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Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea
Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea by Kevin Shawen & Marco Elisei Review: A Concise Self-Publishing Starter Guide
by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei
Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei's independently published guide targets aspiring writer-entrepreneurs who want to turn creative writing into a passive income stream through self-publishing, covering the process from manuscript to digital marketing with a habit-based framework at its core.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Writers at the very start of their self-publishing journey who want a single, concise guide that weaves mindset coaching around a step-by-step business framework, and who are comfortable building their own planning tools from the advice given.
Worth it if
Some reviewers note that this is worth reading if you are a first-time author-some reviewers who wants a fast, habit-structured orientation to the psychological and practical sides of self-publishing on digital platforms without committing to a lengthy, theory-heavy manual.
Skip if
Skip it if you are an established self-publisher seeking in-depth guidance on advertising campaigns, metadata strategy, or rights management, or if you rely on fillable worksheets and downloadable templates to implement new business frameworks.
What readers & critics say
The luvembooks.com review notes the book is positioned as a concise starter guide suited to a beginner-to-intermediate audience, and flags that — unlike comparable titles in the writer-entrepreneur space — it does not include fillable worksheets, budget planners, or downloadable templates.
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Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea by Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei is a concise self-help business guide for writers with no prior publishing experience who want to build passive income through self-publishing, covering the full pipeline from manuscript creation to digital marketing on platforms like Amazon. Its eight habit-driven action steps distinguish it from purely motivational titles by tying each principle to a concrete business outcome — making it a practical entry point for complete newcomers. Experienced self-publishers, however, will find the coverage of advanced topics like metadata optimisation, advertising strategy, and rights management too limited for their needs.
- Is it worth reading?
- For writers with no prior publishing experience who want a fast, accessible orientation to self-publishing as a business, Shawen and Elisei's guide earns its place as a single starting reference — the habit-based framework with paired action steps adds practical structure that many motivational titles in the genre lack. The integration of mindset coaching (targeting overthinking and self-doubt) with the mechanics of digital marketing addresses a real gap for writers who understand craft but are unfamiliar with publishing as a business. The key caveat is that the book does not include worksheets, budget planners, or downloadable templates, so exercise-oriented readers will need to build their own planning tools, and the concise scope will leave experienced self-publishers wanting more depth on advertising, metadata, and rights management.
- Similar books
- Readers drawn to the guide's habit-driven framework will find James Clear's Atomic Habits a natural companion — it provides a deeper, research-backed treatment of habit formation that underpins the kind of behavioural change Shawen and Elisei advocate. For the creative and mindset dimensions, Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being both address the psychological barriers — self-doubt, creative blocks — that the guide targets. On the entrepreneurial side, Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich and Stephen R. Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People share the guide's focus on using structured principles to build a productive, income-generating mindset.
- Who should read this?
- The guide is designed specifically for beginner-to-intermediate writers who want to launch a side income from creative work through self-publishing and have little or no prior experience in publishing as a business. It is particularly well-suited to writers who understand craft but feel intimidated by the business and marketing side — the book addresses overthinking and self-doubt directly, treating them as real obstacles rather than afterthoughts. Readers who prefer dense, comprehensive manuals or who are already active in the self-publishing space will find the concise scope insufficient for their needs.
- What are the main themes?
- Three interlocking themes run through the guide: self-publishing as a viable business model for creative writers; habit formation as the engine of entrepreneurial success (embodied in the eight named habits, each with a concrete action step); and mindset management — specifically, overcoming overthinking and self-doubt — as a prerequisite for launching a writing business. The book treats the psychological and practical dimensions of entrepreneurship as inseparable, which sets it apart from guides that keep strategy and motivation in separate chapters.
- Is the Kindle edition worth it?
- The Kindle edition supports enhanced typesetting and screen reader compatibility, making it a well-suited format for readers who consume self-help content digitally or rely on accessibility features. The guide's concise structure — a habit-based framework with paired action steps — also translates well to digital reading, where readers can easily navigate back to specific habits as a reference rather than reading linearly.
- Does it include practical tools or templates?
- This is one of the guide's notable limitations: unlike some competing titles in the writer-entrepreneur space, it does not include fillable worksheets, budget planners, or downloadable templates. Readers who prefer structured, hands-on planning materials will need to build their own supplementary tools. What the guide does provide is a repeatable habit framework — eight named habits, each with a brief action step — which functions as an organisational scaffold readers can return to over time.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What are the main themes?
Is the Kindle edition worth it?
Does it include practical tools or templates?
Summarize this book
Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei's independently published guide (August 2019) walks aspiring writer-entrepreneurs through the full self-publishing process — from the writing stage through to digital marketing on platforms such as Amazon. The structural backbone is a set of eight named habits, each paired with a specific business outcome and a brief action step, framed under the subtitle Stop Overthinking: 8 Power Habits that Change Your Mind. The book treats the psychology of overthinking and self-doubt as genuine obstacles to launching a writing business, weaving mindset coaching into its practical mechanics rather than keeping the two separate.
Follow up
What are the eight habits about?
How much of it is mindset vs. practical advice?
What stages of self-publishing does it cover?
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Our Review
We review the evidence: published critics, reader verdicts and BookTube reviews, gathered and weighed with AI assistance and edited by LuvemBooks, rather than one reader's first-hand take.
This self-help business guide positions itself squarely at writers with no prior publishing experience who want to build an income from self-publishing without wading through dense theory.
What the Book Actually Covers
Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea by Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei is a self-help business guide, independently published in August 2019, aimed at writers who want to generate passive income through self-publishing. According to the Amazon product description, the book addresses the full A-to-Z of publishing: from the writing process itself through to marketing on digital platforms such as Amazon.
A central concern of the guide is helping new authors avoid the most common mistakes made when self-publishing — a focus that gives it a practical, cautionary orientation alongside its motivational pitch. The book's full subtitle, which includes the phrase Stop Overthinking: 8 Power Habits that Change Your Mind, signals that the guide blends entrepreneurial strategy with a mindset-coaching dimension.
The Eight-Habit Framework
The structural backbone of the book is a set of eight named habits, each linked to a specific business outcome for writers. Rather than leaving these habits as abstract principles — a common shortcoming in the self-help genre — the guide pairs each one with a brief action step.
This design choice gives the framework a degree of actionable specificity that distinguishes it from titles that traffic primarily in inspiration. Some reviewers note that the guide also engages with the psychology of overthinking and self-doubt as genuine obstacles to launching a writing business, treating the mental dimension of some reviewersship as inseparable from its practical mechanics.
Scope, Audience, and Positioning
The book is designed as a concise starter guide rather than an exhaustive manual, and its scope reflects that intent: it is directed at beginner-to-intermediate writers looking to launch a side income from creative work. The product listing describes the guide's core premise as showing how some reviewerss can earn a passive income through self-publishing without having prior writing experience — framing the book as an entry point for complete newcomers to the space.
Some reviewers note that it distinguishes itself from more established competitors in the writer-some reviewers category by prioritising accessibility and brevity over comprehensive coverage, positioning self-publishing on platforms like Amazon as the primary route to market.
Genuine Strengths
The guide's most notable asset is its focus on the specific mechanics of self-publishing on digital retail platforms — territory that many general writing guides leave underserved. By addressing topics such as digital marketing and the strategic considerations behind making a self-published book findable and readable, Shawen and Elisei target a real gap for writers who understand craft but are unfamiliar with publishing as a business.
The habit-driven structure also provides a repeatable organisational logic, giving readers a framework to return to rather than a linear read-once-and-set-aside experience. The Kindle edition supports enhanced typesetting and screen reader compatibility, reflecting a format designed for accessibility on digital devices.
Limitations Worth Noting
Readers who learn through structured exercises will find the guide's approach less accommodating than some alternatives. Some reviewers note that unlike competing titles in the writer-some reviewers space, this guide does not include fillable worksheets, budget planners, or downloadable templates — meaning practitioners who prefer hands-on planning tools will need to build their own supplementary materials.
The book's concise scope, while a strength for beginners who want a fast orientation, will leave more experienced self-publishers looking for deeper treatment of topics such as metadata optimisation, advertising strategy, or rights management without a full answer. The motivational framing in the marketing copy — including income projections used to generate interest — sets an aspirational tone that readers should weigh against the realities of the self-publishing market.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
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- Further reading
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
who it suits
Skip if you're an experienced self-publisher looking for advanced coverage of metadata optimisation, advertising strategy, or rights management.
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