Updated May 2026 to reflect current data.

Richard Lowe, The Writing King, breaks down how a book moves a C-level executive from author to authority. The premise is simple: a well-made book is one of the few tools that can genuinely pivot a senior career, repositioning someone as the recognized expert in a space rather than just another leader with a strong resume.

The conversation moves from why a book establishes credibility to the practical work of promoting it, and what an aspiring author should expect along the way.

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In this episode

A book as a career pivot

Plenty of executives write a book to mark what they’ve already done. Richard’s interest is in what a book does next: it can reposition a C-level leader entirely, establishing credibility in a new direction and signaling expertise to people who’d otherwise never have heard of them. A book is one of the cleanest ways to refresh how the market sees you, and for a senior executive that shift can be the difference between being known for the last job and being sought out for the next one.

Expertise plus story, the combination that opens doors

The credibility doesn’t come from the credentials alone. What makes a book land is the pairing of hard expertise with the personal story behind it, the why and the how, not just the what. That’s what turns a reader into a believer, and it’s what unlocks the downstream opportunities Richard sees again and again: speaking engagements, TED talks, and press coverage. A book becomes the leader’s story in a form people can pass around, and authority follows from there.

Promotion: LinkedIn and the launch party

None of it matters if no one sees the book, so Richard spends real time on promotion. LinkedIn is his main engine, both for networking and for putting a new title in front of exactly the people who should read it. He’s also a believer in the virtual book launch party: instead of letting a book quietly appear on Amazon, you make publication an event, gather your network in one place, and give people a reason to engage on the day it matters most. The launch is a moment to be designed, not an afterthought.

Writing it yourself: book coaching

Not every executive wants the book ghostwritten. For those who’d rather do the writing, Richard offers book coaching, which is also a useful way to understand when to hire a ghostwriter versus when to be coached. If you’re early enough that you’re still deciding what the book should even be about, choosing the right topic is the first real decision, and one of the things that separates a book that pivots a career from one that simply exists. It also helps to go in clear-eyed about what the process actually involves.

Find Richard Lowe at TheWritingKing.com.

Common questions from this conversation

How does a book help an executive pivot their career?
It repositions you. A book establishes credibility in a new direction and signals expertise to people who don’t already know you, which can move a senior leader from being known for their last role to being sought out for the next.

What opportunities can a book actually unlock?
Speaking engagements, TED talks, and press coverage, primarily. The book becomes a credential and a calling card that gets you into rooms and conversations that were previously closed.

How important is promotion, and how do you do it?
It’s essential, because an unpromoted book goes unseen. LinkedIn networking is the main channel for reaching the right audience, paired with a deliberate launch rather than a quiet release.

What is a virtual book launch party?
It’s a planned online event around your publication date that gathers your network in one place to celebrate and engage with the book, turning the launch into a moment people show up for instead of a file appearing on a retail page.

Can you help if I want to write the book myself?
Yes. Richard offers book coaching for authors who want to do their own writing, which is a good fit for people who have the time and the drive but want structure and expert guidance.