Dr. Ken Atchity, Story Merchant
With nearly fifty years experience in the publishing world, and twenty-five years in entertainment, Dr. Ken Atchity is a self-defined “story merchant”—writer, producer, career coach, teacher, and literary manager, responsible for launching dozens of books and films. His life’s passion is finding great storytellers and turning them into bestselling authors and screenwriters.
Ken has produced over thirty films, including “Angels in the Snow” (Kristy Swanson), “Hysteria” (Maggie Gyllenhaal), “Expatriate” (Aaron Eckhart), the Emmy-nominated “The Kennedy Detail” (Discovery), “The Lost Valentine” (Betty White; Hallmark Hall of Fame), “Joe Somebody” (Tim Allen; Fox), “Life or Something Like It” (Angelina Jolie; Fox), “The Amityville Horror” (NBC), “Shadow of Obsession” (NBC), “The Madam’s Family” (Ellen Burstyn; CBS), “Gospel Hill” (Danny Glover; Fox), and “14 Days with Alzheimer’s” (with Story Merchant client Lisa Cerasoli).
Films in development include “The Book of Leah,” “Demonkeeper,” “Dr. Fuddle and the Gold Baton,” and “Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not!” (starring Jim Carrey, Paramount). Full film bio at imdb.
His many books include guides for writers at every stage of their careers, like A Writer’s Time and Writing Treatments that Sell.
Based on his own teaching and writing experience, Ken has successfully built bestselling careers for novelists, nonfiction writers, and screenwriters from the ground up. Clients include bestsellers Steve Alten, Jerry Blaine and Lisa McCubbin, Royce Buckingham, Alaya Johnson, Clint Hill, John Scott Shepherd, Noire, Shirley Palmer, Dennis Palumbo, James Michael Pratt, Larry Thompson, Tracy Price-Thompson, Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not!, Cheryl Saban, Governor Jesse Ventura, Dacre Stoker, Clint Hill, Jerry Blaine and Lisa McCubbin.
Ken’s Story Merchant companies, AEI, Story Merchant Books and The Writer’s Lifeline have provided full-service development and management machine for commercial and literary writers who wish to launch their storytelling in all media–from publishing and film and television production, to Web presence and merchandising & licensing.