Welcome to “Brand Champions,” where we dive deep into the art and science of building unforgettable brands. Join us on Advertising Champions TV as branding gurus share their secrets to creating brand loyalty and driving impact. Discover the strategies behind iconic brand stories and learn how to stand out in a competitive marketplace. Today our host, Howard Wolpoff spoke with Dan Gerstein.
Dan Gerstein
CEO at Gotham Ghostwriters
Website Address: gothamghostwriters.com
Short company description:
Gotham Ghostwriters is the country’s premier ghostwriting agency. With 4,000+ accomplished editorial specialists in our network — and connections to a larger universe of 20,000 freelance professionals — we have the unparalleled ability to find the right writing partner for our client’s priorities. And through our extensive industry relationships with literary agents, publishers, media outlets, and PR and marketing consultants, we can also help our clients find the right publishing path for their stories and get the most impact for their ideas.
Transcript:
Howard: Welcome back to Brand Champions, I am Howard Wolpoff, your host and again this is brought to you by Teal Agency and we’re very excited to have Dan Gerstein from Gotham Ghostwriters with us here today.
Howard: Ghostwriting is very valuable. I think more often than not, people have an idea of what they’d want to do to write, whether it’s an article or it’s a book, then find their fingers aren’t capable of moving their fingers the way their mind is working, or they just don’t have that ability to create a story. How often are people coming to you, saying please I need help writing this book?
Dan: Yeah, it’s a great question. The reality is that the democratization of book publishing has opened up all kinds of possibilities for aspiring authors to get a book out into the world in a way they never could before. And so you’re finding so many business leaders, advocacy leaders, and all kinds of different thought leaders pursuing a book—not so much to sell books, but to leverage the book as a platform expander, a brand extension, a marketing vehicle, something that strengthens their credentials and positions their business as an expert.
Dan: And more and more, they’re bypassing the typical traditional publishing channels and doing different versions of self-publishing. In those cases, they’re essentially becoming a pop-up business—they’re the CEO and the product. And a lot of them need help. One of the first things they need is a professional collaborator, whether it’s a full ghostwriter, an editor, or a coach. It takes different shapes and forms, but they need someone who can take the idea in their head, bring their stories to life, and package it in a compelling and relevant book. Our agency is seeing demand surge in this category of authors, and we’re in a great position to help because we’ve built the largest network of independent editorial talent in the country—people who specialize in book proposals, manuscripts, book doctoring, developmental editing—and we can do customized search and placement based on a client’s needs.
Dan: Over the years, we’ve had a lot of business professionals come to us saying, “I’ve been told I should write a book,” or “I’ve been thinking about writing a book, but I’m not sure it’s worth it.” We’ve always shared anecdotal evidence that it is worth it, but we didn’t have real data—until we launched the Business Book ROI Study last year. We surveyed more than 300 business book authors to find out how writing and publishing a book benefited them financially, beyond book sales. Because so many authors aren’t writing the book for royalties—they’re writing it to leverage for business purposes.
Dan: What we found was incredibly compelling. Of the 300+ authors surveyed, 64% made back their investment—so at a minimum, broke even. Books that had been published for at least six months had a median gross profit of $11,000. Among authors who really invested in their project, nearly 20% reported earning $250,000 or more. Authors with a clear strategy for their primary revenue goal—meaning they had a business plan for how they were going to leverage the book—typically saw profits close to $100,000. And one of the most interesting findings for us: authors who worked with a professional collaborator were four times more profitable than those who did not.
Dan: Exactly. There is no stronger or more meaningful credential for a thought leader or business leader than having a smart, well-written book to elevate your reputation. And with the amount of AI-driven slop showing up now—especially on LinkedIn—having an original concept and well-expressed ideas in a book is what’s going to make thought leaders stand out more than anything.
Howard: Well, it’s great that you and your company are there to help many people get to that level. And Dan, thank you for all that you do.
Dan: Thanks for having me, Howard. And if people want to connect, we’re always happy to offer a free consultation. You can reach me at [email protected]
Howard: Thank you so much for joining us. It’s so important to get your message and your story out, and sometimes you need a great ghostwriter to do that. The statistics shared here are unbelievable—showing how powerful a book can be as proof of knowledge, skill, and value. It can truly elevate your business. Definitely give this a lot of thought, and hopefully give Gotham a call. Have a great rest of your day, and we’ll see you next time.
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