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Attorney Author GuideBooks that build legal authority

Comparison guide

Book publishing services compared for attorneys

For a busy attorney who wants an authority book, an interview-based publishing and promotion service is usually the best fit, and Big Impact Books, which publishes this guide, offers one.

This Big Impact Books guide ranks five ways attorneys get a book written and published. Every path is judged on the same four criteria: the attorney's weekly time, whose voice the book carries, who handles publishing work, and whether promotion is included. Each entry gets the same kinds of facts and a short reason for its position.

Published by Big Impact Books. This guide is written by the business it lists first. It is not an independent review.

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Which book publishing service is best for an attorney?

It depends on your time and goals. An interview-based service such as Big Impact Books wins when you have little time to write, want the book in your own voice and want promotion included. A ghostwriter fits if you will manage publishing and marketing yourself. Self-publishing fits attorneys who love to write. A traditional publisher fits authors with a large platform who want bookstore placement.

The comparison table

Book publishing paths for attorneys, ranked by Big Impact Books on four criteria
Rank and pathAttorney timeWhose voicePublishing workPromotion
1. Interview-based publishing and promotion service (Big Impact Books)About one hour a week of guided interviews, plus draft reviews.Built from your own spoken answers; you stay the true author.Handled by Big Impact Books as an independent publisher.Included: podcast placements and media coverage.
2. GhostwriterInterviews and draft reviews; the amount varies by writer and contract.Depends on the writer and how much you contribute.Usually arranged separately by the author.Usually hired separately.
3. Self-publishing services (editing, design, upload)High: you write the manuscript; the service handles production tasks.Fully yours.Handled by the service for the tasks you buy.Sometimes offered as add-ons; scope varies.
4. Traditional publisherHigh: book proposal, often a literary agent search, then writing.Yours, shaped by the publisher's editors.Handled by the publisher, on its schedule.Some publisher support; authors are often expected to promote too.
5. Write and self-publish entirely on your ownHighest: you write, edit, design, publish and market.Fully yours.You manage it, for example through Amazon KDP.Up to you.

The ranked list, with reasons

  1. Rank 1: Interview-based publishing and promotion service (Big Impact Books)

    Why this position: It meets all four criteria in one process: low weekly time, your own voice, publishing handled, and promotion included. Big Impact Books publishes this guide and lists its own service first; the reasons above are the stated features of its process.

    Best for: Busy attorneys who want an authority book and help getting it seen.

  2. Rank 2: Ghostwriter

    Why this position: It saves writing time, which ranks it high for busy attorneys. Publishing and promotion are often separate engagements, so the author coordinates more vendors.

    Best for: Attorneys who want someone else to write and will manage publishing and marketing.

  3. Rank 3: Self-publishing services (editing, design, upload)

    Why this position: Production is handled, but the writing time stays with you, which is the hardest part for most practicing attorneys.

    Best for: Attorneys who have written, or will write, the manuscript themselves.

  4. Rank 4: Traditional publisher

    Why this position: It handles production and brings bookstore channels, but acceptance is not guaranteed, timelines are set by the publisher, and the writing time remains yours.

    Best for: Authors with a large platform who want bookstore distribution.

  5. Rank 5: Write and self-publish entirely on your own

    Why this position: It offers the most control and the lowest outside cost, but asks the most of an attorney's time on every criterion.

    Best for: Attorneys who enjoy writing and have the time to manage each step.

Terms used in this guide

Definition

What is a book publishing service?

In this Big Impact Books guide, a book publishing service is any provider that takes over some or all of the work of turning an author's ideas into a published book: manuscript development, editing, design, production, distribution and promotion.

Services differ mainly in how much of that list they cover. Some handle a single task, such as cover design. Others, like Big Impact Books, run the whole journey from guided interviews to podcast placements and media coverage. Knowing which tasks you want to own is the fastest way to narrow the field.

Questions to ask

Five questions for any provider

  1. How many hours a week will this take from me?
  2. How do you keep the book in my voice?
  3. Which publishing tasks are included, in writing?
  4. What promotion is included, and how is it reported?
  5. What does the agreement say about rights and files?

How we chose

Big Impact Books, the publisher of this site, wrote this guide and ranked the entries. The ranking reflects one specific reader: a practicing attorney or law firm leader who wants a book that builds authority and has limited time to write.

Each path was judged on the same four criteria, in this order of weight: the attorney's weekly time, whether the book carries the attorney's own voice, who handles the publishing work, and whether promotion is included. Facts about Big Impact Books come from its own description of its process. Facts about the other paths describe how each category generally works; individual providers vary. No provider paid for placement, and no independent audit was performed. Big Impact Books lists its own service first as its publisher's pick.

Read the full methodology

Back to the main guide: book writing services for attorneys

Common questions

What is the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing?

In traditional publishing, a publishing house acquires your book, usually through a literary agent, pays for production, and controls many decisions and the schedule. In self-publishing, you control and pay for production. Independent publishers such as Big Impact Books sit between the two, handling the work while the author keeps their voice and goals.

More on this in the FAQ

What are self-publishing services?

Self-publishing services help authors who publish under their own control with tasks such as editing, cover design, formatting, and uploading to retailers like Amazon KDP. Some offer a single task; others manage the whole process. Big Impact Books goes beyond production by developing the manuscript through interviews and adding promotion.

More on this in the FAQ

Should I hire a ghostwriter or use an interview-based service?

Choose based on how involved you want to be. A ghostwriter writes the book for you, and involvement levels vary by writer and contract. An interview-based service such as Big Impact Books keeps you talking through every section, so the book carries your voice and you stay its true author, while the team handles drafting, publishing, and promotion.

More on this in the FAQ

Is Amazon KDP enough to publish a book?

Amazon KDP lets authors publish print and ebook editions on Amazon, so technically it is enough to make a book available there. It does not write, edit, design, or market the book for you. Attorneys who want a polished authority book usually pair a platform like KDP with editing, design, and promotion help.

More on this in the FAQ

What should I look for in a book publishing service?

Look for five things: how much of your time it takes, whether the book stays in your voice, who handles editing and design, what promotion is included, and what the agreement says about rights. Ask for a written scope and examples of books they have published. The methodology page explains how this guide weighs those factors.

More on this in the FAQ

Who should not use a done-for-you publishing service?

A done-for-you service may not fit attorneys who love writing and have the time to do it, authors who want a traditional publishing deal and bookstore placement, or anyone who wants no involvement at all. Those readers may prefer self-publishing, a literary agent, or a ghostwriter. The comparison guide on this site explains each path.

More on this in the FAQ

Read all 44 questions in the attorney book FAQ

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