Finding the Business Case for Your Book: The Make-or-Break Question Every Business Owner Must Answer

Do you know what is the first question I ask every ghostwriting prospect who agrees to a sales call with me? The question that’s at the top of my list of discovery questions? 

“What’s the business case for your book?”

It might sound strange, but I talk people out of writing books fairly often. That’s because if you don’t have a clear business case for your book—if you can’t see exactly how it will help you grow your business—then you shouldn’t write it, no matter how badly you might want to.

Why the Business Case Matters More Than Your Passion

You want to write a business book and that’s great! But you also need to have a plan for how that book will help you make money. Too many business owners think a book will magically put their business on the map. They see bestselling authors with million dollar businesses and assume the book created all that success. 

Here’s a reality check: it almost never works that way.

Most successful authors (think: Brene Brown or Seth Godin) build their thought leadership platform first. They already have a huge following and engaged audience ready to buy their book when it launches. In other words, the platform markets the book, not the other way around.

If you don’t have a thought leadership platform yet, that’s the place to start. In fact, if you know a book is on the horizon, it’s smart to start building that before you write your book. And this is true, by the way, whether you’re chasing bestseller status or not.

The Real ROI: It’s Not About Book Sales

Let me be clear: you won’t get rich off book sales. Unless you write a New York Times bestseller (which requires selling at least 25,000 copies—especially tough for business books), book sales won’t become a significant revenue stream.

But here’s where it gets interesting. A book can absolutely make you money (maybe just not in the way you’d expect).

The real value comes from what the book does for your business:

• Lead generation: Your book becomes a 24/7 marketing tool that brings qualified prospects to your door
• Authority building: You become the go-to expert in your industry, allowing you to beat out the competition and raise your fees
• Speaking opportunities: Paid and unpaid gigs that expand your reach and referral network
• Product creation: Your book can become the foundation for courses, coaching programs, or other offerings
• Referral expansion: Instead of 20-30 people who know you well, you now have hundreds or thousands who trust you enough to refer you

The Business Case Checklist: How Does Your Book Fit?

Here’s a practical checklist to help you determine if you have a real business case for writing your book. Check all that apply:

🔲  I want to use my book to land paid and unpaid speaking gigs

🔲  I want to use my book to sell an existing online course or training

🔲  I want to use my book as a companion to an online course I will create

🔲  I want to use my book to drive traffic to my website

🔲  I want to use my book as a springboard to building thought leadership

🔲  I want to use my book to increase my consulting fees

🔲  I want to use my book to reach a new or broader audience

The more boxes you check, the stronger your business case. Remember: whether you should write your book yourself (there’s a different checklist for this one) is a separate question from whether you have a business case for writing it.

Real Results from Real Business Books

I’ve ghostwritten or edited about 30 business books. My most successful clients came to me with crystal-clear goals. Here are some results they’ve achieved:

• Sold more than 1,000 copies in the first year after publication, primarily through LinkedIn promotion
• Created courses using the book as an outline and curriculum foundation
• Used the book as an add-on and incentive for clients to buy courses or programs
• Shifted from one-on-one services to group delivery, dramatically improving their business model
• Expanded their client base and referral network exponentially
• Landed paid speaking gigs that became significant revenue streams
• Upleveled their PR game and media presence
• Increased their fees because the book created more demand for their services

When NOT to Write Your Book

Should every business owner have a book? Absolutely not. There are likely more reasons not to write a book than reasons to write one.

Don’t write a book if:

• You’re less than three years into your business: You need time to identify and test your business model, build systems, and decide what works. Don’t add book writing to that chaos—you’ll write a better book if you wait.
• You need immediate revenue: A business book can and will generate revenue, but not immediately. If you’re in survival mode or need quick cash flow, focus on direct revenue-generating activities first.
• You’re in fundraising or scaling mode: Your attention should be on those critical business activities, not book writing.
• You can’t commit to marketing the book: Writing the book is only half the battle. Promoting it properly is a part-time job. If you can’t make that commitment, your book will collect dust.

If it feels like I’m raining on your parade, I’m sorry. But as a wise person once asked me: “Am I raining on your parade? Or are you throwing a parade in the rain?” I don’t want you to throw a parade in the rain.

The Lead Generation Pattern That Works

Here’s the pattern I see most often with business owners who become successful authorpreneurs:

1. They publish a book containing everything they know about a particular topic, including the results readers can expect

2. People buy and read the book, then realize the topic is way more complicated than they first thought

3. Because readers don’t believe they can achieve those results themselves and because the book has positioned the author as a thought leader, readers-turned-prospects hire the author

In other words, your book becomes an elaborate lead magnet that demonstrates your expertise while showing prospects exactly why they need your help.

Making the Final Decision

Success with your book might look like:

• Prospects finding you and saying “yes” to working with you because of your book
• Confidence gained around your own thought leadership
• Increasing demand that allows you to raise your prices
• Expanding ideas that turn into other types of content you can use
• New opportunities you couldn’t have anticipated

But remember: a book is one potential revenue generator among many. You have to make strategic decisions about the best revenue generators for your business.

If you can clearly see how a book will help you grow your business, then you need a book. If you need a book, write it as quickly as possible so you can get back to other revenue-generating activities.

But if you don’t have a solid business case? There’s no shame in waiting. Your idea will still be there in six months, a year, or even longer. Sometimes the best decision is letting your idea bake a bit longer until the business case becomes crystal clear.

The Bottom Line

Writing a business book is a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. Like any business investment, it should have a clear ROI that you can articulate before you begin.

The question isn’t whether you want to write a book—it’s whether your business needs a book to grow. Answer that question honestly, and you’ll know whether now is the right time to start writing.

Your book isn’t a credential or a badge. It needs to pull its weight in your business, or it doesn’t belong. Be ruthless about this decision—your future self will thank you.

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