My Word of the Year for 2026: BOOKS

This year, I’m finally ready to make a big pivot.

I’ve been ghostwriting for B2B leaders since 2012. I’ve worked as a full-time freelance ghostwriter since 2019. And through those years, I’ve worked on all kinds of projects: books, magazine articles, LinkedIn posts, podcasts, videos, web copy, speeches, internal communications, award applications, ebooks, research reports, you name it. If a leader had something to say, I’d help them write it.

I like learning new things, and I’d come of age as a marketer in the Buzzfeed era when the internet was big and growing and always changing (Remember when people really filled out forms and downloaded white papers? Remember when your dentist had a blog? Remember when hashtags were a thing?). So for many years, my format-agnostic approach served me well (and was fun). But I’m ready to focus.

In 2026, I’m focusing on ghostwriting books. This year, I’m only taking on new clients if they’re working on a book.
I ghostwrote my first book in 2021 and my second in 2022. And I was immediately hooked. It’s an incredible joy to go deep with someone on their ideas…to explore those ideas for tens of thousands of words, rethinking and reshaping their most important arguments. With books, I get to embed with an author and explore every nook and cranny of how their brain works. We get to work together over months (not days or weeks) and come out on the other side with a final product that reflects who they are and how they think. I love it.

So while I’ll still support my roster of longtime clients with their thought leadership articles and other non-book projects, the only new clients I want are book clients. I’m looking for clients who are ready to shape their idea into a book proposal or a full manuscript. I’m still focused on thought leadership, just in book format. I want to support more authors who have a vision for the future of work and how their field is changing, and who are ready to package their ideas in a book.

Here are four ways I’m moving more fully into the world of book ghostwriting—and four questions for you!

• Networking with people in publishing. The past two years at the Gathering of the Ghosts conference, I’ve learned more about the web of people who work to get a book published: agents, editors, publishers, layout designers, researchers, marketers, etc. Now that I have a clear focus on book ghostwriting, I’m going to lean into networking with people in nonfiction book publishing. (Do you work in publishing or know someone I should meet? I’d love to connect!)
• Reading more than ever. I’ve been studying the craft of prescriptive nonfiction and business bookwriting for years, but in 2026, my goal is to read 2 new-to-me nonfiction books a month. I’m reading to understand pacing, structure, narrative choices, and what works in much-loved nonfiction books. (What’s your favorite book about work? I’d love to add your recommendations to my TBR list.)
• Saying “yes” (to learning new things). I have so much to learn. While I already have experience working with traditional and hybrid publishers, and working on both proposals and manuscripts, I’m still learning: how to work with agents (both authors’ agents and agents who represent ghosts), best practices for a successful book proposal, how to keep authors on track, how to fairly price book ghostwriting work…and so much more. (If you work on books, what’s something you wish you’d known sooner?)
• Saying “no” (and referring work). Already this year, I’ve said “no” to a potential project — and referred someone else for the work. I love introducing potential clients to other freelancers they should work with, and I’m continuing to build my personal database of writers who work on LinkedIn posts, social media strategy, company blog posts, speeches, and multimedia projects. (If you’re a writer who’s excited to take on projects in any of those categories, please reach out so that I can potentially refer work to you.)

2026 is the year of the book. Actually, I’m hoping this is the first of many years that are all about books for me.

I’m curious: what’s your word of the year? What’s your intention, goal, or word you can’t get off your mind? I’d love to hear.

(P.S. Past words of the year: BOLD, INTENTION, COMMUNITY, CURIOSITY, ENOUGH and CARE)