Morgan Housel: How He Sold 4 Million Books

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Nov 6, 2023

Morgan Housel, a celebrated author known for his bestsellers like "The Psychology of Money," discusses his unique approach to writing. He shares insights on making financial concepts engaging through storytelling while maintaining brevity. Topics include 'selfish writing' as a way to connect personally with readers, the emotional challenges of writing and publishing, and the art of self-editing. Housel emphasizes the importance of creating impactful sentences and how his lazy writing process has contributed to his success in captivating millions.

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ADVICE

Ruthless Self-Editing

Treat every word as precious and avoid unnecessary fluff or rambling.
Pretend each word costs $100 to encourage ruthless self-editing.

ANECDOTE

Consistency in Writing Style

Morgan Housel's writing style hasn't changed significantly over 17 years.
He realized that owning his strengths, like writing 1500-word blog posts, is more effective than trying to reinvent himself.

ANECDOTE

Writing Style Evolution

Morgan Housel initially tried to change his writing style for "The Psychology of Money."
After negative feedback, he reverted to his blog-post style of shorter chapters.

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