Entrepreneurs Writing Books: Getting Real About Your Goals & Expectations

So, you’re thinking about writing a book as an entrepreneur? It’s so exciting to hold that first copy in your hands! Maybe you’ve heard that publishing a book can boost credibility, generate leads, or even become a source of passive income. And while those things can happen, let’s get real about what it actually takes—and what it won’t do for you.

Writing and publishing a book isn’t just about putting words on a page and uploading a file to Amazon. It’s work. A lot of work. And it should be—because this book will be a permanent reflection of you as an entrepreneur, and likely of your business. Half-ass it, and that will be obvious. Forever.

If you go into it writing a book with unrealistic expectations, you’re setting yourself up for frustration instead of success.

Let’s break down realistic vs. unrealistic goals, what writing a book can do for your business, and what it won’t, plus how to approach the process with the right mindset so that you don’t waste your time.

Realistic Goals vs. Unrealistic Expectations

Unrealistic Expectation: “I’ll Be a New York Times Bestseller”

Unless you already have massive marketing reach, a huge audience, and a traditional publisher (like Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, or Simon & Schuster) backing you, landing on the New York Times Bestseller List is next to impossible. Even Amazon’s own “bestseller” labels are often misleading—many books hit #1 in their category with just a few dozen sales.

Instead, set realistic goals for your book:

Realistic Goal: “My Book Will Establish Me as an Expert”

A book can legitimize your authority in your industry. Whether you’re a consultant, coach, or business owner, a well-written book positions you as a thought leader, helping you stand out from the competition.

Other realistic goals for an entrepreneur’s book:
✅ Use it as a lead magnet to attract high-value clients
✅ Leverage it for speaking engagements & media opportunities
✅ Provide it as part of your business offerings (courses, workshops, coaching programs)
✅ Use it to build your brand & credibility (Even if you don’t sell many copies, just having a book can open doors)

What’s not realistic? Thinking the book alone will make you rich.

How Much Money Will Your Business Book Make? (Hint: Probably Not a Lot)

A first-time entrepreneur author on Amazon can expect to sell… zero copies.

That’s not an exaggeration—without marketing, most self-published business books sell fewer than 100 copies total in their lifetime, with many selling fewer than 10. Why?

• Amazon isn’t a magic sales machine—it’s a search engine. No traffic = no sales.
• Even great books get buried unless they’re actively promoted.
• The average nonfiction book sells 250 copies per year (Source: Forbes).

If your goal is to make money from book sales alone, you will likely be disappointed. Instead, your book should support your business, not the other way around.

How Much Time Will It Take? (Spoiler: A Lot More Than You Think)

Entrepreneurs love to “move fast and break things”, but you can’t rush a book and expect results. Writing, editing, formatting, and launching takes real time.

I like to compare this to an entrepreneur opening a store for stuff and widgets. You have two options: run a garage sale or open an upscale retail shop. Sure, we all love a good flea market bargain—but most readers aren’t looking for books that had only “garage sale level” effort put into them. They might grab your book if it’s dirt cheap, but that doesn’t mean they’ll value it if the content is … dirt.

Readers, especially busy professionals, want the upscale version. No one has unlimited reading time—even voracious readers (like me!) carefully select what’s worth investing their time in. If your book feels rushed, sloppy, or thrown together, most people won’t bother. They can tell when time, effort, and care haven’t been put in. They will equate that to how much you might care about them, and if that screams “little” you’ve lost them before you got them.

Let’s break the time down (these are bare minimums and in some cases you may need much more time):

The Writing Process

Even if you’re compiling content you’ve already written (blog posts, social media, speeches), you’ll still need:

• 20-50+ hours writing and organizing the content
• 10+ hours refining the message and flow

If writing from scratch, expect a minimum 150-250 hours to write a business book that isn’t garbage.

My first book took a lot of the content I had created over five years (I have over 600 blog articles, over 150 podcast episodes, dozens of case studies), treasure trove of information, really all I had to do was compile and weave it all together, and it took me several months of about 20 hours a week, because I wanted to get it right.

Editing & Proofing

• Self-editing: 10-20 hours
• Professional editing (if you hire one): 2-6 weeks plus the investment
• Final proofreading: 5-10 hours

Formatting & Design

• eBook & print formatting: 5-15 hours
• Cover design: 2-10 hours (or longer if you’re picky)

Marketing & Publishing Setup

• Setting up publishing accounts, metadata, & ISBNs: 5-10 hours
• Marketing prep (launch plan, promo graphics, email sequences, ads): 10-30 hours

Total estimated time investment:
🚀 80-300+ hours (depending on how much you DIY vs. outsource)

When & Why You Should Actually Write a Book as an Entrepreneur

✅ You’re already an expert with valuable insights
✅ You plan to use the book as a credibility booster for your business
✅ You’re prepared to invest time (or hire someone) to make it polished & professional
✅ You have a long-term plan to leverage the book for lead generation, speaking, or branding

❌ You just want to “throw something out there” to have a book
❌ You think passive sales will make you rich
❌ You don’t have a clear reason WHY you’re writing it

The most successful entrepreneur books aren’t rushed or half-baked. They strategically align with the author’s business, expertise, and long-term brand.

Final Thoughts: Get Real & Get It Right

Entrepreneurs should write books—but they should do it for the right reasons and with realistic expectations.

Your book can be a powerful tool, but only if:
✔ You take the time to write something worth reading
✔ You understand that marketing matters as much as writing
✔ You use your book as a business asset, not just a product

If you’re serious about publishing a book that supports your business, establishes your authority, and actually works for you, I can help.

📚 Let’s talk about making your book a reality—without the BS.