The Publishing Powerhouse Helping CEOs and Creators Build Their Legacy - Exclusive Interview With Melanie Herschorn
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 27, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
Known for helping professionals become bestselling authors and go-to experts in their fields, Melanie Herschorn is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and founder of Big Impact Books. She empowers CEOs, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and thought leaders to write, publish, and promote reputation-building books that attract high-value clients, grow visibility, and create lasting impact.
Her clients have sold thousands of books, been featured in national media, and launched new revenue streams from their published work. She’s also the author of the bestselling books Make a Big Impact with Your Book and Lasting Legal Impact, which are practical and inspiring guides for experts ready to amplify their voice and legacy.
There really is no bigger opportunity to leave a legacy and make a difference in the world than with a book.
What inspired you to focus on helping experts and business owners turn their books into impact?
I am such a believer in the power of storytelling. After earning a master's degree in broadcast journalism, I worked as a radio news anchor and reporter on a mission to get stories on-air that highlighted underserved and often-ignored populations in my community. When I became a mom, I was inspired to design and manufacture clothing for nursing moms, and I jumped headfirst into entrepreneurship. I longed to keep helping people, and I soon found myself in the marketing space. Authors began calling me out of the blue and asking if I could help them market their books. After I published my first book, Make a Big Impact with Your Book, I knew it was time to step into publishing, too.
There is so much predatory behavior in the publishing industry. When a person makes the big decision to share their expertise in a book, navigating the process can be overwhelming and downright scary. There are so many people offering the world and delivering very little in return. I’ve had clients come to me after spending upwards of $30K with nothing to show for it. But at Big Impact Books, we help get their expertise out of their head and into a manuscript, we get the book published, and we do the marketing for them. Simple and seamless with support the whole way. There really is no bigger opportunity to leave a legacy and make a difference in the world than with a book. We do our best to make it easy.
What’s the biggest mistake most first-time authors make when trying to market their book?
Most first-time authors become hyper-focused on the date of their book launch. They have unrealistic expectations and place so much pressure on themselves, totally unnecessarily. The date your book launches is an exciting day, but if you don’t have a million book sales on day one, or even day 31, it’s going to be ok. Marketing a book is a marathon, not a sprint.
Can you share a story where a client’s book truly transformed their business or brand?
Every expert who has written a book and takes the time to market it will see a transformation. From the attorney who watched his law firm’s bottom line go from a 10 percent year-over-year increase to a 30 percent boost thanks to his book, to the wealth advisor who, within three weeks of his book launch, booked paid speaking events where they bought hundreds of copies of his book, I truly believe that publishing and marketing a thought-leadership book is like being handed the keys to the kingdom.
In such a crowded content space, how do you help authors make their books stand out?
The great thing about a book is that it IS content. So instead of constantly creating new content to post, it already exists. Book content can be repurposed endlessly. And your book’s content provides infinite value, which is how you stand out from the crowd. So often, authors think that posting a photo of themselves holding their book is enough. However, the best way to differentiate yourself is to share your mission and really take a stand. That is how you will attract your audience.
How do you balance authentic storytelling with smart marketing strategy?
The word authentic gets thrown around a lot these days. Be authentic, we’re told, that's how you will differentiate yourself. But I would argue that that isn’t enough. Of course, you should tell stories that highlight who you are and what you bring to the table. Don’t embellish or lie. That should be the bare minimum. But let’s go further. I believe that every book should have a purpose, an objective, and a plan. Even if the goal is simply to entertain, there is still a reason behind it. And when you begin with the end in mind, a smart marketing strategy easily emerges.
How do you see book publishing and promotion evolving with AI and new media trends?
Let me begin by sharing my love of AI. What an incredible time-saving tool it is. But we have to remember that it’s a tool; it cannot and should not be a replacement for our brains entirely. Any book that you “write” using AI content cannot be copyrighted since it contains an amalgam of other people’s thoughts, not yours. However, you can use AI as a marketing tool all day long. At this point, the publishing industry is splintered. There are the traditional publishing houses that seem to be sticking to the ways they’ve always done things, yet the barrier to entry has broken wide open with the option for self-publishing. I imagine any evolution in the industry will be a reactive one, not proactive, but I intend to remain at the forefront and continue to implement AI tools to help my authors.
What impact or legacy do you hope Big Impact Books leaves for future authors?
Every day, I hear comments like:
“I’ve been trying to write a book for years, but I haven’t gotten anywhere.”
“I want to publish a book, but I don’t have time.”
“I just don’t know how to do this or where to start.”
At Big Impact Books, we streamline the book writing, publishing, and promotion process, with the goal of making it a simple and fun experience. We also save our authors hundreds of hours by having them speak the book to us in just one hour per week. Our mission is to make it easy for future authors to share their brilliance in a book that becomes their legacy. That is our legacy.
Melanie Herschorn has built Big Impact Books on a foundation of integrity, strategy, and a deep reverence for storytelling’s power to transform careers. By combining media expertise with a streamlined publishing model, she helps experts turn their knowledge into authority-building books that elevate their visibility and expand their impact. Her philosophy is clear: when authors are supported, protected, and empowered, their books can shape legacies that endure.
