How You Can Take One Short Book & Turn It Into A Profitable Business In 30 Days
If I were to start all over again, this is what I would do.
If you’ve been trying to make money online, you know how overwhelming it can be.
With so many gurus, platforms, and strategies, it’s hard to know where to start—or what actually works. Maybe you’ve considered writing a book, launching a course, or creating digital products, but it all feels like too much.
The good news? You don’t need a giant marketing team or a big budget. You just need one short book.
Yes, really.
One short, focused book can become the foundation for a profitable online business in just 30 days. Let me show you how to make it happen.
Step One: How to Write One Book That Sells
Most people think writing a book has to be a long, complicated process. But the truth is, writing a book that sells is more about strategy than size. A focused, helpful, and well-positioned short book—what I call a mini book—can do more for your business than a 300-page manuscript ever could.
To start, choose a specific topic that solves a real problem for your ideal reader. The key here is clarity over creativity. Don’t try to impress people with your vocabulary or storytelling. Instead, focus on making your book a tool your reader can use right away. Think “solution” more than “story.”
Outline your book before you write it. Keep it simple. Your mini book only needs to be 5–10 chapters, with each chapter around 500–1,000 words. This keeps your book around 7,000–15,000 words total—which is totally doable in a week or two, even if you’re busy.
In fact, in my article “How to Self-Publish a Bestselling Book”, I lay out a clear roadmap:
Choose a specific niche. Don’t write for everyone—write for one person with one problem.
Plan your book like a business. Before you write a word, think about how your book will connect to your other offers or services.
Write fast, edit slow. Your first draft should be quick. The goal is to get the core message out, not polish every sentence.
Use self-publishing tools. Platforms like Amazon KDP make it easy to publish your book in print and Kindle formats.
The publishing process today is almost instant. Once your book is written, edited, and formatted (which can be done with templates or tools like Atticus or Vellum), you can publish your book to Amazon and have it live within 72 hours.
But writing the book is only step one. You’re not just writing a book—you’re building the front end of a business. So don’t worry about writing the “perfect” book. Just get the right book in front of the right people. Your book is your business card, your lead magnet, and your credibility builder all in one.
The best part? Your mini book doesn’t have to be a bestseller in the traditional sense to make money. If your book is positioned correctly, speaks directly to a problem, and leads readers to a next step—you’re already ahead of most online business owners.
Writing content here on Substack? Have you ever thought about turning that content into a book? I have a super easy system for that: Substack Books!
Step Two: Start Writing a Mini Book Series
Once you’ve written your first mini book, you’ve created something powerful: a system. But don’t stop there. The next step is to create a series of mini books around the same theme or niche. This turns your book into a brand and gives readers a reason to keep coming back.
In “The Mini Book Method”, I break down how this works. Think of your first book as the core idea. From that core, you can create 3–5 more books that expand on different aspects of that idea. Each mini book should:
Solve a related but specific problem
Be short (7,000–15,000 words)
Offer a simple and clear takeaway
Lead readers to the next book or offer
For example, if your first book is about minimalist productivity, your next books could be:
How to Declutter Your Digital Life
Focus: The Key to Doing Less and Achieving More
Time Management for Creatives
Building a Simple Weekly Routine
Each one stands alone, but they all reinforce the same message and build trust with your audience. It’s like building a ladder—each book helps the reader climb higher.
There are several benefits to this method:
Increased visibility. More books mean more chances to be found on Amazon or other platforms.
Stronger authority. A series of books positions you as an expert in your niche.
More revenue. Readers who buy one book often buy the rest—especially if you use calls to action in the back of each book.
Cross-promotion. Each book becomes a marketing tool for the others.
Writing a series also boosts your efficiency. Since the books are short and related, you’re not starting from scratch each time. You already know the audience, the tone, the format, and the problem you’re solving.
And here’s where it gets powerful: as you build your series, you’re not just creating books. You’re creating a content library you can repurpose into blog posts, email sequences, podcast topics, YouTube videos, and more. This content flywheel grows your audience while bringing in consistent income.
Think of your series as the front-end engine of your business. Readers find you through a book, trust you through your series, and then look for deeper ways to work with you.
So don’t stop at one book. Use the Mini Book Method to create a business library that works for you 24/7. With a handful of focused, helpful mini books, you can turn your ideas into income—one book at a time.
Step Three: Create a $27 Digital Product That Sells Every Day
Now that you have one (or several) books in place, it’s time to monetize beyond book royalties. The best way to do that? Create a simple $27 digital product as your backend offer. Think of your book as the “door opener” and this product as the real business.
Why $27?
Because it’s an impulse-buy price point that doesn’t require hours of convincing. It’s also high enough to give you room for profit, especially if you’re selling directly through platforms like Gumroad, Stan Store, or Podia.
Here’s what makes a great $27 product:
It solves one problem. Just like your book, your product should be laser-focused. No fluff.
It delivers fast results. People aren’t buying information—they’re buying transformation. Make it quick and clear.
It’s easy to consume. This could be a 30-page PDF guide, a short video course, or a 5-day email challenge.
It connects to your book. If your book teaches the “why,” your product can teach the “how.”
For example, if your mini book is called Focus: Do Less. Achieve More., your backend product could be The 7-Day Focus Bootcamp, a simple email series that helps users create a distraction-free workweek.
Or if your book is Minimalist Budgeting for Busy Parents, your $27 product could be The 30-Day Family Budget Planner with downloadable templates and weekly guides.
To build the product:
Outline the steps your audience needs to take to get a result.
Choose a delivery format that fits your style (PDFs, Notion templates, videos, etc.).
Add a few bonuses like checklists or audio files to increase perceived value.
Once it’s created, use the back of your book to promote it. Add a simple call to action like:
“Enjoyed this book? Get the companion guide and take action today. Visit [yourURL.com]”
This creates a seamless path from reader to buyer. And here’s the magic: you can use your book to build an email list, and then sell your $27 product through an automated sequence.
Even if only 3% of your readers buy your digital product, the numbers add up. If 1,000 people read your book and 30 buy the $27 product, that’s $810. Do that every month and you have a $9,720/year product—built from one book.
Add in more books, more products, and upsells, and this becomes a scalable business.
This strategy works.
One short book leads to a digital product that makes money daily. And it doesn’t require a huge audience—just the right offer for the right reader.
Conclusion: Start Your Journey
If you’ve been stuck trying to figure out how to make money online, this is your sign.
One short book is all it takes to launch your business, build authority, and sell digital products that work for you 24/7. You don’t need to be a marketing expert. You just need a proven system.
That’s what The Minimalist Author Way gives you—a step-by-step blueprint to go from book idea to profitable business in 90 days or less.
Ready to start? Grab the guide here:
👉 Get The Minimalist Author Way and launch your book-based business today.
My name is J.R. Heimbigner and I am a #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon with 20 self-published books. Learn more about The Minimalist Author HQ!
Also, this post may contain sales or affiliate links, so I might get a little kickback if you purchase anything. Thank you in advance!
Doing exactly right now with my „Happy Habitz“ series
This is great motivation! You’ve helped me already. Now I just need to do it.