About
Mackenzie
When I write your book, it’s your perspective and voice, not mine.
Mackenzie Ryan Walters
Author. Business book ghostwriter.
National award-winning journalist.
Business owner. MBA dropout.
Three Questions
1) What’s your favorite professional skill?
Asking good questions. I’m still a journalist at heart. I have a knack for getting to the crux of the story. My husband sometimes asks me, “How did you get all that?” on the way home from a gathering or party. “I like asking questions,” is my reply.
2) Why book ghostwriting?
I have a deep desire to understand the world, and I believe we understand best through stories. I’m naturally curious and enjoy the learning and discovery process of writing. I tell clients that we’ll discover their book together. It’s like archeology: I’ll dig around, ask different questions, and discover the story that was there all along.
3) What’s your favorite part of book ghostwriting?
I enjoy structuring the book so it’s easy for a reader to sink into and enjoy. That includes being the reader’s advocate in our writing collaboration. I want your book to have the same quality as a book you’d find on a bookstore’s shelf. You accomplish this by asking: "What does my reader want to know? What would help my reader understand?"
Professional bio
Mackenzie Ryan Walters is a national award-winning journalist, business book ghostwriter, and author of "Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story," a #1 new release in Amazon's author reference and faith categories.
Mackenzie’s 14-year journalism career spanned multiple states and mediums. She covered a presidential campaign for one of the top newspapers in the country, reported a 30-minute television documentary that took her inside NASA and recorded radio stories for an NPR affiliate on the Florida coast.
Mackenzie won multiple journalism awards, including a national award for education reporting. Her stories appeared in a national education magazine, she co-founded and launched a life storytelling event series, and she’s been featured on radio and television shows as well as national podcasts.
Originally from Minnesota, Mackenzie attended American University in Washington, D.C., earning a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and economics. She took MBA courses at the University of Iowa in Des Moines. She earned an entrepreneurship certificate through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, a partnership with DMACC, and Babson College, the nation’s top-ranked school for entrepreneurship.
Mackenzie started her business, StoryStruck Marketing, in 2019 to help organizations leverage the power of storytelling. StoryStruck offers book outlines and book writing services to business leaders seeking a quality collaborator on their authorship journey. She's also trained regional and Fortune 500 businesses on using storytelling to improve internal and external communication.
Mackenzie now lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband, Andy, their two boys, and their dog, Maddie. When not working in her basement writing nook, Mackenzie enjoys gardening in the summer, baking bread once the frost arrives, and volunteering as a youth group leader throughout the school year.