I'm Running a Book Experiment This February
01 Feb 2026 #miscI’m writing a book backwards.
Technically, it’s a mini-book. I’m turning a hit post into a book.
In the spirit of doing 10,000 experiments and to keep running content experiments, here’s what I’m doing this month:
#1. Repurpose a hit post. I’m turning one of my most read and liked posts into a short book. Over 100 people liked that post. Proof that the idea works. I’m even naming the book after the post.
That’s what the authors of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck and The Psychology of Money did.
#2. Find inspiration from comments. My hit post got a decent amount of discussion. I’m using those comments to find keywords, taglines, and objections.
#3. Expand it. The source post is a 7-point listicle. I’m turning it into a 10-chapter concise book, like Steal Like an Artist. Each point expands into one or two pages with stories and past posts.
#4. Write it backwards. Instead of jumping to the introduction, I’m:
- Choosing a title
- Writing a one-line summary
- Outlining the content
- Finding Amazon keywords and categories
- Sketching a sales page
I’m even stealing cover ideas before writing a word.
#5. Make it short. The other day, I found a one-page book, so why not write 10 or 15 pages and call it a book? One or two pages per point plus the front and back matter.
#6. Price it incrementally. I’m following the “$0.99 is the new free” idea. If it gains traction, I’ll raise the price by $1 every other month until it hits $5.
#7. Hit one reader milestone. Just like I set it for Street-Smart Coding, if even one reader beyond my circle buys it, the experiment is a success.