Kevin Anderson, CEO and Editor-in-Chief

An editor of more than 20 national and New York Times bestsellers–among dozens of other successful titles–ghostwriter, entrepreneur, Harvard-educated scholar of literary criticism, and father of four, Kevin oversees all operations at our firm to ensure we are offering our clients the industry’s highest level of service and quality. Kevin works closely with individual and corporate clients, including publishers and literary agents, and is always dreaming of ways to improve our firm from both the inside and out. See Kevin’s full bio.

Cole Gustafson, President and Chief Consultant

Harvard-educated literature scholar, former English professor, and professional ghostwriter with decades of experience, Cole is our firm’s President and chief ghostwriting consultant. With a passion for perfection, Cole fully immerses himself in his work to understand our clients’ goals and build effective book-writing teams that foster synergistic creative collaboration and high-quality results. See Cole’s full bio.

Alexandra Napolitano, Director of Operations

A team member since 2013, Alexandra is an experienced ghostwriter, screenwriter, and bestselling editor who has collaborated with hundreds of aspiring writers and widely-published authors. As Director of Operations, Alexandra facilitates vendor relationships, optimizes processes to maximize efficiency and productivity across departments, spearheads long-term operational plans, and provides valuable leadership oversight on special projects and corporate development initiatives. Her goal is not only to improve company processes and performance, but to foster a work environment that nurtures and develops a diverse team as KAA continues to grow.

Mark Weinstein, Editorial Director, SVP

An experienced acquisitions and developmental editor, writer, and ghostwriter, Mark has acquired and edited more than 400 original books over the course of twenty years while working for The Lyons Press, McGraw-Hill, Skyhorse Publishing, Rodale Books (now Penguin Random House), and Diversion Books. Among many successful titles and multiple bestsellers, Mark has worked with such notable authors as Roger Kahn (The Boys of Summer), legendary coach John Wooden, hall of fame golfer Gary Player, and Meb Keflezighi. He brings this wealth of experience to bear on each project he oversees for Kevin Anderson & Associates to ensure a top-quality publishing experience for every client.

Ian Corson, Ghostwriting Consultant (LA Office)

Ian is a New York Times bestselling author and ghostwriter, as well as a successful screenwriter and director. His novel, The Griff (HarperCollins), spent 9 weeks on the bestseller list, his screenplays have sold to major studios (including Paramount, Warner Bros., and A&E), and he has directed feature films (Malicious, which debuted on HBO), commercials, music videos, and shows for the Discovery Channel. As our lead LA-based ghostwriting consultant, Ian works closely with clients to determine ghostwriting solutions that will achieve their publishing goals.

Will Weisser, Publishing Consultant & Blueprint Strategist

A 30-year publishing veteran who has worked with multiple perennial bestselling authors (including Seth Godin and Simon Sinek), Will has held notable positions as a deputy publisher, marketing director, and publicity director for various imprints of the Big Five. His experience has included stints at Simon & Schuster, Crown, Grove/Atlantic, Random House, and the Portfolio and Sentinel imprints of Penguin (now Penguin Random House). Will is our lead book-planning and publishing strategist on nonfiction blueprint sessions.

Amanda Ayers Barnett, Senior Editor

A former literary agent with more than 15 years of experience in the publishing industry, Amanda worked previously at Random House and as an acquisitions editor at Simon and Schuster. She has worked on over a dozen New York Times bestsellers, as well as many other notable and award-winning books. Her vast experience has exposed her to a wide array of genres, allowing her to provide authors with a high level of guidance throughout the writing/editing process. As Senior Editor, Amanda reviews materials and oversees the ghostwriting process to help authors create dynamic, well-constructed, and compelling books.

Elizabeth Bruce, Senior Editor

A graduate of Columbia University and the Columbia Publishing Course, Elizabeth is a compassionate and insightful editor whose list includes over a dozen New York Times bestsellers. After stints at W.W. Norton and Grove Atlantic, she was an acquisitions editor at Picador—a leading fiction imprint of Macmillan Publishers—for many years, where she acquired and edited a wide-ranging list of national bestselling and critically acclaimed fiction and nonfiction, primarily by first-time authors. At KAA, she works with clients and collaborators to ensure a smooth and successful partnership, helping writers shape fantastic concepts into phenomenal books.

Jacob King, Project Manager

During his time at Kevin Anderson & Associates, he has written fiction, business, memoir, and scholarship for a diverse range of clients. “Dear Denny” was nominated for a Pushcart by Permafrost, the literary journal of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. “Quo Vadis,” printed in Buffalo Almanack #7, made the long list for Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year, Volume 8. Jacob’s stories have appeared in Permafrost, Buffalo Almanack, Fantasy Scroll Magazine, and Cactus Heart. His novelette, Postmortem, is available from Onyx Neon Press. In addition to his fiction, he contributed a chapter to New Perspectives on the Nation of Islam (Routledge, 2017). As Project Manager, Jacob works with writers and clients to facilitate the logistics of the ghostwriting process.

Kevin Zambrano, Project Manager

Kevin is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies and the MFA Writing program at Sarah Lawrence College. He has published a number of book reviews, essays, interviews, and poems, and as an editor, he has helped authors of memoirs and textbooks sharpen their prose and shape the manuscripts. Kevin is enthusiastic about great writing and powerful storytelling, and in this role, he oversees projects to ensure an efficient and effective process.

Erin McKnight, Editorial Coordinator

Erin’s background in editing and publishing has allowed her to collaborate with writers of all genres throughout the writing, editing, and publishing process. She is a prolific book reviewer, having professionally edited multiple bestselling works of fiction and nonfiction, and her own short fiction and nonfiction titles have been nominated for several awards.

Jonathan Agin, Editorial Coordinator

As one of our Editorial Coordinators, Jonathan reviews manuscripts, manages projects, and guides authors through the publishing process. He got his start in book publishing at the literary agencies Writers House and the Maria Carvainis Agency, prior to which he worked as a bookseller and educator in Brooklyn. He is passionate about helping writers bring great stories into the world.

Emma DeBono, Front Office Coordinator

Emma manages front office operations and is the primary liaison between clients and the management staff. She earned her BA in Communications and Creative Writing from Marymount Manhattan College and is an avid reader and writer. She is dedicated to directing clients through our various services in order to ultimately help them achieve success in the publishing industry.

Staff Ghostwriters, Editors, and Consultants

Below is a small sample of our diverse team of over 150 staff ghostwriters, editors, and publishing consultants. Please contact us to review a complete staff list and to discuss which writers or editors would be most suitable for you and your book.

Kira Breed-Wrisley, Ghostwriter & Screenwriter

Genres: Memoir, Fiction, Thriller/Horror

Kira is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, professional screenwriter, playwright, and ghostwriter. Her ghostwritten and credited books have secured contracts with Big-5 publishers, including multi-book offers from HarperCollins and Scholastic. See Kira’s full bio.

Marcia Layton Turner, Ghostwriter

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

A New York Times bestselling, award-winning writer, Marcia has authored, coauthored, or ghostwritten nearly 35 nonfiction books. She works almost exclusively with entrepreneurs, CEOs, senior executives, consultants, and business owners. See Marcia’s full bio.

Jim Ballard, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Business, Memoir, Spiritual, Self-Help, Inspirational Nonfiction

Jim is a seasoned, highly imaginative ghostwriter, author, co-author, and editor. In addition to his own titles published by Random House, John Wiley, and Beyond Words, he has co-authored a number of books with business guru and bestselling author Ken Blanchard, which have been published by Simon & Schuster, McGraw-Hill, Josey-Bass and Harper-Collins. See Jim’s full bio.

Caroline Leavitt, Ghostwriter & Consultant

Genres: Memoir, Novel, Developmental Editing, Creative Writing

Caroline is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and part-time novel-writing instructor at Stanford University and UCLA. She’s the author of two New York Times bestselling novels, Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You, along with eight other critically acclaimed books. See Caroline’s full bio.

Wendy Lee, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Spiritual/Inspirational Nonfiction, Memoir

Wendy began her publishing career at HarperCollins, where she worked with New York Times bestselling authors and debut novelists. In addition to being an editor, Wendy is the author of the novels The Art of Confidence (Kensington Books, 2016), Across a Green Ocean (Kensington Books, 2015), and Happy Family (Grove Atlantic, 2008). Happy Family was named one of the top 10 debut novels of the year by Booklist and awarded an honorable mention from the Association of Asian American Studies. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Corporation of Yaddo for her fiction. See Wendy’s full bio.

Kate Hanley, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Health, Personal Development, Self-Help, Spirituality

Kate is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, veteran health journalist, and author. She ghosted Effortless Healing, published by Random House, for Dr. Joseph Mercola and has had her own books published by National Geographic Books (A Year of Daily Calm), Adams Media (Stress Less) and Globe Pequot Press (The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide and The 28 Days Lighter Diet). See Kate’s full bio.

Karen Lacey, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Business, Memoir, Fiction, Health and Wellbeing

Karen Lacey is a bestselling author who’s worked with some of the largest and most established publishing firms in the world, including Penguin, McGraw Hill, Wiley, and AMACOM. Over the last decade, she has ghostwritten, edited, and doctored numerous books on behalf of her clients, several of which have been published by major publishers and gone on to become bestsellers. See Karen’s full bio.

Ellis Weiner, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Creative Writing, Parody, Memoir, Humor, Satire

Ellis is a widely published bestselling author and the only person who has written for all three of America’s premier humor publications of the last fifty years. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker since 1979 and an editor of National Lampoon—his work can be seen in the current documentary Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead. He was also a columnist for the late, much-lamented, Spy magazine. See Ellis’ full bio.

Murphy Hooker, Coauthor, Ghostwriter, Editor, & Screenwriter

Genres: Business, Self-help, Narrative Nonfiction, Instructional Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoirs, Humor, Travel and Adventure, Politics, Spirituality, Television and Film

Murphy is an award-winning screenwriter, widely published author, and ghostwriter. Talented, curious, and highly versatile, he can inhabit almost any genre and adapt his style to his clients’ individual voice. He specializes in bringing his clients’ stories and concepts to life through heightened narratives, soulful characterizations, crackling dialogue, and irreverent humor. See Murphy’s full bio.

Nicole Franklin, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Nonfiction, Investigative Reporting, Biography, Screenplays, Media Analysis and Critique, Celebrity Profiles

Nicole is a prolific writer whose Emmy-Award winning work in broadcasting has influenced her storytelling as an author for both print and the screen. Nicole’s credits as a creator, producer, and writer include work that’s been featured on Sundance Channel, Showtime, Nickelodeon, IFC, and BET. See Nicole’s full bio.

Mike Wicks, Ghostwriter & Coauthor

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Finance, Memoir, Corporate History

Military Writer’s Society of America, award-winning writer Mike Wicks, has authored, coauthored, or ghostwritten almost twenty print books and eBooks. He works with business professionals to help them write books that promote their personal and corporate brands and educate their markets. He also enjoys working on narrative non-fiction in the form of memoirs and unusual approaches to stories where fact and fiction interweave. Mike has also written several corporate histories. Mike has over 35-years’ experience working for mainstream publishing houses and was head of the special publications division (which he established) at Random House in the U.K. See Mike’s full bio.

Mary Curran-Hackett, Ghostwriter, Developmental Editor, & Publishing Consultant

Genres: Memoir, Literary Fiction, Christian Nonfiction, Inspirational, Self-Help, Business, Health

Mary is a critically acclaimed writer, a former adjunct professor of English literature and writing, and editor of over 100 inspirational and religious books. Her bestselling, novels Proof of Heaven and Proof of Angels, published by William Morrow/HarperCollins, went on to be Target Book featured selections and was an Amazon #1 bestseller. See Mary’s full bio.

Ruth Mills, Ghostwriter & Editor

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Memoir

Ruth has ghosted and published books by CEOs of some of the largest U.S. companies, including Continental Airlines, Donna Karan International, Jenny Craig, and Sears. With more than 30 years’ publishing experience, Ruth was a senior editor at Random House/Crown Business and John Wiley & Sons. See Ruth’s full bio.

Robert Foreman, Ghostwriter & Editor

Specialities: Literary Fiction, General Fiction, Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Essays, Biography, Self-Help, Historical

Robert Foreman has won a Pushcart Prize for his fiction, and his collection of essays, Among Other Things, won the inaugural Robert C. Jones Short Prose Prize and was released in early 2017. Five of his essays have been listed as “Notable” in Best American Essays, and he has published widely in literary magazines. See Robert’s full bio.

Alice S., Ghostwriter

Genres: Memoir, Business Leadership, Christian Nonfiction, Self-help or Guided Learning (How-to books), Historical Nonfiction, Health/Fitness, Travel/Culture, Humor

Alice is New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and editor (11 times over), author coach, and speaker. A natural-born storyteller, she’s written 34 books and edited over 1,100 titles since 2001. In addition to the NYT bestsellers, her books have achieved Amazon bestseller status and won several awards, such as Readers’ Choice, Living Now Book Award, and Nashville’s Best Local Children’s Book Award.

Some of her more notable clients include Shaquille O’Neal, Manny Pacquiao, George Foreman III, Lee Greenwood, Thomas Steinbeck, Pam Tillis, Donald Miller, Bill Cosby, Dave Ramsey, Michael Hyatt, Mastin Kipp, Danette May, Tony Jeary, Bill Bennett, and Judge Andrew Napolitano. She’s written books for Hay House, Thomas Nelson Publishers (HarperCollins), Made for Grace Publishing, World Net Daily, Changing Lives Press, Carpenters Son Publishing/Clovercroft, and KN Literary Arts.

Kerry Zukus, Ghostwriter

Genres: Christian Nonfiction, Spiritual, Inspirational, Sports, Fiction, Memoir, Business Memoir, Self-Help, General Nonfiction

Bestselling author and ghostwriter Kerry Zukus’s debut novel, The Fourth House, was a Featured Selection of the Book of the Month Club©, the Doubleday Book Club©, and the Literary Guild©, divisions of Random House/Doubleday Entertainment, where it sold out its first two printings. The Fourth House had previously been named a finalist for the prestigious James Jones Award, annually given to the best first novel by an American author. One of his recent ghostwritten books, a New York Times #1 bestseller, was quickly made into a feature film and released by Sony Pictures.

William Ecenbarger, Ghostwriter & Coauthor

Genres: Politics and Government, Business, History, Memoir, Travel, Creative Nonfiction

Before becoming a full-time writer and ghostwriter, Bill was a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and he was part of an Inquirer team that won the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. In addition, he received the Long Island University’s George Polk Award for a series of articles outlining abuses in the Pennsylvania Legislature. He is the co-author of two books—Catching Lightning in a Bottle: How Merrill Lynch Revolutionized the Financial World (Wiley & Sons, 2013), a history of Merrill Lynch, and Making Ideas Matter (University of Pennsylvania, 2013), a primer on mobilizing political power. See Bill’s full bio.

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, Ghostwriter, Editor, & Publishing Consultant

Genres: Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels, Picture Books, Children’s Nonfiction/Biography (all ages), and Memoir

Elizabeth is an award-winning writer who has published over 40 books for young people, from picture books to middle grade novels, biographies, and historical nonfiction. Her publishers include Penguin USA, HarperCollins, Random House, Little Brown, and Scholastic. She has adapted screenplays into novels for Laika Studios (ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls) and created commissioned original works for the Estate of Laura Ingalls Wilder/HarperCollins (Mary Ingalls on her Own) and American Girl/Pleasant Company (The Jazzman’s Trumpet). See Elizabeth’s full bio.

Art Lizza, Ghostwriter, Editor, & Publishing Consultant

Genres: Personal and Business Memoirs and Biographies, Scholarly Scientific/Technical Monographs, Creative Writing

As a full-time ghostwriter, author, conceptual/developmental editor, and publishing industry consultant, Art excels in the creation of full-length nonfiction personal and business memoirs and biographies as well as scholarly scientific/technical monographs. Art specializes in dramatic, empathetic, and often humorous storytelling.
See Art’s full bio.

George Roupe, Editor & Manuscript Consultant

George earned his bachelor’s in English at Hendrix College and his master’s at the University of Tennessee, where he taught writing, literature, and film courses. He was a technical editor for Martin Marietta and later Lockheed Martin in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, before becoming a copyeditor for Louisiana State University Press. See George’s full bio.

Margaret Wright, Ghostwriter, Editor, & Publishing Consultant

Genres: Memoir, Business, Fiction, Young Adult

Margaret is a gifted editor and ghostwriter whose professional experience includes positions at two Big Five publishers—Penguin and Simon and Schuster. With over 12 years of experience working with elite authors and publishers, Margaret has a refined sense of what makes a great story and is a seasoned memoir and business-book editor. See Margaret’s full bio.

Find the Perfect Writer or Editor for Your Book

The above list of writers and editors is only a small sample of our entire staff. Please contact us to review a complete staff list and to discuss which writers or editors would be most suitable for you and your book.