Speak Your BookThe guided interview process
How the guided interview book process works
Published by Big Impact BooksLast updated: November 2026
The guided interview book process works in four stages, plan, create, publish, and promote, and asks the author for about one hour a week.
At Big Impact Books, the author does the talking and the team does the shaping. Weekly guided interviews draw out your expertise chapter by chapter, the team pieces your answers into a manuscript, and the finished book is published and promoted with support such as podcast placements and media coverage.
Part of the main guide to the book writing interview service.
On this page
How does a guided interview book get made?
You answer questions; the team writes from your answers. Every stage connects to the next, so the book is planned around a business goal, built from your voice, and launched with promotion already in motion.
Definition
Guided interview
A guided interview is a recorded conversation in which an interviewer works through planned questions for one chapter or section of your book. Big Impact Books uses weekly guided interviews in the create stage of its process, so the author supplies ideas, stories, and expertise by speaking, while the team turns them into written chapters.
Stage 1: Plan the book around your business
Planning decides what the book is for before any interview starts: who the reader is, what problem the book solves, and which business goal it supports. Big Impact Books frames books as tools that build authority and support business growth, and its blog encourages authors to write for where the business is going, not only where it has been.
Planning also maps the chapters, which become the agenda for the interviews. If you want to get your thinking in order first, the free book-planning checklist from Big Impact Books is a structured place to start.
Stage 2: Create the manuscript through weekly interviews
This is where you write a book by speaking. In weekly guided interviews of about one hour, you talk through each chapter while the team pieces the material into a manuscript. Attorney and author Manisha P. Patel wrote that the weekly interviews made the process manageable, because talking came easily to her and she could work through each chapter in an organized way.
Big Impact Books describes this stage as designed to honor the author's authentic voice. Melanie Herschorn says she refuses to churn out cookie-cutter content or hide behind ghostwriting, so the ideas and stories in the book are yours.
Stage 3: Publish with an independent publisher
Big Impact Books is an independent publisher, so the manuscript moves into publishing with the same team that developed it. That avoids the common handoff where an author finishes a manuscript and then has to find, vet, and manage a separate publishing service. Ask on a call about formats, distribution, and rights for your book.
Stage 4: Promote the book
Promotion is part of the process, not an afterthought. Big Impact Books includes promotional support such as podcast placements and media coverage, and recommends starting book marketing as early as possible, ideally before the book is published.
For authors who prefer speaking, this stage plays to strength: a podcast guest spot is another conversation about your expertise. Read more about book marketing services for spoken authors.
Who does what in an interview-based book?
| Stage | What you do | What the Big Impact Books team does |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Share your goals, audience, and core idea | Helps shape the idea and map chapters |
| Create | Talk through chapters in weekly interviews, about one hour a week | Asks guided questions and pieces your answers into a manuscript |
| Publish | Give feedback and approvals (confirm review rounds on a call) | Manages publishing as an independent publisher |
| Promote | Show up for podcast and media opportunities | Provides promotional support such as podcast placements and media coverage |
What does a weekly interview session feel like?
It feels like a focused conversation with someone curious about your work. These general tips help any interview session go well:
Step 1: Before
Jot down two or three stories that fit the chapter: a client win, a mistake, a turning point.
Step 2: During
Answer naturally. Rambling is fine; the questions keep you on track and the team organizes the material.
Step 3: After
Note anything you forgot to say so it can be added in the next session or during review.
Curious about price and timing? See cost and time commitment.
Common questions
What are the stages of the Big Impact Books process?
There are four: plan, create, publish, and promote. Planning shapes the idea, audience, and chapters. Creating develops the manuscript through weekly guided interviews. Publishing turns the manuscript into a finished book. Promotion puts the book to work with support such as podcast placements and media coverage, so the book supports authority and business growth.
What happens in a guided book interview?
You talk through one chapter, or part of one, while the interviewer asks questions that draw out your process, examples, and stories. Attorney and author Manisha P. Patel wrote that the weekly interviews made the process manageable: talking came easily to her, so she could talk through each chapter in an organized way while the team pieced the material together.
Do I need an outline before the interviews start?
No finished outline is needed. Planning is the first of the four Big Impact Books stages: plan, create, publish, and promote. That is where the idea, the reader, and the order of chapters get mapped before interviews begin. For a head start, the free book-planning checklist on the Big Impact Books website walks through what to think about first.
Do I get to review the chapters?
You should, with any interview-based service, because the book carries your name and reputation. Reading drafted chapters is how you correct facts, tone, and emphasis. The number and timing of review rounds differ between providers, so ask Big Impact Books on a call how review works for your project before you begin.
Will the book sound like me?
That is the purpose of building it from your spoken answers. Big Impact Books describes its process as designed to honor each author's authentic voice, and the raw material is your own words, stories, and examples. Reading the drafted chapters lets you flag anything that does not sound like you before the book goes to print.
What if I miss a week of interviews?
Busy schedules happen. Missing sessions slows the manuscript, because each interview feeds the next chapters, so steady weekly rhythm matters more than long sessions. Rescheduling policies differ between providers; ask Big Impact Books on a call how missed sessions are handled for your project.
What if I freeze up or ramble in interviews?
That is normal, and the format is built for it. The interviewer's questions keep you on track, and even rambling answers produce usable material that the team can organize. Many experts talk more naturally than they write: Manisha P. Patel wrote that talking came easily to her, which is what made the weekly interviews manageable.
Ready to talk through your book?
Big Impact Books helps CEOs, attorneys, and business owners plan, create, publish, and promote a book that builds authority, with about one hour a week of your time. Not ready for a conversation? Start with the free book-planning checklist.