Don't Write the Next Atomic Habits. Write Mini-Books
07 Oct 2025 #writingYou don’t need a publisher and 100,000 words to write a book that matters.
Chris Stanley was the one who finally debunked my ideas about writing books. He’s the author of 20 Amazon best-sellers. He lives off his books, traveling around the U.S. in a boat. He’s the “Mini Book” guy and now he teaches how to write them.
Today I attended a workshop with Chris, where he showed a glimpse of his method. Here are 10 lessons I learned:
#1. Don’t think of funnels, think of a flywheel. Think of an ecosystem of content, with mini-books at its core, that changes people’s beliefs and turns them into fans.
#2. Forget about writing the next New York Times best seller. When Chris started publishing his books, he noticed his shorter books did better. It’s not a coincidence. 75% of people don’t finish the books they buy.
The solution? Write mini-books. Just the good parts of a traditional book.
#3. A mini-book offers one solution to one problem for one person. Your solution should be something you’ve tried and proven yourself. The more specific your person, the better.
#4. A mini-book should be SMART:
- Structured: It should be well structured and easy to follow.
- Mini: A word count isn’t the goal, but a mini-book usually has between 10-15K words. Write a book readers can finish in one or two hours.
- Actionable: It should offer a solution your readers can apply immediately.
- Repeatable: It should present a message easy to remember and share.
- Transformational: It shouldn’t only teach something, but should change beliefs.
For example, Chris’ Mini Book Model has only 129 pages and he breaks down his model so you can write a book in days, not months.
#5. There are only 3 people to write a book for:
- Who you were: That’s your past self. Maybe that’s a first-time business owner or a junior coder.
- Who you are: That’s your current self, your identity, and what you do now.
- Who you love: That’s someone you care about and want to help. Chris once wrote a book for his wife. And we could write a book for our future generations.
#6. Write a clever title and a clear subtitle. Once you have a problem and solution, your title should create a hook and your subtitle should create a promise. For example, Mini Book Model: How to Write Your Big Ideas in Small Books
#7. There are three ways to outline a book:
- W’s: That’s the what, when, where, why, and how. Write a chapter to answer each question. For a book about mini-books, the first chapter could be what a mini-book is. The next chapter, why write a mini-book.
- Step by step: Write one step of your solution per chapter.
- Problem/solution: Each chapter presents a problem and offers a solution.
Again, in Mini Book Model, Chris used the W’s technique to present his mini-book concept.
#8. Make your solution memorable. If you’re using the step-by-step outline technique, use an acronym or a visual metaphor to guide your readers and help them remember your solution.
#9. As a bonus, use chapters of your next book as preview. It makes your book thick enough to display your name and title on the spine.
#10. Not only write books, but create a whole identity and brand around them. After 20 books or more, Chris is the “Mini Book” guy. His emails, tagline, and even book titles use the same concept. Mini-books everywhere. That’s how he stands out.