THE DIGEST
MANIFESTO
Nobody is writing about the size of the book.
Format isn't a detail. Format is strategy. 164 pages about why smaller books win — with actual economics, actual specs, and 500 years of proof.
▸ 4.82 MB ▸ 164 pages ▸ Instant download ▸ No DRM
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There are thousands of guides about self-publishing. Cover design. Amazon keywords. Launch funnels. Newsletter strategy.
But nobody is talking about the physical object itself — the dimensions, the format, the thing your reader actually holds in their hands.
That's criminal. Because format isn't a detail.
Format is strategy.
The Digest Manifesto is 164 pages about why smaller books win. Not theory. Not vibes. Actual economics, actual production specs, actual KDP formatting tables, actual distribution channels, and the 500-year publishing history that proves the digest format has always been the most durable, most portable, most human-scaled way to put words into the world.
◄◄ What's Inside ►►
Channel Guide — 13 Chapters — Zero Filler
Why Amazon can delete your Kindle library tomorrow (and has)
The Japanese publishing model Western creators ignore
Manga's two-format demographic system and what it teaches about sizing
The bunkobon — the paperback format that outsells everything in Japan
DC Comics' Compact line and what happened when they went digest
KDP trim sizes, margin tables, and the 4×6 workaround
DIY production from photocopier zines to short-run offset
Paper, binding, and cover finish decisions that actually matter
Real pricing math with real royalty numbers at every tier
Seven distribution channels beyond "just put it on Amazon"
A complete Google Docs template workflow for digest formatting
Why DRM is the enemy, not screens
Why the physical book outlasts every platform ever built
Who Wrote This
Written by someone whose dad hauled trainloads of unsold books to a paper mill, who fell in love with the format through digest-sized Batman comics at age twelve, and who has spent decades watching the publishing industry fall apart because they pretend format doesn't matter.
This is the guide for indie writers, zine makers, self-publishers, and anyone who wants to make a physical object that doesn't need a login, a subscription, a server, or electricity to survive.
◄ Made For ►
Indie Writers
Who want physical books that sell
Zine Makers
Going from DIY to distribution
Self-Publishers
Tired of guessing at format
DIY Creators
Who build things that last