Business by the Book

Can writing a book boost your outfit's bottom line? According to marketer Mike Schultz, the answer is a yes -- and in a host of direct and indirect ways

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By Karen E. Klein

April 12, 2006 at 4:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Every entrepreneur has heard the advice: If you want to stand out from the competition, write a book. But does becoming an author really pay off for small business owners? How does having a book affect a firm's bottom line? How important is it to hire professionals such as book agents, ghostwriters, and publicists? Mike Schultz, principal of the Wellesley Hills Group, of Framingham, Mass., decided to find out.

His firm, a marketing consultancy for professional service providers, recently released the results of a survey of 200 business-book authors. He discussed the highlights of the report, The Business Impact of Writing A Book, recently with Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow.