Case Study
Ken Rusk
First-Time Author Nets Six-Figure Book Deal and hits the Wall Street Journal Bestseller List.
First-Time Author Nets Six-Figure Book Deal and hits the Wall Street Journal Bestseller List.
As featured in
Ken's Story
Aspiring author Ken
Rusk approached Kevin Anderson & Associates with a rough draft of his book in hand. He
wanted it professionally reviewed and edited in order to target traditional publishers.
Lacking a significant following and a publishing track record, his odds of becoming a
traditionally published author were slim.
Ken, a successful entrepreneur in the construction industry, had launched multiple blue-collar enterprises during his 30-year career. He’d worked all kinds of jobs to get there, from digging ditches to fixing leaky basements. And he wanted to share the path he took to success in the hopes of educating others.
Nancy Rusk, Kevin, Ken, and agent John Maas
After receiving directive feedback from his Launch Books Publishing team, Ken decided he would be better served by starting from scratch and hiring a professional ghostwriter to work with him and develop the manuscript. Using that initial draft as background research, Ken and the writer crafted a strong book and an equally strong proposal.
The manuscript was sold at auction to Dey Street, a HarperCollins imprint, in a mid-six-figure deal. Ken’s publishing team at Launch Books Publishing advised him at every step throughout the process.
In addition, Launch Books Publishing handled all revisions to the manuscript requested by the publisher and developed various op-eds and other articles for the general promotion of the book.
As the July 2020 publication date drew closer, Ken appeared on Fox News, Fox Business, BOLD-TV, and the Adam Corolla podcast, and was quoted or featured on Forbes.com and in The Philadelphia Tribune, Industry Today, and Porchlight.
All Ken’s work paid off when the book hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller list and was met with rave reviews, including this from Tony Robbins: “I love Ken’s perspective on our life’s purpose; to share our unique gift with the world. He shows you how to grasp the unmatched power of giving back while providing you with great tools to help you achieve the life you truly desire.”
