What You’ll Learn About Book Publishing and Entrepreneurship in This Episode

Your expertise is your most valuable business asset, but if no one can find you, it doesn’t matter. In this episode, 30-year publishing veteran and Freiling Agency founder Tom Freiling breaks down how entrepreneurs are using books to build authority, dominate search results, and turn their knowledge into a thought leadership platform that works around the clock.

Here’s what this conversation covers:

• Why your personal brand is now as important as the business you’re building
• The single trait Tom sees consistently in high achievers across every industry
• What separates a good book from a bestseller, and why it’s not the story itself
• The truth about the New York Times bestseller list and what it actually measures
• How books fuel social media content and search engine discoverability
• When ghostwriting makes sense and how the process actually works
• Hybrid vs. traditional vs. self-publishing: the real trade-offs for entrepreneurs

Expert Insights on Entrepreneurship, Authority Building, and the Business of Books

The One Trait That Separates Those Who Command Authority From Those Who Stay Invisible (00:00:40)

“Focus is the primary thing. I see that separates those who are high achievers and successful in their industry or their field. They tend to be hyper-focused individuals.” (Tom Freiling)

Whether Tom is working with Fortune 500 CEOs, pro athletes, or political leaders, the pattern holds. People who build lasting authority have chosen a lane and gone deep. For entrepreneurs building a thought leadership platform, unfocused content dilutes your message before it reaches the right audience.

Personal Brand and Thought Leadership: Why It’s No Longer Optional (00:05:10)

“Building a personal brand now is as important as building the organization that you’re trying to lead. Because you are the organization.” (Tom Freiling)

Tom spends 30 to 45 minutes a day on LinkedIn, podcast appearances, and articles. Three or four years of that consistency, he says, has made a measurable difference. Credibility and discoverability now go hand in hand, and building both requires showing up consistently, not perfectly.

How AI Is Changing Book Publishing and What It Means for Authors (00:07:00)

“AI makes it a lot easier to write. There’s a lot more books being published. But that does not necessarily mean there’s a lot more good books being published.” (Tom Freiling)

More books means more noise, which raises the bar for quality. Tom’s agency focuses on what he calls “Barnes and Noble Ready” books, titles that stand out because of craft and quality, not just availability. AI lowers the barrier to publish, but it raises the stakes for what actually resonates.

It’s Not the Story That Matters. It’s How You Tell It. (00:08:10)

“It’s not the uniqueness of the story that matters. It’s how you tell the story.” (Tom Freiling)

Tom has seen books on seemingly ordinary topics become mega-bestsellers, and incredible stories fall flat because the writing didn’t carry them. For entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: your experience is valuable, but how you frame it for your reader is everything.

The New York Times Bestseller List: What It Actually Measures (00:13:00)

“It’s not a true indicator of whether your book is selling better than other books. It just means you sold better than all other authors in certain stores during a one week period.” (Tom Freiling)

Tom has sold books that consistently outsell many NYT bestsellers over time, without ever appearing on the list. His preference: steady, consistent sales week after week rather than a single spike during a seven-day survey window.

How to Write a Book That Actually Serves Your Reader (00:17:40)

“The biggest mistake an author makes is writing the book to themselves rather than to the reader.” (Tom Freiling)

The first question Tom asks every author: who is this book really for? Know your reader, solve their problem efficiently, and share only as much of your own story as helps them understand how you arrived at the solution they’re looking for.

Ghostwriting: More Common Than You Think (00:20:20)

“As many as 25%, maybe 35% of those books on nonfiction shelves were ghost written.” (Tom Freiling)

For founders who don’t have undistracted blocks of time to write, ghostwriting is a legitimate and widely used path. Tom’s team interviews the author, captures their voice, and produces a book that genuinely sounds like the person whose name is on the cover.

Books as a Search Engine Discoverability Tool (00:23:50)

“Once your book is on the market, in terms of search engine discoverability it just skyrockets for you, whether it’s on Google or on Amazon.” (Tom Freiling)

A 50,000-word book is years’ worth of social media content. Every retailer carrying your book creates another indexed reference to your expertise. Tom frames this as the new version of publicity: not TV appearances, but being discovered when someone searches for exactly what you do.

Hybrid Publishing vs. Traditional vs. Self-Publishing (00:36:50)

“Hybrid publishing is in between traditional publishing and self-publishing. The author is still investing some of their funds, but it’s done in more of a traditional manner.” (Tom Freiling)

Hybrid publishers vet their books like a traditional publisher, which means industry access that self-publishing doesn’t provide. Barnes and Noble will rarely stock a self-published title, but does work with hybrid publishers like the Freiling Agency. Traditional publishing remains the gold standard but can take years, which is why many entrepreneurs choose the hybrid route for speed without sacrificing quality.

Tom’s One Piece of Advice for Entrepreneurs Who Want to Play Big Faster (00:41:10)

“Be more patient. Break that vision down into sizable chunks. You’re gonna have a lot more victories that way.” (Tom Freiling)

Big visions are real, but they’re reached incrementally. A hundred small wins is more sustainable than one all-or-nothing bet on the finish line.

About Our Guest: Tom Freiling, Book Publishing Entrepreneur and 3X Founder

Publishing Industry Credentials and Entrepreneurship Background

Tom Freiling is the founder of the Freiling Agency, ranked #765 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. A pioneer in digital-first and hybrid publishing, Tom spent three decades building and leading publishing companies, including one acquired by a NASDAQ-listed media company that generated over $100M in revenue. He is a Member of the Forbes Business Council, Contributing Writer for Entrepreneur Magazine, Executive Board member of Fast Company, and a bestselling author with HarperCollins. He has appeared on FOX, CNBC, and C-SPAN, and is a member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team.

Key Takeaways: Book Publishing Strategy and Thought Leadership for Entrepreneurs

1. Focus is the differentiator. High achievers share one trait across every industry Tom has worked in: they are hyper-focused. That same focus applied to your publishing and personal brand strategy separates visible leaders from invisible ones.
2. Your book is a search engine asset. Every retailer carrying your title creates another indexed reference to your expertise. Publishing a quality book is one of the highest-leverage moves an entrepreneur can make for long-term discoverability.
3. Write for your reader, not yourself. Know who your reader is, what problem they’re trying to solve, and write directly to them, sharing only as much of your own story as helps them trust your solution.
4. Consistency compounds. Tom didn’t prioritize personal brand building until a few years ago. Thirty to forty-five minutes a day creates measurable results over time.
5. Patience is a business strategy. Break the big vision into smaller wins. Progress is more sustainable when you’re collecting victories along the way, not waiting for a single finish line to validate the whole journey.