Legacy Literature is a confidential biography writing service designed for people at the pinnacle of their lives.
We’ve produced biographies for professional sports team owners, major media executives, international bank chairmen, inventors, and Fortune 500 CEOs to preserve their life stories in exquisitely produced books. Whether for posterity or publication, Legacy Literature strives to be the gold standard in biography writing.
We all have a story to tell, wisdom to share, and important lessons to impart. Legacy Literature protects those gems for future generations of your family.
Here’s how...
1
The book begins with you. Once a week, we’ll speak for an hour to discuss the many people, places and experiences that have defined your years. Our conversations will be guided by prompts submitted to you prior to each call. This interview process takes about nine months during which time we’ll also be writing your book.
2
Along with our weekly conversations, we’ll interview your friends, family, business associates and other meaningful relationships in your life to give greater context to your story. Their voices will add even more depth and perspective to your narrative.
3
As we make our way through your story, we’ll also conduct extensive research to ensure that each chapter is written in exquisite detail and illustrates how you connect to a broader American experience.
4
You will have a number of opportunities to review the manuscript throughout the process to make revisions. Once we have the text finalized, we’ll collaborate on your book’s design and printing.
Legacy Literature has profiled Super Bowl champions, Oscar-winning directors and prominent politicians.
We take the same approach to telling your story.
STYLE
Written with vivid detail, dynamic structure and clean, concise prose, your book will grip readers from the very first page. We’re not only trying to educate people; we're out to entertain them. Fluid dialogue, rich character development and a strong narrative arc will drive readers through your book in true page-turning fashion.
SUBSTANCE
We take a unique approach to crafting your story in the most compelling way possible. Combining interviews and exhaustive research, we strive to bring the past alive on the page, telling your story with all the energy and vibrancy of your favorite novel, but with the hard-nosed accuracy of an encyclopedia.
DESIGN
We enlist the top designers, photographers and printers to customize your book down to the finest detail. The final product will convey an unmistakable sense of importance the moment readers slide it off the shelf. Simply put: you’ll be able to judge this book by its cover.
Legacy Literature is not for everyone. We’ve specialized our process to meet the demands of high-powered individuals whose time is their most limited resource.
OUR CLIENTS
Legacy Literature specializes in writing biographies on top performers at the pinnacle of their lives and careers. Our approach is designed to capture the many chapters of their careers while also detailing pivotal life lessons, influential relationships and important stories.
EXCLUSIVITY
We only sign a select number of projects each year, allowing us to give each client our complete and undivided attention. This exclusivity also enables us to create full-length books (75,000 words or 250 pages), as opposed to abridged books commonly produced by our competitors.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Every aspect of your book will be held strictly confidential, which will be reinforced by a non-disclosure agreement. When your book is complete, you will retain the copyright.
PRESS
Testimonials
Sean McManus
Chairman of CBS Sports
"When Rob first mentioned the idea of writing a book on my life, I was hesitant for a number of reasons, but finally saying yes is one of my best decisions I’ve ever made. The process has been totally painless, and in fact I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Rob has managed to not only perfectly capture my life, but also that of my family. His sensitivity and storytelling has been truly remarkable. I never imagined my story could actually be told in such an entertaining, nuanced and insightful way. I will be proud that for generations to come my family and friends will enjoy this wonderful work. I can not thank Rob enough for his hard work, creativity and amazing result. I would enthusiastically recommend this process to anyone who wants to memorialize their life and times. It is so completely worth it. I am happy to discuss this process with any potential clients."
Chad Gifford
Chairman emeritus of Bank of America
When my wife and daughters first suggested the idea of a book, I was reluctant as it sounded too personal and perhaps even egotistical. But they pushed me to at least sit down with Rob and hear about the process. I quickly learned that his easy-going manner combined with the expected process would be interesting, enjoyable and worthwhile for our family. Rob has a talent that immediately establishes a sense of trust. This in turn created an openness and willingness to recall all sorts of memories, many that I had long since forgotten. Rob’s research helped guide events that impacted my career. I found that the more we talked the more past events came to life. The positive and the troublesome became easy to discuss and ponder. We started with the early years with parental and sibling relationships. Rob asked lots of questions about the impact childhood might have had on the evolution of character and attitude. It was very thought-provoking. He urged me to explore how my past experiences continued to affect my priorities and values. Once again, Rob’s professional style continuously evoked interesting self-reflections. It's been a great experience. I hope it will be as interesting and fun for our children, grandchildren, and future generations to read.
Bill Bishop
Founder of Blue Buffalo Company, SoBe Beverages and Sierra Communications
"Working with Rob is both easy and interesting. After an in-person meeting and review of some of the books he has written, we had weekly calls which lasted an hour and worked off a subject outline to keep our calls productive and book development on schedule. We also got together to review historical family photos and scrapbooks kept by my grandmothers recording my high school and college athletic achievements. And he devoted significant time to researching the key news events that were taking place at various times during my life which added some real context to what I was doing. The depth of this process is what separates Legacy Literature from any of the other “life story” publishers, and which results in a book that is truly interesting reading. I would recommend Legacy Literature to anyone who feels that a story of their life would be of value to their family. It’s personally a very satisfying experience, and will allow future generations to understand and appreciate your contributions to their lives."
Finn Wentworth
Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor in major commercial real estate and sports ventures
"Rob Cocuzzo and Legacy Literature did an outstanding job of protecting and sharing my life legacy for the greater Wentworth family. Over my six decades of life, I had often considered writing about the many events, experiences, successes and “learning experiences” as insight for future generations, but each time I would dedicate the time to write, I would promptly paint myself into the corner. Rob masterfully not only extracted me from that “corner” but patiently and elegantly brought his keen insights that helped create a thorough, concise and entertaining book that my children have already enjoyed—and that hopefully their own children will appreciate someday. My Legacy book is now a valued treasure for each of our sons, and several of my lifelong friends who helped in its creation. Personally, I would highly recommend using Rob and Legacy Literature to put down in writing the marvelous—and sometimes not so marvelous—life experiences for the benefit and protection of yourself, your family and friends."
P. Kevin Condron
Chairman of the Granite Group
"Writing an autobiography is a daunting task. After selling the business and having too much time on my hands, a friend suggested that I write a book, and he had just the author. At first, I was negative as I did not feel that the story of my life was worth telling. After noodling it around for a bit, I decided to give it serious thought. It was clear to me that the chemistry between me and the scribe was paramount. I met with Rob Cocuzzo and immediately felt that we could make music together. We have worked on the project for the past year. Rob is a true professional. He does what he says and has a rich writing style. I am delighted to add my name to Rob's fan club."
Phyllis Rappaport
Co-Founder and Treasurer of Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Chair of the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Charitable Foundation
"Rob’s gift of biography captures my husband’s life force and story for our many children, grandchildren, and close colleagues. I am grateful we started the book when we did. It is a special treasure because my husband died before it was finished. Rob Cocuzzo’s approach to biography is expert in many important ways. His interviews are well organized to maximize the value of his client interactions. His interview process is thoughtful, engaging, respectful. He manages to imagine the client’s past in a way that feels real and compelling. He does significant research so he can go back in time and describe the human interactions as they may have occurred."
Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO of Mavens & Moguls
"Rob and his team’s process of asking questions, eliciting thoughts, weaving in context and history is magic and the resulting book is pure gold. In this world of Internet speed, pretend friends and fast fashion, I loved talking with Rob about my journey. I think this is one of the most important things I have ever done and will certainly leave a lasting impression. It’s amazing to connect the dots your life from this perspective and see the themes emerge. I appreciate Rob sharing this gift with me!"
The Team
Robert Cocuzzo
Founder & Chief Biographer
Robert Cocuzzo is an award-winning writer who has profiled some of the most prominent figures in the country. As the longtime editor of Nantucket Magazine, he’s penned authorized profiles on everyone from Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick to Oscar-winning director Ron Howard. The author of two critically acclaimed books—The Road to San Donato and Tracking the Wild Coomba— Cocuzzo strives to tell his clients’ stories in the most compelling and engaging ways possible, immortalizing their lives in books that will be passed down for generations
Emily Vaartstra
Biographer
Emily Vaartstra is an award-winning writer based in Los Angeles. After studying journalism at the University of Idaho, Emily earned her MFA in Screenwriting from Boston University, where she also taught courses in storytelling for film and television. With her background in film, Emily writes her biographies with a cinematic style that pulls readers into every scene, bringing to life the people, places and circumstances in vivid detail. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including being selected as a finalist for the Universal Animation Writers Program.
Michael Wejchert
Biographer
Michael Wejchert is an award-winning writer who has penned essays, features, profiles, and opinion pieces for a wide range of national publications, including the New York Times, Climbing and Adventure Journal. In 2013, he won the Waterman Fund Essay Contest. In 2022 one of his essays was shortlisted at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. His first book, Hidden Mountains, about a climb gone wrong in a remote corner of Alaska, was released in 2023. Michael has also ghostwritten books that have received significant critical acclaim.
Judy Marchman
Copy Editor & Fact-Checker
Judy Marchman has more than twenty years of experience as an editor of nonfiction books and trade and association magazines. During her time as managing editor for Eclipse Press in Lexington, Kentucky, Judy brought her editing skills to more than 100 trade nonfiction titles, working with authors to see their manuscripts through the process from beginning to end. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Texas at Austin and co-founded the Austin Editors Guild. As an editor, she provides a full range of editing services, including substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading.
Brian Maranian
Print Expert
Brian Maranian learned the print industry from the bottom up, beginning on the shop floor as a high school student at his family’s print shop. While earning a degree at Bentley University, he went on to master every department in printing, from estimating, to prepress, on-press, finishing, shipping, to customer service. Understanding printing both as a craft and as a business, Brian utilizes his knowledge of the latest technology to provide Legacy Literature clients with entirely customized books from cover to cover.
We’re currently booking projects for 2024
Schedule a thirty-minute consultation
BOSTON, MA
(781) 572-1734
