A response to Jasmine Sun on the independent writer’s advantage — and why ghostwriting is more human work than ever. By Deborah Holmen, M.Ed., NBCT AI Can Write the Sentences. It Can’t Get the Story. A response to Jasmine Sun on the independent writer’s advantage — and why ghostwriting is more human work than ever. Jasmine Sun published a piece this month called “The Independent Writer’s Advantage in the Age of AI.” It ran on Substack, adapted from a talk she gave at the Once

By Deborah Holmen, M.Ed. NBCT A doctor learning the stories of her patients. Most of the people who reach out to me have been carrying a book idea for months. Sometimes years. They're physicians, therapists, nurses, integrative practitioners, recovery coaches, parents who walked through something hard with a child. They've sat with patients and clients in their most vulnerable moments. They've stood beside loved ones in hospital rooms. They've gathered insights that could gen

Ghostwriting a medical or health memoir feels like sitting in a confessional: I’m trusted with the most intimate stories and hold them sacred until my client is ready to see them on the page. My work is to listen for the true voice beneath the facts, then shape a narrative that honors what happened without polishing away the messy middle. Memoirs still matter because they tell the human truth—clearly, bravely, and without performance.

Ghostwriting is one of publishing's worst-kept secrets. Alexander Hamilton used ghostwriters. So did most U.S. presidents. The questions I field from curious friends and potential clients indicate genuine interest in how this works. So here's everything you've wondered about ghostwriting: the ethics, the cost, the process, and how to find the right partner for your book.

Over the years, I’ve worked with leaders, clinicians, wellness experts, and lived-experience authors who needed a trusted partner to transform their raw narratives into polished, market-ready books and thought-leadership content. Storytelling has the power to unlock clarity, build connections, and even promote healing.