Update, Monday 5pm EDT: The giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments and suggestions; I’m so grateful to have you as readers! Stay tuned—I’ll announce the winner in the next day or so. :)
A Milestone
I have some exciting news to share with you today: in the first year of publication, my book, The Joy of Less, has sold 20,000 copies! And I want to celebrate with you, my wonderful readers, because you made it happen.
You were the ones who bought my book, requested it from your library, and recommended it to your friends. You were the ones who reviewed it, blogged about it, and tweeted about it. You were the ones who embraced minimalist living, spread the word to others, and transformed it from a quirky lifestyle choice to a mainstream movement.
You were the ones who decided to dejunk, declutter, and live more lightly on this Earth—and used my book as a guide to do so. And for that, I’m eternally grateful to each and every one of you.
People are often surprised when I tell them I self-published The Joy of Less. Why did I choose the indie route? Because from the moment I finished it, I was so excited to share it with you—and the 12- to 18-month time frame of traditional publishing seemed a terribly long time to wait. Furthermore, minimalism was such an offbeat topic at the time, I didn’t think a publisher would touch it with a ten-foot pole (ironically, I’ve now heard from several interested in acquiring the rights). Finally, I wanted to make sure that the message stayed true—and wasn’t transformed into “buy more containers to organize your stuff.”
So this has truly been a grassroots effort. I haven’t had a public relations department, an advertising budget, or any of the marketing muscle of a traditional publisher. I’ve had virtually no coverage in major US media (just a brief mention in the Chicago Tribune). These sales weren’t driven by hype or promotional campaigns; they occurred quietly, one by one, by word of mouth (both online and off). I love that, and wish I could thank every one of you personally for your support!
Furthermore, it’s more than just the sales that make my heart sing—it’s the fact that 20,000 people are actually interested in minimalist living! 20,000 people want to reduce their clutter and consumerism, and are taking the steps to do so. How wonderful is that? It gives me great hope for a kinder, gentler, more sustainable future.
A Question
Now I have a question for you: what would you like to read next? Is there a particular aspect of minimalism you’d like to see covered in more depth? Or a topic related to minimalism that you’d love to learn more about?
If you could pick the subject of my next book, what would it be? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
A Giveaway
What would a celebration be without a giveaway? (Certainly not as much fun!) So if you haven’t yet read The Joy of Less, here’s your chance to win a copy (your choice of paperback or Kindle). Even if you’ve read it, perhaps you’d like to pick one up for a friend; it could make a great gift for the packrat in your life!
To enter, simply leave a Comment below (just one comment/entry per person, please!). If you’d like to leave a Comment, but don’t want to enter the giveaway, just note that in your post.
I’ll keep the giveaway open until this Monday, Sept 12, 5pm EDT. As always, I’ll use the random number generator at Random.org to choose the winner, and make the announcement next week. Please be sure to use a legitimate email address, so that I can contact you to obtain your mailing information.
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart. I never dreamed I’d be able to make such an announcement (my original goal was to sell 1,000 books!), and I couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s to growing this community, this movement, and this commitment to a beautiful life with less stuff.
Best of luck to all who enter the giveaway!
Congratulations to you! It is a wonderful book and I re-read it often in my declutter journey. I would like to hear more about your minimalized meals.
I love your blog and look forward to every post.
Congratulations, that’s a great number to reach.
As for topics, I second the idea of a cultural take on things. There is so little that we really need, and so much that we are told we ought to have, or that the structure of society makes us have. Make-up we ought to wear, Paperwork we need to keep, other people’s expectations of what a home should have.
An example: My parents visited me recently. My mum was entirely devastated that there was no TV; She also started promptly buying me decorations, and I keep receiving parcels with household goods packed in.
I’d love to read your book!
Love your blog. Wish more people would live this way. (It may become a necessity before too long.)
I have done professional organizing and am thinking about only helping people get rid of stuff and live a minimalist lifestyle (rather than just helping them to organize all of their stuff).
Would love to win the book, to read and to share.
You are an inspiration. Here’s to less! :)
I am likewise excited by the growing trend toward living more lightly on the earth. I’d love to read your book!
Would love to win a copy of your book as I havent read it yet. I absolutely love your blog and congrats on your 20000 copies sold! WOO HOO! Awesomeness!
I have a long way to go, but my house already feels nicer since I’ve started trying to declutter. Would love to win a copy of your book!
First of all Congratulations! I absolutely loved the book – and in true Minimalist style it was my first purchase on the Kindle my husband gave me for my birthday – a step to reducing the very large number of physical books I own.
I would love to read about the history of minimalism as a way of life, not just a art/design aesthetic (as most books I come accross seem to be). It would be interesting to see how much it’s cropped up at different times and in different places/cultures other than Japan/Buddhism etc. I know that the early Shakers had minimalist beliefs, for instance (and only found that out by accident when I wondered why so many kitchen styles are now called ‘Shaker’ style!). I wonder how many other examples there are?
Congratulations!!!!! I’d LOVE to win a copy! As for another book topic, I wish there were good books about raising minimalist children. I’m trying to figure that one out, and it seems there’s not much out there.
you inspired me to stop producing clutter with books and get a kindle instead…so i’d love to read your book on the kindle!
congrats! i’ve read your blog for a while now but haven’t read your book yet. i’m just getting started on minimalism and you’re book would be a great help in fostering success!
As a minimalist by aspiration only, I find much inspiration in your site, both through your voice and the voices of your Monday features. Hearty congratulations on selling so many books–and on making it all happen.
Love your blog and would really like a copy of your book! (Kindle version, of course!)
woohoo!
Just found you on my Kindle. Bought the collection of blogs. It was well worth the $.99! Can’t wait to read your book. Congratulations on the book sales. I’d love to win a copy!
Scaling down and living with (a more purposeful) less is a daily struggle. I would love to read your book! I second the desire for a book on raising minimalist children.
Would love a copy! Almost bought it few days ago, but told myself I am better to finish the book I currently have now first!
Kindle would be my choice!
Minimalizing with Children! LOL! Love your blog!Thanks for sharing!
Congrats! I’d love to read the kindle version (on my iPad, of course). I’d love to hear more about minimalism and work. I need a lot of stuff for my job, that I have to keep at home because I work freelance and it kills me when I see how pared down all the rest of my stuff is. Thoughts?
Congratulations.
I have certainly mentioned minimalism on my law of attraction website. Both are closely interlinked. You cannot go minimalist without a deep seated believe that you will be provided for. Going minimalist is overcoming deep seated scarcity fears many of us carry.
20000 people have conquered this and many more to come I hope. :-)
Congratulations on your success, Francine! You are an inspiring pioneer in minsumerism, blogging and self-publishing. I love reading your blog and have successfully cut my wardrobe and belongings in half over the last year thanks to your ideas. During a recent trip to Fifth Avenue in NYC I was able to calmly reject so many messages to buy because you taught me the minsumer strategy. Thank you for my new found peace-of-mind!
I’d love to read more about doing less. How do we decide whether we should invest our time & energy on something? It should depend on whether it helps us create the life we want. My blog (I’ve just gotten started) explores how to create a framework around your everyday activities to help keep your body, mind and soul together for life. I’ve developed and refined my own framework. Now working with some of my seven children and seven grandchildren to help them create their Framewok4Life to help them decide how to invest their energy, money and time so they live a joyful & satisfying life. They deserve all good things. We all do.
Hi,
I came over from Twitter, just heard about your book and success. Without having read it, I would like to know how to get a life partner on board. I already lead by example. He plain isn’t interested.
After having raised three children in an 800 square foot house I know a bit about deciding what’s important to keep and what to let go. I always enjoy reading your new ideas. I especially appreciate your inspirational philosophy. Congrats on the book sales. I’d love to have one to share with my kids. Be Kind To Others
Congratulations, Miss Minimalist!
My mom loved your post from a couple weeks ago about how we keep things for a fantasy life. I don’t know if that topic can be an entire book, but more blog posts about that would be great.
You must be so proud!
Possible topic for future book – ‘voices of minimalism’ to hear common threads in the journeys of each person…Also maybe sociological influences to reaching breaking point to become minimalist.
Congratulations on reaching this milestone! I’m getting ready to move house and I am determined not to let any clutter follow me there. A kindle copy of the Joy of Less would be a great for me right now.
Congratulations on such successful publishing! I’m interested in your published book and also on more about maximizing time and minimizing expenses in the pursuit of minimalism (i.e., streamlining without purchases like technology to replace paper sources).
I’d like to read/see more about furnishing a home in a minimalist, inexpensive, yet comfortable way. Especially in “covertable” (multi-purpose) furniture, furniture that packs easily. Also the minimalist kitchen – does it have to be just 2 bowls, 1 pan and a knife? What does a “semi-minimalist” kitchen look like? Thanks for your site – it soothes me!
Congratulations on making your goal TIMES 20!
I’d love to read it! I’ve been trying to live a minimalist life, but the biggest challenge has been balancing creativity, and its accompanying clutter, with decluttering.
I have the book, but have many different friend whom I would love to gift it to :)…. my journey has been a long one and will continue as long as there is a planet to love. thank you for your inspiring words. Your book is right up there with my favorite simplicity book Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James.
I love books with stories of people who have done this and are changing their lives. So if I had to ask for anything, it would be a book filled with many of those stories…
thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
less is more (but I still wouldn’t mind reading the book!) (just found you on twitter) :)
What awesome news! I love your approach to not just organizing but to reducing the things to increase your life. This society has been such a hoarding society, that can be hard to embrace a different lifestyle. A possible topic for the future might be how to live in a non minimalist household and society as a minimalist.
20,000 is such a round and heartening number! Uber-congrats Francine.
I bought a digital copy for myself, but would love to have a hard copy around for my wife and family. My family is only occasionally supportive of how far I want to take us on this minimalist journey. Maybe a topic for your next book? How do you live with others, without imposing — yet still nudging.
Congratulations & Many Blessings to you ! I share your thoughts, ideas and work within the Circles I teach. We meet multiple times a month and I direct them all here ! I know the word is starting to sink in as more people embrace this wonderful movement ! I truly thank you !!!
Keep up the awesome work, whatever you write will be welcomed with open arms !
Congratulations! Perhaps for your next book you could discuss virtual decluttering — applying minimalist philosophy to our digital, social, and work/business lives.
Congratulations! Having just moved, I understand the benefits of minimalism. I enjoy the blog, and hope to read The Joy of Less soon.
Congratulations on the book! I would love to have a copy of this nicely bound beauty.
I’m currently writing a piece of fiction set forty years in the future and I spend a lot of time contemplating what earth and humanity will look like then. As part of my research I’ve signed up for feeds on this blog (which I LOVE) and an opposite sort of blog, a ‘survivalist’ blog. Sometimes I wonder which group would fare better after a world-changing disaster. My guess is that the minimalists will be better off because they have learned how to survive with very little, while the survivalists, or preppers, have developed a sort of hoarding mentality, always trying to prepare for the worst.
Anyway, all this blathering is my way of saying I would like to hear your take on how minimalism will look in the future, and how it would look in the event of a major disaster. (I laugh at myself for even asking this question, because isn’t minimalism all about living in the present, and having faith in the present?)
Congratulations!
I’d love to hear more about your travelling and moving. I love reading your posts about your travelling lightly and being able to move places easily.
Congrats on getting your book out to 20,000 people!
Thank you for the chance – I haven’t read it yet!
Congratulations! I have been so inspired by your blog and would love to read your book but need every single penny right now. Fingers crossed and thanks for the inspiration!
I love giveaways!
Congrats and thanks for the giveaway! :)
Grt info you provide here!
Would luv to see more topics on pets. dog cat bird etc. Also on food/diet….thnx kindly!
I’m happy for you! I hope to read your book asap.
I’ve really wanted to read your book but have been kind of low on cash lately. It’d be nice to win it!
How cool! Think of all the THINGS that those 20,000 people got rid of! Mind boggling. We make up for all those hoarders on tv (and the ones we don’t see).
Personally, I found your blog through a zero-waste blog. I think they don’t have to go hand-in-hand, but zero waste definitely is beneficial to minimalist living. So reading about some of that would be interesting. I’m always looking for ideas I haven’t thought of.
Congratulations!
I have enjoyed reading your blog for the past couple of weeks, and have also been trying for as long to get a copy of “The Joy of Less” from our local library. Apparently, I am on a rather long waiting list, so have thought it would be nice to have a copy of my own. Who knows? Maybe I will win a copy from you! If not, I still plan on reading your book. There are so many things that I would love to learn about the minimalist lifestyle, and your writing is an inspiration to me for that.
As for future topics, I think one of the most fascinating would be how the minimalist lifestyle helps us achieve contentment with “enough”, and what changes need to take place in order to share that happiness with other important people in our life. I am also interested in the psychological and social aspects of minimalism, and how we can truly determine what matters most to us. Thanks for all you are doing! Keep up the good work! :)