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!
Hi Francine,
Congratulations! I enjoy reading your blog and would love to read your book. I would be interested in a book that covers how to get a spouse and children to embrace minimalism.
Thank you,
Maggie
Well, I have a 1 in 307 chance of winning at this point. Count me in! ;)
Congratulations on the success of your book! I have always had minimalist tendencies, and they have been re-invigorated by my recent discovery of your blog. Thank you! I would love to read your book, and find my eye wandering to its cover each time I sign on to your blog. For a future book, a step-by-step guide might be an interesting approach, with each chapter devoted to different areas of life, and each one including thoughts on the mindset that goes along with de-cluttering in that specific area. Best of luck and thanks for your great blog!
I have really enjoyed reading both your book and blog collection. I would be interested in hearing more about your minimalist travels – places you’ve visited (even those in the UK), what you packed, things that you enjoyed about the different cultures. Your blogs about travel thus far have been fascinating and I think many of us dream of minimalism leading to more opportunity to explore the world!
I would love to read your book! sounds inspiring!
Thanks,
Jensen
I am reading your first book at the moment – and I would love to win a copy of ‘The Joy Of Less’. For the next one, how about a bit of autobiography mixed with attitudes to/examples of minamilism in different countries?
Congratulations on your success. Your book is on the top shelf of my recently minimized book collection. It has encouraged me and has been very thought provoking. I have read and reread the book, but the philosophy section is my favorite. I don’t know how many times I’ve read that portion. I also gave a copy to my sister as a gift. She loves it too. I can’t wait for your next book!
I’ve been reading your website for awhile now & love the inspiration you give to pursue a minimalist life. I’d love to read your book. Thanks for the opportunity!
Congratulations! The first comment I read was someone requesting the topic of how to get spouse and children on board. That’s where I struggle the most. We have a large, very heavy television accompanied by an even larger entetainment cabinet. If I could convince my husband to get rid of the tv, we’d have more space, more time, less bills (Tivo and Basic Cable).
I truly would love to read your book. There is a genetic tendancy in my family towards hording that I would love to snip from my DNA. Being pregnant with #6 and living in 1040 sqft house…well…we need less stuff.
Here’s hoping and I’m loving your blog.
Anita
It is a constant battle to whittle down the amount of stuff that seemingly accumulates from nowhere but getting rid of clutter does make me happy. Today I spent a happy day freecycling all the useless (to me) stuff from my garden shed. Who would have believed that the plastic wrapping from a new mattress would have been snapped up – by a home birther no less!! Congratulations on the success of your book. Looking forward to reading it if I am selected.
I just helped my daughter pack for college- I’m glad both of us (her and I) are working on being minimalists, the trunk of a car got her there, Maybe a box and a suitcase will get her home in the summer:) Thank you for your great blog.
Congratulations, wow, 20,000 copies – I’ll buy one if I don’t win your giveaway :-) I’ll just have to find that article about downloading something without having a Kindle.
For your next book I’d suggest a focus on food, clothes, cleaning, cosmetics (well, at least these are the topics closest to my heart).
I would love to read your book. I have a love-hate relationship with all of my stuff, there’s too much.
i would love a copy of your book! i often discuss minimalism with my friends and they are intrigued and have asked if i have any books on the topic that they could borrow. it would be awesome to have a paperback copy that i can pass along to keep the inspiration going! :)
Congratulations on this milestone! Your blog is one of my new favourites. I like how your postings are non-judgmental and personal. I too am trying to live a more minimalist life, and be more aware of my consumerist habits.
Congratulations on selling 20,000 copies of your book!
I love your blog and I can’t wait to read more of your writing!
20,000 copies!! WOW!! I keep my copy beside the bed & read it when I’m in the mood to go shopping. That keeps me on my minimalist path.
Congratulations!
Congrats! I love reading your blog and it has given me a name to the minimalistic desires I am striving towards. It isn’t easy for me, but your blog is very inspirational.
Love reading your blog look forward to read each one, they have been very inspiring and has help me stay on track on why I have chosen to live a simpler life..would really love to read your book and learn many more ways to live simpler
After reading your blog collection I bought The Joy Of Less and read it when on holiday. I missed few of my possessions when living out of a suitcase so it was a lot easier to see the clutter when returning home. Despite reading other books on downsizing yours was the only one that really clicked and I’m two weeks into my renewed efforts at making space in my life. So, a big ‘thanks’. Every morning I get up and remove one more thing, and each weekend has been a whirlwind of clearance. I’m starting to see daylight!
I’d love for you to write more about travelling light, about what minimalism means for your future and stories about how people’s lives have been transformed. There could be 20,000 stories already! ;-)
Congratulations Francine! You are a joy to read, and your book made a huge impact on my life, and I thank you so much for your happy, gentle, joyous voice. I can’t think of something at the moment that I’d like to hear more of specifically, but will write again if I do.
What an awesome milestone! I have been wanting to pick up this book, but if I can win it, that would work, too! :)
Congratulations! “Miss Minimalist” was a great read, & inspired me to learn to let go of the clutter around me. I’d love to continue my progress with “Joy of Less”!
I already bought a copy of your book (I found it really helpful), so please disregard this comment for the purposes of entering the giveaway. :)
One thing about minimalism I’d like to know more about is minimalist opinions about women’s hygiene products. I’ve seen people talk about cloth diapers as a more sustainable, eco-friendly, and hygienic option to disposable baby diapers, but babies grow up and out of a need to have diapers. What about women’s monthly hygiene needs? Could you talk about cloth pads and menstrual cups versus disposable sanitary napkins or disposable tampons? Given that a woman has a lifetime of putting disposable sanitary napkins or tampons into landfills, and given that it takes hundreds of years for sanitary napkins to biodegrade, and cloth pads are reusable and less expensive in a woman’s lifetime, it seems that a more sustainable and less environmentally impactful option is something a minimalist would favour. I haven’t seen this issue covered anywhere in minimalist blogs and it seems like something right up a minimalist’s alley.
I have always liked to have my things organized and not cluttered. But after reading your blog, I am starting to really get INTO the Minimalist thing. Your book would really help me. Thanks!
I have to agree with some of the other posters…please, please write about getting spouses and other family members on board the minimalism train…and I would love a copy of your book.
Francine,
Congratulations! I’m so excited that you’ve reached such a milestone.
However, I think it’s hilarious that you’re thanking US. You see, we are the ones who appreciate your time, your effort at explaining your journey, and giving us a glimpse into what could be for each of us. This is, in a word, FREEDOM. Mental freedom, emotional freedom, and freedom of space! So thank you for teaching us in your elegant and ‘friend-to-friend’ style of prose!
As to your next book, I think it would be really nifty if you wrote about MENTAL MINIMALISM. How to get over guilt, blame, resentment, disappointment, anxiety, fear and all the emotional reasons WHY we collect items to begin with. Once we can figure out the mental reasons for our actions, work through it, deal with it, only then can we truly move on.
If that’s a little too far fetched (you asked for ideas!), I’d love to learn about minimalist cooking and minimalist time management. Whoo-hoo!
Thank you again for all you do!
Jane=)
Yes please, mental minimalism!
Better odds than the lottery.
Congrats! Love your blog and read it regularly.
I have read it (kindle version). I would like to have a hard copy though. Thanks!
I’ve just discovered your blog and find your ideas inspiring. I’ve just started decluttering and I’m trying to go 30 days (or more) without buying anything. I would love to read your new book.
20,000 copies – what a great achievement. I would love to win a copy – and make it 20,001!
Thanks for a terrific and inspiring blog.
Beverley
Congratulations! I have a Kindle version of your book and think it’s fabulous! I am a big follower of your blog and other minimalist blogs. I would love to read more about minimalist topics for women (clothes, shopping, makeup, marketing to women). I have a tendency to shop online when I should really save my money.
Congratulations! I would love to read it!
Congratulations on the success of your book.I have just finished reading it and loved it. I am also a big fan of your blog and would love to see more posts! I would really like to know more about your ideas about Zen philosophy as you mentioned in one of your earlier posts.
Congratulations! I’d love to win a copy of your book.
Congratulations! I have just found your blog as I was browsing through pages related to the 100 thing challenge. Your blog and the book seem to be exactly what I’m looking for. I’m in a situation where on the other hand I feel myself poor but at the same time I seem to have way too much stuff around me. I’m also having huge cravings to get more/new stuff (ebook reader, new cell phone etc.) even though I’m hoping to simplify my life. And now I’d really like to get your book at my hands… -> I seem to be in a bit of a crisis here!
Love your newsletter…never read the book yet but would love to.
Would love a copy of your book!
I want to read about how a minimalist can have adventures,seek challenge after downsizing. most minimalist focus more on contentment.for example you backpack and travel for adventure but not all people want to do that!maybe the challenge might be wanting to be a world-class surgeon,find new cure for cancer,volunteer,be missionary etc..well.you see the point.show the ambitious,driven people that they can be a minimalist and have great lives too.most people love to do great things but they are so addicted with their soft life with material comfort,max out credit card and mindless tv.in the end they still become unhappy with their lives because what they did is meaningless.but if we have less things to take care of and less time-waster we can focs more on important things we want to do
Congratulations. Your books are very inspiring to me and I am on my minimalist journey. I’d love to read more detailed, how-to, information on minimalist travelling. What to bring, what to do, how to deal with emergencies! The idea sounds fascinating but I can not let go of my big suitcase!
Hi! I’ve only been reading this blog for a short while, but I’ve found it very inspiring. I already have your short Kindle work; it would be great to get this book as well!
I already have your book “The Joy of Less” on my kindle. But I love reading about “Real Life Minimalist”. I really enjoy hearing about how other people live, travel, and spend their time. The idea of traveling around the U.S. or Europe with just a backpack is something that is on my “bucket” list.
Loved your book Francine it helped me out alot.Ladies my husband was not fond of this minimalist idea at first.After we redone our living room he came around.He has told me several times he likes it better the way it is now with less stuff in the way.I would love your next book to be about minimalist wardrobes.*Please don’t enter me in the contest as I already have your book.*
I love your website and would love to read your book! Thanks so much for inspiring me towards this lifestyle!!! :)
Congratulations to you. I’m in. Good luck to me!
Congratulations!! I purchased your book on my Kindle app on my iPhone and read it while traveling with my husband. He’s a terrible flying partner, he sleeps from the moment the plane leaves the ground until they hit the ground again. So I read you book! I am have always struggled with stuff, and have always felt burdened with stuff. I have moved 18 times and the last moved required more than a 26 foot U-haul. Granted we have 5 children, but that’s still too much stuff!! My husband and I have worked very hard to declutter our lives since this spring, and I thank you for the tools and inspiration received through your website and book! I am a huge fan, and share your website with everyone I meet! Again, congratulations!
<3 Anne
i’d love a copy!
I’d love to win a copy of your book! (thanks for the chance)
Here’s a question for the group…what minimalist ideas can you suggest a Professional Organizer use with her clients?