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I have a question that’s been nagging at the back of my mind – is selling books and e-books about minimalism, in and of itself, minimalist?  The whole idea of the minimalist movement is raging against the rampant consumerism of our day, yet I just read a post from Everett Bogue where he discusses selling ebooks:

you need to recommend them in order to make money from them. One review is not enough. One interview is not enough. Your audience, which is interested in minimalism, (this is why they read you!!!!) is interested in also buying products that teach them about minimalism.

You’re doing your audience, and yourself, a disservice by not telling them about the amazing resources that are available for them to purchase at every opportunity possible.

In other words, fill your blog with plugs for products.  The more the better!  Now, before we go on, let me make something clear – I’m not against an author selling an ebook and making money.  I’m not against that same author offering an affiliate program to allow others to make a commission.  The question to me is whether or not this recent trend is eating away at the core of classical minimalism.

Think about it – in order to sell somebody an ebook, they have to have a perceived need for the information in that ebook.  Many of the pages promoting these ebooks contain sales letters designed to do exactly what conventional marketing does.  First they make you feel like you have a problem of some sort.  Then they talk about the solution to that problem.  Then it just so happens to turn out that they’ve selling an ebook with the solution!

Is it a bit odd to be railing against consumerism in the physical world while adopting it wholeheartedly in the digital one?  I’m very curious as to what other people think.  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!