The Ultimate Self-Publishing Guide for Business Authors

The best business books don’t happen overnight. Business authors work as hard on the pre-work as they do on arranging the right words on every page, and sometimes they need a little help creating and following a road map to success. Here’s your complete guide to writing and self-publishing your business book and becoming an author-preneur. Equipped with this information and our Self-Publishing Checklist for Business Authors, you’re already on the right path! 

Understanding the process of writing a business book

There’s more to writing a business book than putting pen to paper (or, in most cases these days, putting fingers to computer keys). In order for your book to establish you as a subject matter expert, you have to carefully plan and outline your work and perform the right research before you start the actual writing process. 

Once your manuscript is complete, there’s editing, design, and formatting to be done—and then you can sell and market it as part of your personal brand. The more work you put into the entire project from outline through marketing, the better chance you have of establishing your thought leadership as a successful author. 

Conquering the pre-work for business book writing

You might have an idealistic picture of an author sitting down at their laptop and letting the words flow freely onto the page—but unfortunately, that’s not how most books for business leaders are created. You have a great idea for a book, but there are several steps to take before you begin writing. Here are a few tasks to plan for: 

• Consider why you’re writing your business book. Identifying your goals—whether it’s to help your peers, establish your personal brand, or boost your company’s brand—will give you a clear picture of what you want to accomplish. 
• Determine your target audience. The best business book authors know their readers and tailor their content accordingly. 
• Outline your book. Organize your thoughts and lay out the main points. 
• Research as needed. You’re writing a nonfiction book, which likely means you’ll have to find reliable, authoritative sources to quote and cite. 

Finally, create a reasonable schedule. As a businessperson, you likely have to address work-related issues every day, so give yourself a generous timeline that you can stick to and get your book written. 

Diving into the writing process

Next comes the fun part: writing! Keep to your schedule, whether it’s word count based (i.e., 5,000 words per week) or time based (i.e., eight hours per week). If your ideas evolve or change as you write, don’t worry—that’s a common and natural part of the process. You can always enlist the help of professional book publishing experts to evaluate your manuscript to make sure the structure, flow, and mechanics are as they should be and that your book will please and inform your audience.

Preparing your manuscript for self-publication

A completed draft is something to celebrate, so the first step in preparing your manuscript for self-publication is to pat yourself on the back! Maybe reward yourself with a little treat for accomplishing such a feat. 

Then it’ll be time to get back to work. Your draft will need to be read by a professional manuscript editing service whose experts can perform developmental editing, copyediting, line editing, and a final proofread. Then put your work in the hands of a creative book designer to create an eye-catching cover that’ll grab your audience’s attention as they’re scrolling through an online marketplace or strolling through their local bookstore. 

Finally, don’t overlook the importance of book formatting. Different retailers have different format requirements, particularly if you want to publish both hard copies and e-books, and their specifications can be very confusing. It’s best to put this task in the hands of trained professionals who’ll ensure that your book not only looks great but also abides by the guidelines of each of your retailers. 

Successfully selling and marketing your business book

The best business authors know their job isn’t done once their work is published and available for sale. Now it’s time to market the book to get it in front of more people. Here are a few book marketing services and strategies you can take advantage of to enhance your personal brand and thought leadership: 

• Write a press release from your company and cross-market with your business. 
• Obtain book reviews to enhance reader trust and boost your search rankings.
• Optimize your book listing with your online retailers. 
• Seek out speaking engagements where you discuss the expertise in your book.
• Engage with your audience on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. 

Successful marketing across multiple channels such as these lets you leverage your business book to solidify your place as a subject matter expert. Book marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, so give yourself time and then watch the book sales and speaking engagement requests roll in. 

Let us provide you with professional book publishing and marketing services!

You’re the expert in your field, and we’re the experts in self-publishing business books. From the first read of your draft all the way through marketing your masterpiece, we’ll be your partners in successful self-publication. 

Connect with a publishing expert today to learn more!