by Sean Colligan

Ghostwriting guru Nick Pavlidis may not put his name on much of his work, but he’s certainly made a name for himself in the publishing industry. He’s proud to display his name as the founder & CEO of Authority Ghostwriting, however, an agency providing world-class written content for clients since 2015.

It’s difficult to imagine Nick’s life without writing now, but finding his current success was a roundabout path. “I failed English in high school one term,” Nick recalls. "In college, I studied criminal justice, then went to law school, then I was a lawyer for 13 years.”

Nick’s legal career was successful, even if his colleagues felt he needed improvement in one area. “People complimented my results, my critical thinking, my storytelling, but encouraged me to work harder on my writing.” 

"Eventually,” says Nick, “I met someone who was a lawyer turned ghostwriter, and I didn’t even know that was a thing!”

He began actively seeking ghostwriting work, and before long, his journey in the writing world began. 

"It turns out the type of writing I had been doing, that had been criticized for years as a lawyer, was really effective with nonfiction book writing, helping people to not just leave a book with information, but with inspiration to take action on the information they just learned.”

After building his own ghostwriting career and starting Authority Ghostwriting, Nick is also happy to attach his name to Podfest, the longest running event for podcast creators, editors, and brands. As their new CEO and Managing Partner, Nick looks forward to leading their next convention in January 2025, featuring content and resources on how to use AI, build their brands, or monetize what they’re building. 

"This year, we also feature an author track, where we help podcasters who want to become authors (or authors who want to become podcasters) find publishers, write more efficiently, and plan, market, and monetize their message in different ways.”

And when it comes to writing, Nick has found that when new writers are struggling to start their project, it’s often not just a typical writer’s block.

"The #1 mistake an author makes is not that they don’t write a good book, it’s that they write the wrong book. The truth is, writer’s block is often their body or their subconscious mind telling them: ‘this is the wrong book!’” 

To help, Nick guides authors with curiosity and intent to look beyond their comfort zone when it comes to planning their book. Nick helps them think bigger, deeper, and encourages them to write about what truly inspires them; the right book within them waiting to be shared. 

"That’s what I love helping people unlock. ‘What’s the book that gets you where you want to go instead of the book that just documents where you’ve already been?’”

In all his work, Nick finds his greatest rewards in using his creativity to help his clients succeed.

"The thing that frustrated me about the practice of law most is that in order for me to win, someone else had to lose. Whereas, as a writer, leading Podfest, and being involved in the publishing world in several other ways, I get to create something out of nothing every day. More importantly, I can win without anyone else having to lose. My ghostwriting or coaching clients can win, readers can win, and the people the readers impact can win, all without me having to lose. Nobody needs to lose in order for me to win.”