Advice from Prize-Winning Ghostwriters and Tips for Entering Your Book in the 2027 Andy Awards

Jon Land is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 70 books, including ghostwriting six titles in the Murder, She Wrote series and two in the Capital Crimes series. In recent years, Land transitioned to nonfiction ghostwriting, having penned the bestseller, “White Robes and Broken Badges,” which won the 2025 Andy Award for narrative nonfiction. More recently, he published “The Myth of Aging: A Prescription for Emotional and Physical Well-Being,” (January), and “Saying it Out Loud: A Young Widow’s Triumph Over Tragedy” (April), and with the sci-fi thriller “Icefall,” due in July. Land is a 1979 graduate of Brown University and lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Holly Gleason is an author, journalist, ghostwriter, and marketing consultant. She co-authored Kenny Chesney’s New York Times bestselling memoir, “Heart Life Music,” which publisher William Morrow picked as one of its 50 nonfiction books of the century. Gleason, an ASJA member, was a 2024 Andy Award finalist for co-authoring Miranda Lambert’s NY Times bestseller “Y’All Eat Yet.” She created and contributed to the 2018 Belmont Book Award-winning “Woman Walk The Line: How The Women of Country Music Changed Our Life,” and edited “Prine on Prine: Interviews & Encounters.” As a journalist, her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Musician, Variety, Playboy, Interview, SPIN, NPR Music and Miami Herald. She was the 2024 National Arts & Entertainment Journalism’s Independent Journalist, and the 2023 LA Press Club’s Entertainment Journalist of the Year.

Alison Schwartz is the President of Gotham Ghostwriters, where she leads client experience services, including new author initiatives around marketing, thought leadership development, and other complementary services necessary for a successful book launch.

ASJA board member Michelle Rafter is ASJA’s publications chair and Andy Awards liaison. She’s an experienced collaborative writer and editor who parlays skills gained as an award-winning business reporter to help corporate and nonprofit leaders craft books and other content that is thoughtful, incisive, and sets them apart. Rafter has done content marketing strategy, editing, and writing for such brands as AAA, American Express, and Great Place to Work. As a journalist, her work has appeared in AARP the Magazine, Edmunds.com, Inc.com, LA Times, MSN Money, NBCNews.com, PBS Next Avenue, PCMag.com, Wall Street Journal, and Writer’s Market.