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Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea by Kevin Shawen & Marco Elisei Review: A Concise Self-Publishing Starter Guide
A brief, beginner-oriented business guide co-authored by Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei, this book positions itself as a step-by-step system for writers who want to generate passive income through self-publishing, covering the full arc from writing a manuscript to marketing it on digital platforms such as Amazon. LuvemBooks rates it 3.5 out of 5 stars — a practical dual-focus guide that combines business strategy with habit formation for creative writers seeking an entrepreneurial entry point, though its aspirational income claims and narrow platform focus will not suit every reader.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Aspiring writer-entrepreneurs at the very beginning of exploring self-publishing as a side income, who need both an entrepreneurial mindset orientation and a step-by-step tactical overview of the Amazon self-publishing pipeline in a single, digestible volume.
Worth it if
You are a beginner or intermediate writer who wants an integrated, concise road map covering both the business habits and the practical mechanics of self-publishing as passive income, and you are comfortable supplementing it with your own planning tools and wider platform research.
Skip if
You already have self-publishing experience, need deep coverage of advertising strategy, book production quality, or multi-platform distribution, or are put off by aspirational income claims ($100,000/year within months) that typical self-publishing outcomes rarely support for new entrants.
What readers & critics say
LuvemBooks rates the title 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as a practical dual-focus guide combining business strategy with habit formation for creative writers seeking entrepreneurial outcomes, while noting it lacks structured exercises such as worksheets or budget planners found in comparable titles (luvembooks.com). The book carries a single 5-star rating on Amazon Saudi Arabia, with no broader critical consensus or reliable reader aggregate available.
Sources: LuvemBooks, Amazon Saudi ArabiaIn This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Actually Is and Does
- Scope and Structure
- Strengths: Accessibility and Focus
- Limitations: Ambitious Income Claims and Platform Concentration
- Who This Book Is For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Integrated dual focus on business strategy and habit formation sets it apart from purely mechanical self-publishing guides
- Step-by-step system is designed for accessibility, targeting beginners and intermediate writers new to the income side of publishing
- Deliberately concise scope keeps content focused and actionable for its target audience
- Covers the full self-publishing pipeline — from writing through to digital platform marketing — in a single volume
What Doesn't
- Aspirational income claims ($100,000/year within months) set expectations that typical self-publishing outcomes rarely support for new entrants
- Advice is tightly concentrated on the Amazon ecosystem, limiting its usefulness for readers seeking platform-agnostic or wide-distribution strategies
A concise, dual-focus business guide, Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea is designed to walk aspiring writer-entrepreneurs through the A-to-Z mechanics of self-publishing as a passive income stream.
What the Book Actually Is and Does
Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer & Make Money from Home. Stop Overthinking: 8 Power Habits that Change Your Mind by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei front cover
Co-authored by Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei, this is a business and self-publishing guide — not a craft manual, memoir, or traditional writing instruction book. Its stated purpose is to teach readers a step-by-step system for launching and monetising a self-publishing operation. According to the publisher's own description, the book covers the full pipeline of independent publishing: from writing a manuscript through to marketing on digital retail platforms, with particular attention paid to Amazon's self-publishing ecosystem and the strategic "tricks" involved in navigating it. The subtitle — Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer — signals that the book is as much about adopting an entrepreneurial mindset as it is about the technical mechanics of putting a book into the market.
Scope and Structure
The book is positioned as a concise starter guide rather than an exhaustive reference manual, which shapes how its content is organised and delivered. Its step-by-step framework is designed to be accessible to writers who are new to the business side of publishing, laying out a system intended to help readers avoid common early mistakes. The dual focus — business strategy alongside habit formation for creative entrepreneurs — distinguishes it from purely mechanical self-publishing handbooks, and thematically it occupies similar territory to productivity-minded guides aimed at independent creators. That said, the structural emphasis is squarely on process and practical instruction, with the overarching goal of equipping beginners with an actionable framework from day one.
Strengths: Accessibility and Focus
The book's most consistent strength, as its design intent makes plain, is its deliberate narrowness of scope. Rather than attempting to cover every nuance of the publishing industry, it stays tightly trained on the self-publishing-as-income pathway, which keeps the content digestible for its target audience of beginner-to-intermediate writers. The combination of business strategy and habit-building is a real structural differentiator: where many self-publishing guides treat the mechanics of uploading and pricing a book as the finish line, this one frames consistent creative output as foundational to long-term passive income. For readers who need both a mindset shift and a tactical checklist, that integrated approach is purposeful and coherent.
Limitations: Ambitious Income Claims and Platform Concentration
The book's marketing language — centred on the proposition of earning $100,000 per year in passive income within a few months — sets expectations that the self-publishing industry, by any broad measure, rarely delivers for new entrants. That framing may energise some readers, but it risks misleading those who take the headline figure as a realistic near-term benchmark rather than an aspirational ceiling. Additionally, the guide's focus on Amazon as the primary digital marketing platform, while practical given Amazon's dominance in self-publishing, means its advice is tightly coupled to a single ecosystem. Readers seeking platform-agnostic strategies or coverage of wide-distribution models will find the scope narrower than they may require. These are genuine constraints to weigh before purchasing.
Who This Book Is For
LuvemBooks rates this title 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as a practical dual-focus guide for creative writers with entrepreneurial ambitions. It is most directly suited to writers who are at the very beginning of considering self-publishing as a side income — people who need an orientation to the process as much as they need specific tactical advice. Readers who already have self-publishing experience, or who are looking for deep dives into advertising strategy, book production quality, or multi-platform distribution, will find the guide's concise format a limitation rather than a virtue. Approached as an entry-level road map — rather than a comprehensive business bible — it fulfils its stated design intent with reasonable coherence.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei worth reading
It depends on where you are in your self-publishing journey. The reviewer finds it most valuable for writers who are at the very beginning of considering self-publishing as a side income and need an orientation to the process as much as specific tactical advice. If you already have self-publishing experience or need deep dives into advertising strategy or multi-platform distribution, the concise format will feel like a limitation rather than a virtue.
what is Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei actually about
Despite the creative writing angle in the title, this is a business and self-publishing guide — not a craft manual or traditional writing instruction book. Co-authored by Kevin Shawen and Marco Elisei, it walks readers through the full pipeline of independent publishing, from writing a manuscript through to marketing on digital retail platforms, with particular attention paid to Amazon's self-publishing ecosystem. Its subtitle signals that it's as much about adopting an entrepreneurial mindset as it is about the technical mechanics of getting a book to market.
does Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei really help you make passive income
The book's marketing language promises $100,000 per year in passive income within a few months — a claim the reviewer flags as setting expectations the self-publishing industry, by any broad measure, rarely delivers for new entrants. That framing may energise some readers but risks misleading those who take the headline figure as a realistic near-term benchmark rather than an aspirational ceiling. Approached as an entry-level road map rather than a guaranteed income formula, it offers a coherent process framework without validating the headline income claims.
is Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei good for complete beginners
Yes, beginners are the book's clearest fit. The reviewer notes its step-by-step framework is designed to be accessible to writers who are new to the business side of publishing, laying out a system intended to help readers avoid common early mistakes. Its deliberate narrowness of scope keeps the content digestible for beginner-to-intermediate writers who need both a mindset shift and a tactical checklist.
does Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei cover platforms other than amazon
Not really — the guide's focus on Amazon as the primary digital marketing platform is one of its key limitations. The reviewer notes this means the advice is tightly coupled to a single ecosystem, so readers seeking platform-agnostic strategies or coverage of wide-distribution models will find the scope narrower than they may require. It's a genuine constraint worth weighing before purchasing if multi-platform publishing is your goal.
what makes Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei different from other self-publishing guides
Its main differentiator is the combination of business strategy and habit formation for creative entrepreneurs. The reviewer points out that where many self-publishing guides treat the mechanics of uploading and pricing a book as the finish line, this one frames consistent creative output as foundational to long-term passive income. That integrated dual focus — part tactical checklist, part entrepreneurial mindset shift — sets it apart from purely mechanical self-publishing handbooks.
is Starting a Business Now in Creative Writing Job as Passive Income Idea: Inspirational Business Author to Being a Writer by Kevin Shawen, Marco Elisei good for experienced self-publishers
Probably not. The reviewer is clear that readers who already have self-publishing experience, or who are looking for deep dives into advertising strategy, book production quality, or multi-platform distribution, will find the guide's concise format a limitation rather than a virtue. It's positioned as a concise starter guide rather than an exhaustive reference manual, so seasoned self-publishers are likely to find it covers ground they already know.
Sources & Further Reading
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