So, you’re planning on writing a business book.
You’re ready to invest the time, money and energy into getting it written. No matter what it takes.
But what most people don’t realise is that a bad business book is worse than no book at all.
Yes, really.
A mediocre book won’t just fail to position you, it could actively work against you. Readers remember the disappointment. They remember thinking “this person clearly doesn’t know what they’re talking about” or “this was a waste of my time.”
We’ve all been there.
So what separates a good business book from one that makes people regret ever picking it up? Here are 8 things you need to know:
1. It says something new (or says old things differently)
Admittedly, almost all business advice is a remix. Leadership, sales, productivity, it’s all been said before.
The question isn’t whether your ideas are original but whether you’re saying them in a way that doesn’t feel like everyone else.
That could mean new research (Gladwell, Harari, Criado Perez—they all bring evidence you haven’t seen and that makes them exciting). Or it could mean a new structure, such as fables, autobiographies, or a case study format, which makes old advice land differently.
Give people a new reason to pay attention.
2. It’s specific, not generic
“Be authentic.” “Focus on your people.” “Embrace change.”
Yes, it sounds wise, but in reality, it leaves readers with nothing to do. Embrace change? Okay, how? Be authentic? Sure, in what way? When you give them advice they can actually use you become the author that actually helped them.
If someone finishes your book thinking “that was nice” but can’t name a single thing they found valuable, you’ve wasted their time. And yours.
3. Respect the reader’s intelligence
Two things that irk me about business books:
People-pleasing books that try so hard to be likeable they say nothing useful at all. Bland, safe advice. No strong opinions. Completely forgettable.
And arrogant books that assume the reader is an idiot or some fawning fan. Over-explaining. Condescending tone. Name-dropping so loudly you can hear it clanging every time you open the page.
Both are exhausting. And your readers won’t be impressed.
Good books always assume the reader is smart, busy, and capable of making their own decisions. You earn their trust by being a direct, credible, and useful guide, not by flattering them or showing off.
4. Avoid the curse of knowledge
You’ve been thinking about your topic for years. So, you forget what it’s like not to know.
You skip foundational concepts because they’re obvious to you. You use jargon. You assume context the reader doesn’t have.
The curse of knowledge is the invisible osbtacle you didn’t know you had.
Good books meet the reader exactly where they are, explaining enough without overdoing it. They anticipate gaps without being patronising, and nudge readers towards insights you know they need.
If your reader has to stop and Google a word, or re-read a paragraph three times to understand your point, you’ve lost them.
5. Good books have a structure that works
Good books have a logical flow. Each chapter builds on the last and you’re not jumping around trying to piece together the argument.
Bad books meander. Ideas repeat. The narrative goes nowhere. Remember, a confused reader never finishes the book.
A good structure isn’t about being formulaic, but rather about making it easy for someone to follow your thinking without having to work for it.
6. Deliver what they promise
Here’s my take: a book is entertainment. Whatever you want to call it, whether it’s thought leadership, business strategy, executive memoir, it has to be engaging enough to read.
But it also has to deliver commercially. It has to work for the audience you’re trying to reach.
If people buy ice cream, they want ice cream—not some imitation frozen mashed potato. (Apparently, that’s what they use in TV ads because it doesn’t melt under studio lights. I don’t know if that’s true, but you get the idea.)
Your book is making a promise. The title, subtitle, cover are all setting an expectation. Don’t let them down.
7. Have evidence, not just opinion
Bad books are full of advice with no proof.
“Do this because I said so.” “This worked for me, so it’ll work for you.” “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”
Not good enough.
Good books back it up. Research. Case studies. A process you can follow. Examples that show why it worked, not just that it worked.
Opinion without evidence is just noise. And there’s already too much noise.
8. They aren’t about you
One of the fastest ways to write a forgettable book: make it all about yourself.
War stories that don’t connect to a point. Name-dropping without reason. Advice that only worked because of your specific circumstances, presented as a universal truth.
Yes, readers are interested in what you have to say, byt deep down they only truly care whether the book solves their problem.
Use personal experience to illustrate a lesson, fine. But if your book reads like a LinkedIn post stretched to 60,000 words, you’re doing something wrong.
TLDR?
A good business book:
- Says something new, or says old things in a way that feels fresh
- Avoids being vague, and focuses on being specific
- Assumes the reader is intelligent and busy
- Explains without being condescending
- Has a structure that makes sense
- Delivers what it promised
- Backs up claims with evidence
- Focuses on the reader, not the author’s ego
Get those right, and you’ve written a book that positions you properly. Get them wrong, and, well … you know the rest.
Planning a business book? Book a call to make sure yours is one of the good ones.