About Us
Our Story
BrightRay Publishing was founded with the mission of helping busy professionals write and publish books by converting their stories into career-enhancing tools that can distinguish themselves, their companies, and even their brands.
Our first book, written by BrightRay founder and CEO Scott Turman, proved that becoming a published author can take a career to new heights and led to the company’s evolution. As Scott struggled to formulate his thoughts early on in the writing process, he realized he needed guidance and contacted Zoe Rose, an experienced self-published author who ultimately became our co-founder and chief creative officer.
Once the original version of his industry memoir, A Nerd’s Guide to Negotiating Salary and Benefits, was published, it quickly reached Amazon’s top 10 list in its category. Its success earned Scott a Google knowledge panel, significantly improving the SERP for his brand. More publicity swiftly followed, including podcast appearances, blog post features, interviews, requests for quotations, and even a spot on Turkish national television.
Now in its second edition, the impact the book had on Scott’s brand led him to realize: if being a published author could dynamically change the trajectory of his career, it could do the same for countless other professionals.
Combining Scott’s business expertise with Zoe’s writing skills and publishing industry knowledge, they formalized their process, wrote a business plan, hired staff, and founded BrightRay Publishing.
Today, BrightRay serves executives and entrepreneurs from an array of industries, guiding them through each step of the writing, editing, publishing, and distributing process, and even publicizing their stories to global audiences. Our client authors have been featured in a wide range of media outlets, podcasts, and publications.
Our published books feature informative and edifying stories from fields such as digital marketing, insurance, cybersecurity, theme park executive leadership, supply line management, construction, entrepreneurship, business startups, decision-making, and much more.
Writing business books, whatever the field or subject matter, is what we do. Our team of professionals turns visions into reality, one book at a time.
OUR DYNAMIC TEAM
Scott Turman
Scott is an American technologist, entrepreneur, and author. Prior to founding BrightRay, he started his career writing code and cryptographic systems for organizations such as NASA, the US Department of Defense, Disney, and other Fortune 500s.
Zoe Rose
As a published author of both fiction and nonfiction, Zoe applies a decade of expertise to lead our creative teams in producing industry-defining books. Her knowledge, combined with her forward-thinking leadership, empowers BrightRay to make book writing more accessible to a larger audience.
Emily Batdorf
A creative expert with robust experience in freelance writing and developmental editing, Emily leads a diverse team in executing book development projects from ideation to publication. She acts as the writing team’s backbone and biggest cheerleader, empowering each team member to excel in their individual roles with her favorite word of praise: “Booyah!”
Jamie Fleming
Leveraging an extensive background in freelance writing, Jamie understands how critical it is to find a creative partner who will put in the hours to understand your story. With a can-do attitude and a dash of Southern charm, Jamie streamlines the writing process and develops publication-ready manuscripts for a high-achieving client base.
Arjan Sudick
Bringing a unique perspective from years of experience in film, content creation, and social media management, Arjan translates his passion for cinematic storytelling into engaging industry memoirs. When he’s not busy learning new concepts or churning out the next chapter, you can find Arjan baking pastries with his cat, Hendrix, in sunny LA.
Arya Dixit
Arya is an enthusiastic creative writer, editor, and SEO specialist who thoroughly enjoys hearing others’ stories and portraying them on the page with interesting, valuable language. With a bachelor’s degree in both English and psychology from Juniata College, Arya especially loves projects that speak to the human experience and allow her to flex her narrative skills.
Grace Tobin
"My mind wrinkles. My pen irons." Grace's six-word story is the basis of her life calling, one of all things writing. With her West Coast charm and love of continued learning, Grace connects with each client to uncover their expertise and translate their story into a book.
Spencer Lurcook
Spencer brings a lifelong passion for storytelling in all its forms to BrightRay, drawing from a background in both creative and technical writing. He earned his BFA in creative writing from Boise State University and utilizes that education to help clients immortalize their personal stories and experiences on paper. He crafts narratives that shine from the comfort of his home in Boise, Idaho, where he lives with his partner and cats.
Dannie Kinard
Dannie is a seasoned editor with a passion for refining manuscripts. With a BA in English Literature, certificates from the Editorial Freelancers Association and Poynter/ACES, and experience as an acquisitions editor, she brings a wealth of expertise to every project. Known for her keen eye for detail and approachable demeanor, she is dedicated to helping authors shine while fostering a friendly working environment.
Nicholas Aguirre
Leveraging more than a decade of experience in software development and integration, Nicholas works across teams and functions to identify improvement areas, apply sustainable technology, and increase process efficiency at all levels. His methodical approach and innovation-centric mindset drive BrightRay’s technical initiatives.
Kristen Haskins
Kristen is an integral part of the behind-the-scenes work at BrightRay as she supports a variety of the company’s operations to ensure our writers can do what they do best: write.
Mich Bout
Mich is a dynamic graphic design specialist who applies various years of experience to develop eye-catching book designs, interior layouts, and other design elements. She works with authors and cross-functional teams to transform creative ideas into outstanding books that readers pick off of shelves.
Jessie Joson
Jessie is a seasoned digital marketing specialist and communications leader who leverages more than 10 years of expertise to integrate digital storytelling strategies and deliver engaging content campaigns. His efforts drive brand awareness and allow BrightRay to build long-term partnerships on a global scale.
Lou Ferris
Backed by over 30 years of sales leadership and business management experience, Lou expertly guides executives and changemakers in their personal branding and publishing journeys. By pioneering client-centric solutions and spotting innovative opportunities, he personalizes the authorship experience for all.
Ed Trifone
With more than 25 years of business and nonprofit experience, Ed leads innovative marketing approaches, sales strategies, and operational transformations to champion BrightRay’s growth. His guidance enables entrepreneurs, executives, and other public figures to embark on their unique journeys to becoming published authors.