Should Your Business Have an E-book Ghostwritten? Yes. Here’s why.

Mark Legg
Feb 11
3 min read

My Three Packages for Thought Leaders

What are e-books? Are they affordable? What is the ROI on thought leadership e-books? E-books are books you download, either through Kindle or as a PDF. They’re affordable to buy and, as you’ll see, affordable to have ghostwritten for you. Their ROI is varied and significant.

For some of you, an e-book will represent a fraction of your marketing spend. For others, it will be a significant but worthwhile investment. Either way, whether your business is B2B or B2C, a short e-book

establishes credibility,
generates leads,
and maintains client loyalty.

But only if done well!

E-books are the perfect evergreen content

E-books are the ultimate form of evergreen content. They’re a marketing tool that doesn’t dull with time or fade with trends.

The benefits stack up quickly. Depending on your goals:

You can sell them, often earning back your spend.
You can send them to clients only, supplying them exclusive value.
You can offer them for free as a download to generate leads and email sign-ups.

You can cycle through 1-3 and create a blog series or podcast from the content later. There are other benefits too. For example, you can be invited onto other podcasts and be cited by other leaders. Your book puts your foot in the door at other companies and creates dialogue with other thought leaders. The upshots are legion.

What will your e-book be about?

Obviously, that’s up to you. The content will be driven by your business model, story, and values—what makes you, you. What makes you stand out from competition? That’s what goes in the book.

Consider a few scenarios:

You’re the new, three-person consulting firm on the block and need to simultaneously prove your expertise and establish your fresh, unique approach.
You’re a large software company who does managing a little differently. You want to show how your managing style informs the excellence of your products.
You’re a well-established, multi-generational law firm. You want to share your storied history with an audience to build trust.

Content will also change depending on your business model. The difference between a B2B and B2C-focused e-book is captured well by Abbi Tanton for Demand Science:

“In B2B marketing, [e-books] are designed to deliver in-depth information, address complex challenges, and build thought leadership over longer sales cycles. These assets are crafted to engage multiple stakeholders, focusing on problem-solving and ROI-driven insights that resonate with decision-makers. In contrast, B2C [e-books] typically emphasize storytelling, brand affinity, and entertainment, aiming for quicker engagement and more impulsive purchases.”

As you probably guessed, then, what your e-book will be about will be as varied as the number of business visions and mission statements.

How much does an e-book cost?

Subject to availability, I offer three packages for thought leaders. Naturally, I’m open to adapting to your needs.

E-book from Podcasts/Speaking ($5,000)

Taking your teaching material or podcast content and transcripts and, no hassle, turning them into a quality e-book and/or blog series.

10+ hours of additional research
10-15k word e-book (or blog series of the same length)
Timeline: five weeks

SEO Package ($6500)

The best bargain for drawing leads and eyes on your business. I take your ideas and approach and turn them into a short blog series and book. A blog series generates buzz about your book’s release.

15+ interviews and 10 hours of research
5 SEO-centered blog posts
10-15k word e-book
Timeline: eight weeks (depending on responsiveness)

Premium Package ($12,500)

In the premium package, I create a longer book so your readers can go deeper. I will also release the book on Amazon KDP as a physical copy for further exposure. This package includes book cover design and proofreading costs.

20+ interviews and 20 hours of research
20k+ word e-book and soft cover print offering (editing/cover cost included)
8 SEO-centered blog posts
2 hours of book consulting
Timeline: 16-week minimum (depending on responsiveness)

So, depending on your business model, one high-value client can easily make up for the upfront cost of an e-book.

What’s stopping you from reaching out? I offer a free discovery call for interested clients. So drop a line and let’s chat.

Postscript: What about AI?

Wait, can’t an AI just do this for free? No. Good luck getting an LLM to create a long enough document that’s not a convoluted snooze-fest of “It’s not x—it’s y,” nonsensical metaphors, and ultimately a dry, cold wasteland of syntax.

I don’t guarantee a bestseller, but I guarantee if you create your e-book with AI, your manuscript will lack character, depth, and novelty. Your slop will not compete in the rising ocean of AI slop.

(I do not use generative AI to write. Zero words turned in will be generative AI (ChatGPT, etc.). I use LanguageTool for grammar, spelling, and, occasionally, finding synonyms.

Hopefully that answers your hypothetical question!)