Almost one year ago, I made the transition into writing full-time. As I confessed at the time, it was a difficult decision. Not because I didn’t love writing, but because I loved my previous work so much. One year later, I am happy to report I have found just as much joy and fulfillment in my current work as I did in my previous. It capitalizes well on my strengths as a person.
Recently, I have been increasingly asked how I make money. The question comes from bloggers, both established and new. And the question comes from friends, “So wait, you make money blogging? How is that even possible?”
I assume then, that many of you may be asking the same questions. And for my faithful readers who have been so supportive, I almost feel obligated to tell you how this whole thing works. So here you go: The Becoming Minimalist Business Model.
Let me start by saying my model is not conventional. In fact, I have rejected some of the most tried-and-true practices of full-time blogging simply because they do not fit our culture or goals. Here is a short list of some things I do not do:
Things I Don’t Do
1. I do not post advertising. Becoming Minimalist is completely advertisement-free. There are no images, banners, links, scroll-over videos, Google Adwords, or sponsored posts. Leo Babauta says it like this, “Advertisements on your website is the equivalent of selling your reader’s attention to someone else.” I agree. On the new site design, I even removed the photo ads for my own books opting for text links in my bio instead. The result is a clean site that focuses reader attention exclusively on the words and the message.
2. I do not push email marketing/list-building. In the blogger world, email list building is considered the fundamental first step in full-time blogging. If you read blogs, you’ll quickly notice how often you are asked to submit your email. Most bloggers even offer incentives (free ebooks, downloads, or webinars) in exchange for your email. This is called list-building. And it is the most golden statistic in a blogger’s world. Here at Becoming Minimalist, we push it very little. I do have a newsletter, but it serves a much different purpose than most email lists. And as I’ll mention later, the statistics speak for themselves.
3. I do not advertise this blog. From the very beginning, this blog has grown by word-of-mouth advertising only. I have never bought an ad or hired a Marketing Rep/Public Relations expert. We continue to grow every month (July 2014 was our busiest month ever, overtaking June 2014, which beat out May 2014…). Our growth comes exclusively from the generous support and sharing of our readers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You make all of this possible.
4. I do not make as much money as I probably could. Years ago, I was at a meeting with the Marketing Director for a large publishing house. He was asking me about Becoming Minimalist and some of the blog numbers. At the time, we were averaging roughly 100,000 page views/month. I’ll never forget his response when I mentioned the number, “Joshua, you are just leaving money on the table. You could easily be making $100K/year.” His words have stuck with me ever since. I mean who would ever choose to leave money on the table? But over the years, I have come to realize that I am completely okay with leaving money on the table. Because of minimalism, we have reduced our financial needs to a smaller number than ever before. And if all of our financial needs are being met, I figure there are more important things to pursue than larger paychecks.
How then do I make money as a blogger? Here is a comprehensive list of our different income sources.
Income Sources
1. Book Sales. Most of our financial income comes from book sales. Our two best-selling books, Simplify and Clutterfree with Kids, account for most of it and most of those sales come through Amazon. On average, we sell around 2,000 copies total (some more, some less) of our books each month—accounting for $5,000-$7,000 in income. Those numbers are very impressive and rank quite high among industry standards. Thank you to everyone who has purchased a book in the past or intends to do so in the future. Again, they make all of this possible.
2. Amazon Affiliate Selling. In addition to sales of our own books, we receive a small commission for purchases on the Amazon website when the visitor arrives through a Becoming Minimalist link. Different links can be found throughout this website—mostly used when I refer to a book I have been reading. Our Amazon affiliate links earn just short of $1,000 each month.
3. Speaking. I continue to do a good amount of public speaking (1-3X/month) on the topic of minimalism and the benefits of owning less. As I state clearly on my Speaking Page, I do not charge anything above travel and accommodations for my speaking engagements. I don’t do it for the money, I do it for the sake of reaching more people with the life-giving benefits of owning less. I count it a blessing when event organizers choose to pay me anyway. The monthly totals vary significantly from $200-$2,500 but are always appreciated. By the way, you can always find my upcoming speaking schedule towards the bottom of this page.
4. Bluehost Sign-Ups. I use Bluehost for my web hosting and am happy with them 99.8% of the time. They called me one day and offered to send an affiliate link if I wanted to recommend their product. I said, “Sure, I am happy with your service.” Subsequently, I put the link in the middle of a post I already had published: How to Start a Blog. Surprisingly, this one hidden link accounts for $300-$500 each month.
5. Wife’s Income. With my new job providing more flexibility at home, my wife took a part-time job as a substitute teacher in our local school district. She is great with kids, well-connected with the local schools, and considers it an opportunity to be more involved in our community. She makes approximately $400-$600 each month depending on the season.
6. Programs/Bundle Sales. I am thankful for Courtney Carver and all the hard work she has put into developing the Simple Year. It is a valuable, year-long program that has helped hundreds of people find the information and accountability necessary to embrace a simpler lifestyle. As a contributor, I was financially compensated for my modules on money and possessions. The last ebook bundle sale I participated in took place in January. I enjoy participating in these short sales. They bring a quick return on finances and help to introduce my work to new people. All told, these programs and bundle sales account for approximately $10,000/year.
I consider myself very fortunate to do this for a living. Of course, every month brings about a new responsibility to meet our financial needs. But thus far, we have been provided for in excess each month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you find new readers? As I wrote earlier, Becoming Minimalist continues to grow beyond my wildest imagination. Most of our new readers come through our incredibly engaged Facebook group. I also contribute a monthly column to Storyline. And I accept most interview/media/podcast requests within reason. But most of the growth is a result of readers like you who have discovered a more profitable way to live than chasing possessions. Thank you for continuing to share the inspiration with others.
How is your newsletter different? The Becoming Minimalist Newsletter is committed to the spread and advancement of minimalism. It unites over 10,000 simple living advocates around common themes of influence and opportunity for impact. For the last three years, it has maintained a 50+% “open rate” which is extraordinarily high. In other words, the newsletter serves the entire simple living family, not Becoming Minimalist exclusively. And people genuinely appreciate that.
What does your typical day look like? Great question. It varies often and took 6-7 months to find a good rhythm that works for me. I still find writing in the early morning to be my most effective. Most mornings, I start between 5:00-5:30. I help get my kids off to school from 7:00-8:00 before returning to work from 8:30-11:00. I enjoy taking off a few hours in the middle of the day to exercise and eat and nap before tying up any loose ends in the early afternoon. My kids get home from school at 3:00 where I may or may not stop working depending on the day. The very end of each day is typically spent preparing for writing in the morning.
What else are you involved in? I enjoy being highly present in the lives of my kids and my wife. I have become more physically active since the job transition. And I continue to remain involved in some of the local churches here in Phoenix: teaching, leading, and serving. I enjoy that very much and am always thankful for the opportunity to help.
What is coming up in the future? We have been quite busy behind the scenes laying the groundwork for some very significant projects in the near future—I have many people to thank. At this point, I am not at liberty to share any details quite yet, but I will let you know as soon as I can. Both are going to require your help. And both dream big with a desire to inspire others, make history, and change the future for the better.
The business model above is unique in many aspects. It focuses on the pursuit of mission. It does not focus on the pursuit of money, but it does not deny its importance in our lives or potential for impact (as you will soon see).
My goal is to live a calm, focused, passionate, and fulfilled life. The Becoming Minimalist business model accomplishes that for me.
Ed Herzog says
Thanks for sharing this information Joshua! For those of us who are just starting out, it’s inspiring to see that someone can stay true to their core values and also be successful.
Julia Bloom says
Just have to chime in with most other commenters here and thank you for this post and all of your work. I always enjoy hearing how other people who don’t receive a regular paycheck are actually cobbling together an income in real life. And I too really appreciate how you freely share your helpful and inspiring writing without being gimmicky.
Pastor Jamie says
Bravo and Amen, Joshua. The Lord is indeed blessing your ministry. Keep up the great Kingdom work!
Kush Sharma says
The fourth point in the ‘don’t do’ list literally sent a shiver down my spine. I take my hats off to a man like you. People like you actually change the world and I for one got immensely inspired to follow the same. Money is not everything!
Archna says
I love your blogs and it totally make sense to me, slowly trying to implement that in my life too. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and practical knowledge.
Judy says
Like I said the other day Joshua, you are truly a friend to all of us here. Thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. I’m sure you are always happy to hear from your friends here too. :) I bet you are curious about us! My husband works a full-time blue-collar job and I work part-time retail. Because of my choice to live a meaningful life I compensate for my meager income quite easily. I am able to be home more for my family and make things run smoothly here. On my days off I usually “keep up” with my old farmhouse…laundry…bills…etc. And errands. At work I secretly get a kick out of seeing how much money consumers waste! lol —at the end of the workday I am always glad that I’ve chosen to stop mindless consumerism. On a personal note—my motto is “One day at a time and no day without God!” This is truly how I live.
Kent Faver says
Thanks for this post Joshua – it has inspired me. I have diligently written 300-700 words a day (5 days a week) for about 18 months. In all frankness – I am scared to dive in, set up the blog on the already purchased domain – and move forward. Your post helped me today. As I tentatively move one day closer to the reality that I will begin publishing – it’s great to know the model really does work!
Rather than getting down on myself, I am trying to live gratefully and understand there is a time and the time will come. Maybe I’m not fully ready, maybe I’m procrastinating. I don’t know – but the tension keeps the boredom away! Blessings to your family.
Ree Klein says
Hi Kent ~
I read your comment and just had to send you a virtual “push.” I read so much of myself in your publisher’s paralysis!!! So here’s the push:
PUBLISH TODAY!
That’s the hardest part…really. Once you take that step you’ll realize that whatever is holding you back is powerless. For me, it was revealing an embarrassing truth about my past. I was afraid to reveal that skeleton to my friends and family…who else follows you at first?!?!?!
Anyway, I can’t encourage you enough to just start…put it out there…I promise you, nothing bad will come of it. Instead, the day you publish something for the world to see will be the first day of really LIVING your dream. Now…go ahead…
We can’t wait to hear from you :)
Kent Faver says
Thanks Ree – this means a lot to me – it really does. And, I Will!
joshua becker says
Go for it Kent. I wouldn’t assume that every word written over the 18 months is worth pushing out into the world. But most certainly you have some wonderful words written in there. Also, the process of publishing will make you a better writer. It will push you to think more about your audience. You will discover which of your voices resonates best with readers. And their comments will enhance your thinking in whatever topic you are discussing.
Ying Ying Shi says
How wonderful to think that we learn through publishing. Usually the thinking is reversed: learn and when you know and do it well, publish. Your comment really inspires to take the step forward.
In retrospective, it is the same thought that got me starting on my blog. Not because I knew how to do it, but because I would learn in the process.
Thanks for the posts and comments Joshua.
Philipa Gleeson-Payne says
Ree, I have read a few of your comments and LOVE your attitude!
Do you have a blog? I feel that it is something I would enjoy…..
Philipa
Ree Klein says
Yes, Philipa, you can find me at http://www.EscapingDodge.com. And, thank you for your kind words :)
Ree
julian Summerhayes says
Hi, Jonathan (from the other side of the pond).
I’ve followed some but not all of your work and was sent this post by a friend.
It was a pleasure to read, not just because of your approach to your work (I wonder if you still see it that way?) but for being at peace with the life that you’ve (successfully) carved out for you and your family.
I’ll spare you the ‘life history’ but, needless to say, it’s always a pleasure to discover someone who is able to make a living from writing–something I too wish for (I’ve been blogging for four years and still get tremendous pleasure out of the process and the connection on social media)–and to learn from your experience.
If nothing else the key message is to believe in our craft and never give up on our dreams, as corny as that might sound.
Best wishes
Julian.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the comment Julian. To answer your question early in the comment, I don’t shy away from the word “work.” I think work is an essential ingredient in the human experience and we find great fulfillment in it. Work is not something to be escaped, but to be celebrated. In any job (or aspect of life), there are always pieces that are less enjoyable than others. You can’t reap a crop without sweat and thistles. That being said, there is a sweet rhythm to life when work aligns with passion and talent.
Kelvin says
Hi Joshua!
Thank you for sharing your blogging practices with us. I admire your candor. It helps take the mystery out of blogging for us aspiring bloggers like myself.
One can do what they love, be compensated for it and do it without selling their soul to the mighty dollar.
Thank you again for your inspiration! I love it!
Miranda says
I hope this doesn’t sound harsh but I feel like an income of $5-$7K chips away at your credibility as someone living minimally. I guess everyone has their own guidelines… I love your blog and have purchased your books so it when I read that, it just seemed off…. Although I appreciate your honesty! Do you give a large chuck of it away? My hubby and I agreed way back that a certain amount of income (less than $5,000 / month ) was more than enough to live minimally and any extra we received on top of that is donated.
joshua becker says
Oh, please don’t confuse our income with our expenses. The amount we spend on ourselves is much less than the actual receipts. As to where the excess is going, we will share that info in the future when enough details have been finalized.
Ree Klein says
I cringed when I read your comment, @Miranda. When someone like Joshua publicly reveals their income in the hope of inspiring others and to answer reader questions honestly, they shouldn’t be grilled about what they do with that income. Further, his income in no way degrades his credibility; it simply enforces it.
People who have excess income are better served, in my opinion, if they don’t give it all away. Growing wealth is important because it’s the best way to ensure:
– you can take care of yourself for your entire life without needing help when you’re old or become disabled.
– you can give in meaningful and big ways.
– you can leave a legacy for your family or charity.
I for one was excited to see that he was able to generate that type of income from his work. What he does with it is his business and I trust that he is a kind and good person and helps others as much as he can. Everything about his model screams that is the case!
Perhaps I’m reading too much into your comment, but it felt unkind and nosey.
Amanda says
Well said.
Ying Ying Shi says
I agree with you Ree. It is really inspiring how Joshua designed his sustainable minimalistic business model.
Being minimalist does not mean foregoing income; it simply means focusing on what is truly essential in life. As you say, one needs to have extra cash to be able to insure one own’s life and to give it to people and organizations we care.
Jen says
Well said also. Joshua’s mission, as stated eloquently, proves what he is about and ehat kind of a person he is. Good for him, that he has been financially successful while supporting his family.