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In the last month, the largest 25 consulting firms in the world published almost 500 new books and articles. Collectively, their websites have more than 16,000 pieces of thought leadership.

But does any of it do any good?

Here’s a little-known fact: the largest 25 consulting firms in the world collectively publish, on average, 445 new pieces of thought each month. That’s just under 18 articles per firm, although in practice the distribution is skewed. Firms such as McKinsey and Booz, both of which have regular publications to feed, tend to write much more, as does Accenture.

All of which makes me wonder whether there’s a “right” amount to publish.

Interviewing people for our recent report on strategy consulting, I was struck by this phrase. Coined by Muir Sanderson at Booz in London, he was referring to the way in which consulting firms, particularly strategy ones, have been escalating their attempts to build and keep client relationships in recent years.