have increasingly turned to book publishing as a way to translate experience into authority. The process is carried out by professional ghostwriters, who organize the author’s ideas, structure the content, and deliver a work aligned with the strategic objectives of the specialist — even if they do not write a single line.
According to Julyanne Guimarães Amadeu, ghostwriter, mentor of writers, and founder of Editora Alma, the model caters especially to professionals who have accumulated knowledge but do not have the time or familiarity with writing. “Publishing a book is not just sharing what you know. It’s leaving your mark, becoming a reference, and opening doors that didn’t exist before,” she states.
How the process works
The editorial journey follows a structured timeline, with well-defined stages:
- Editorial briefing and planning (1 to 2 weeks)Initial meeting to define objectives, target audience, key messages, and value proposition of the work.
- Interviews and content extraction (4 to 8 weeks)Content is collected orally, in recorded sessions. “The expert brings the experience, and we bring the technique. This process of careful listening ensures authenticity to the book,” explains Julyanne.
- Construction of the narrative structure (2 to 3 weeks)The team defines the number of chapters, order of topics, pace, and editorial structure.
- Writing and revision (6 to 12 weeks)The work is written under the author’s supervision and undergoes orthographic, grammatical, and technical revisions.
- Design, ISBN, and publication (4 to 6 weeks)The material moves on to layout design, cover creation, ISBN registration, and physical and/or digital publication.
The total time varies between four and six months, depending on the complexity of the work and the author’s availability.
Investment and return
The investment in a book with a professional ghostwriter ranges from R$ 18,000 to R$ 50,000, potentially higher when the project includes mentoring, promotional videos, or launch campaigns. The publication becomes a strategic asset, used in training, branding actions, product launches, and public relations.
“It’s a project with a beginning, middle, and end, requiring planning, dedication, and clarity of purpose. The return comes in the form of positioning, authority, and generating new opportunities,” completes the founder of Alma Publisher.
By publishing a book, experts are perceived as references in their fields. ‘What was once just an idea now has shape, depth, and strategy,’ concludes Julyanne.
