Yes, you can write a book.
We can help.
Jay Street Books is a ghost-writing, book-coaching and editing company that helps people write books that announce their presence, burnish their brand, or leave a personal legacy. We specialize in two distinct worlds.
Business Books
For anyone looking to make their mark in the world of business, you gotta have a book. The feel of it, the heft of it, the thunk of it…nothing confers legitimacy and conveys credibility like a book.
A book is how you announce your arrival, supercharge your brand, attract business, convince media-interview gatekeepers, generate speaking engagements and position yourself out front.
A blog, your social posts, even a podcast – all fine. But to really make your name, you gotta have a book. Jay Street is here to help you write the punchy, informative, career-boosting volume that will get you noticed.
Memoirs, Histories and Heirlooms
Your personal story, your life philosophy, your top ten tips for a life well-lived…
Putting your biography in writing…collecting the characters and images all in one place…it’s a timeless gift to pass on to everyone you care about.
We can help you pull together all the threads of your life in a compelling, entertaining and artfully designed book that your family and friends will treasure for years to come.
If you have something to say – a half-baked thought, a breakthrough idea, a fully formed story – we can help you find your voice, define your audience, focus your message and write it up with charm, energy and élan.
Whatever your project, we can talk you through it, write it with you, or write it for you. We get it: writing a book can be intimidating. The hardest part is getting started – and we’ve made it easy.
Contact us now.
We’ll talk over your project with you (at no charge!)
and give you our take on what you need.
About Us
Jay Street Books is a division of Jay Street Media, a loose organization of writers, artists and producers who collaboratively and individually create all kinds of stuff, from movies and TV to music, novels, marketing videos for corporations and non-profits, ad campaigns and more.
Jay Street Media was founded by me, Dave Kornhaber. I’ve been writing professionally for decades – as a small-town newspaper reporter, an adman, Hollywood screenwriter and sitcom showrunner, and lots of other stuff in between. Including as a ghostwriter of business books, How-Tos, memoirs and “literary heirlooms.”
The Jay Street Philosophy
Kurt Vonnegut used to say this to his writing students: “You are in the entertainment business.”
He didn’t mean that writers should try to dazzle audiences with showbiz-y sensationalism. He did mean that every writer asks readers for their time, and should reward readers with writing that is lively, energetic, and not a boring slog to get through.
No matter what the project – personal or professional - we keep that spirit in mind every step of the way.
The Process
My ultimate watchword is: accommodation. Wherever you want your ideas to go, I will do my best to accommodate you, make you feel comfortable and get you where you want to go.
You determine the destination. My experience will get you there quickly and efficiently, avoiding the pitfalls and providing for an enjoyable and gratifying ride along the way.
Together, we can write a great book that will elevate your standing, get you the attention you deserve or bring your personal story to life. To get started, all you have to do is drop me a line.
Overview
The initial consultation is done. We’ve committed to work together.
Now comes the fun part!
First, I sit down with a client for an information dump. This can be face-to-face or over the phone. Sometimes it takes a few hours, sometimes it takes a few days.
Then I work with my clients to establish the appropriate tone and voice and style and pace for the material.
Next step: I digest the info and generate an outline. This is arguably the most important step, as the outline is the blueprint for the entire project.
Once you approve the outline, I start writing. First the preface. Then chapter by chapter, until the first draft is done.
I communicate with you throughout, and you get all the approvals you want. Some clients like to see every chapter as it’s finished. Others wait for the first half of a draft…or for the whole thing. Others don’t need to see work but ask for weekly progress reports. Whatever makes you comfortable, that’s what I’ll do.
When the first draft is done, you read it through (usually several times) and generate your response. We go over your notes, making sure I’m crystal clear on all of them. Then I go off and make the changes and generate a draft that truly shines.
The Typical Timeline
How long does the whole thing take? Depends on the project…but a good rule of thumb is that I typically put the final draft of a full-length book in the client’s hand roughly three to six months from when we first ink our deal.
Cost
I’ve done projects for $5,000, and I’ve done projects for $100,000. The cost depends on the time I think the job will involve, and whether there are special circumstances (a project that requires me to do a significant amount of outside research, for example). But I always strive to find a way to scale your project so that it delivers what you want and fits your budget.
Payment Schedule
Your comfort level determines how I get paid. Some clients prefer to pay in percentages (for instance, 25% up front, 25% upon delivery of each draft). Some go with regular payments over time, (i.e., if we decide the project will take six months, you pay in six equal installments.) I’m open to any reasonable suggestion.
Finally: I install an escape clause in my contracts. With every project, I always submit a small sample (typically the preface or first chapter) early on as a tone-and-direction check. After reviewing the sample, if a client decides to terminate the deal, then the client is free to do so with no further charge. And while I suppose anything could happen in the future, in all the years I’ve been writing for a living, I’ve never had a client invoke that clause.
Author Credit
It’s all yours. No one will know I was involved unless you choose to say so.
