Courses: You're Not ‘Stuck’ Just One Mini Book Away

Before we jump into today’s chapter, I want to speak to those of you who haven’t written your mini book yet.

You’ve seen how a book can lead to a coaching business, digital products, and real momentum. (Today, I’m talking about courses.)

And maybe you’re thinking, “That sounds great, but I haven’t even started mine.”

Let me say this clearly.

You’re not behind. You’re standing at the beginning of something powerful.

Everything I share in Mini Book Money starts with a simple shift. Not writing a bestseller. Not building a funnel. Just finishing a book that opens doors, starts conversations, and builds trust.

If reading these chapters brings up that mix of excitement and hesitation, that’s a good thing.

It means you’ve realized the exciting and somewhat scary potential of writing a mini book.

And just so you know, I’m working on something behind the scenes.

Something that will help you finally get your book out of your head and into the world.

Something that will make the process feel simpler than ever.

This week, while I share my latest chapter, I’m also building a software that’ll help you finish your book so that me and others can read your chapter next.

I’ll share more in the coming weeks.

Now, let’s talk about courses.

Courses

Every creator dreams of launching a course and waking up to sales in their inbox.

It’s the classic vision of internet freedom: teach what you know, help people grow, and earn passive income in the background. Courses promise authority, scalability, and lifestyle. But for most creators, that dream never becomes reality.

Most people build the course before they build the trust.

This chapter will show you how to actually generate revenue from a course without wasting months building something no one buys.

You’ll learn how to use your book as the foundation, your message as the magnet, and simple systems that sell without shouting. You don’t need a giant audience or a massive launch. You need a clear transformation, a proven path, and the trust your book has already earned.

Let’s build a course the smart way, not the hard way.

1. Book First, Course Second

Most people fail at selling courses because they launch before they listen.

They build something in isolation, hoping people will buy it just because it exists. But without an audience, without credibility, and without trust, that course is invisible. The internet does not reward information. It rewards connection.

You have to earn attention before you can earn income.

People do not buy from strangers. They buy from someone they believe in.

Trust is the foundation of every successful course sale. If someone does not know you, like you, or trust you, they are not going to hand over their money, no matter how good your content is. That is why building community and credibility must come first.

Courses are sold on trust, not talent.

The Course is the Next Step a Reader Wants

Your book is the fastest way to bridge the know, like, and trust gap.

When someone reads your book, they learn who you are, what you believe, and how you think. They get a clear sense of your expertise, your tone, and your approach. By the end, they are not just informed. They are invested.

That trust sets the stage for your course to succeed.

A course becomes the next logical step for a reader who wants more.

They already believe in the transformation you laid out in the book. Now they just want your help to implement it. The course is not a new pitch. It is a continuation of the journey they already agreed to take.

You are not making a sale. You are offering support.

A Course = Guided Transformation

A course is a guided experience designed to help someone implement what they only understood in a book.

Books deliver information through words. Courses deliver transformation through structure. Even if the content overlaps, a course brings the ideas to life through visuals, exercises, and step-by-step guidance.

Courses are built for doing, not just understanding.

Your book gives the vision while the course provides the path and to do list.

A book shows someone what is possible. A course walks them through how to actually do it. By engaging the senses, showing the process, and creating accountability, a course takes your reader from theory to change.

That shift is what moves someone from reader to result.

3 Types of Courses

1. Self-Paced

A self-paced course is the simplest way to turn your expertise into hands-free income.

You record it once, package it with downloads or guides, and make it available on demand. Students move through the material on their own schedule, without needing your presence. This is the classic model of passive income in the course world.

You teach once and get paid over and over.

Forty buyers at $250 each is all it takes to hit your first $10,000.

That is the beauty of scalability. You do not need a massive audience or a constant launch cycle. Just a clear transformation, a focused message, and a system that delivers value without you showing up live.

Self-paced courses are a quiet engine for sustainable revenue.

2. Cohort-Based

A cohort-based course delivers structure, momentum, and built-in accountability.

Instead of self-paced content, everyone moves through the course together on a shared timeline. Modules may unlock weekly, sometimes with live sessions or group check-ins. Even without direct coaching, the group dynamic builds connection and helps people stick with the process.

Transformation feels more real when you're not going through it alone.

Cohort-based courses typically justify higher prices because they offer more support and structure.

You are managing schedules, releasing content on a timeline, and often showing up live to guide the group. But at $1,000 per student, you only need ten buyers to make $10,000. These structured experiences create urgency, community, and strong results.

The right cohort can build your income and your impact at the same time.

3. Challenges

A challenge-based course creates urgency by combining daily prompts with time-limited action.

You guide a group of students through small, focused steps over a short period of time. This might look like daily videos, emails, or messages with specific tasks. Even if the content is pre-scheduled, your consistent involvement drives momentum and results.

Challenges turn learning into a real-time experience.

Because they are intense and short, challenges are best for micro-transformations with a fast payoff.

Unlike a long cohort, a challenge might last three, seven, or thirty days and focus on a single milestone. Instead of “write a book,” it could be “finish your outline.” At $200 per seat, fifty buyers get you to $10,000 with a high-energy, high-conversion offer.

Challenges sell fast and deliver fast when the goal is clear and the window is tight.

That’s the power of a well-positioned course built from a mini book.
But here’s where it gets real.

What happens when you launch… and no one buys?
That’s exactly what happened to me. Until one shift changed everything.

👇 Keep reading to unlock the story, the $25K turnaround, and the exact framework I now use to build and launch mini book-based courses in hours—not months.