Guide
How to publish my book
Last updated: November 2026
To publish your book, choose a publishing path, develop and prepare the manuscript, release it on a platform or through a publisher, and promote it.
Big Impact Books helps CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners publish their book through a done-for-you process designed to take about one hour a week. Authors talk through chapters in weekly interviews, the team shapes the manuscript in their voice, and marketing and publicity follow the launch.
How do I publish my own book?
You publish your own book by finishing and editing the manuscript, getting a cover and interior designed, uploading the files to a self-publishing platform, setting a price, and promoting the book yourself. That is the do-it-yourself route. If you would rather have a team carry those steps, a publishing service does the same work with you. Here is the full sequence, whichever path you choose:
- Decide what the book is for. Name the goal first: new clients, speaking invitations, media attention, or a legacy for your profession. The goal shapes the topic, length, and promotion plan.
- Choose your publishing path. Pick traditional publishing, self-publishing, or a done-for-you publishing service. Each trades off control, speed, cost, and how much work you do yourself.
- Start building your audience now. Begin sharing ideas from the book while you are still outlining or drafting, so readers are waiting at launch.
- Develop the manuscript. Write it yourself, or talk it through. Big Impact Books uses weekly interviews of about one hour a week so experts can build a book without long writing sessions.
- Prepare the book for publication. Editing, cover design, interior layout, and ebook and print formats come next, either handled by you, by freelancers you hire, or by your publishing team.
- Publish and distribute. Upload to platforms such as Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or Draft2Digital, or let your publishing team manage the release.
- Promote it for the long term. Launch with marketing and publicity, then keep the book visible through podcasts, media, content, and events long after release day.
The three ways to publish my book
Traditional publishing: a publisher acquires the book, manages production, and pays the author royalties. It usually means finding an agent or pitching publishers directly.
Self-publishing: the author does or hires everything and keeps control. Platforms such as Amazon KDP handle the listing and printing.
Service-based publishing:the author pays a company to manage the process. Big Impact Books is in this group, with a focus on expert nonfiction and promotion after launch. Jane Friedman's guide to the key publishing paths explains each option in depth.
Why Amazon matters whichever path you pick
Most books sell on Amazon. Reedsy's 2026 guide to book printing services notes that 80 to 100% of sales happen on Amazon for most authors.
The same guide reports that Amazon pays 70% of the retail Kindle price when the price is between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% when the price is lower than $2.99 or $10 and higher. Pricing your ebook inside that range keeps more of each sale. See what book publishing costs and earns for a royalty estimator.
| Criteria | Traditional | Self-publishing | Done-for-you (Big Impact Books) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative control | Shared with the publisher. | Full control by the author. | The author’s voice and ideas, shaped with the team. |
| What you do yourself | Write, then work with the publisher’s process. | Everything, or hire each task. | About one hour a week of interviews. |
| Promotion | Varies by publisher. | Entirely up to the author. | Book marketing and publicity follow the launch. |
| Who it suits | Authors seeking a publisher’s backing. | Authors who want to manage every step. | Experts using a book to build authority. |
How to find a book publisher to publish my book
Start by matching the publisher to the book. For expert nonfiction meant to build a business, look for a partner that understands your audience and will help promote the book after release. Then check three things before you sign: a written scope of work, clear ownership of your files and rights, and examples of books the publisher has actually released.
Be cautious of any provider that guarantees bestseller status or pressures you to sign quickly. Our guide to self-publishing companies to avoid lists the warning signs in detail.
How can I publish my book if I do not have time to write?
Talk it out instead. Big Impact Books built its process for busy experts: authors talk through each chapter in organized weekly interviews, and the team pieces everything together. Attorney Manisha P. Patel, author of End Your Marriage Peacefully, said that talking comes easily to her and that the weekly interviews made the process manageable alongside her schedule.
This is not ghostwriting in the usual sense. The book is built from the author's own words and expertise, so it sounds like them and they can stand behind every page.
Who is the best publisher for first time authors?
It depends on the book. First-time novelists usually pursue traditional publishers or self-publish. First-time nonfiction authors who are already experts in their field, such as CEOs, attorneys, and business owners, often want a partner who handles publishing and promotion together. That is the gap Big Impact Books is built to fill.
Explore Big Impact Books book publishing services
Common questions
How do I publish my book?
Start with a clear goal for the book, then choose a path: traditional publishing, self-publishing, or a done-for-you service. Next, develop the manuscript, prepare design and formats, publish, and promote. Big Impact Books handles publishing and promotion for experts through a process designed to take about one hour a week of the author’s time.
How do I publish my own book?
To publish your own book, you finish and edit the manuscript, get a cover and interior designed, open an account with a self-publishing platform such as Amazon KDP, upload your files, set a price, and release it. You also own all the marketing. Authors who want a team to manage those steps can use a service such as Big Impact Books.
How long does it take to publish a book with Big Impact Books?
Big Impact Books does not publish a fixed timeline on its website, because the schedule depends on the book. What it does state is the time commitment: its done-for-you process is designed to take about one hour a week of the author’s time, centered on weekly interviews. Ask for a projected schedule before you start.
Do I need to be a good writer to publish a book?
No. Big Impact Books’ process suits experts who find it easier to talk about their work than to sit down and write. Authors talk through each chapter in organized weekly interviews, and the team pieces the material together. The goal is a book that sounds like the author and reflects real expertise.
What should I do before I publish my book?
Start marketing. Big Impact Books advises authors to begin building an audience of ideal readers before the book is published, so there are people ready to buy, share, and review it at launch. Waiting until after launch means losing valuable time to grow an audience and build credibility as a subject matter expert.
What are the different types of publishing?
The main types are traditional publishing, where a publisher acquires the book and pays the author royalties; self-publishing, where the author does or hires everything and keeps control; and service-based publishing, where the author pays a company to manage the process. Jane Friedman’s guide to the key book publishing paths explains the differences in detail.
Who is the best publisher for first time authors?
The best publisher depends on the book. First-time novelists often pursue traditional publishers or self-publish. First-time nonfiction authors who are experts in their field, such as CEOs, attorneys, and business owners, may prefer a done-for-you partner like Big Impact Books that handles publishing and promotion with about one hour a week of their time.