I’m Rick Benzel, a professional editor, ghostwriter, author, and publishing consultant with 50 years of experience helping people develop and communicate important ideas.
I specialize in nonfiction—particularly books about business, leadership, health, psychology, human potential, parenting, creativity, memoir, and social change. I work closely with professionals and creative thinkers who have a strong message but need an experienced partner to help shape, write, edit, design, or publish the book.
A Career in Ideas and Publishing
My career includes editorial positions at Houghton Mifflin, Prentice Hall, and Jeremy P. Tarcher, where I was Senior Editor for the bestselling creativity book The Artist’s Way. Over the years, I have edited over 150 books, authored seven, and ghostwritten nearly 20 for physicians, consultants, coaches, professors, executives, and entrepreneurs.
I have also written business case studies, thought-leadership articles, and training programs for corporations, universities, and government organizations in the United States and Europe.
Creativity and the Written Word
I founded the Creativity Coaching Association and its publishing imprint, Creativity Coaching Association Press. Its anthology Inspiring Creativity was selected by the North Light Book Club and sold more than 20,000 copies.
My favorite expression is, “There’s a book idea in that.” I enjoy recognizing the core idea within a person’s experience or expertise—and helping that idea become a book that is intelligent, useful, and distinctly their own.
Education
I graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College and earned an M.A. in French literature from Boston University. I speak fluent French and conversational Spanish and have lived and traveled widely in Europe and South America.
Let’s Discuss Your Book
Email me at rickbenzel@msn.com to set up a free 30-minute phone call about your book idea or publishing goals.