Network of trust; corporate BS corrupts; healthcare fix: Newsletter 29 April 2026

Newsletter 150. Why my list of trusted partners is so small. Plus, an ethically developed AI tool, Tulsi Gabbard’s password, three people to follow, three books to read, and one super-duper AI coach.

My exclusive, closed partner network

I recently got an unsolicited email. This is what it said:

We know that high-caliber ghostwriters like yourself sometimes have prospective clients who love your work but can’t meet your rates, and we’d love to be a trusted resource where you can send those leads. We offer memoir ghostwriting services at the $6k, $15k, $38k, and $48k levels, so we can accommodate a wide range of budgets. For any client you refer our way, we’d be happy to offer you a 12% referral fee — a simple way to monetize leads that aren’t the right fit for your business. If this sounds like something you’d be open to, I’d love to connect you with our founder for an introductory call.

Wow. Easy money for me from people I can’t personally help — and since I only ghostwrite about one book a year, that’s a lot of potential people. What have I got to lose?

Just my reputation.

I do referrals all the time. Everyone in the writing and publishing ecosystem needs to do referrals, because we can’t do all the jobs.

I refer people to three possible hybrid publishers. Only three, even though I know lots of others.

I refer people to two possible literary agents. To one cover designer. To one of two copy editors. To one or two illustrators. To a few ghostwriters and one ghostwriting agency. To one assisted self-publishing consultant. To one of three publicists, and one thought leadership expert.

I know dozens of people who do these jobs. A lot of them are good at those jobs. They’re not going to get a referral from me. And of course, people who show up unsolicited in my email won’t, either.

Why is my network so tiny and fenced in?

Because when I send somebody to you for help, I have to know they’re going to have a good experience. If you screw up, that makes me look bad. I hate, hate, HATE causing authors unnecessary pain. If you screw up, I’m likely to have to spend time counseling the person I referred to you, and that’s wasted time and emotion for both of us.

When it comes to referrals, I don’t care if you’re young or old, man or woman or nonbinary, liberal or conservative, a one-person shop or part of a collective. All I care is whether you can be trusted to do a good job.

I added an assisted self-publishing outfit to my partner network after a friend’s husband had a good experience with them. I sent three authors their way and they paid me three referral fees. But one of those authors had a terrible experience. That author was someone I cherish and whose book is awesome — and I spent a lot of time editing that book to make sure it was awesome. I’m no longer referring people to that outfit, and I’ve substituted someone else.

On the other hand, one of the hybrid publishers is one of my most valued partners. I know anyone I send to them is going to have an excellent result. Occasionally they make mistakes, the author I referred complains to me, and I complain to the publisher. They always make it right. They treat me as someone truly important — and it’s not just about sucking up, it’s about making sure every author they get from me, and if fact every author they work with, has a terrific experience.

The ghostwriting agency I work with most frequently, Gotham Ghostwriters, is in that partner group. When they asked me to contribute to their conference, I did. When they asked me conduct a survey for them and write up the results in a report, I did, at below cost. When they asked me to contribute to their AI Guidelines for Ghostwriters, I did again. I’ve been recruited by other ghostwriting agencies, but there’s only one I send authors to — and it’s not the one that just suggested they’d pay me 12% even though I’d never heard of them.

If you’re not in my tiny list of recommendable partners, I’m sure this seems unfair and shortsighted. There’s a lot of talent out there. Why won’t I open up my aperture and see it?

Vetting new people is too much work, and too risky. It’s not worth it to risk my reputation.

How can you get into my partner network? Work with somebody I know and deliver excellent results. That is literally the only way. I’ll take your briefing and stay aware of your work, but I won’t be recommending people unless you work with somebody I know and deliver excellent results.

How can you leave my partner network? Easy. Screw up and you’re out. Buh-bye.

(And in case you haven’t figured it out by now, I make sure that I’m just as trustworthy and excellent as the people I refer authors to. Every client is referenceable. And that’s why nearly all my business comes from referrals.)

I could have a far larger network. I could make lots of money from referral fees without actually doing any work. For some people, that probably sounds great.

Not for me. For my referrals, trust, track record, and competence matter. They’re the only things that do.

News for writers and others who think

Dr. Marcia Layton Turner , executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters, published her 2026 outlook for ghostwriting and publishing, including what AI means for the future of the business.

Anil Dash writes about an AI video tool created by Corridor Digital without all the ethically questionable content ripoffs the big guys use.

Cornell psychology postdoc Shane Littrell, PhD published research demonstrating that the people most receptive to corporate bullshit (e.g “By getting our friends in the tent with our best practices, we will pressure-test a renewed level of adaptive coherence”) are also most likely to suck at their jobs. I always suspected this, but it’s nice to have proof.

Another Cornell prof, the esteemed media researcher danah boyd , writes how social media has now become “parasocial media”: “one-sided connections, where individuals keep tabs on the lives and movements of people – like celebrities – who do not know us and feel no pressure to reciprocate.” “Parasocial relationships,” she writes, “can be emotionally intense, but they do not produce the kinds of social fabric that anchor us when we are struggling.” Which is why social media had such promise but now is just a powerful vector for ick.

The AP Stylebook made some much needed changes, including asserting that “healthcare” is now one word.

You know better than to use the same password for every account. So you’re apparently smarter than Tulsi Gabbard, the US director of national intelligence, who does just that (Wired, subscriber link). (I wonder if her password is “password123” .)

Three people to follow

David Perell , teaching founders and innovators how to write persuasively about their experience.

Jonah Berger Wharton professor and trenchant observer of how ideas spread (author of Contagious)

Vanessa Van Edwards , insightful wizard of people skills

Three books to read

The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World by Brad Stulberg (HarperOne, 2026). How to constantly challenge yourself to greater accomplishments; this is the book that inspired the training of the first sub-2-hour marathon runner Sabastian Sawe.

Pressed: The Book on Publishing Books–For Experts and Thought Leaders by Kory Kirby (2026). A step-by-step guide to self-publishing for thought leaders.

The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (Pantheon, 2026). A good book if you like to say “wow” a lot.

One super-duper AI book coach

Bernoff.com/coach. Try it. A lot cheaper than hiring high-priced talent like me.