The Publishing Decision That Changed My Business Forever
- Jun 7
- 4 min read
By Andrea C Russell
I almost didn't write the book.
Not because I didn't have a story. Not because I didn't have the expertise. But because I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to write a business book or a memoir.
Turns out, the answer was both. And that one publishing decision changed everything about my business.
Let me show you what I learned and why the decision you're avoiding about your book might be the exact thing that unlocks your next level.
The Question That Stopped Me Cold
When I finally decided to write "When Business Becomes Heavy," I hit a wall immediately.
My story was personal. Bankruptcy. Loss. Rebuilding from nothing. Raw, vulnerable, messy.
So which book was I supposed to write?
The emotional memoir about rising from bankruptcy? Or the tactical business book with strategies and spreadsheets?
Every author resource I found said: "Pick one. Memoir or how-to. You can't do both."
But what if my readers needed both?
What if the women I serve don't just need strategy, they need to know someone else has been where they are and made it out?
That's when I made the decision that changed everything.
The Publishing Decision I Almost Didn't Make
I decided to write a business book that reads like a conversation with a friend.
Not a textbook. Not a memoir. Something in between.
I would give them the Surrender, Overcome, Align and Rise Method, the exact system I used to build my businesses profitably. But I'd also tell them about my personal stories. The shame. The nights I cried in my car because I didn't know how I'd pay my bills.
I'd give them worksheets and action steps. And I'd also give them permission to be human while they implement.
Everyone told me it wouldn't work.
"Business books need to be authoritative, not vulnerable."
"Memoirs sell on emotion, not strategy."
"Pick a lane."
But here's what I knew that they didn't: Christian women entrepreneurs don't just need information. They need transformation. And transformation requires both the method AND the story.
So I wrote the book I wished existed when I was rebuilding from nothing.
What Happened When I Published
When "When Business Becomes Heavy" launched, something unexpected happened.
The reviews didn't say, "Great framework." They said, "I felt seen."
Women didn't just buy the book they messaged me saying, "This is book is so filled with the Holy Spirit, I had the chills from the first chapter”
The book became a bridge. Not just to my services, but to real connection.
And that's when my business exploded.
Because here's what I learned: people don't just buy books. They buy understanding. They buy "someone gets me." They buy hope that if you made it through, maybe they can too.
The vulnerability I was scared to include? That became the most quoted part of the book.
The frameworks I thought were "too tactical" for a story-driven book? Those became the Implementation Kit that now generates consistent revenue.
The decision to blend memoir and method? That became my unique positioning in a crowded market.
The Lesson for Your Book
If you're sitting on a book idea right now, stuck between what you think you "should" write and what you actually want to write, listen closely:
The book that scares you is probably the one you need to write.
The part you want to leave out, your failure, your struggle, your humanness, that's probably the part your reader needs most.
The blend of story and strategy that doesn't fit neatly into a category? That might be exactly what makes your book stand out.
Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was paralyzed by publishing decisions:
Your book doesn't have to fit a formula. It has to serve your reader.
You don't have to choose between personal and professional. You can weave both together.
The "rules" about publishing are guidelines, not gospel. Break them if breaking them serves your mission.
The Business Impact You Can't Predict
Here's what nobody tells you about publishing: the right book doesn't just sell copies. It builds your entire ecosystem.
"When Business Becomes Heavy" became:
My lead magnet (people read it and want more)
My credibility piece (I'm not just talking about this, I've lived it)
My product suite foundation (the book led to the Implementation Kit, the courses, the Mastermind)
My marketing message (the title became my brand language)
That one publishing decision to write the book MY way instead of the "right" way, unlocked everything else.
And it started with me finally trusting that my story + my strategy was enough.
Your Next Step
If you're an author or aspiring author sitting on a story that could empower others, don't let publishing "rules" keep you stuck.
Write a book that blends your expertise with your experience.
Tell the story only you can tell, with the solutions only you can provide.
And trust that the women who need what you have will find you, not despite your unique approach, but because of it.
Ready to write your book the way it needs to be written?
"When Business Becomes Heavy" to see exactly how I blended story and strategy into a book that transformed my business.
Your story matters. Your expertise matters. And a book that combines both? That's the one the world is waiting for.
Stop waiting for permission to write it your way.
The publishing decision that scares you might be the one that changes everything.
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