I made a decision today that’s probably going to be a bit unpopular. I’ve pulled down all the affiliate ads on my site for other people’s eBooks. I did this for a couple reasons, which I will outline below but let me state for the record that I did NOT do this because of any question on the quality of the eBooks I was previously promoting. If anything, the problem is that I’m getting too many quality eBooks coming my way.
After I did a few reviews, I started receiving a lot of eBooks both in the minimalism niche and outside of it. And I felt a strong desire to help these writers out because 1. I know that I would appreciate some help if/when I put something out for sale and b. it’s stuff my readers might be interested in.
But given my two to three posts per week publishing schedule, I was not able to keep up with the eBooks that were being sent to me, and still be able to put my ideas out there. This is the selfish reason. I write this blog to share my ideas and my writings.
I follow about two dozen plus minimalist bloggers out there, even the new ones who are popping up and only have a dozen or fewer subscribers and I noticed a trend that I was uncomfortable being a part of. Most of us are using Thesis, the default settings no less, most of us have the same affiliate ads up, and most of us post the eBook reviews of the same books on the day that a new Minimalist title is released.
So, selfish reason number 2 is that I’ve always had a strong desire to walk a different path and I feel like I’m not doing that right now. Seems weird to say when one of the precepts of Minimalism is to be different from the mainstream and walk your own path…but I feel I’ve been walking the mainstream path of minimalism lately.
Makes sense?
No?
Good.
When I do write my own articles, I think they have a distinctive voice, but if many of us are blogging about the same eBooks and the same concepts, what are we really doing other than reinforcing what we all already know?
Perhaps I’m just be cranky tonight and I’ll regret this decision tomorrow. I know I’m god-awful tired from another eleven hour day at work and then trying to calm three babies when I get home but I somehow feel less cluttered, more minimalist after pulling the ads down tonight. My blog is my sanctuary from when everything else gets too harried and it should reflect the unique characteristics of me, not act as a conglomeration of everyone else’s terrific writing.
Now, I can’t say what the future brings, but I don’t think I’ll be doing front and center reviews for other people’s eBooks. I may mention a blurb (with or without an affiliate link), particularly if it sparks an idea for an article that I can build on, and offer value with. I won’t be placing affiliate link ads on the site to eBooks for the foreseeable future. If something cool comes out, I’ll mention it as part of sharing links, like I know that Tammy from Rowdy Kittens has a cool eBook coming out about Car Free living and I think she’s an awesome writer and (lot’s of and’s in this sentence) I plan to give it a read this weekend, but other than passing on a link so that my good readers can find it and make their own decision, I think that’s all I can comfortably do for now. I know she’ll get some nice affiliate sales coming in from other bloggers and she definitely deserves it.
Karol Gajda is another of my favorite bloggers, in the Lifestyle Design niche, and he has a book coming out in the next couple weeks at Ridiculously Extraordinary and I’ll read that one too. If it’s great, I may plug it at the end of a post.
I’ve read Cloud Living this year from PluginID and that eBook is really terrific. Seriously…great stuff about turning your blog profitable….and I just broke one of the rules by pulling down my ads.
I’ve read Tynan’s Life Nomadic this year which is freakin’ great if you want to become location independent.
I’ve read The Art of Being Minimalist – awesome
I’ve read the Minimalist Handbook – terrific
I’ve read the Nu Nomad which is great.
I’ve read simplify by Becoming Minimalist which is great.
I’ve read Project M-31 by David Damron which is great.
I’ve read How to be Remarkable by Colin Wright. Great.
Oh and I just finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell today (Kindle version). F*cking terrific book.
These are just the eBooks by bloggers I’ve read in 2010. I have another dozen sitting in queue and I’m feeling nearly overwhelmed by all these great books out there…so much to read and so little time.
If I did blog posts reviews of all these I wouldn’t have time to write any articles of my own. If I put affiliate ads up on my home page for each of these books, my own stuff would be lost in the jungle.
So (I had an English teacher that used to ding me for using “so.” Never got over that), yes I’m thankful for everyone’s great writing, and even for the review copies that get sent to me. And I’m thankful for the modest affiliate sales that have come in. It’s enough to buy a few cans of formula for my babies and keep them plump and happy for a few weeks, not that we’re hurting for money. I also pay for the licenses on the higher quality pictures I display on this site, and webhosting costs and Thesis etc. I know this is a funny way of showing my gratitude, but my blog is still only three months old and I’m still trying to find my voice. I’ll only do that by writing my own articles.
Also, by reading all these eBooks that come my way, I’ve fallen way behind on my 2010 Education Syllabus. Were this a college course, I’d have been kicked out of school already. All the books I’ve read and I’m still only halfway through Tim Ferris’s 4 Hour Work Week. F*CKUS! Sorry, I meant FOCUS!
By the way, the Syllabus is going to get a facelift. My directive this year is learning to be a productive writer and blogger with a secondary aspect of continuing to simplify my life so some of the Syllabus books don’t fit the bill.
Anywho, with that being said, I’ve been working on a few book manuscripts and expect to have another freebie out there by the end of March. I’ve started developing a line of books under the premise of “Everything I Think You Need to do to Be Successful at…” which is a nod to the great Zig Ziglar who said that every person should write such a book on the topic of success if, for no other reason, that the research alone would make you a better, more successful person.
Each day, on my lunch break, I squirrel myself away from any contacts, plop on some Gamma Brainwave entrainment and write pieces of a few book manuscripts for a half hour or so. That’s when I do get a lunch away from my desk, which is not always possible. Monday had seven hours of meetings, not including double bookings. And of course there’s actual real work to do that doesn’t go away when you’re in meetings. I can’t remember the last time I’ve taken a social lunch with anyone. It’s been probably close to a year but if you really have a desire to create, sometimes you have to make the sacrifice.
Oh, and if I read another blog about blowing off work meetings to simplify your life, I’ll probably resort to violence. It is a fact in a large corporate environment that if you have any importance to any medium to large sized project your subject matter expertise will be called to the stand several times per day and in that environment, if you blow off meetings, you are directly leading to the failure of the project. Sorry to pop that minimalist concept (yes, I’m a jerk today…most days really). Not only that, but if you no-show and you’re a subject matter expert, you just wasted everyone else’s time as they try to struggle through the meeting without you. Be considerate of their time, if nothing else.
Yes, the corporate machine is highly inefficient and there are certainly a fair share of pointless meetings but I assure you, after fifteen years in the large corporate arena, getting people in a room (or Webex) works far better than putzing around with emails while everyone tries to interpret whatever was written in the email chain.
Sorry for the tangeant.
So, to recap, less ads of someone else, more of me. If you don’t like me, then go visit someone else.
That was about 1200 words longer than I thought it would be.
Finally, I had a contest a few weeks back in which I put up for grabs a $249 program called Dao Zou by fitness expert Matt Furey. I did the old Random.org number generator thingy and our winner was Commenter #4, Ms. Vita Reid. Congratulations Vita!
Okay, my right leg is twitching. That means I’m f*cking tired.
Ciao, Bella (my daughter’s name)!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I understand your decision. I’ve been reading blogs about minimalism for the past 12-18 months or so, and the subject is absolutely exploding. Seems like everyone has an e-book! It’s wonderful that the movement is gaining popularity, but there is no way you can review everyone else’s work and still do your own. And raise triplets.
Great decision. Stand by your convictions and take the road less travelled.
Vita Reid – The One Minute Minimalist
Great decision – I don’t visit your blog looking for book reviews or things to buy anyway!
And I totally agree with your tangent about meetings. I think many minimalism bloggers are focused on their own flavor of minimalism, which does not include having a traditional job. I often feel that they are not really speaking to me (I have a career, which I am proud of, and have no plan to give it up). That’s one of the reasons I read your blog – you are pursuing minimalism with a full plate of work and family. I can relate.
Thank you sooo much! I’ve been thinking about this very thing a lot lately, and have actually eliminated several minimalism blogs from my feed as recently as yesterday due to an overwhelming trend of content recycling.
Thanks for keepin’ it real
Thank you. I had been missing some of your posts as I don’t do the blogs that promote… One small spot to promote their own I can handle, but beyond that I quit reading.
You have too much to say, and too many interesting ways to say it to bother with reviews on others words. That is for the ones who haven’t their own voice.
Can I echo Ang’s words – I totally support your decision on the reviews. I too am an aspiring minimalist but one with a career and kids…. your blog works for me…. perhaps that’s your thing/niche speaking to us guys who have minimal values/ethics but still have commitments…
Removing the ads = minimalism, no?
By the way, this “So, to recap, less ads of someone else, more of me. If you don’t like me, then go visit someone else.” made me laugh out loud.
So many terrific comments on this article, thank you everyone. I really do appreciate the encouragement, and perhaps SimplyJo has it right, my niche may be minimalism and life simplification for families…now I’m gonna write an article on gratitude that has nothing to do with minimalism or simple living.
- Charley
“So, to recap, less ads of someone else, more of me. If you don’t like me, then go visit someone else.”
Best line ever. ^_^
Your decision seems sound for you, so go for it! Doing your own thing is great. ^_^
Life simplification for families is most definately something I want to read about. The balance between living the life you want to lead but acknowledging that there are other considerations when you have responsibility for children’s emotional and financial wellbeing/stability. Had I found ‘minimalism’ in my teenage years perhaps my life would have been very different – but then perhaps I wouldn’t have had children which is an unbearable thought (they are the rerason I get up in the morning and do all the crappy jobs/chores I hate but do through love). All I can hope to do now is reach a compromise in my simplification aspirations and do it ‘well enough’ to enrich my life whilst embracing the life I have and love.
Charley – another great article. Seriously – I love your writing. And thank you for this post! There have been so many ebooks coming out, which is awesome. I love to see so many people following their dreams and shipping out good products.
But like you, I’m unable to do reviews and try to write my own stuff. That’s why I do the simple living news update. I’m able to link to cool stuff and peeps can make their own decisions if they want to buy products, read certain articles, etc.
Re meetings: I totally agree with you. My work experience has mainly been in the non-profit world. But there is NO way I could blow off meetings. It would have been disrespectful to my co-workers and I would have been fired. Can meeting be run better? Of course. I think peeps would be better off talking about how to run meetings more effectively and efficiently versus blowing them off entirely. People in any organization have to communicate and not all of that communication can be accomplished by email alone.
I agree with Karol and Caitlin’s comments. This line, made me laugh out loud. “So, to recap, less ads of someone else, more of me. If you don’t like me, then go visit someone else.”
And thanks for the link love and kind words.
I’m excited to read your next book! Yay!
lost track of how many minimalism blogs are on my blogroll, but did notice a large number of them promoting each others’ ebooks. can’t blame you one bit for opting out of the reviewing. i read your blog to see how things are going for you in your journey toward simplification.
I just discovered the minimalist blog community this week and have found my home! While it has been an inspirational week, I had to chuckle when I saw every blog reviewing the same eBooks on the exact same day. I wondered if you all live in a communal group or something.
Keep the inspiration coming!
Charley, understand your sentiments. The minimalist community appears very incestuous, with a lot of people rehashing basically the same ideas, pushing the same e-books, using the same blog software etc. Now, that’s not to say that the message is not important, that the ideas don’t work, and that there aren’t some great ebooks out there, but it can all feel a bit samey. Hopefully you won’t get too much flak!
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