Becoming The Minimalist Author
A 5-Year Journey of Discovery and Work to Becoming The Minimalist Author
There has never been a better time to write and publish a book.
Seriously.
You can do it over the weekend or even in 24 hours if you want to do it.
With the invention of self-publishing platforms like Amazon KDP, you can write, edit, and design your book for upload and hit publish without gatekeepers or years of rejection.
Yes, we should not take this responsibility lightly. Yes, we should make sure we are creating quality books. These are givens, though people looking to make a quick buck bypass quality for quantity when taking advantage of this new reality.
Yet, I believe there is a new space for writers to step into that serves a group of people who want to read books but don’t want to read long ones. What is that space?
Short Books
Some people call these books atomic books or minimalist books. These are great descriptors, but the basic idea is that we can create short, helpful books that answer questions or solve problems.
When we step into this realm of books and creativity, we can create many books and grow a following and audience who can’t wait for our next book to come out.
Short books are the way of the future, and the minimalist author is the new breed of author who will create these books and serve this audience.
My Story
In 2019, I published my first book, Productivity Success. I used a framework that I have outlined in several other books (Substack Books) and, in three months, created a quality book on overcoming productivity challenges in the workplace.
It was a book that came out of my personal need and has since helped many people with their corporate jobs and daily lives.
To this day, this first book still sells regularly. What I have found is that it solves problems for people. And it’s not overly long, coming in at 162 pages. It's a great book, and I am super proud of my first efforts at self-publishing books.
The Next Ten Books
In 2020, I didn’t publish any books. I spent that year trying to figure out what was next for my writing side hustle. Ultimately, I realized I loved writing the first book, and it was time to dive into a new one.
I also had a spiritual revelation that led me to write Christian devotionals. These books have been some of the hardest I have written, but I love creating them and feel that they honor my faith.
From 2021 to the present, I have published ten books, a journal, and two planners. The journal and planners complement some of my other books, but writing and publishing books has become my second nature.
My Four-Year Education in Self-Publishing
During the last few years of writing and publishing books, I have learned a ton about creating an author platform, creating writing systems, how to write a book efficiently, the steps to prepare to publish, and how to promote my books.
These lessons have been one part trial and error and one part reading many books on self-publishing. I’ve also watched a lot of YouTube and listened to many podcasts.
This education has helped me write ten books over four years and set me up to write and publish even more books in the future. It has been on my heart and my mind to create a book that takes everything I have learned and shares it simply.
The Creation of The Minimalist Author Book
In the last year, I realized there are a lot of people like me. They have something to say, want to help people or have a message inside them that needs to get out. This group of people want to do it by writing and, more specifically, writing books.
Yet, many of us face challenges in writing books and creating content.
We have day jobs, families, responsibilities, and community obligations. We also need to take care of ourselves and the people around us. We cannot simply quit our jobs and go all in. And the idea of taking four hours on a Saturday is crazy to our spouses or kids.
Anyone who fits into this category and wants to write short, helpful books is a perfect fit for becoming a Minimalist Author. That is who my book, The Minimalist Author, is written for.
This group of people want to create, help, and even make money on the side while maintaining a day job, taking care of their families, and meeting all life's obligations.
We are the Minimalist Authors. In my next book, I will share the strategies I have learned in a boiled-down way so that you can get started and see success without sacrificing your family, and it will help keep you from burnout.
If you are interested in this, follow along on my Substack as we launch the book.
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon who writes about faith and writing books. He has self-published 10 books and has some great resources. Check his book on using Medium to write books:
Also, this post may contain sales or affiliate links, so I might get a little kickback if you purchase anything. Thank you in advance!
I hope in this book, you tell how to design a cover via Canva. I've never attempted, and am hesitant.
I look forward to reading this book!