Strategic Book Projects for Organizations Ready to

Mark Milestones and Share Their Story

For 30+ years, I’ve helped businesses, nonprofits, and founders create books that preserve legacies, celebrate milestones, and serve as powerful marketing assets.

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This isn’t vanity publishing. It’s strategic storytelling that honors

your history while serving your business goals.

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Why Organizations Publish Books

The most successful business and legacy books serve multiple purposes simultaneously:

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📌 Mark milestone anniversaries (25th, 50th, 75th, 100th) with substance, not just celebration
📌 Preserve institutional knowledge before key leaders retire or history is lost
📌 Educate stakeholders about your mission, values, and impact
📌 Serve as marketing tools that position your expertise and credibility
📌 Create meaningful gifts for clients, members, board, and VIPs
📌 Generate revenue through sales (if that fits your goals)
📌 Build legacy that outlasts current leadership

 

The best legacy books do several of these at once—honoring the past while serving present and future business needs.

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​​Common Book Approaches

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ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
Text-focused narrative of your company’s journey, challenges, triumphs, and evolution. Typically black-and-white interior, standard book format.

Best for: Companies with rich stories, complex histories, or significant industry impact

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VISUAL SCRAPBOOK
Image-heavy celebration of your organization’s milestones with photos, memorabilia, and brief narratives. Color interior, coffee-table feel.

Best for: Organizations with strong visual archives and anniversary celebrations

 

FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE BIOGRAPHY
Individual story of the person who built the organization, including personal journey, business philosophy, and lessons learned.

Best for: Succession planning, retirement celebrations, family businesses

 

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE/HOW-TO
Practical guide or reference book showcasing your organization’s specialized knowledge and positioning you as thought leaders.

Best for: Professional services, consultancies, technical firms

 

HYBRID APPROACHES
Many successful legacy books blend history, biography, expertise, and visual celebration—customized to your specific goals.

Best for: Complex organizations with multiple audiences and purposes

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​​How I Work With You

I don’t just manage book production—I architect the strategic approach that makes your book serve your business goals.

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Many legacy book projects underperform because they’re treated as a “write our history and make it pretty” project.  The successful ones start with strategic questions:

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• Who is this book really for?

• What should readers think, feel, or do after reading it?

• How will this book be distributed and used?

• What business goals does it serve beyond marking an anniversary?

• What format, design, and production values match those goals?

 

I help you answer these questions first—then assemble the right team and manage the project to bring that vision to life.

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Services My Team and I Provide

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STRATEGIC PLANNING
Scope definition, audience identification, content approach, distribution strategy

 

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Ghostwriting, co-writing, developmental editing, shaping existing materials, interviews

 

EDITORIAL SERVICES
Copyediting, proofreading, fact-checking, indexing

 

DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Cover design, interior layout, photo restoration/placement, specialty features (fold-out maps and genealogies, keepsake pockets,ribbon bookmarks, gilded book edges)

 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Timeline development, team coordination, quality control, vendor management

 

PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION
Print bidding, quality assurance, logistics, fulfillment planning. I can handle all of these or coordinate with your internal team—whatever serves your project best.

 

Production Possibilities

Your book can be whatever serves your goals:

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SIZE – Standard (6"×9"), large format, coffee table, custom
BINDING – Paperback, hardcover, leather, hand-bound collector’s editions
INTERIOR – Black-and-white, full color, mixed, glossy photo inserts
FEATURES – Ribbon bookmarks, pockets for memorabilia, embossing, special papers
QUANTITY – 50 VIP copies to 10,000+ for broad distribution

The production values should match your brand, audience, and how the book will be used.

 

Sample Projects (What’s Possible)

 

RESTAURANT LEGACY BOOK
150-page paperback celebrating 50 years, with owner’s stories, recipes, historic photos, and customer memories. 5,000 copies for giveaway and sale at multiple locations.

Services: Light editing, design, project management
Timeline: 6–12 months
Use: Marketing tool + keepsake + revenue generator

 

COMPANY ANNIVERSARY SCRAPBOOK
200-page oversized color paperback, decade-by-decade visual history. Staff worked with writer to compile materials and narratives. 2,000 copies for anniversary gala.

Services: Content development, heavy design work, project management
Timeline: 9–18 months
Use: Gala centerpiece + client gifts + employee appreciation

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EXECUTIVE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP BOOK
250-page business book by executive with ghostwriter support. Lessons learned, frameworks, case studies. 2,000 copies for clients and prospects.

Services: Ghostwriting collaboration, editing, design, project management
Timeline: 12–24 months
Use: Marketing tool + credibility builder + lead generation

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FOUNDER BIOGRAPHY
250-page hardcover biography by ghostwriter who conducted 6 months of interviews with founder, family, employees, clients. 50 leather collector's editions for VIPs, 500 dust-jacketed copies for gala.

Services: Full ghostwriting, editing, specialty production, project management
Timeline: 12–24 months
Use: Legacy preservation + succession celebration + family heirloom

 

Timeline & Investment

 

TYPICAL PROJECT TIMELINE
6–18 months depending on complexity, content development needs, and decision-making process

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​​TYPICAL QUANTITY
100–5,000 copies (some projects go higher)

 

INVESTMENT RANGE
Projects typically range from $15,000–$100,000+ depending on:

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• Content development needs (existing materials vs. full ghostwriting)

• Design complexity (text-heavy vs. image-heavy)

• Production values (standard paperback vs. specialty binding)

• Quantity (hundreds vs. thousands of copies)​

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Contact me for a detailed quote based on your specific vision and goals.

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When to Start Planning

The best legacy books aren’t rushed.

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If your milestone is:

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• 1 year away: Start planning immediately (tight but doable)

• 2 years away: Ideal timeline for quality work without pressure

• 3+ years away: Perfect—allows for thorough research, interviews, and strategic development

 

Even if your event is years away, an initial conversation now can help you understand scope, budget, and what preparation you can do internally.

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Why Work With Me

30+ years of publishing experience means I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I know how to:

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✅ Ask the strategic questions that prevent expensive mistakes
✅ Manage complex timelines with multiple stakeholders
✅ Assemble and coordinate the right team for your project
✅ Navigate tricky content (what to include, what to leave out, how to handle sensitive topics)
✅ Ensure quality while respecting budgets and deadlines
✅ Think beyond the book to how it serves your larger organizational goals

 

Im not just managing production—I’m partnering with you to create something that honors your legacy while serving your business.

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What Clients Say

 

“Sharon’s sense of style and dedication to perfection are impeccable. Under her direction, the designers, editors, printers, and occasional genealogist she handpicks create books that recall the days when classics lined private bookshelves.”
—Sharon Barrett, author and ghostwriter

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“Sharon excelled at coordinating the talents and schedules of the expert team put together to design, edit, and lay out my book. Leaving the final decisions on details to me gave me comfort that the final product is my book.”
—Dick Lanyon, author

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“Results were astounding. Sharon was patient when I wasn’t, enthused when I was in deadline dilemmas, and so smart and knowledgeable about anything I queried her on."
—Sharon Sultan Cutler, publisher, Coney Island Press

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View all testimonials.

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​Related Resources

 

💡 So, You Want to Write a Bucket List Book? (article) - Additional considerations for personal legacy projects

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Ready to Discuss Your Book Project?

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Whether you’re planning for next year or five years from now, let’s talk about what’s possible.

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Contact me to schedule an exploratory conversation about your vision, timeline, and goals. 

No obligation—just strategic thinking about how a book could serve your organization.