QUICK UPDATE

1. I Picked My Least Popular Book Cover (On Purpose)

My new book is about survival.

Here's the problem with that theme: the word "survival" makes people picture wilderness guides and bushcraft manuals.

My book is about surviving life, not the woods.

So I did two things most authors wouldn't.

First, I ran my usual cover A/B test

However, I picked the option that got the fewest votes.

Second, I put the book's introduction right on the cover and made it the lead. Instead of the artwork doing the talking, the opening lines of the book do.

Why? Because the intro reframes the genre in about two seconds. A reader sees it, instantly realizes this isn't a camping book, and gets pulled in to keep reading. The cover stops being decoration and starts doing a sales job.

The lesson isn't "ignore your data." It's that votes measure what looks nice, not what makes a stranger stop, read, and buy.

Sometimes the "ugly" option does the harder job better.

Here's the final cover:

TRENDING NOW

2. The Mini-Course Boom (Why "Small" Is Winning)

If you've been waiting to build your "big" course, here's your permission slip to do the opposite.

The format winning in 2026 isn't the 40-module flagship. It's the mini-course: one specific outcome, taught fast.

Why creators are leaning in:

• Quick to build (often 2 to 4 weeks), so it fits around a day job.

• Easy to price (usually well under $150), so it's an easy yes for a buyer.

• One clear problem, which makes it simple to describe and market.

• It's a front door. Someone who pays you once is your warmest audience for everything next: a bigger course, coaching, or a community.

One rule before you record anything: validate with real money first. Don't ask people "would you buy this?" Pre-sell it or run a small paid beta. If nobody pays, fix the offer before you build it.

It's the same logic behind shipping a shorter book. Smaller scope, faster launch, quicker proof.

BEHIND THE SCENES

3. My First Hardcover (and KDP's Rules)

I've published more than 20 books, always in paperback. This was my first hardcover with Amazon KDP.

The good news: the process is basically the same as a paperback. You upload an interior file and a cover file, and KDP prints on demand.

The catch: hardcovers have stricter requirements. Here's what surprised me, so it doesn't surprise you:

• Minimum 75 pages. (Paperbacks can go as low as 24.) Books thinner than that can't be bound as a hardcover.

• Maximum 550 pages.

• Only 5 trim sizes: 5.5 x 8.5, 6 x 9, 6.14 x 9.21, 7 x 10, and 8.25 x 11 inches (I picked the smallest one at 5.5 × 8.5 inches)

• A new, wider cover file. Hardcovers wrap around the boards and need extra room near the spine (the hinge), so your paperback cover file won't fit. Use KDP's cover template and calculator for the exact dimensions.

• Its own ISBN. KDP gives you one free, but it's separate from your paperback's.

Two more things worth knowing: hardcovers cost more to print and carry a higher minimum list price, so your royalty math changes.

And as always, order a proof copy before you hit publish.

WORDS I LIKE

4. About AI Replacing Writers

From Beehiiv founder Tyler Denk. I keep coming back to this one.

ONE-MINUTE HACKS

5. A Quick Side Gig Hack You Can Apply Today

Your book's early pages are prime real estate that almost everyone wastes.

Add one line to a page: a link to a free companion resource (a checklist, a template, a toolkit) in exchange for an email address.

Readers flip past that page early, when their curiosity is highest.

A single call to action there can quietly turn readers into subscribers, long before they ever reach the "thanks for reading" page at the end.