You’ve been thinking about it for months, maybe years. That business book writing idea keeps nagging at you during your morning coffee, in the shower, during long flights. You have insights to share, lessons learned the hard way, frameworks that have transformed your clients’ businesses.
But should you actually write that book?
Writing a business book is one of the most significant professional investments you’ll ever make. It will consume hundreds of hours, test your discipline, and demand that you crystallize years of experience into clear, actionable guidance. Before you commit to this journey, ask yourself these five critical questions.
Question 1: What’s Your Real Motivation?
Let’s be honest about why you want to write this book. There are good reasons and problematic ones, and the difference will determine whether you finish—and whether your book succeeds.
Strong motivations:
- You have a methodology that consistently produces results and want to scale your impact
- You’re tired of explaining the same concepts repeatedly and want a definitive resource
- You want to establish thought leadership in a specific niche
- You’re building a speaking or consulting practice and need a credential
- You genuinely believe you can help people solve a problem better than existing books
Weak motivations:
- You think it will make you rich (most business books don’t generate significant direct revenue)
- You want the ego boost of being a “published author”
- Everyone says you should write a book
- You’re following a guru’s advice that “every entrepreneur needs a book”
- You want to copy what competitors are doing
Here’s the truth: The best business books come from authors who are obsessed with solving a specific problem and have a unique perspective on it. Your motivation should be about contribution first, credentials second. If you’re primarily motivated by vanity or get-rich-quick thinking, save yourself the trouble and invest your time elsewhere.
Question 2: Do You Have Something Genuinely Different to Say?
The business section of any bookstore is crowded. There are already thousands of books on leadership, productivity, marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, and management. Your book needs to offer something distinct.
Ask yourself:
- What do I know that contradicts conventional wisdom in my field?
- What unique framework or methodology have I developed?
- What gap exists in current literature that I can fill?
- Can I explain this concept in a way no one else has?
- Do I have proprietary research, data, or case studies that others don’t have access to?
This doesn’t mean you need to revolutionize your industry. Sometimes the differentiation is in the application. For example, there are countless books on habit formation, but James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” succeeded because of its systematic framework and exceptional clarity. The concepts weren’t entirely new, but the packaging was masterful.
Spend time researching competitive titles. Read the top 20 books in your category. If you find yourself thinking “they already covered everything I wanted to say,” that’s valuable information. Either find your unique angle or reconsider the project.
Question 3: Can You Commit 300-500 Hours Over the Next Year?
Let’s talk about the investment required. Writing a business book typically demands:
- 200-300 hours for writing (assuming a 40,000-60,000 word manuscript)
- 50-100 hours for research, interviews, and case study development
- 50-75 hours for editing, revision, and working with professionals
- 25-50 hours for the proposal process (if pursuing traditional publishing)
- Ongoing time for marketing and promotion after publication
This is not something you can accomplish in a few intense weekends. Most successful business authors write consistently over 6-12 months, often setting aside early mornings or specific days each week.
Consider your current season of life and business:
- Are you in growth mode, requiring all hands on deck?
- Can you realistically protect writing time from business demands?
- Do you have support systems that can cover other responsibilities?
- Is your business stable enough to handle your partial attention?
If you’re in crisis mode, launching a major new initiative, or barely keeping your head above water, this might not be your time. The book will still be there when you have capacity. A rushed, half-hearted effort produces a mediocre book that helps no one.
Question 4: What Will You Do With This Book Once It’s Written?
Too many authors focus exclusively on writing the book and give almost no thought to what happens after publication. This is backwards. Your post-publication strategy should inform whether you write the book at all.
Consider these questions:
- How will this book support your existing business model?
- Do you have an audience you can reach when the book launches?
- Will this open doors to speaking engagements, consulting work, or coaching opportunities?
- Can you use this book as a lead generation tool for higher-ticket offerings?
- Do you have a budget for marketing the book?
Also Read: From Manuscript to Metadata: How Book Metadata Can Make or Break Your Discoverability
The most successful business books are written by authors who view the book as one component of a larger platform. The book establishes authority, the speaking generates visibility, the consulting provides income, and the combination creates a sustainable business model.
If you don’t have at least 1,000 people on an email list, a modest social media following, or a network you can activate at launch, you’ll struggle to generate momentum. You might write a brilliant book that nobody discovers. Start building your audience now, before you write a single chapter. Test your ideas through blog posts, LinkedIn articles, or speaking engagements. If people engage with your content in these formats, that’s validation worth pursuing.
Question 5: Are You Willing to Become a Better Writer?
Here’s something nobody tells aspiring business authors: being an expert in your field doesn’t automatically make you a good writer. These are separate skills, and the gap between them has killed countless book projects.
Business writing demands:
- The ability to explain complex ideas simply
- Engaging storytelling that illustrates concepts
- A clear, consistent voice that feels authentic
- Organizational skills to structure information logically
- Discipline to write even when inspiration is absent
The good news? Writing is a skill you can develop. The question is whether you’re willing to invest in that development.
This might mean:
- Taking a business writing course or workshop
- Hiring a developmental editor to help shape your manuscript
- Working with a writing coach who specializes in business books
- Reading extensively in your genre to understand what works
- Practicing through regular blog posts or articles before tackling the book
Some successful authors choose to work with a ghostwriter or collaborative writer, which is a perfectly legitimate path if you have the budget and the right partner. The key is honest self-assessment about your current writing ability and what support you’ll need.
Also Read: Publishing Scams to Avoid: Red Flags Every New Author Should Watch For
The Decision Is Yours
If you’ve read this far and still feel excited about writing your business book, that’s a good sign. The best business authors are those who write despite knowing all the challenges ahead, because they’re genuinely driven by a message that demands to be shared.
But if any of these questions revealed gaps—unclear motivation, no unique angle, insufficient time, no platform strategy, or resistance to developing your craft—don’t ignore those red flags. Either address them first or reconsider the project entirely.
Writing a business book can be one of the most rewarding professional experiences of your life. It can clarify your thinking, expand your influence, and open doors you never imagined. But only if you enter the process with clear eyes, realistic expectations, and genuine commitment.
The world doesn’t need another mediocre business book written by someone who felt they “should” write one. But it desperately needs more exceptional business books written by practitioners with hard-won wisdom and the dedication to share it well.
Which type of author will you be?
What questions are you wrestling with about writing your business book? Leave a comment below or reach out—I’d love to hear about your journey.
Also Read: Case Study: How We Helped a Motivational Coach Triple His Leads with a Book Ghostwriting
