How to Write a Business Book

Hosted by Derek Lewis Books

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Feb 2024

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About the show

Business authors need to know how to write, design, publish, and market business books. Derek Lewis and his guests tell you how.

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21 recent

February 22, 202450 min

The Husband & Wife Author Team Behind The Go-Give Marriage

John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann talk about their new book, The Go-Giver Marriage. From their website:For more than a decade, readers of The Go-Giver have been asking for a book on how to apply the philosophy at the heart of The Go-Giver to their personal relationships. From Go-Giver coauthor John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann, a clinically trained therapist, this long-awaited sequel shows you how to unlock a deeply satisfying, abundant relationship based on simple, everyday acts of generosity.

November 3, 202344 min

John David Mann - "How to Write Good" & "Real Steel"

John David Mann - "How to Write Good" & "Real Steel" by Derek Lewis

February 14, 202046 min

Todd Sattersten

Episode 23: The Philosophy Behind Todd Sattersten’s Immense Success in Creating & Publishing Bestselling Business Books In this episode, Todd shares insight and learnings from his publishing journey- from co-writing The 100 Best Business Books of All Time to working with Bard Press and its unique publishing model…

December 19, 201925 min

Derek Lewis Interviews Publisher HarperCollins Leadership

HarperCollins Leadership is a fascinating twist on new publishing. I think of it as akin to a venture-backed startup: it has the resources, professionalism, and experience of its parent but acts like an indie publisher, giving a new twist to a fairly old business model. Publisher Jeff James and Acquisitions Editor Tim Burgard were kind enough to sit down with me for an interview when I visited their Nashville offices (housed in the historic Thomas Nelson building). Enjoy!

January 11, 201944 min

Episode 22 Brian Jud

An eye opening podcast on how to sell more books in places you would never think to sell. Brian Jud, an executive director at the Association of Publishers for Special Sales describes non bookstore marketing, selling to retailers, non-retailers, and companies that use books as promotional items. Brian explains how he started in this business and learned how to sell the books that he wrote, using them to become a speaker, using portions of them in promotional info for companies, and how to fit his books to the needs of each sale. He gives many resources for authors on marketing, learning about the publishing industry through booksellinguniversity.com and full service options @ APSS.org or bookmarketing.com.

October 23, 201853 min

Episode 21: Author of “This Book Means Business” by Alison Jones

In the business book genre, authors have precious few places to turn for help and advice. Fortunately, publishing partner and host of "The Extraordinary Business Book Club" Alison Jones just released _This Book Means Business_ and it's exactly what it promises to be: an all-in-one resource to help authors strategically align their business endeavors with their literary pursuits. Alison takes us behind the scenes to see what it was like for a professional in the business book space to deal with many of the same fears, challenges, and discoveries that she guides her own clients through. Don't miss a rare opportunity to tour a professional wordsmith's workshop!

August 28, 201846 min

Season 2 Ep10: Roy Williams: bestselling author, the Wizard of Ads, and entrepreneurial genius

The Wizard of Ads was one of my virtual mentors when I began copywriting and has continued to be a man I admire as an entrepreneur, artist, and gem of a human soul. It was my privilege to have him on the show to talk about how the masters approached creativity, learn how he wrote his bestselling books, and hear about how we both view books as sacred things.

August 28, 201835 min

Season 2 Ep9: The publishing industry's compass Jane Friedman on the divide between print v. digital

Jane Friedman is one of the most well known and well respected professionals in the publishing industry today. She's the author of Chicago Press's "The Business of Being a Writer" as well as "The Authors Guild Guide to E-Publishing." She writes a column for the trade publication "Publishers Weekly" but is probably best known as the co-founder of "The Hot Sheet." In this episode, she gives us a crash course in publishing today: what to know before writing your book, the prestige of traditional publishers vs. the requirements of self-publishing, what publishers look for in an author, print vs. digital, New York vs. Amazon—and that's just the first half!

July 14, 201850 min

Season 2 Ep8: Founder of Morgan James, the entrepreneurial publisher.

Entrepreneurs and publishers often clash. Publishers are looking to sell a mass-market commodity product, whereas entrepreneurs like to play in the sandbox. Then there's David Hancock, founder of a publishing house with an entrepreneurial approach to the business.

June 21, 201845 min

Season 2 Ep7: The Most Experienced Ghostwriter in History: Claudia Suzanne

It's my genuine pleasure to interview my own ghostwriting mentor, Claudia Suzanne. She is the most experienced ghostwriter in history (that we know of), with upwards of 150 (!) "invisible credits" to her name. She's the creator of the Ghostwriting Professional Designation Program, recognized by the State of California as a professional certification. A wealth of insider ghostwriting experience.