Should I write a business book or a memoir book?

How to share your personal stories and
be seen as a credible expert in the same book.

Prospective authors often tell me, "I think I have two books -- one about my life and one about my business. I don't know if I should write a business or a memoir book."

Do you have this same dilemma? You want to write a book that shares your personal life stories, but also positions you as an expert. Maybe you feel your personal stories are so sensitive, they don't belong in a business book.

In fact, both can be combined into one book.

Let me tell you a story about one of our authors. Jessica Cox is a motivational speaker who gives talks all over the world. She is a certified pilot, as well as a black belt Taekwondo master. Jessica also happened to be born without arms.

Jessica Cox could have written a memoir book or a business book. The book she did included elements of both.

The picture above is Jessica’s book cover. It features her in a cockpit, steering a plane with her feet.

As you can imagine, Jessica has a compelling story. She could have written her story from childhood to adulthood and all the challenges she had to overcome. This would have been compelling as a memoir book.

But Jessica wanted to write a book to empower her fans and support her public speaking business. The book we ended up doing together, Disarm Your Limits, is based on her principles of success. It's organized by qualities, such as adventure, innovation, and persistence.

Each of the chapters, however, are filled with deeply personal stories from her life, related to the topic. For example, in her chapter about innovation, she included stories about how she had to innovate to become a pilot, use public bathrooms, and earn her first black belt--all with no arms.

So you see, we did an inspiring business book based on principles, but supported by her many life experiences. If she’d written a memoir, the structure would have been based on the chronology of her life, with lessons shared along the way. But with this business book, she has something that positions her as a success expert, while creating an emotional bond with readers.

Is a memoir book or business book best for you? Now you can see how your book can be both.

We have helped hundreds of authors to write both memoir and business books, published by top publishing companies.

The genre you choose depends on your business and life goals. When working with our authors, we typically start each project with a planning session to determine which genre will best support their book goals.

Jessica Cox is an international speaker, bestselling author, pilot and Taekwondo Black Belt master. Her book shares her journey to success.

Jessica's book skyrocketed her business. She raised her speaking fees, sold out 3,000 copies of her book in four months, and received offers from publishers in Germany and Taiwan to publish editions in their countries.

Because she chose to write a business book instead of a memoir book, Jessica positioned herself both as a fascinating individual and a success expert.

How do you want to position yourself with your book?

Let's talk.

by Helen Chang, ABM Editorial Director

Should I write a business book or a memoir book?

How to share your personal stories andbe seen as a credible expert in the same book.

How to share your personal stories and
be seen as a credible expert in the same book.