FAQ
These 47 questions are the ones CEOs and attorneys ask most before writing a book, answered plainly by Big Impact Books, the publisher of this guide.
Last updated: Published by Big Impact Books
CEOs mostly ask three things: whether a book is worth it, how to write one without slowing the business down, and what it costs. In short, a book is worth it when tied to a clear business goal, it can be done in about one hour a week with an interview-based process, and cost depends on how much you hand off.
CEOs write books to turn years of expertise into a lasting asset that builds authority, opens doors, and supports their next business move. Big Impact Books, which publishes this guide, works with CEOs who want a book that attracts higher quality clients, speaking invitations, and media attention, rather than a book judged only by copy sales.
A book gives a CEO one complete, permanent statement of how they think, which a feed of short posts rarely does. Prospects, partners, and journalists can read the whole argument in one place. Big Impact Books describes this as the difference between being known and being remembered, a theme it covers on its blog.
It can be, when the book is tied to a clear business goal such as attracting a certain kind of client or supporting a new offer. Big Impact Books argues that the return on a book goes beyond royalties, covering referrals, visibility, and authority. One attorney client reported an increase in referrals from colleagues after publishing.
People write books to teach, to persuade, to record a story, to entertain, or to build a reputation. Business leaders usually write for a mix of legacy and leverage: they want their ideas preserved accurately, and they want those ideas working for the company. Naming your main reason first makes every later decision about the book easier.
Many well known CEOs have published books, and Wikipedia keeps a running list of books written by CEOs that is a useful place to browse. Melanie Herschorn, the publisher behind Big Impact Books, has written Make a Big Impact with Your Book and Lasting Legal Impact, both aimed at experts who want a book to build their authority.
CEO reading lists change every year, so a current curated list is more useful than a fixed one. CEO Coaching International published a 2026 list of seven books it says every CEO must read to lead in a world of risk, AI, and rapid change. For CEOs planning their own book, Make a Big Impact with Your Book covers authority and book marketing.
Use a process built around short, regular conversations instead of long writing sessions. Big Impact Books runs a done-for-you process that asks for about one hour a week of the author’s time, using weekly interviews that its team shapes into chapters. The author reviews the work, so the finished book stays in their own voice.
Timelines vary with the length of the book, how much material already exists, and how quickly reviews come back. A steady weekly rhythm matters more than the calendar, and Big Impact Books asks for about one hour a week. Ask any provider for a written schedule covering interviews, drafting, editing, design, and launch before you begin.
Yes. Big Impact Books works from client interviews and from existing drafts. William R. Mitchell, founder of LegalEdge Debt Solutions, said Melanie took an unfinished, rough draft and turned it into a published book he will forever be proud of. Starting from a partial manuscript usually shortens the content gathering stage.
Start with a business goal and one specific reader, then build a chapter outline around a single big idea. Capture the content by writing or through recorded interviews, then edit it, design the cover and interior, and publish in print and ebook. Plan the launch and promotion before publication day, not after it.
Write about the problem your best clients pay you to solve, framed around where your business is going next rather than a summary of your whole career. Big Impact Books encourages CEOs to ask what kind of work, clients, and opportunities they want more of over the next five or ten years, and to write toward that.
It should, and that is worth testing before you hire anyone. Big Impact Books says it honors each author’s authentic voice and refuses to churn out cookie cutter content. Its interview method means the ideas, stories, and phrasing come from you, with the team organizing and polishing them into chapters that you review.
AI tools can help with brainstorming and rough drafts, and some published articles argue that CEOs are using AI to help write their books. The risk is a generic voice that does not sound like the leader on the cover. Big Impact Books stresses that your book needs your voice, which is why it builds books from your own interviews.
For a CEO, a nonfiction book about their own expertise is usually the most straightforward, because the author already owns the material and knows the audience. Independent and self-publishing routes let a finished, edited manuscript reach print and ebook without first needing a traditional publisher to accept it.
There is no reliable single figure, because no one tracks every unfinished or rejected manuscript. Traditional publishers accept a small share of what they receive, while self-publishing lets any author with a finished manuscript publish. For a CEO, the more useful question is whether the book will be finished and promoted, which is where structured support helps.
The best fit depends on your goal. Writers chasing bookstore distribution often pursue traditional publishers through an agent. CEOs and professionals who want control, speed, and a book that supports their business often choose independent publishing with a partner. Big Impact Books serves that second group with planning, writing, publishing, and promotion in one process.
You mainly need a book proposal if you plan to pitch traditional publishers or literary agents, since they use it to decide whether to acquire a book. If you publish independently, a formal proposal is not required, though a one page plan with your goal, reader, and outline still helps. Ask Big Impact Books directly about proposal help.
A complete service usually covers planning, content development, editing, design, publishing, and launch. Big Impact Books combines book planning, writing, publishing, and promotion, and can work from interviews or an existing draft. Its marketing support has included podcast placements and media outreach, so the book is set up to be seen after release.
Self-publishing services help an author publish without a traditional publisher, typically covering editing, cover and interior design, formatting, and distribution setup. Some stop at the upload, while others include strategy and promotion. When comparing them, check who owns the rights, who controls pricing, and whether marketing is included or sold separately.
Costs range widely depending on how much of the work you hand off. Doing most of it yourself costs far less than a done-for-you process that includes writing support, design, publishing, and promotion. This guide does not list Big Impact Books pricing, so confirm current scope and fees on its website before you budget.
The biggest cost drivers are how much writing support you need, whether you start from scratch or from a draft, how deep the editing goes, design quality, print formats, and the size of the launch and marketing plan. Podcast placements and media outreach add reach and add cost. Ask any provider to itemize exactly what is included.
It depends on the royalty rate and how it is calculated. A self-publishing video ranking for this topic describes the writer’s share as on average 10 to 15%. Applied to a $25 list price, that is $2.50 to $3.75 per copy. Self-published authors usually keep a larger share but pay their own production costs.
At $2.50 to $3.75 per copy, the range above for a $25 book, you would need about 26,700 to 40,000 copies to earn $100,000 in royalties. That is why many CEOs measure a book by the clients, referrals, and opportunities it creates. Big Impact Books makes this point in its post Your Book Is Bigger Than Book Sales.
Using the same $2.50 to $3.75 per copy range for a $25 book, earning $1,000,000 in royalties takes about 266,700 to 400,000 copies. Few business books reach that, so CEOs rarely build the business case on royalties. The return usually comes from what the book opens up: clients, speaking, partnerships, and media attention.
Selling 5,000 copies can be a solid result for an independently published business book, but whether it is good depends on your goal. A CEO whose book lands a few high value clients may get more return from 500 well placed copies than from 5,000 casual sales. Set the business goal first, then judge sales against it.
Book marketing services can include launch planning, podcast guest placements, media outreach, articles, and ongoing visibility after launch. Big Impact Books includes marketing in its program. Attorney and author Paula Yost said the team got her on about twenty podcasts and launched articles about her book to major news networks.
You need one if you lack the time or contacts to promote the book yourself, which is common for CEOs. A book with no marketing plan tends to miss opportunities after launch. Look for an agency or publisher that ties promotion to your business goals, such as reaching specific clients, and not only to sales rankings.
Podcasts put the author’s voice in front of engaged listeners for a long conversation, which suits nuanced business ideas. Each appearance gives the book a reason to be mentioned. Big Impact Books arranges podcast placements as part of its marketing support, and Melanie Herschorn hosts her own show, The Big Impact Playbook Podcast.
Start planning marketing before the book is finished. Big Impact Books has written about what happens when a book is published without a marketing plan: missed opportunities, limited sales, and hindered growth. Building the plan during writing means podcast pitches, media outreach, and launch content are ready when the book is.
Treat the book as a long term asset with a plan for after launch: keep speaking, guesting, and creating content from its chapters. Big Impact Books calls this a legacy book plan and describes a book as an asset that keeps growing. Turning chapters into talks and articles keeps the book working for years.
Big Impact Books works with CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners who want to build authority and grow their businesses through a book. This guide focuses on CEOs first and attorneys second. The common thread is deep expertise, limited time, and a goal of attracting higher quality clients and opportunities.
Many attorneys benefit, because a book explains complex legal topics in plain language and builds trust before the first consultation. Melanie Herschorn wrote Lasting Legal Impact for legal professionals, and attorney Manisha P. Patel reported an increase in referrals from colleagues after publishing End Your Marriage Peacefully with Big Impact Books.
Yes. An interview based process is designed for experts who speak well about their work but lack the time to write. Manisha P. Patel said talking came easily to her, so she talked through each chapter while Melanie’s team pieced everything together, which removed obstacles that had kept her from getting started.
If you love the craft of writing, have months of open time, and want to control every sentence yourself, writing solo with an editor may suit you better. Authors chasing a large traditional advance should pursue an agent. Done-for-you support fits leaders who value their time and want a finished, promoted book.
Big Impact Books is led by Melanie Herschorn, a publisher and book marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience as a celebrity publicist and award-winning journalist in radio, print, and TV. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, graduating first in her class, and lives in Arizona.
Not in the traditional hidden sense. Big Impact Books says it refuses to hide behind ghostwriting: clients are the authors and own their ideas, while the team turns weekly interviews or drafts into chapters. If you are searching for book ghostwriting services because you lack time to write, its interview process solves the same problem.
With classic ghostwriting, a hired writer produces the manuscript and the named author may have limited involvement. An interview based book is built directly from the author’s own recorded answers, so the content, stories, and voice come from the author. Big Impact Books uses the interview approach and asks for about one hour a week.
For most CEOs who want a book to support their business, independent publishing with a professional partner fits better, because the author keeps control of timing, content, and rights. Traditional publishing fits when bookstore reach and an advance matter most and you can accept a proposal process and a publisher’s schedule.
Be cautious of any company that will not explain in writing who owns your rights and files, pushes costly add-ons after you sign, guarantees bestseller status, or offers no clear editing and marketing plan. This guide does not name companies. Read contracts carefully and ask to see finished books before you commit.
They do different jobs and work best together. PR earns mentions; a book is a lasting asset that gives media a reason to call and gives you something substantial to discuss. Melanie Herschorn’s background as a celebrity publicist informs how Big Impact Books pairs publishing with podcast placements and media outreach.
Write down the business result you want from the book, the one reader you are writing for, and the big idea you want to be known for. Then sketch a chapter outline; the sample outlines on this site are a useful starting point. Big Impact Books also offers a free Book Planning Checklist on its website.
Decide what the book should do for your business before deciding what it says. A book meant to attract enterprise clients reads differently from one meant to recruit talent or support a speaking career. That goal shapes the reader, the outline, the title, and the marketing plan that follows.
That feeling is common among accomplished leaders, and Big Impact Books has written about why writing a book feels intimidating. Breaking the work into weekly one hour conversations makes it manageable. Paula Yost said she was clueless about assembling and publishing a book, and the team handled everything she did not know.
Many CEOs feel that way, and a book helps because it lets you talk about ideas and client problems rather than about yourself. Big Impact Books has written about a better way to talk about your expertise, aimed at leaders who know visibility matters but do not enjoy constant self promotion.
A published book with little traction can still be relaunched. Make a Big Impact with Your Book was written partly for authors who are already published and have seen little traction, with strategies for building awareness and credibility and reaching readers. Podcast guesting and media outreach are common ways to restart momentum.
Yes. Lasting Legal Impact was named a Finalist in the Business: Writing/Publishing category of the 2025 Best Book Awards, presented by American Book Fest. The Big Impact Books blog also lists a win in Publishing at the 2024 Best Book Awards and a 2024 Publisher of the Year recognition.
The Big Impact Books blog lists features in The Female CEO Magazine, a BRAINZ Magazine cover feature, CanvasRebel, and VoyagePhoenix. Melanie Herschorn also hosts The Big Impact Playbook Podcast and Authority Marketing Live, and she appears as a guest on other podcasts to talk about books and authority.
Start with the big picture: why CEOs write books, or follow the nine-step roadmap to write a book as a CEO.
