FAQ
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These are plain answers to the questions people ask most before they publish a book, from cost and timelines to writing and book marketing.
Big Impact Books answers each question from its own facts and from published sources it names. Where a detail depends on your book, such as price or timeline, the answer says how to confirm it.
Most people ask how much it costs, how long it takes, and whether they have to write it themselves. With Big Impact Books, you do not write it alone: guided interviews take about one hour a week. Prices and timelines are not published, so ask on a call.
Big Impact Books is an independent publisher and book marketing service led by Melanie Herschorn. It helps CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners worldwide plan, create, publish, and promote books that build authority and support business growth. Its done-for-you process uses guided interviews to develop the manuscript, then adds promotion such as podcast placements and media coverage.
Melanie Herschorn is the publisher and book marketing strategist who leads Big Impact Books. She brings more than 20 years of experience as a celebrity publicist, an award-winning journalist in radio, print, and TV, a clothing designer, and an entrepreneur. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, where she graduated first in her class.
No. Big Impact Books describes itself as an independent publisher. In traditional publishing, authors usually query agents and wait for a publisher to acquire the book. Big Impact Books works directly with experts through a done-for-you publishing and promotion process. Ask on a call how rights, distribution, and royalties are handled for your specific book.
Yes, according to the business’s own announcements. Big Impact Books reported a win in Publishing at the 2024 Best Book Awards and a 2024 “Publisher of the Year” recognition. Melanie Herschorn’s book Lasting Legal Impact was named a Finalist in the Business: Writing/Publishing category of the 2025 Best Book Awards, presented by American Book Fest.
Big Impact Books reports that Melanie Herschorn was featured in The Female CEO Magazine in April 2026 and in a BRAINZ Magazine cover feature in December 2025. She also hosts The Big Impact Playbook Podcast and Authority Marketing LIVE! on YouTube, and her podcast appearances are listed on the Big Impact Books media page.
Yes. The business’s Facebook and Instagram accounts use the name vipbookmarketing, and earlier blog posts on its website refer to VIP Book Marketing. Today the business operates as Big Impact Books at yourbigimpactbook.com, offering book publishing and promotion services for experts and business leaders who want a book that builds authority.
No. Big Impact Books uses guided weekly interviews so you can talk through your ideas while the team shapes them into a manuscript. The process is designed to take about one hour a week of your time. You stay the author: the approach is built to honor your authentic voice rather than produce cookie-cutter content.
Not in the traditional sense. Melanie Herschorn says she refuses to hide behind ghostwriting or churn out cookie-cutter content. Instead, guided interviews capture your expertise in your own words, and the team builds the manuscript from those conversations. Clients own their ideas and their voice from the first interview to the published book.
With Big Impact Books, the done-for-you process is designed to take about one hour a week. That hour is spent in a guided interview where you talk through your material in an organized way. Attorney and author Manisha P. Patel said the weekly interviews made the process manageable alongside her schedule and other commitments.
You do not need to be one. Big Impact Books built its process for busy experts who explain their work more easily out loud than on the page. Guided interviews let you talk through each chapter, and the team organizes your words into a manuscript. Your job is to bring the expertise, the stories, and the lessons from your clients.
Start with the questions your clients already ask and where your business is going next. Big Impact Books helps experts plan the book around that direction, then uses guided interviews to draw out frameworks, stories, and case examples. The free Book Planning Checklist on yourbigimpactbook.com is a practical first step for organizing your ideas.
Yes. Attorneys are one of its core audiences. Melanie Herschorn wrote Lasting Legal Impact: Write a Book That Builds Your Brand, Grows Your Practice, and Positions You As The Trusted Expert for legal professionals. Attorney Manisha P. Patel, author of End Your Marriage Peacefully, worked with the team through weekly interviews.
You have three main routes: traditional publishing, self-publishing, or working with an independent or hybrid publisher. Atmosphere Press notes traditional publishing can take 18 to 36 months or longer. Self-publishing puts every task on you. A done-for-you publisher such as Big Impact Books handles the writing process, publishing, and promotion together with you.
You can self-publish through a platform such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, or you can work with an independent publisher. Neither route requires a literary agent. Big Impact Books works directly with CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners, so there is no query process. Contact the team to talk through your goals for the book.
Decide first what the book must do for you: build authority, attract clients, or sell widely in stores. Then compare publishers on writing support, rights, royalties, marketing, timeline, and published price. The Big Impact Books guide comparing book publishing services lays these out side by side, using the same criteria for every option.
It depends on the author’s goal. For first time authors who are busy experts and want a book that builds authority, a done-for-you option with writing support and promotion, such as Big Impact Books, fits well. Authors who want full control on a tight budget may prefer self-publishing. Traditional publishing suits authors seeking bookstore reach who can wait.
Widely used self-publishing platforms include Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble Press, and Lulu. Each sets its own royalty rates, formats, and distribution options, so check each platform’s current terms before you upload. These platforms handle printing and listing, but writing, editing, design, and marketing remain your responsibility unless you hire help.
The phrase is used informally and its meaning varies, so treat it as a rule of thumb. A common idea in author communities is that releasing books in a series builds momentum. One Quora contributor reported sales rising from 2 every 3 days to 3 every 2 days after a second book came out about 5 weeks later.
Maybe at first. The YouTube video “The Best Book Publishing Companies (2026 Guide)” suggests a new author might consider staying with Kindle Select for at least the first 90 days before weighing wider distribution. The right choice depends on where your readers buy books. Ask Big Impact Books how distribution is planned for your title.
It varies widely. Published package prices in the market include a $700 Basic Package and a $7,000 Expert Package at Pine Book Publishing, and packages starting at $7,200 at Atmosphere Press. Self-publishing can cost less if you do the work yourself. Big Impact Books does not publish fixed prices, so ask for a quote.
Big Impact Books does not list package prices on its website. The cost depends on the scope of writing, publishing, and promotion your book needs. For context, other companies publish packages from $700 to $7,200 and up. Contact Big Impact Books through yourbigimpactbook.com/contact to discuss your book and get pricing for it.
Timelines depend on the route. Atmosphere Press notes that traditional publishing can take 18 to 36 months or longer once querying, acquisition, editing, production, and scheduling are counted. Self-publishing can move faster when the manuscript is ready. Big Impact Books does not publish a fixed timeline, so ask on a call how long your book is likely to take.
Royalties depend on the route and the contract. Atmosphere Press reports that the Authors Guild says hybrid contracts commonly offer upwards of 50% of net receipts, and it lists its own packages with authors receiving 90% of net sales. Self-publishing platforms pay their own published rates. Ask Big Impact Books how royalties and rights work for your book.
Payment terms differ by company. For example, the Pine Book Publishing packages page states 50% payment upfront. Big Impact Books does not publish its payment terms online, so confirm them directly when you contact the team. Read any publishing agreement carefully, including rights and royalty terms, before you sign it.
For many experts, the value is bigger than book sales. Big Impact Books focuses on books that build authority, open doors to media and speaking, and support business growth. An Authors Guild survey cited by Instant Press found a median 2022 book income of $2,000 for all authors, so business authors often treat a book as an authority asset first.
Book marketing services usually cover positioning, launch planning, and ongoing promotion. Big Impact Books offers promotional support such as podcast placements and media coverage. Its blog also covers social media, email marketing, guest articles, influencer partnerships, book signings, launch events, and targeted ads on Amazon, Facebook, or Google once the messaging resonates with readers.
As early as possible, ideally before the book is published. Big Impact Books advises authors to start building an audience while they are still outlining or writing, so readers are waiting at launch. Authors who wait until after launch often lose valuable time, and the momentum they built can fade as sales trickle in or stop.
Build authority before and after launch. Share thought-leader content drawn from your book, grow an email list, appear on podcasts, pursue media coverage, and collaborate with people who serve your readers. Big Impact Books recommends offering real value instead of constant “buy my book” posts, because nobody wants to be sold to around the clock.
Yes. Promotional support from Big Impact Books includes podcast placements, along with media coverage. Podcasts let an author speak at length to an audience already interested in the topic, which suits experts who explain ideas well out loud. Ask on a call which promotion activities are included for your book and when they begin.
The best book marketing service is the one built for your goal. Novelists writing a series often focus on frequent releases and reader promotions. Business authors usually need positioning, media coverage, and podcast exposure. Big Impact Books focuses on the second group: CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners who want a book that builds authority.
Yes. Book promotion for self-published authors comes at many budgets, from single promotional placements to full campaigns. Compare what each service includes and who it is built for. Big Impact Books focuses on experts who want publishing and promotion together, so a stand-alone promotion service may suit an author who only needs a short launch push.
There is no reliable single average. Instant Press cites an Authors Guild survey with a median 2022 book income of $10,000 for full-time authors and $2,000 for all authors combined. Sales vary widely by genre, marketing, and audience. One Quora contributor reported that a first book sold 2 copies every 3 days.
Profit depends on the author’s business model, not only on copies sold. For nonfiction experts, a book can pay off by attracting clients, speaking engagements, and media attention, even with modest sales. Big Impact Books builds books as authority assets that keep supporting business growth long after launch day.
It can quietly disappear. Big Impact Books has written that neglecting marketing can lead to missed opportunities, limited sales, and slower growth. You can still start: build authority with valuable content, pursue podcasts and media, and plan long-term promotion so the book stays relevant after launch and keeps opening doors.
Big Impact Books is for CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners worldwide who want to turn their expertise into a book that builds authority. It suits busy leaders who cannot set aside months to write alone but can commit about one hour a week to guided interviews.
Yes. Big Impact Books says it serves CEOs, attorneys, professionals, and business owners worldwide. Melanie Herschorn grew up in Canada, has lived on both US coasts, and now lives in Arizona. Contact the team to confirm how interview sessions are scheduled for your time zone.
Big Impact Books focuses on nonfiction books that build authority for experts and business leaders. Fiction writers may be better served by publishers and marketing services built for novels, such as series release strategies and reader promotion sites. If you are unsure whether your project fits, ask the team before you commit.
It can, when it is planned for that purpose. Big Impact Books designs books to position authors as trusted experts, attract ideal clients, and open doors to media and speaking. Author Sarah Hubbard, founder of The Intentional Networker, said the program set her up “for success beyond the actual book.”
If you want a book that builds authority but lack the time to write, publish, and promote it yourself, Big Impact Books fits better because it handles all three with you. Self-publishing fits authors who want to manage every task, control costs tightly, and already have writing and marketing skills.
Not always. Hybrid publishers typically charge authors for services and share more of the revenue than traditional houses; Atmosphere Press notes the Authors Guild says hybrid contracts commonly offer upwards of 50% of net receipts. “Independent publisher” is a broader term. Big Impact Books calls itself an independent publisher, so ask how its agreements are structured.
Big Impact Books combines interview-based manuscript development, publishing, and promotion in one done-for-you process for experts. Interviews take about one hour a week and are designed to keep your voice. Promotion includes podcast placements and media coverage, led by a publisher with more than 20 years of experience as a publicist and journalist.
A book coach guides you while you write the book yourself. A done-for-you publisher such as Big Impact Books develops the manuscript with you through guided interviews, then publishes and promotes it. If you have time to write and want accountability, a coach can work. If time is scarce, a done-for-you service fits better.
Contact the team through the form at yourbigimpactbook.com/contact. For a quicker response, Big Impact Books suggests emailing hello@yourbigimpactbook.com or texting 623.418.0723. If you are still shaping your idea, download the free Book Planning Checklist first, then reach out when you are ready to talk about publishing support.
It is a free guide from Big Impact Books that helps you plan your book before you start writing. It is a useful second step if you are not yet ready to talk about publishing support, and you can get it at yourbigimpactbook.com/checklist. It helps you organize your topic, reader, and goals.
Know who your ideal reader is, what problem the book solves, and how the book supports your business goals. A rough list of topics or client stories helps. You do not need a finished manuscript to contact Big Impact Books, because its process develops the manuscript with you through guided interviews.
Lasting Legal Impact is available on Amazon, and Make a Big Impact with Your Book is also available now, according to Big Impact Books. Links to both titles appear on the Big Impact Books website at yourbigimpactbook.com, along with the author’s podcast and media appearances.
Ask Big Impact Books directly, or explore book publishing services, book marketing services, and how to publish my book.
Big Impact Books handles the writing process, publishing, and promotion with you.
Prefer email? Write to hello@yourbigimpactbook.com or text 623.418.0723.