We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Ring a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jordan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

The one thing I do differently as a ghostwriter is also being an author. I write my own books under my own name once every few years. Most ghostwriters stick to writing books for their authors, but I find it imperative that I go through the journey myself every few years.

I have skin in the game. This is my primary advantage and differentiator as a ghostwriter. I continue to test to learn what works (and what doesn’t!). This matters for several reasons, and I’ll share three:

1. Agility: The publishing world is constantly changing. What worked yesterday doesn’t work today. Writing books is as lucrative as ever, but if you tread the wrong paths, you might get stuck in a sea of negative ROI.

2. Empathy: I’ve navigated the emotional highs and lows of writing a book. I’m able to relate to my authors because I know how hard it truly is to share your story.

3. Authority & Credibility: If a mechanic didn’t fix his own car, would you trust him to fix yours? My authors feel confident in their decision to work with me because I’ve walked the walk.

So, while some ghosts offer theory, I walk right alongside my authors the entire way.

Jordan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Jordan. Nice to e-meet you. Let’s get to know each other.

I’m a ghostwriter, developmental editor, and book coach for founders, CEOs, and big-hearted experts with something meaningful to say.

I didn’t start out in publishing (join me as I wave to my useless Criminal Justice BA).

To break free from a career path I never wanted, I decided to write a book back in 2015. Made all the mistakes. Had all the fun. I’m most proud of myself for two things:

1. Having the gumption to start and put myself out there: Not easy!

2: Selling over 10,000 copies of my 5th book, Volcanic Momentum. People are still reading and implementing the action steps outlined in that book years later, and this warms my heart.

In all my authorship shenanigans, I learned what actually works (and what doesn’t), and realized something: most people who want to write a book absolutely can and should do so. And I can help them. Yay for me. Yay for them!

Nowadays, I ghostwrite lead-generating, confidence-building, and authority-boosting books for business-minded professionals. Together we package their best ideas, focus on reader-centric and authoritative prose, and ultimately add another entry point to their primary offerings.

And for the writers who want to work with me, I offer a high-level book coaching experience to make sure they head down the right path from day one.

I work best with people who:

-Have real experience but don’t know how to translate it into something readable.

-Have a framework or philosophy, but it’s still floating in the ether and they can’t get it out of their heads.

-Want their book to mean something, not just fill space on a shelf.

Books have opened doors for me professionally and personally. They’ve built my network, attracted ideal clients, and sparked incredible conversations.

Books have allowed my wife and I to quit our 9-5 jobs, work remotely, and live in Portugal as digital nomads. The ability to do work that we love has literally changed our lives.

Book writing is the purpose I get to live out as I help my authors create their magnum opus.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I used to charge pennies for ghostwriting. But I was new. Didn’t know what I should charge. Loved it and enjoyed it. But yeah, the money wasn’t what it could have been/should have been.

Upon joining the Association of Ghostwriters (and online community of other ghostwriters), I learned that I could have been charging quite a bit more for what I do.

That year I tripled my rate. Landed my next client. Felt absolutely pumped.

Then I decided to DOUBLE my rate FROM the tripled rate. Just to test the waters. Just to see how high I could fly.

Landed my best client ever.

This experience taught me 3 lessons:

1. Don’t work from a bubble. Connect with like-minded pros in your field.

2. Bet on yourself and stand firm with your rates.

3, The only ceiling is one we build for ourselves.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

LinkedIn. People are undervaluing how much LinkedIn can be useful in various areas of their business.

And you don’t need a gazillion followers. I have around 3000 followers at the time of this writing. But that is more than enough to get consistent leads. If you put the time in (consistent and impactful commenting, connections made, virtual coffee chats scheduled) you will get a ton out of the platform.

It’s the same with selling books: You don’t need to sell a lot of copies if you target the right people. LinkedIn allows you to connect with your ICP and chat with them directly. Game changer!

Specifically, my best strategy on LinkedIn has been to reach out to my ICP, start a conversation, and offer a free copy of my book, Nonfiction Alchemy. This does a few things for me:

1. It pre-qualifies people before they book a call. If you read my book and then schedule a call with me, you’re as hot a lead as they come.

2. It helps those people EVEN if they’re unable to work with me. It gives them a huge leg up if they do ever decide to write their books. This is so worth it to me.

3. And most importantly, builds trust early because I’m giving value FIRST, not just asking for their money.

Don’t sleep on the power of LinkedIn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jmring.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjmring/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorjmring/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jordanring468