An Introduction to Creating Passive Income through Modern E-Commerce for Creators

Volume 2 + 3: A Practical Guide to Shopify Dropshipping and Beyond for Freelance Writers, Book Authors, and Content Startups In this 2-volume book, I introduce a practical path: building a Shopify store, running a dropshipping business designed specifically for creative professionals, & using it as a total e-commerce solution for your own products, too.

I wrote this book after decades of working as a technologist, teaching e-commerce as an MBA elective, & mentoring thousands of writers who asked me the same question: How can I create sustainable income without losing focus on my creative craft?

Dropshipping doesn't bring instant wealth but is a proven model for selling products online without holding inventory. The difference is in execution, which I will guide like I do for my paying clients. Most books recycle shallow tutorials. I offer a richer, more comprehensive framework grounded in e-commerce principles, creator values, & real-world practice. What makes this book different?

I see you as a relatable creator. Your skills in storytelling, branding, & building communities give you a natural advantage in e-commerce. I show you how to use them. Besides, in volume 3, I will show you how to market and sell your products using the powerful shopify.

• The story of e-commerce from the early 2000s to now, with insights from my tech career building online stores, teaching MBA students, running my WooCommerce bookstore before moving my 50+ digital/audio books to Shopify.

• Why Shopify has become the most accessible platform for creators, how it differs from WooCommerce, Amazon FBA, & other systems.

• What dropshipping is & what it is not. Learn the principles, best practices, common pitfalls before you spend a single dollar.

• How to set up your Shopify store step by step, from domain & design to payments, shipping, customer policies based on my experience.

• Why a soft launch matters. Test your store with small groups to avoid wasted marketing budgets & credibility risks.

• Organic traffic strategies using Substack, Patreon, Medium, Vocal Media, Kit, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn that creators use & trust.

• Paid traffic experiments using Facebook, TikTok, Google, as learning labs, not gambles.

• Analytics & scaling to grow responsibly with data instead of guesswork.

• Advanced growth models: private labeling, inventory management, subscriptions, & partnerships that evolve your store into a brand.

• Customer service & reputation management, where empathy & responsiveness turn one-time buyers into long-term advocates.

Each chapter combines clear explanations, industry best practices, practical takeaways, key pitfalls to avoid, real-world examples. I also include screenshots of my relevant Shopify shop, so you can see what the implementation looks like in practice.

I wrote this book because freelance writers, book authors, & content startups live in a world where creativity drives impact. Yet too many face the same challenge: unstable income. Royalties fluctuate, subscriptions ebb/flow, & project fees arrive irregularly. Passion sustains the craft, but it does not always sustain financial stability.

The book is now preorder via Amazon and it will be available on Google Play and my discount book store in digital and audio format.