It's been more than 20 years since two books--Iacocca and In Search of Excellence--first turned business titles into a hot category. Since then, for better or worse, thousands of CEOs and consultants have been inspired to get in touch with their inner Hemingway. A few such efforts have become bestsellers, but most wind up as gifts to clients, required reading for employees, or just nifty adornments for credenzas. But that doesn't signify failure. For many writers, the hoped-for payoff from publishing a book comes not from bookstores but at their day jobs, where the halo and image-boosting created by literary efforts can help generate new business.

In the past, most would-be business authors tried to get their books published by a big publishing house, usually by agreeing to a small advance and a "buyback," in which the author promises to purchase thousands of copies himself. But lately publishers have soured on these deals, which usually aren't very profitable. At the same time, a host of new online services has made self-publishing easier and cheaper than ever. And anyone can list his or her book on Amazon.com.

What's more, the perception of self-publishing has changed. "Even two years ago, I'd have said independent publishing is really stupid--you're acknowledging you can't get a real contract," says Paul B. Brown, author of Publishing Confidential: The Insider's Guide to What It Really Takes to Land a Nonfiction Book Deal. But today even A-listers like Tom Peters and Jim Collins have self-published titles. And as self-publishing gains cachet, more businesspeople are looking at books as effective promotional tools.