Book publishing

“Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”
—Mark Twain

So, you want to write a book?

We have a simple mission: to help you create an exceptional one. 

For many people, writing a book is the culmination of a dream: to share your big idea with the world, to tell your story,or simply to check a big item off your bucket list.

It’s not an easy challenge, and for many people it remains an unfulfilled ambition. But once you decide that writing a book is something you have to do—that now may be the time—there’s no reason it has to be a solitary slog. Having a collaborator at your side can turn the anxiety of the empty page into a rewarding (but still challenging—we won’t lie to you) march towards getting published. It can also transform a difficult, years-long process into something you can have done in months. 

At Apid, we offer a few different ways to help you write an amazing book. Check out our specialties, our approach, and our services, below—or book a free 30-minute call to find out what best suits your needs.

Our specialties

We love to learn (we’ve both worked as journalists, after all!) and are interested in most non-fiction subjects. But here are some of the types of books we’re most excited to work on:

  • Business (particularly related to leadership and personal finance)

  • Coaching (business, life and otherwise)

  • Memoir

  • Travel

  • Sports (particularly tennis and hockey)

  • Climate and the environment

  • Public policy

  • Design and technology

  • “Explainers” of all sorts

If you want to produce a book with a big idea, a refreshing solution to a problem or a lesson to teach, we’d love to help you do it.

Our approach

We believe a great book happens when an author’s unique stories and insights match with what their audience wants to know.

Gene spent five years as an editor at a multinational publishing company, editing dozens of books a year and participating in twice-weekly meetings. At those meetings, decision-makers got into heated debates about which books should get published: what different editors loved about each one, the potential that the sales and marketing teams saw in each and why some proposals made it and others didn’t.

This taught him that everything hinges on what readers need from a book.

Our audience-focused approach ensures that your book hits that sweet spot. We’ll help you answer key questions like:

  • Why is a reader opening your book?

  • What questions do they expect you to answer?

  • How can you surprise them—in other words, tell them things that they didn’t know they wanted to know?

  • What are the most important things you want your readers to remember from your book?

Last, but not least: We also believe the process should be fun! Writing your book should feel like a great adventure, overcoming obstacles one-by-one to get you to your destination. We’ll be your trusted collaborator—a partner as we work towards a common goal.

How we can help

Manuscript assessment

You’ve written a book (or part of one) and need an honest, clear-eyed assessment from someone who’s looked at hundreds of proposals. (That’s Gene, for the record.) What’s working? What’s not? What can I do to take my book to the next level? A professional manuscript evaluation will give you a written roadmap for what you need to do to take your book from good to great. 

Cost: $1,000-$1,500 (depending on word count)

Book coaching

Writing is lonely business. It can be easy to lose steam once your initial enthusiasm fades. You’ll inevitably face doubts and questions: What should you be focusing on? What needs fixing? Will anyone want to read this?

You need a book coach. We will read your book as you develop it and give you feedback on your writing and book strategy. We’ll also be there throughout the process to offer support and accountability. Much like a fitness trainer will show you the proper technique for exercises, and make sure you follow through on a well-designed program, we will help you maximize your potential and get your book to the finish line. Through regular meetings and constructuve feedback, we’ll be your partner in writing the best book possible.

Cost: Starting at $500/month for twice-monthly half-hour sessions and two hours of manuscript reading, assessment and editing. (Note: We require a three-month minimum commitment to best guarantee success. After that, a month-to-month engagement is fine.)

Ghostwriting

It’s an open secret that most books written by athletes, politicians, celebrities and business leaders are ghostwritten. Very few of these high achievers can dedicate hundreds of hours to writing—and even fewer have the specialized skills to create an excellent book.

Hiring us to ghostwrite lets you produce a high-quality book without taking large chunks of time out of your busy life. You still retain full creative control, have your story told in your own authentic voice and see your name on the cover. The process is also fully confidential—you can reveal as much (or as little) as you want about the process behind the product. 

At its heart, we see ghostwriting as a creative collaboration between you and us. We’ll conduct extensive interviews with you, do any background research necessary and propose an approach to the book. In short, we’ll execute your vision. Your job is set time aside for in-depth conversations and provide feedback on the work. It’s a close partnership, which many people find very satisfying and enjoyable.

Cost: Starting at $30,000 for a full-length manuscript. Reach out for a custom quote for your project.