STUDY 1

We conducted a nationwide survey of 150 respondents examining the impact of authorship on professional credibility and hiring decisions.

This March 2026 study reveals that published authorship creates a measurable "authority premium" across professional services. Professionals who have written books command higher preference rates, can charge premium fees and are perceived as more credible experts compared to their non-author counterparts with identical qualifications.

Key Headlines:

• 52–67% of respondents prefer hiring professionals who are published authors
• Published authors can command ~37% higher consultation fees
• 89% trust content more when created by book authors
• 75% view professionals as more qualified thought leaders when they've authored a book

The survey was conducted in March 2026 among 150 U.S. adults aged 25–64 with household incomes of $75,000 or above. The sample was 63% male and 37% female, spanning all four U.S. regions (South 37%, West 23%, Midwest 21% and Northeast 19%). Respondents were predominantly college-educated, with 41% holding a bachelor's degree, 14% a master's and 5% a doctorate. The sample was 61% White, 11% Hispanic, 11% Black or African American and 11% Asian. Responses were stratified to reflect broader demographic distributions.