Options for Publishing a Business Book

Publishing your business book, holding the book in your hands, seeing it listed for sale on the internet; even before you began writing, you probably imagined yourself as the proud author of a new book.

But how do you go from a manuscript to a finished book? From a stack of pages or a computer file to something you can hold in your hands or read online?

There are two main options. The first is traditional publishing through a publisher. The second is self-publishing, a do-it-yourself approach that has become very popular during the past decade or so.

Whichever approach you choose, be sure to read all contracts carefully. Publishing a book is a business endeavor, and should be treated as such. And be sure to dedicate all the effort necessary to write a great business book before moving into the publishing state.

Going with a standard publisher?

Also known as “traditional publishing,” this was long the customary way of turning a manuscript into a book. Acting on your behalf, a literary agent identifies publishers who are likely to be interested in your business book. Then he sends them your book proposal to consider. Hopefully, one of the publishers is impressed enough by the proposal to agree to publish your book. That publisher then handles the copy editing, proofreading, cover and interior design, printing, distribution to bookstores, and other matters. In return, you are paid a certain amount of money per book sold. (You may also receive an advance payment, a “down payment” on the copies of your book that the publisher expects to sell in the near future.)

If you’re going the traditional route, you’ll need to:

• Create a book proposal to demonstrate your book’s quality and potential profitability to both agents and publishers
• Write a query letter, which is used to approach literary agents, so you can secure representation
• Send your query letter to agents likely to be interested in your type of business book
• Send your book proposal to any agents asking for more information about you and your book.
• Once you’ve signed with a literary agent, he or she will approach publishers on your behalf.

, I’ll describe the query letter and the book proposal.

If you’d like to submit your book idea to a literary agent, or just browse some websites to learn more about agents, see our list of “100 Literary Agents to Contact.”

Prefer to self-publish your business book? 

Over the past 10 to 15 years, many authors have made use of the ever-growing self-publishing industry. They typically do so for two main reasons: Bypassing the traditional publishing system ensures that they will be published; and the resulting book may be completed and available for sale much quicker.

But if you’re like many authors, you may feel that self-publishing is a daunting prospect. After all, you will be the one who handles all the steps required to turn a manuscript into a physical and/or e-book, including cover design, getting an ISBN, printing, possibly setting up e-book files, and so on. And you have to pay for it all.

Fortunately, you have choices. You can do it all on your own, hiring a cover designer, a printer, and everyone else you need. Or you can work with self-publishing companies. These companies offer different levels of service, which can be divided into two main categories.

Two levels of self-publishing service:

• Full Service Self-Publishing Companies – They offer publishing packages that cover a variety of services, including editing, design, marketing, and listing your book for sale on Amazon and other sites. They may even have their own online bookstores where they can list and sell your book. Full-service self-publishers, which include companies like Author House and Infinity Publishing, offer a variety of packages, with prices that range from a few hundred dollars to $20,000 or more. They also offer à la carte services, including editing only, cover design only, and so on.
• Printers That Support Your Self-Publishing Efforts – They print your book and may offer a few additional services, such as cover design, but the remaining tasks are left to you. Examples include 48HourBooks and Morris Publishing.

If you should decide to self-publish your business book, consider carefully how much time and money you can devote to the effort. In other words, how much do you truly want to do yourself, and how much are you willing to pay for help?

For more, see our “Introduction to Self-Publishing.”

Want to write a business book, but need help?

Contact us!

We’re Barry Fox and Nadine Taylor, business book ghostwriters and professional authors with a long list of satisfied clients and editors at major publishing houses.

You can learn about our business ghostwriting work and credentials on our Business Ghostwriter Page.

For more information, call us at 818-917-5362 or use the contact form below to send us a message. We’d love to talk to you about your exciting business book idea!

Please Note: Although we’re based in Los Angeles, California, we travel around the U.S. and abroad to meet with our authors. We do not ghostwrite screenplays, books for children, poetry, or school papers.