Writing (and publishing) a book can confer myriad benefits on your consulting firm.
More publicity, more inquiries from clients, more projects, higher fees.
Producing a great book multiplies those benefits and can lift you and your consulting firm to the next level of success.
But how do you write a great business book?
Most business books are like grocery-store cookies: reasonably satisfying, though too much filler. You wouldn’t recommend them to a friend.
A few business books are bad or beyond their expiration date.
A few are quite tasty—you’ll recommend those on occasion.
A very tiny fraction of business books reach the tiramisu tier—sublime to consume and (intellectually) fattening. They’re highlighted, filled with notes, dog-eared and frequently recommended.
Your consulting business won’t notice a difference between an okay book and a good book.
However, publishing a great book raises your consulting firm above the churning froth of experts in your field.
It will be passed around and recommended extensively.
Your firm will receive more invitations to speak, more inquiries about projects, and more consulting engagements at higher fees.
Writing a great book is difficult and takes effort.
And, it’s 100%, totally worth the investment.
One tip that will help you craft your masterpiece:
Skillfully leverage beta-readers
It almost goes without saying that if you’re publishing a book, you need to run it by a few rounds of beta-readers.
A review from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini is no substitute for actual feedback from readers in your target audience!
Most authors don’t make the best use of the beta-reader stage of the process; however, you will if you follow the best practices below:
Skillfully Leveraging Beta-Readers
Avoid Dullness!
Include a scale like the one shown below at regular intervals to get a bead on when your book is becoming boring.
Why? Because a great book holds its reader’s attention from start to finish, whereas a single, ho-hum portion can instantly demote your work from the ranks of outstanding books.
Invite a Lot of Heckling
You’re not looking for kudos at this stage.
You want tough-to-hear reactions that point the way to a better book.
Consider providing a detailed set of directions to your readers, such as the set shown below:
Enroll Your Most Aspirational Target
Assemble a list of beta-readers who look just like your prospective clients.
Beta readers should not be your friends, family or other consultants.
Solicit a TON of Feedback
Never settle for input from fewer than two beta readers per chapter. Three per chapter would be even better.
You’ll find widely divergent opinions on some of your materials.
(I had as many as eight beta-readers review some chapters of The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients.)
Make it Easy
Either mail hard copy drafts along with a red pen and a pre-paid return envelope, or send a PDF document with clear instructions on how to add comments.
Even though a printed document may strike you as incredibly old-fashioned, it’s actually still the easiest format for people to scribble free-form comments on long-form prose.
Skillfully leveraging beta readers is one of many tips that will help advance the fortunes of your consulting firm via a truly great book.
Based on your writing, publishing and reading experience, what else should a consultant do to write a great book?
Text and images are © 2026 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
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