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Study: Business Owners Who Write Books Earn Higher Rates

Source: EntrepreneurView Original
businessMarch 26, 2026

AI tools and social media hacks get most of the marketing attention, but a new study shows there’s serious ROI in sitting down and writing a good old-fashioned book filled with your expertise. Published authors can charge 37% more for their time — $345 per hour versus $251 for non-authors, according to a survey of 150 U.S. professionals. And 89% of people said they trust content more when it comes from a book author.

Among consultants and advisors, published authors got the job anywhere from 52% to 67% of the time, depending on the field, compared to 33% to 48% for non-authors.

The credibility boost shows up beyond the bookshelf. LinkedIn headlines with “Published Author” tested better 62% of the time. Articles by book authors were trusted nearly 8 times as much as blog posts by non-authors. “If you’re an entrepreneur without a book, you’re not just less credible—you’re almost invisible,” says Anna David, founder of hybrid book publisher Legacy Launch Pad Publishing.

AI tools and social media hacks get most of the marketing attention, but a new study shows there’s serious ROI in sitting down and writing a good old-fashioned book filled with your expertise. Published authors can charge 37% more for their time — $345 per hour versus $251 for non-authors, according to a survey of 150 U.S. professionals. And 89% of people said they trust content more when it comes from a book author.

Among consultants and advisors, published authors got the job anywhere from 52% to 67% of the time, depending on the field, compared to 33% to 48% for non-authors.

The credibility boost shows up beyond the bookshelf. LinkedIn headlines with “Published Author” tested better 62% of the time. Articles by book authors were trusted nearly 8 times as much as blog posts by non-authors. “If you’re an entrepreneur without a book, you’re not just less credible—you’re almost invisible,” says Anna David, founder of hybrid book publisher Legacy Launch Pad Publishing.