New Here? Start With This.

Welcome to NerdPicker — grab a book and get to work.

I’m Michael Markuson, a Virginia author and long-time entrepreneur. I write practical how-to books — the kind you can actually use, not the kind that puts you to sleep by chapter two.

Every book follows the same formula: 15 chapters, plain English, action steps at the end of every chapter, and zero filler. If a sentence doesn’t teach you something you can do today, it doesn’t make the book. (My editor — also me — is ruthless.)

Where most folks start: The Practical series

Step-by-step beginner guides to real side hustles: Etsy, eBay, YouTube, freelancing, TikTok Shop, self-publishing, course creation, affiliate marketing, newsletters, and Vinted. Each one takes you from zero to your first sale — dad jokes included at no extra charge.

New to my work? Start free.

The History of Pumpkin Spice — 15 chapters on how a humble pie spice became a billion-dollar fall obsession — is free to download (or pay what you want, if you’re feeling generous).

Stick around. There’s a lot on the shelves.

— Michael