Hal Clifford Email & Phone Number

After years of providing editorial services to authors, we launched a company to take authors from the beginning of their book journey all the way to publication. I built this firm (originally called Hal Clifford Associates) with deeply experienced ghostwriters, editors, book designers, audio engineers and production managers. Our creative team is made up of people I've known and worked with for years. I have watched them consistently excel with authors and projects. We write, edit, design and publish nonfiction books, especially business books and memoirs.

"I have often sung your praises to people asking about the book," the former CEO of Chipotle told me. "You are a terrific editor!"Authors who work with me say thinks like "the work you do is amazing," and "Hal upped my writing game," and "Hal Clifford is one of the most talented editors I have worked with." I develop, shape, ghostwrite and edit nonfiction book manuscripts for authors and publishers alike. Books I have edited have been published by major houses. Some have been reviewed (favorably!) by The New York Times. As a ghostwriter, I like to work on compelling business books and captivating memoirs. I also work as a developmental editor and line editor, taking rough manuscripts to a high level of polish. Sometimes, I combine both editing and ghostwriting to bring half-written books across the finish line. More details at https://www.halclifford.com

Austin, Texas, Us

As the Editor In Chief, I worked closely with authors throughout Scribe. For example, I edited David Goggins New York Times-bestselling book Can't Hurt Me. I developed scores of books, including Myra Evans-Manyweather's Start Where You Are, and I've edited dozens, including Monty Moran's Love Is Free, Guac Is Extra. I also supported a team of more than 40 editors who worked to create excellence for authors who came to Scribe with finished manuscripts, and for those in Scribe's Guided Author program. Guided Author, which I helped lead for two years until the end of 2020, involves small-group and individual coaching with authors through an intensive, self-directed, year-long program to define, develop, write, and publish their books. I continued to work closely as a ghostwriter with select authors, interviewing them for their book's content, writing their drafts, and collaborating on revisions, and also as an editor on a limited number of books.

Austin, Texas, Us

As Head of Manuscript Quality at Scribe Media (formerly Book In a Box, see more below), I support a team of a dozen managing editors who, in turn, work with dozens of scribes who are creating our books in collaboration with authors. I am responsible for the editorial quality of the books we create of behalf of our authors. They must be objectively good, and they must serve the authors' identified goals and ROI needs. In addition, I work directly with all the authors in our Guided Author program, coaching each of them on how to position, structure and write their own manuscripts and connecting with them weekly to create accountability. Finally, I work directly with a limited number of authors as a scribe myself, crafting and creating their book manuscripts in close collaboration using the Scribe Media process.

Austin, Tx, Us

Continuing the trend described below, I narrowed and deepened my scope as Book In A Box (which was rebranded in June 2018 as Scribe Media) grew. The Manuscript department we created in December of 2016 was growing fast, and we broke it into three separate functions: Outlines, Scribes, Writers. In this role I led and supported a team of more than a dozen Outliners, responsible for co-creating the architectural blueprints of authors' books. In the guise of servant leadership I trained and supported a crew of book outliners in the art and science of helping first-time authors get ideas fully baked, out of their heads, and onto paper. I supported and guided the team daily, focusing on matching authors with outliners based on personalities and needs; ensuring every outline is an effective and comprehensive tool for all the downstream team members who rely on it; and managing hiring and training so that we were able to absorb a growing flow of books. In addition, I worked directly with select authors.

Austin, Tx, Us

As Book In A Box grew (see my jobs below), my portfolio became narrower and deeper. At the end of 2016 we broke two big pieces off of my desk, setting up a new People department (taking away some of my freelancer-hiring work) and a Publishing department (taking over the job of turning finished manuscripts into books). In this role I supporedt the team that works with authors to produce beautiful manuscripts, from book development through final proofreading. My role was one of servant leadership, helping freelancers do their best work and thrive in the process. I was responsible for developing and implementing our processes, implementing and feeding our culture (the most important thing about BIAB), making final hiring decisions, and building teams. My overall job was to fire myself from whatever I was doing by setting up systems and processes, then bringing in and training up individuals and teams who are better at it than I was. At that point I got out of the way and went on to the next opportunity to add value to the company.

Austin, Tx, Us

I built and led a team of more than 80 freelancers and staff who worked with our authors to create approximately 30 nonfiction books per month. My purview covered all the steps in our book creation process, from structuring the book with the author through cover design. Our focus is not only on creating great books but equally on giving authors a fantastic experience and building a fanatical crew of devoted freelancers. I had the lead in building "the best gig in the gig economy" for our freelance team, and primary responsibility for ensuring the quality of our books.Book In A Box is a bootstrapped, multimillion-dollar company that has been cash-flow positive since its August 2014 founding. The publishing world has been undergoing creative destruction for 20 years. This is the creative half of that equation.

Austin, Tx, Us

I headed up the book creation process from initial outlining through finished manuscript. Our company during this time period grew at 30+ percent quarter-over-quarter since inception. As of early 2016 my team, which includes a core staff of three and approximately 70 freelancers, was producing approximately 30 books per month on behalf of our authors.

Austin, Tx, Us

I developed and outlined 8-10 nonfiction books per month in close collaboration with authors. I was responsible for hiring and supervising roughly one new outliner ever six weeks.

I conceive, produce, write, direct, and co-edit video productions as part of Take One Creative's client services. Our approach is curious and collaborative; we work with clients or their agencies to understand and, if necessary, refine messaging so that the video we create is the most effective it can be.

I am the co-founder of Take One Creative, a boutique creative agency that produces authentic content. Our clients include corporations (Whole Foods Market, DaVita, W.W. Norton, Storey Publishing), large NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, Rare), small businesses (Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, Atomik Climbing Holds), and small nonprofits (Social Venture Partners Boulder County, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union). Our documentary videos have been purchased by Outside TV and are distributed by Snag Films.The links below include our Vimeo page, where we have archived many of our projects, and several of our short documentaries. All three of these films went on national tour with Mountainfilm.

New York, Ny, Us

I worked with authors to develop, shape and complete their manuscripts.

I was asked to be the Creative Director and writer by the independent production firm Coldstream Creative. Together we completed a television-length documentary about the changing nature of progress in the American West.

Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Us

Responsible for editorial acquisition, managing staff and operations. I developed a number of contributors, kept the trains running on time, developed production and management systems, and helped the magazine win several Utne Awards (including general excellence) and garner a National Magazine Award nomination for work by a writer I acquired and edited.

Telluride, Colorado, Us

Responsible for funding and organizing a 25-year-old, $600,000 festival weekend and national film tour.

Boston, Us

I covered various subjects around the West, on assignment for the National Desk.

Paonia, Co, Us

Columnist syndicated to 77 newspapers around the American West.

Dallas, Tx, Us

I covered various topics around the West on assignment.

Boston, Ma, Us

I covered various topics around the West on assignment for the National Desk.

I wrote for more than 60 publications, covering the American West, business, the environment and lifestyle.

Oversaw all aspects of editorial direction, management, acquisition and production.

I wrote a monthly column about business and development in ski country.

Aspen, Colorado, Us

Wrote a weekly column, "Trout in the Milk," after Thoreau's quote, "there are some incongruities in life one cannot ignore, such as a trout in the milk."

I ran a 28-person daily publication in the smallest daily newspaper war in America (12,000 circulation in a town of 8,000). Our masthead motto: "If you don't want it printed, don't let it happen."

Boulder, Co, Us

Assistant to research director Amory Lovins