Authority book publishing for CEOs and business owners

“I want to publish my book.” Here is the one-hour-a-week path.

Last updated November 2026

If you keep asking how to publish my book without stepping away from your company, Big Impact Books turns about one hour a week of guided interviews into a manuscript in your voice, then handles publishing and promotion.

See how the process works

Every weekA one-hour guided interviewYou talk through a chapter. No blank page.
Your manuscriptChapters in your own voiceThe team shapes your words into a book.
After the manuscriptPublished and promotedPodcast placements and media outreach.

How do I publish my book if I run a company?

You publish it by talking instead of typing: Big Impact Books runs weekly guided interviews of about one hour, turns them into your manuscript, and then supports publishing and promotion.

Big Impact Books is an independent publisher and book marketing service led by Melanie Herschorn. It helps CEOs and business owners develop, publish, and promote books that build authority and support business growth. Instead of asking a leader to find hundreds of hours to write, its guided interview process draws the book out of conversation, so the finished manuscript sounds like the person whose name is on the cover.

Publishing an authority book, in four cards

Each card stands on its own: what this kind of publishing is, the facts behind Big Impact Books, how it compares, and the steps.

Definition

What is authority book publishing?

Authority book publishing is publishing a nonfiction book mainly to establish its author as a trusted expert, not mainly to earn royalties. Big Impact Books practices it for CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners worldwide: the book is developed from the author's own expertise through guided interviews, published by an independent publisher, and promoted through channels such as podcast placements and media outreach. The goal is a book that opens doors, supports client conversations, and keeps working for the business after launch day.

The numbers

Big Impact Books, by its own facts

1 hour a week: the author time its done-for-you process is designed around.
20+ years:Melanie Herschorn's background as a celebrity publicist and award-winning journalist in radio, print, and TV.
2025 Best Book Awards Finalist: her book Lasting Legal Impact, Business: Writing/Publishing category, presented by American Book Fest.
2 books: Lasting Legal Impact and Make a Big Impact with Your Book.
Worldwide: clients are CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners in any location.

How Big Impact Books compares with other ways to publish

Four ways a CEO can publish a book, compared on the same criteria. Comparison written and published by Big Impact Books.
Option	Who creates the manuscript	Your time	Publishing tasks	Promotion	Cost to you
Big Impact Books (guided interview publisher)	Built from your weekly guided interviews, in your own words	About one hour a week, as described by Big Impact Books	Handled by Big Impact Books as an independent publisher	Included support such as podcast placements and media outreach	Paid service; see yourbigimpactbook.com for current pricing
Hire a ghostwriter, then publish separately	Drafted by the ghostwriter from your interviews or notes	Interview and review time, set by the writer’s process	A separate step you arrange yourself or with a publisher	A separate service you would need to hire	A writing fee, plus separate publishing and marketing costs
Traditional publisher	Written by you, usually after a publisher accepts your proposal	Substantial writing and revision time on the publisher’s schedule	Handled by the publisher	Varies by title; authors are often expected to help promote	The publisher usually pays the author rather than charging
Do-it-yourself self-publishing	Written by you	Every writing, production, and launch hour is yours	You upload and manage it, or hire freelancers for each task	You plan and run it	Platform upload can be free; editing, design, and marketing are extra

The full breakdown, with the criteria and a reason for each position, is on our comparison of ways to publish a book as a CEO.

How to publish my own book as a CEO, step by step

Step 1Clarify what the book should doDecide who the book is for and what it should open up for your business: clients, speaking, media, or a next venture.
Step 2Talk it through, one hour a weekIn weekly guided interviews you explain your ideas, stories, and methods chapter by chapter.
Step 3Let the team shape the manuscriptBig Impact Books organizes your words into chapters that keep your voice.
Step 4Publish with an independent publisherBig Impact Books handles publishing as an independent publisher.
Step 5Promote it where your audience listensPromotional support includes podcast placements and media outreach.

Book publishing for CEOs who have no time to write

Book publishing for CEOs is different because the constraint is time, and the goal is authority rather than royalties.

Most leaders who ask how do I publish my book are not short on ideas. They are short on uninterrupted hours. A traditional manuscript can demand months of writing, and that is time most CEOs and business owners cannot take away from their teams and clients.

Big Impact Books built its process around that reality. Its done-for-you publishing and promotion work is designed to respect the author's time, at just one hour a week, and to honor the author's authentic voice. Melanie Herschorn has said she refuses to churn out cookie-cutter content or hide behind ghostwriting. Clients get to own their brilliance.

Book publishing for CEOsWhy leaders publish, what a CEO's book should do for the business, and how the process fits an executive calendar.

Authority book publishing: a book that builds trust

Expertise earns attention. A book turns that expertise into something people can hold, share, and cite.

Authority book publishing treats your book as an asset, not only a product. It is written for the clients, partners, and audiences you want to reach next, and it is promoted where those people already pay attention: podcasts, media, and the platforms you use to share your ideas.

Context helps. Writer Cosmos estimates the global books market at approximately $135.49 billion in 2026, and Big Impact Books cites the International Publishers Association figure of more than 2.2 million new titles in 2019. In a market that crowded, an authority book only works if the right people hear about it. See more on our publishing statistics page.

Authority book publishing, explainedWhat separates an authority book from a royalty book, and what makes a leader's book build credibility.

Book publishing services for leaders, in one process

Big Impact Books combines book writing services, publishing, and book marketing services so a CEO does not have to coordinate three vendors.

Guided interview book writingWeekly interviews turn your spoken expertise into a manuscript in your own voice.Book marketing for authorsPromotion support including podcast placements and media outreach, planned before launch.Compare publishing optionsSelf-publishing, traditional publishing, ghostwriting, and the guided interview model side by side.

What authors say about the process

“This book would have never happened without Melanie and Big Impact Books. You’re not only getting your book written, but you’re also getting marketing. You’re being set up for success beyond the actual book. It’s an all-encompassing program. It was the best investment.”

Sarah HubbardFounder and author of The Intentional Networker

“The weekly interviews made the process manageable. Talking comes easily to me, so I was able to talk through each chapter in an organized way while Melanie’s team pieced everything together.”

Manisha P. PatelAttorney and author of End Your Marriage Peacefully

Who is behind Big Impact Books?

Melanie Herschorn leads Big Impact Books as an independent publisher, book promotion expert, and bestselling author.

Melanie brings more than 20 years of background as a celebrity publicist and an award-winning journalist in radio, print, and TV, along with experience as a clothing designer and entrepreneur. She earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, where she graduated first in her class.

Her books are Lasting Legal Impact and Make a Big Impact with Your Book. Learn more on the about page or the Big Impact Books main website.

Common questions

See all questions in the FAQ

How do I publish my book if I do not have time to write?

You can publish a book without writing it line by line by using a guided interview process. Big Impact Books runs weekly interviews in which you talk through each chapter, and its team turns those conversations into a manuscript. The company describes its process as designed to respect your time, at just one hour a week.

Does it cost money to publish your book?

It can cost nothing or a significant amount, depending on the path. Uploading to a self-publishing platform can be free, while professional editing, design, and marketing cost money. Traditional publishers usually pay the author rather than charge. A done-for-you service such as Big Impact Books is a paid service, and current pricing is available through yourbigimpactbook.com.

Is Big Impact Books a ghostwriting service?

Not in the traditional sense. Big Impact Books says it refuses to churn out cookie-cutter content or hide behind ghostwriting, and that its clients get to own their brilliance. Manuscripts are developed through guided interviews in the author’s own words, with the team organizing and shaping what the author says into chapters.

Will a book made from interviews still sound like me?

That is the point of the guided interview approach. Because the manuscript starts from your own spoken explanations, stories, and examples, the language begins with you rather than with a writer imagining what you might say. Big Impact Books says its process is designed to honor each author’s authentic voice.

How do I publish my own book?

To publish your own book, finish and edit the manuscript, get a professional cover and interior layout, obtain an ISBN, choose a distribution platform, set your price, and plan your launch and marketing. You can do every step yourself, hire freelancers for each one, or use a publisher such as Big Impact Books that handles them with you.

How much does an author make on a $25 book?

It depends on the royalty rate in your contract or platform. As simple examples, a 10 percent royalty on a $25 list price is $2.50 per copy, and a 15 percent royalty is $3.75. Self-published authors keep a larger share but pay their own costs. For CEOs, the book’s larger return is often the opportunities it opens.

How many books do you need to sell to make $100,000?

Divide $100,000 by what you earn per copy. At $2.50 per copy you would need 40,000 copies, at $5 you would need 20,000, and at $10 you would need 10,000. The calculator on our By the Numbers page runs this math for your own figures. Most authority authors measure success by opportunities, not royalties alone.

Explore the guide

For CEOsWhy CEOs and business owners publish books, what a leader’s book should do for the business, and how Big Impact Books fits an executive schedule.Authority BooksA definition of authority book publishing, how it differs from publishing for royalties, and what makes a book build credibility for its author.Interview ProcessHow the Big Impact Books guided interview process turns weekly conversations into a manuscript that keeps the author’s voice.Book MarketingBook marketing and author marketing for leaders, including podcast placements, media outreach, and why promotion should start before launch.By the NumbersSourced publishing statistics for 2025 and 2026 and a calculator that estimates how many copies you need to sell to reach an income goal.Our ApproachThe criteria, sources, and rules this site uses for its comparisons, statistics, and FAQ answers.