Dylan Pratt on carrying dad, Scott Pratt’s work forward
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Lessons in estate planning, ghostwriting, and book marketing from the Pratt family
Continuing an author’s legacy sounds simple until you actually try to do it. That much becomes clear from a conversation with Dylan Pratt. Dylan is the son of Scott Pratt, a legal thriller author who sold millions of copies before his passing in 2018. What follows is a recap of that conversation, along with the questions worth asking anyone thinking about legacy planning.
From verizon to full-time publisher
Dylan didn’t start out as a publishing professional. He was working at Verizon in 2012 when he began helping his father with the business side of self-publishing. Scott wasn’t tech-savvy, and Dylan filled that gap. Within five months, sales took off. That growth was enough for Scott to bring Dylan on full-time. Ten years later, Dylan was still running the operation, handling everything from the website to social media.
The road from traditional to self-published
Scott’s Joe Dillard series was originally published by Penguin. Then Amazon and the Kindle arrived, and traditional publishers grew nervous. His books, as Dylan put it, died on the vine. A fourth manuscript was rejected outright. Eventually Scott got the rights back to his first three books. He dove into self-publishing research, and Dylan joined him. In 2012, they relaunched the series on their own terms.
Finding bookbub and the big break
Early pricing strategy was simple: keep everything at 99 cents and chase visibility. A single consultation led Dylan to BookBub, a service that would change everything. In April 2013, their first BookBub feature gave away 75,000 copies of An Innocent Client in one day. Scott hated giving away that many books for free. Still, the exposure paid off enormously. Once they hit 100 reviews, they raised prices to $2.99, and sales actually increased.
When tragedy struck twice
In May 2018, the ninth Joe Dillard novel reached the top 20 on the Kindle charts. At the same time, Dylan’s mother was gravely ill. She passed away in June. Scott had also promised two aspiring writers he would co-author books with them before he died. He released the first of those collaborations around November 2nd. He passed away roughly nine days later, on November 11th.
Fulfilling a father’s promises
Dylan chose to honor every commitment his father had made. He continued the co-authored projects with writers Kelly Hodge and Mark Stout. Scott had also signed a three-book deal with Audible Originals before he died. He was only halfway through the first manuscript, a story with a female protagonist. Dylan tracked down a writer, mapped out the remaining plot from memory, and finished the book. That novel, Blood Is Black, launches the new Presley Carter series.
Finding the right ghostwriter
Dylan admits he isn’t a novelist himself. Legal thrillers demand courtroom accuracy that came naturally to his father, a former criminal defense attorney. For the tenth Joe Dillard book, Dylan and his uncle plotted the full story arc together. After nine months and only a few chapters, they realized they needed outside help. Dylan eventually discovered Gotham Ghost Writers, an agency connecting authors with vetted collaborators. He describes his own role as something like a showrunner, guiding a hired writer through his father’s voice and characters.
Setting up a trust for the future
This is where continuing an author’s legacy gets legally complicated. Scott had set up a trust before he passed, assigning all his publishing rights to it. Dylan was brought into every meeting, building relationships with the trustees early on. He recommends this structure to any author thinking ahead. An outside trustee removes potential conflict among family members entirely.
Who really owns the copyright
Inside the trust sits a business entity called Scott Pratt Investments. That entity technically owns the copyrights to every book. Any major decision, including film and television rights, must go through the trust. The trustee is meant to act as a neutral party. Their job is balancing the original author’s goals against what benefits the beneficiaries.
Marketing advice for authors
Dylan closed the conversation with practical marketing tips for other writers. Build an email list before you even publish your first book. Set up a website, a Facebook page, a Goodreads profile, and a BookBub author page. Keep your branding bold and consistent across every platform. Editing matters more than most authors want to admit. Don’t be afraid to discount books or give them away to build an audience.
Where to start reading
If you’re new to Scott Pratt’s work, Dylan suggests starting with An Innocent Client, the first Joe Dillard novel. It has earned tens of thousands of reviews on Amazon. For readers wanting something newer, Blood Is Black introduces the Presley Carter series. It’s available now on Audible, with Kindle and paperback editions following shortly after.
Final thoughts
Continuing an author’s legacy takes more than good intentions. It requires legal structure, trusted collaborators, and a deep understanding of the original voice. Dylan Pratt’s story offers a real blueprint for authors and families facing that same transition. Whatever stage your own estate planning is at, it’s worth starting the conversation now.
The blog post was developed from a previous First Draft Friday conversation between Alessandra Torre and Dylan Pratt. You can view the full 30 miniute interview here on YouTube.
Images are A.I. generated
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