MSH #004: What Are Minimalist Books
And how you can get started in 6 simple steps.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Minimalist Side Hustles newsletter.
Each week (for the first 10 weeks) we will cover a different minimalist side hustle, this week we dive into the second one, minimalist books.
It’s one of my favorites, I even started a minimalist books newsletter.
You can see what’s coming in the next 8 issues at the end of this one.
What are minimalist books?
Beyond just saying: “It’s a short book”.
The most precise way to separate them from all books is by word count.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find the number of words a book has.
Amazon doesn’t list it anymore, they used to 10+ years ago.
Google can help with some of the more popular books.
With word count not being a viable solution, we move on to page count.
Amazon lists the book page count in their marketplace, so that’s easy.
But, not all pages are created equal.
You need to consider page size, font size, pictures, and margins.
Here’s how I’m going to define a minimalist book:
If the book is 6 x 9 or smaller, the maximum is 120 pages.
If the book is bigger than 6 x 9, the maximum is 80 pages.
Writing and publishing a minimalist book can be a great way to earn extra income, but it goes way beyond money.
It can be so much more valuable.
Publishing a book is a deeply satisfying personal achievement.
You become an “author” and have accomplished something that most never will, and you should be proud of it.
It automatically brings you authority and credibility within the field.
Some even add their books to their resumes and social media profiles.
If you apply for a position within the field, you can even give your book along with (or in place of) your CV.
It’s not only good professionally, you can use it personally as a great conversation starter with friends and family.
You can also use it to preserve your thoughts, stories, and legacy.
The most surprising and fulfilling part is when people read your book and connect with you directly or through reviews. To see that your book had an impact on someone else is an incredible feeling.
Holding your own minimalist book in your hands and being able to show it to other people changed my life, and it can change yours too!
Are you interested in publishing a minimalist book?
Get started with minimalist books in 6 easy steps.
Pick a topic for your book.
You can pick any subject you know about, ideally one you've published some content about that you can use to help you write the book. You could also pick a topic you know nothing about and learn as you write, which may take more time, but could be rewarding and a fun challenge.Choose a platform to write your book.
There are tons of free and premium options to choose from. Any word processor like Google Docs, Apple Pages, or Microsoft Word could work but may require some formatting and tinkering to become compatible with some book publishing platforms (like Amazon KDP). If you plan on publishing multiple books, it would be worth investing in a premium tool like Vellum, Scrivener, or my favorite, Atticus.Create an outline.
Typically you'll want an intro, 5 to 15 chapters, and a conclusion.Write each section of the outline.
I usually aim for 4 pages (~500 words) for the introduction and conclusion, and a total of ~5,000 words total for the chapters (i.e. 10 chapters of ~500 words, 5 chapters of ~1,000 words, etc).Create a cover.
I use Canva to create my covers, there are tons of templates to start with, but make sure you customize them to stand out from the lazy authors that don't. You could also use another graphic design tool, or even outsource it to a freelancer on a platform like Fiverr or Freelancer.List it for sale on the platform(s) of your choice.
The top choice for me is Amazon KDP, but I also sell my on Gumroad, you can pick and choose your platforms, or use a service like PublishDrive that publishes to dozens of marketplaces for you.
I’ve published 5 minimalist books so far, and have 9 more coming within the next year (8 of which will be in the next 8 months as part of a “12 books in 12 months” challenge I gave myself).
You can find all my minimalist books on Amazon, Gumroad, or by upgrading your subscription here on Substack.
What will your minimalist book be about?
10 minimalist side hustles to choose from.
Minimalist BloggingMinimalist BooksMinimalist Challenges (Next week)
Minimalist Clothing
Minimalist Communities
Minimalist Courses
Minimalist Newsletters
Minimalist Products
Minimalist Videos
Minimalist Web Design
Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss any.
P.S. If you don’t want to wait 8 weeks, buy the Minimalist Side Hustles book today. You can also get the book and other perks by upgrading your subscription.
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I was thinking about Smashwords, but I'll look into Publish Drive now. I won't use KDP unless I have no choice. Amazon screwed all Canadians from digital comics with BS over 3 years ago.
It's not even a blip on their radar, but my books will go wide first.
Can't wait for minimalist clothing
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