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The CEO Book Guide

The CEO Book Guide

Why CEOs write books, and how to write yours

CEOs write books because a book turns years of hard-won expertise into an asset that builds authority, attracts better clients, and supports their next business move. This guide, published by Big Impact Books, explains why CEOs write books and shows you the roadmap, outlines, and decisions behind one.

Last updated: Published by Big Impact Books

See the CEO book roadmap

Why do CEOs write books?

A CEO book does work that a résumé, a website, or a feed of posts cannot. According to Big Impact Books, the strongest reason is authority: a book lets a leader own an idea, explain it fully, and hand it to the exact people they want to work with. Prospects arrive having already read how you think, which is why a book tends to attract higher quality clients rather than more inquiries.

The second reason is leverage. A finished book becomes a source for podcast interviews, media features, speaking invitations, and articles, long after launch day. The third is legacy: recording what you have learned, accurately and in your own voice, before someone else summarizes it for you.

Definition

What is a CEO book?

A CEO book is a nonfiction book written by a company leader to share a method, point of view, or hard-won lesson with a specific audience, usually the clients, partners, or talent the business wants more of. In The CEO Book Guide from Big Impact Books, a CEO book is judged by what it opens up for the author: trust, referrals, invitations, and media attention, not by copy sales alone.

It differs from a memoir, which looks back over a whole life, because a strong CEO book looks forward. Big Impact Books encourages leaders to write for where the business is going next, so the book attracts the work they want over the coming five to ten years.

By the numbers

What the numbers say about CEOs and books

  • 43% of US CEOs rank uncertainty as a top threat for 2026, versus 29% of CEOs globally, according to The Conference Board C-Suite Outlook 2026. A clear, published point of view is one way leaders give clients something steady to rely on.
  • 87% of executives believe leadership skills must evolve by 2026, citing Deloitte (2023), as reported by LeadershipBooks.com.
  • About one hour a week is the time Big Impact Books asks of each author in its done-for-you process.
  • About twenty podcasts: the number attorney and author Paula Yost says the Big Impact Books team booked her on.

How do you write a book as a CEO without losing months?

To write a book as a CEO, start with the business result you want, choose one reader, and capture your ideas through short weekly conversations instead of long solo writing sessions. That is the core of the process Big Impact Books uses: weekly interviews of about one hour that its team shapes into chapters for you to review.

Attorney Manisha P. Patel, author of End Your Marriage Peacefully, said the weekly interviews made the process manageable because talking came easily to her. The full nine-step plan, from goal to launch, is in the roadmap for writing a book as a CEO.

  1. 1Set the business goalDecide what the book should do: attract clients, support an offer, or open speaking doors.
  2. 2Choose one readerWrite for the client or partner you most want, not for everyone.
  3. 3Outline around one big ideaBuild eight to twelve chapters that each move that reader forward.
  4. 4Capture, edit, publish, promoteRecord interviews or refine a draft, then publish with a launch plan ready.

What is the best book for CEOs: one to read, or one to write?

The best book for CEOs depends on the job you need it to do. Reading lists help you lead; writing a book helps others understand how you lead. CEO Coaching International publishes a yearly list, including seven books for CEOs to read in 2026, and LeadershipBooks.com reports a survey in which 72% of executives attribute improved leadership outcomes to targeted reading.

If you are planning your own, start with books about the author journey. Melanie Herschorn of Big Impact Books wrote Make a Big Impact with Your Book for experts, and Lasting Legal Impact for attorneys. Our guide to the best book for CEOs covers reading picks and the four kinds of book a CEO can write.

Which way of writing a CEO book fits a busy leader?

For most busy CEOs, an interview-based process fits best, because it protects time and keeps the book in your voice. Ghostwriting suits leaders who want the least involvement; writing solo suits those with open calendars. See the full ranked comparison of CEO book routes.

Four ways to get a CEO book done, compared on the same criteria by Big Impact Books, publisher of The CEO Book Guide.
RouteCEO time requiredWhose voicePublishingPromotion
#1Interview-based, done-for-you publishing (Big Impact Books)About one hour a week of interviews, plus reviewsThe author’s own words from interviews, organized by the team and reviewed by the authorPlanning, writing support, and publishing handled in one process; can start from an existing draftIncluded: marketing support such as podcast placements and media outreach
#2GhostwritingVaries; usually briefings or interviews, then reviewsA hired writer’s prose shaped to sound like the author; closeness varies by writerOften separate from writing unless bundled by the providerUsually separate or not included
#3Writing it yourself with self-publishing servicesThe most time: the author writes the full manuscriptEntirely the author’s ownServices handle editing, design, formatting, and distribution setupVaries; often an add-on or left to the author
#4Traditional publishingWriting time plus a proposal and, usually, finding an agentThe author’s, with editing by the publisherPublisher handles production and distribution on its own scheduleSome publisher support; authors are commonly expected to promote too

What authors say after working with 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 Hubbard, founder and author of The Intentional Networker
"She took an unfinished, rough draft and turned it into a published book that I will forever be proud of."
William R. Mitchell, founder of LegalEdge Debt Solutions and author of Say Goodbye to Credit Card Debt
"Since publishing my book, I have seen an increase in referrals from colleagues."
Manisha P. Patel, attorney and author of End Your Marriage Peacefully

Explore The CEO Book Guide

Want to see the full range of services? Visit the Big Impact Books book publishing and promotion site.

Questions CEOs ask before writing a book

Why do CEOs write books?
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.
Is writing a book worth it for a busy CEO?
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.
How do I write a book as a CEO without slowing down my business?
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.
What are some books written by CEOs?
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.
How much does an author make on a $25 book?
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.
Is Big Impact Books a ghostwriting service?
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.

See all 47 questions in the CEO book FAQ