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Books - Perfect Bound, Self-publishing Posted by Ann O'Brien on 12/11/2024

Are you interested in business book publishing? Writing one can be a great way to build your brand, establish your credibility, and share your knowledge with the world.

Use Business Book Publishing to Power Your Success

Authoring a book is a good way to enhance your career and build your brand. When your biography includes the line “book author,” you gain immediate credibility. It shows that you:

• know your industry inside-out.
• are knowledgeable and experienced.
• have promising ideas to share.
• can explain complicated concepts in simple language.
• have confidence in your skills.

Besides building your brand and authority, business book publishing can make you money if you market it correctly. Business book publishing is also an excellent gift to offer as a lead magnet to build your email list.

Best Selling Business Books

According to the New York Times, these are the top-selling business books of 2024. As you can see, they range from practical guides to biographies of successful entrepreneurs.

• Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Cleary. This business book teaches the reader to build small, daily habits that improve work and home life.
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin with Neil Strauss. This guide to enhancing creativity is aimed at artists and those who want to live with more creativity.
• Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. This is a biography of the controversial, elusive billionaire.
• Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant: The author teaches readers to develop the character traits and practical skills needed for success.
• Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey. The talk show host and motivational speaker join forces to produce a guide for better living.
• Be Useful: 7 Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The famous bodybuilder, movie star, and politician shares lessons from his rise to success.
• Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis: This nonfiction story covers the crash of the infamous crypto company FTX.
• I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Second Edition): No Guilt. No Excuses. No BS. Just a 6-Week Program That Works by Ramit Sethi. The phenomenally successful course on financial freedom is updated for 2024.
• The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War by Douglas Brunt: This combination biography and true-crime story discusses the inventor who mysteriously vanished while on a boat.
• Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life by Vivian Tu. The former Wall Street trader turned Tik Tok star offers help in making and keeping more money.

Know Your Reader for Business Book Publishing

For business book publishing, you must know who your book is aimed at. Several different reader types buy business books. Most are business owners and high-level executives. They want books that give them a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship generally or their industry specifically. These buyers are looking for books with practical tips, inspiration, motivation, and innovative ideas.

Others are people who may not have a strong interest in business but want to know more about a historic or newsworthy event. In the wake of the Enron scandal, the

Keep It Short for Business Book Publishing

Most business people have limited time available for reading. They want practical information delivered in small, easy-to-read chunks of writing. If you read positive reviews by book buyers, you’ll see that concise books get a lot of praise.

That works to your advantage when it’s time for business book publishing. Unless you’re writing a history or biography, you should focus on keeping your book as short as possible without sacrificing important content. A business book is usually between 30,000 to 60,000 words.

If you want to use business book publishing as a lead magnet on your website, it can be even shorter. A lead magnet is a book you give away free as a marketing tactic. For a free book that your customers will download, a length of 6,000 to 7,000 words is fine.

Choose the Right Title for Business Book Publishing

When you look at the titles of business books, you’ll notice that they all have a subtitle. The subtitle tells you what the book is about with no fluff and no ambiguity. This is important because your subtitle must answer the question, “What is this book about?”

Use an Outline for Business Book Publishing

Make your writing flow for business book publishing with the help of an outline. Although an outline takes time to develop and write, it will save you a lot of time when you sit down to write. It will keep your attention from wandering as you move from one chapter to the next.

A detailed outline for business book publishing will help the most. Start by jotting down the main idea you want your book to convey:

• Is it a new way of looking at your industry?
• Is it a way to do standard things better, or is it a guide to breaking those rules?
• Is it a portrait of a successful person or description of a key historical event?
• Does it offer practical tips for all readers, or is it specific to people in your industry?

Know the Business Book Publishing Format

Once you’ve decided what the overall scope of the book is, break down the main points of your book. Here is a sample outline that’s typical of a self-help or how-to business book.

Introduction: In the introduction and opening chapter, explain what problem your book addresses. Describe how this issue can affect successful businesses or people who want to achieve more.

Chapters 2 to 4: Tell the reader what the answer is. Describe the process that led to the discovery or development of this solution.

Chapters 5 to 7: Lay out a plan of action or a step-by-step system to achieve the reader’s goals.

Chapters 8 to 10: Use examples from real-life businesses or people who followed the plan.

Concluding chapter: Provide a summary and a detailed action plan.

Extras: Create journal or notebook pages for readers who want to follow the plan. Include writing space for the reader to add notes and chart their progress. Alternatively, direct readers to a website where they can download a journal.

Write a Business Book That’s Readable

Some readers avoid business books because they think they’re going to be dry and boring. To combat that, avoid business jargon. Use direct, everyday language that the average reader can understand. If your profession or industry uses specific jargon, use it when necessary, but provide definitions.

The most successful business books use the rules of good layout that work for any book. Avoid text-heavy pages by using short paragraphs, and make sure your book layout has plenty of white space. Choose a readable font.

Include Graphics

Any business book becomes more readable with the right graphics. If your book covers a historical event, include images of key historical figures and documents. Add maps, charts, and other graphic elements to explain the facts you’re covering.

Use pictures to illustrate your main concepts. Self-help and how-to books can benefit from images that include charts, colored sections, highlighted text, and other graphic elements.

Choose Professional Printing for Your Business Book

If your plan is to write business book and self-publish it, it’s critical to make your book look professional. Nobody will take your book seriously if it’s poorly printed or has an unattractive layout. Work with an experienced, customer-focused printing company like Dazzle Printing, where we specialize in making every writer look their best.