Are you publishing a business book?
Here’s what you can really expect.

The internet is awash in anecdotal takes on the benefits of publishing a book, but no one has bothered to gather real data about the author experience—until now.

The Business Book ROI Study is the largest-ever survey of published business authors. We asked more than three hundred writers about their experiences drafting, publishing, and promoting their books. Our respondents ranged from first-time authors to seasoned pros, and have released books through every publishing pathway, whether landing a deal with a traditional publisher, working with a hybrid, or self-publishing.

The true value of publishing is in more than just book sales, so we asked authors about not only their hard returns (royalties earned, increased sales of speaking and consulting services) but nonmaterial  rewards (increased visibility, media inquiries). Similarly we asked respondents about not only the expense of producing their book (paying ghostwriters, editors, designers) but about the time and emotional labor involved in bringing their dream to fruition.

The result is the clearest-ever picture of the modern publishing landscape, with takeaways every author should consider before even writing page one.

Did you know?

  1. 64% of business books made a profit; median profit was $11,350.
  2. Authors’ median spending per book was $7,000; on average, authors generated $1.24 in revenue per dollar spent.
  3. Books with launch PR campaigns, ghostwriters, or a clear revenue strategy generated the greatest profits.

For more insights and findings, the complete study is available now for free download.

Subscribe To Download the FREE Complete Study

Meet the Research Team

Josh Bernoff

Bestselling author, editor, former SVP at Forrester

Bill Sherman

COO
Thought Leadership Leverage

Dr. AJ Marsden

Organizational Psychologist and Psychometrician
Thought Leadership Leverage

About the Sponsors

Naren Aryal

CEO, Amplify Publishing Group

Dan Gerstein

CEO, Gotham Ghostwriters

Peter Winick

CEO, Thought Leadership Leverage

Sandra Poirier Smith

CEO, Smith Publicity

Contact Us

Have a question? Feel free to ask the research team using the field below: