We recently connected with Shirley Jump and have shared our conversation below.

Shirley , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result?

Many people come to us wanting to write a book, or have us write a book for them. They often try to conform to the market because they think John Doe author wrote a book about this topic or in this way and that worked, so it should work universally. That’s not true. Just as every business is unique to its owner, every book should be unique to its author. Our job is to make the book sound like the client, be unique to the client’s story and what sets them apart in the industry, and be a quality product that they are proud to talk about. The book should fit their brand and their goals. I had a client who had built a strong brand already, piggybacking off her TV personality career, and used the book to build an entirely new side business as a coach and retreat leader. By creating a book that matched her personality and her long-term goals, we were able to create something that gave her a whole new revenue stream.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I learned how to read and used to write new endings for the books I read as a little girl. I love stories—telling them, reading them, sharing them. My very first published piece, written when I was eleven, was the story of a Laotian family that my parents had sponsored. The eldest brother had helped his sisters escape the communists in Laos by swimming across the Mekong River (one of the most dangerous waterways in the world), all while towing a rowboat with his younger sisters inside. Their story was life-changing, not just for my family, but for everyone who met them.

I worked for newspapers for many years, then realized that type of life was not for me. I didn’t have that hunger to intrude in people’s lives or be the one who found Jimmy Hoffa’s body. I remember one story in particular where I had to call the widow of my high school history teacher, who had died of a heart attack while on a family vacation. I couldn’t stomach that kind of work, so I gave my notice and became a freelancer, writing for magazines and copywriting for ad agencies. I spent a few years working as a director of communications for a marketing agency, then opened my own business in 2000, concentrating solely on writing, editing, and building books, basically choosing the stories I worked on and looking for stories with impact. My first book was a collaborative biography of a beloved children’s television star from Boston.

Since the beginning of my business, I’ve been choosy about the clients I work with and the books I ghostwrite because I want to find people who have a message or who do something important. I want the work to matter (even though my name is not on the finished product), so I choose to work with people who are just as passionate about making an impact. I have ghostwritten or edited everything from memoirs to how-to books, mini ebooks and sweeping sagas, as well as email campaigns, blog strategies, and webinars. I work with my clients to build an entire author presence, not just a book, because I want them to have something that lasts and brings in revenue long after the book is released.

My specialty is finding that nugget of uniqueness in my client’s story and using that to build a book that sounds like them, works toward their bigger goals, and helps them stand out in a crowded marketplace. It’s like working on a jigsaw puzzle, putting in all the pieces that make up that client’s unique journey and goals. I love that part of my job.

According to Forbes magazine, books are the number-one way to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If you talk to five insurance agents or five lawyers, you’re going to remember the one who is an author, because that credential gives them a certain amount of expertise in your mind. It also makes them more memorable. To me, my clients’ books aren’t just stacks of paper—they’re calling cards that showcase their amazing talents and services, and help them increase their revenue streams through speaking, webinars, coaching, and corporate sponsorships. That’s why we start with the end game—what doors do you want this book to open, how are you going to use it, what new revenue streams do you want to open up—before we edit a single word. This long view strategy helps make sure that our client’s books are more than just words between a book cover. They are business and image builders.

At JumpStart, we do a lot of collaborative ghostwriting, and in fact, that’s one of the things that sets us apart from others in this market. That’s all about us listening to the way our authors talk—the turns of phrase they use, the way they deliver their information, and what’s important to their business—then creating chapters that are strong and strategic. If you pick up any of the books we have worked on, I guarantee you won’t be able to tell which words were ours and which were the client’s. Our books sound like you—not like every other book on the shelf.

That’s because we know the book is no good to you if it’s just sitting on a shelf collecting dust. It needs to be something that elevates your business to the next level. That’s why we work hard to make sure every single story is compelling, and that every book has a unique angle in the marketplace. There’s a lot of competition on Amazon for authors, and it helps to have a strategic partner by your side who can walk you through the process step by step.

There are no cookie-cutter books at JumpStart Creative Solutions, because there are no cookie-cutter authors. There also aren’t any cookie-cutter readers, nor should they be treated like their time isn’t important. When a reader opens up a book, they are giving hours of their life to the author. Those are hours the reader isn’t spending with their kids, their spouse, their friends, or their job. The older I get, the more I realize how precious those hours are, which is why I’ve made it my mission to craft books with impact.

That’s what I’ve tried to do with every single one of my own books, every article I’ve written, and every speech I’ve given. I believe strongly in the rising tide lifts all boats concept, and work hard with my clients to not just help them create an amazing book, but to teach them how telling their story can transform their business and the lives of the people around them.

There can be impact in every word you speak, every word your write, if you are strategic in your content creation and work with an editor who knows how to bring out the best in everything you put out there. I help people choose the right words to deliver their message, and then make sure that message makes them look amazing. It’s all about being strategic and helping you move closer to your business goals, whatever they might be.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Since we do ghostwriting at JumpStart Creative Solutions, most of our work doesn’t have my name or the company name on it. That means we aren’t getting public recognition because our authors get all the credit. However, 99% of the work we do comes in by referral because the coaches, celebrities, and entrepreneurs who have done a book with us tell other people in their network. Word of mouth, as we all know, is the very best marketing tool you can have because your reputation is already cemented in the client’s mind.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Quality. I didn’t get on the New York Times list, the USA Today list, or Amazon’s bestseller lists by putting out books that were sub-par quality. Every single page that leaves my desk is the very best it can possibly be at that moment in time. It doesn’t matter if my name is on the book–I want to be proud of the product we have produced and I want the client to be proud to share it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://JumpStartCreativeSolutions.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/jumpstartcreativesolutions
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shirleyjump
• Twitter: twitter.com/shirleyjump

Image Credits
Cover design by Yvonne Parks, Pear Creative