Looking for ghostwriting services in Des Moines, Iowa?

Transform your ideas and experience into a book!

I’m Mackenzie Ryan Walters, a national award-winning journalist, experienced ghostwriter, and West Des Moines resident, here to help you tell your story — whether it’s a business book, personal finance guide, or heartfelt memoir.

Through my business, StoryStruck Marketing, I offer personalized ghostwriting services that capture your story and connect with your audience.

What are ghostwriting services?

Ghostwriting services involve a professional writer and interviewer — like me, Mackenzie Ryan Walters — crafting a book or content on your behalf. I work closely with clients across the Des Moines metro to turn their ideas, expertise, or personal stories into polished manuscripts or articles worth sharing.

As a ghostwriter, I remain behind the scenes. You retain full authorship credit. It’s your name on the book cover, not mine!

We’ll collaborate through interviews, outlines, and drafts to ensure your expertise, personal stories, and professional recollections shine through. As needed, I’ll craft talking points, messaging frameworks, storytelling approaches, and teaching points to ensure your story resonates.

More importantly, I’ll identify and pull out your best stories during our weekly phone interviews. Great business books introduce you on a personal level through the stories you tell. Once we write your story and structure it in a meaningful way, you’ll have a book worth sharing.

Why choose ghostwriting services in Des Moines, Iowa?

Hiring a ghostwriter means partnering with someone who’s invested in the community and understands its pulse. Working in the Des Moines, Iowa, metro gives me an edge in crafting stories that resonate with Iowans and other Midwesterners while also appealing to a broader audience. My track record and previous experience as an award-winning journalist and marketing strategist ensures your book is polished, professional, and ready to make an impact.

With a background in journalism — I’ve followed a presidential campaign and covered stories inside NASA — I’ve mastered the art of turning complex ideas into compelling narratives. You can read more about my experience here.

What type of ghostwriting services do you offer?

My ghostwriting services cover a range of genres to meet your needs:

• Business and leadership books: Want to establish yourself as a thought leader or grow your Des Moines business? I’ll ghostwrite a book that showcases your expertise or shares your proven leadership process. If you’re a CEO, consultant, or professional looking to stand out in Iowa’s competitive market, a book will set you apart from the competition and position you as a thought leader.

• Personal finance books: Turn your financial wisdom into a reader-friendly book to hand out to clients or prospects. Whether you’re a Des Moines financial advisor or an individual with a unique money story, I’ll craft a book that simplifies budgeting, debt management, or wealth-building for your target audience. They’ll get to know you and your approach through the stories you tell.

• Memoirs: Your life deserves to be remembered. Whether it’s overcoming challenges, celebrating triumphs, or honoring your Iowa roots, I’ll ghostwrite a memoir that captures your voice and leaves a lasting legacy. Perfect for individuals or families in Des Moines wanting to preserve their story, or for companies looking to celebrate and remember an important anniversary or milestone in their history.

How do your ghostwriting services work?

Our ghostwriting and self publishing services create a one-stop shop for your book creation needs. We walk through three phases of the project together:

• Phase I: Chunky book outline. Our first task is to create a book outline that narrowly defines your target audience, your book goals, and what you want to say. We’ll walk through the developmental editing process together and create a “chunky outline” that I’ll use to write your book on your behalf.

• Phase II: Ghostwritten manuscript. During weekly calls, I’ll interview you and engage in additional research to create a book your readers will enjoy and find useful. I’ll deliver a few chapters for your review before delivering the full manuscript for revision. It’s important to me that you’re happy with the final draft. With a ghostwritten book, your name is on the front cover, not mine!

• Phase III: Polish and publish: My team and I offer professional self-publishing services that will launch your book and allow you to retain ownership, copyright, and the majority of your book profits. Because we offer custom services, we can incorporate photos, graphs, charts, and other design elements. Our full-service approach to business book publishing is why so many of our clients choose StoryStruck Marketing.

Do you work with clients outside of Des Moines, Iowa?

Absolutely! While I’m based in West Des Moines and love serving the local community, I work with clients nationwide. My ghostwriting process is flexible, with virtual meetings and clear communication to suit your location. We will conduct interviews over zoom or the phone and collaborate remotely on your book.

Will you use AI to write my book?

No, and you shouldn’t, either. Artificial intelligence (AI) can only iterate from what’s already written. It scrapes the web and trains off other books or websites to answer the questions (prompts) you give it. There’s an ongoing debate about AI and copywrite, and Amazon KDP is asking all authors whether they’ve used AI to write their book. That’s not a box I want you to check.

AI is a powerful research tool that can reduce the time it takes to scour Google for references or search the library’s dusty shelves. As a research and reference tool, it will save you time. It can only iterate off what already exists in the world — and since your story is not yet written down, it can’t write it for you. Nor can it replace the million decisions it takes to write a nonfiction book that guides readers on a journey that inspires change.

 As a national award-winning journalist with 20 years of combined newspaper, marketing, and ghostwriting experience, I know how to ask the right questions to get to the heart of the matter. Your book will reflect the stories you’ve lived, stories only you can tell. .

How long does it take to ghostwrite a book in Des Moines?

The timeline depends on your project’s scope, which we will define in Phase I of our engagement, when we create a Chunky Book Outline together. Based on this initial phase, I’ll provide an estimate for ghostwriting and publication.

Typically, a full-length, self-published book (40,000–80,000 words) takes 8–12 months. This includes writing and editing the manuscript (including planning, interviews, drafting, and revisions) as well as polishing and publishing your book (copyediting, design, layout, proofing, and launch).

A book is not a quick project — don’t believe the internet memes claiming you can write a book in a weekend or in as little as a month! Maybe they can throw somethign on the page, but it’s not going to be a high-quality book that people want to read and recommend.

How much do ghostwriting services in Des Moines, Iowa cost?

Pricing varies based on your book project’s length, complexity, research, and design needs. Unlike other ghostwriting services, we can customize the project to match your vision and goals.

Our Phase I engagement of creating a chunky book outline together is a flat fee of $5,000. Based on this outline, I’ll provide a custom estimate for full-service ghostwriting and publication.

My rates reflect the value of an award-winning journalist and my expertise as a marketing strategist. If you’re looking for a quality book that you’ll be proud to share for years to come, you’ve come to the right place — connect with us today!

Can you help me publish my book after ghostwriting It?

Yes! We offer full-service self publishing, including copyediting, design, and proofing. We also offer self-publishing services that will publish your book through Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, and other major retailers.

I’m here to support your journey from concept to completion. You can relax knowing that you don’t have to coordinate with multiple contractors — we use our existing network of high-quality editors and designers to work on your behalf.

How do I get started with ghostwriting services?

It’s simple! Contact me at StoryStruck Marketing for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your idea and whether a book makes sense for your business.