From World Champions to Untold Truths: Bringing Your Definitive Story to Life.
As an award-winning ghostwriter, I have worked with multiple sportspeople. I won Sunday Times Autobiography of the Year 2024 for My Unbelievable Life with Chris Kamara, and 2023 Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year for Unforgettable with England Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson. My book, The Chain, with five-times Olympic gold-medallist Bradley Wiggins, was declared one of the five best sports books of 2025 by The Guardian. I have long experience of working to tight deadlines and the ability to write, structure, and deliver sports books of all kinds, from the light-hearted and entertaining to the deeply emotional and poignant.
In The Chain, Bradley Wiggins talked of his experience of childhood abuse and post-career drug addiction. Steve Thompson’s Unforgettable saw the England Rugby World Cup winner unveil his tragic descent into early onset dementia due to the collisions and concussions of the sport. In Toxic, meanwhile, ex-footballer Neil Ruddock examined the damagingly laddish alter ego behind which he hid his true self. And in Stronger, Welsh rugby legend and equality campaigner Gareth Thomas delivered key tips on personal development learnt while coming to terms with an HIV diagnosis.
In the field of cricket, James Taylor’s Cut Short saw the former England batsman look back on the near-death heart incident that ended his career, while in Steve Harmison’s Speed Demons the ex-England fast bowler explained how he hid the serious mental health issues which almost ended his life.
On a more celebratory note, Paul Mullin’s My Wrexham Story gave the striker the chance to reveal how his life has changed since becoming a star of the globally successful Disney+ show Welcome to Wrexham.
If you have a sports story to share – remarkable, poignant, life-affirming – please do get in touch. As a Sunday Times bestselling ghostwriter, I’d love to hear it.
Ghostwriting FAQs
Of course – email me on johnwoody67@hotmail.com or call anytime on 07999 478931.
There are many publishers out there, of all shapes and sizes, looking for stories of every imaginable nature, and so it may be that your next step is to engage a literary agent or identify a suitable publisher. Alternatively, you may prefer to self-publish, which can be quicker and advantageous in retaining complete control of the publication.
There are pluses and minuses, mainly regarding control, cost, and quality, with both options. According to the nature of your book, I am more than happy to advise on next steps.
Absolutely – I’m more than happy to discuss personal memoirs not for general publication.
A good ghostwriter should be able to empathise with and understand, with emotional depth and clarity, your story. Before choosing a ghostwriter it’s worth looking at both their background and the books they have worked on to establish whether they have the necessary experience and skills to deliver the beating heart of your story – to truly involve the reader and make them want to know more. To ensure also that, at the end of the process, you receive the book you both desire and deserve.
Quality takes time. Inception to delivery can take up to six months, potentially longer, bearing in mind the need to establish the precise requirements and content of the book, several hours or potentially days of interviews, revision of drafts, and completion of the final manuscript. The overriding factor is that the book realises its true potential.