Meet the Mikkelsen Twins, two Danish brothers who have become popular on the internet for discovering a unique Amazon business model that enabled them to earn a full-time income while exploring different parts of the world in just one year.
Their so-called “innovative approach” has shaken up the online publishing world, allowing them to easily generate passive income (their critics see it another way).
In this Mikkelsen Twins review, we’ll take a closer look at the fascinating journey of the Mikkelsen Twins – the creators of Audiobook Income Academy (AIA) and “Publishing Life” – and how they transformed their passion into a successful venture.
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The Mikkelsen Twins Net Worth
The Mikkelsen Twins, Rasmus, and Christian have been making money online and have an estimated net worth of $10 million each; although it’s tough to determine their exact wealth. They have achieved financial success through various ventures.
One self-declared key source of income is self-publishing, particularly through audiobooks, which they teach about in their new course, AI Publishing Academy.
They claim to have earned $10,000 monthly by selling audiobooks on Amazon and by publishing ebooks on a range of topics through Amazon’s self-publishing platform.
In addition to publishing, the Mikkelsen Twins have made a lot of money from their online courses, sharing their expertise in Kindle publishing, self-publishing, and digital marketing.
They have a YouTube channel where they provide content related to book and audiobook publishing, further contributing to their income.
Who are the Mikkelsen Twins?
The Mikkelsen are twin brothers who have made a name for themselves in the Amazon book publishing industry.
Surprisingly, Rasmus and Christian Mikkelsen didn’t expect to make it this far even though they are now accomplished entrepreneurs.
Their journey started after high school when they both shared a one-bedroom apartment in Aarhus, Denmark.
They worked three days a week unloading shipping containers, but often neglected their studies and spent their free time watching movies, TV shows, and using recreational marijuana.
However, they soon realized that they didn’t want to continue living like that forever. They made a significant change and became successful entrepreneurs.
They now often reflect on their journey and transformation from aimless high school graduates to accomplished businessmen.
It all started to change when they went to community college.
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From Losers to Top Community College Students
The Mikkelsen Twins chose to enroll in a community college and committed to graduating with outstanding grades.
Their college experience required an exceptional level of dedication and hard work and they did just that; they invested the majority of their time in rigorous study and diligent effort.
Remarkably, their academic achievements surpassed even their own expectations. However, despite their accomplishments, they began to question the underlying purpose of going to school and felt that it didn’t suit them.
And that’s when they got into entrepreneurship:
Going into Business
The Mikkelsen Twins chose to follow their entrepreneurial ambitions and they decided to leave college without informing their parents.
This marked the beginning of their journey into the world of online business, something they’ve embraced ever since.
They were not starting from scratch as they had dabbled in a side venture here and there during their college years, only that now it was becoming their primary focus.
In their pursuit of success, the Twins began experimenting with various business models, fully prepared to commit to the one that showed the most promising results.
They explored ventures like drop shipping, retail arbitrage, Amazon FBA, Merch by Amazon, app development, and more. Along the way, they came to understand that generating income online wasn’t solely reliant on selling physical products.
If you are keen on these business models, you should look into Sophie Howard, who became popular selling on Amazon, and Luke Belmar, who grew his net worth dropshipping. Andrew Tate’s The Real World covers many business models at once.
They discovered self-publishing around this time.
Self-Publishing Success
Along their entrepreneurial journey, as the Mikkelsen Twins encountered a series of setbacks and small victories, they discovered that self-publishing books was a particularly effective model for them.
Christian published an e-book on Amazon titled How to Be a 4.0 Student in College, Like Me and it did well. Rasmus also published an e-book on cross-training and it did well too.
What’s fascinating is that when they started self-publishing, the Twins personally wrote their books because they couldn’t afford to hire writers and focused on topics they were deeply knowledgeable about. Then as they grew their business, they started outsourcing.
They decided to tap into Amazon’s 300 million-plus customer base and scale their business. They hired ghostwriters and their earnings grew to $3,000 a month.
They quit school and moved to Thailand in September 2017, fully embracing the digital nomad lifestyle. Thailand also made sense because the cost of living there is cheap.
Later, they moved back stateside to Hawaii.
Their approach at that time while they were making a lot of money self-publishing involved conducting thorough market research to identify compelling non-fiction topics.
Then they’d conduct competitor analysis and extensive research to create a comprehensive outline before proceeding to write the book.
To create a polished final product, they would enlist the services of a professional designer to design an eye-catching cover and format the book appropriately.
Getting Kicked Out of Amazon and Pivoting to Online Courses
At the height of their success, Amazon shut down Christian’s main publishing account in April 2018.
He was in trouble for selling poorly translated books. Apparently, he’d just run text from a book in English through Google Translate and sell it as a foreign-language edition.
People complained and he was banned. Rasmus was banned too because he shared an IP address with Christian.
With their main source of income gone, the twins began producing videos teaching hopeful people how to self-publish, except they focused on audiobooks.
After producing a couple of videos, they decided to launch an online course called Audiobook Income Academy. It made $48,000 pretty fast and that was how they got into online courses.
Having nailed the business model, it was a natural progression to start an online course to teach other people how they built their businesses and how those people can replicate their success.
They’d share their insights and expertise gathered over the years and became popular for their courses.
Then, over time, they decided to focus on the courses and gradually weaned themselves off of selling books; something that their critics have slammed them for.
You see, after they became known for their courses and they made more money from that than their actual hustle (selling books and audiobooks), they stopped selling ebooks and audiobooks to focus on teaching and this meant that they lost touch with how the self-publishing business works these days.
Nowadays, most of what they do is teach others how to replicate their successful business model and generate income through book publishing. It has not gone down well with many people online.
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What was The Mikkelsen Twins’ Publishing Business Model?
Let’s take a step back and examine what they did that made them successful:
The business model that propelled the Mikkelsen Twins to the top revolves around Amazon book publishing, primarily focusing on selecting a niche and publishing books through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform, with additional distribution on Audible.
It earned them a feature on Entrepreneur:
Forbes did an article on them:
Inc 5000 also did a feature (but this was more about their success selling online courses):
Their approach, as Christian told Forbes, was to list books on Amazon’s Kindle store.
He said “As Amazon’s Kindle store is the world’s largest online bookstore, this means that there are already millions of people searching every day for books on any topic imaginable. And whenever someone buys your book, you get paid. There was a six-month stretch in which I didn’t even log in to my Amazon account, and I still managed to earn over $50,000. Shoppers were searching for different topics, finding my books, and Amazon was taking care of the rest.”
Although they did well with that approach, as many publishers will attest, it’s easier said than done.
When it came to the actual distribution, they relied on Print on Demand.
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Print on Demand
On Amazon, they used a Print On Demand (POD) system, which means that the factories print the book and ship it off only when someone buys it.
Effectively, you can never deplete your inventory or even have to handle inventory in the first place, which can be really stressful.
On top of that, they dealt with sold eBooks and audiobooks, which meant that they didn’t have to create and ship them.
Amazon handled customer support, shipping, and refund inquiries for them too. That’s how they managed to live the “digital nomad” lifestyle while making money online.
Outsourcing
We’ve already covered this but the Mikkelsens outsourced most of their work.
They hired professional ghostwriters to write their books for them.
Christian revealed that they would frequent freelance sites such as Upwork where they’d find thousands of talented writers who didn’t charge a hefty price tag.
They also found professionals to design their front covers.
They always shied away from online services that charged upwards of $1000 for a single book cover design because they found that such services hired freelance designers for a small percentage of the profit and kept the rest for themselves.
So the twins would just go directly to freelancers on websites like Fiverr and they’d get high-quality book cover designs for much more affordable prices.
Market Research
The Mikkelsens learned early on that to achieve consistent sales, they had to do market research.
Rasmus told Forbes that Amazon has a system where you can see exactly how much every book sells and how many other books you’re competing against in any given topic. They used that.
They also did a lot of diversification whereby they published books in many niches, such as fitness, mindfulness, social media marketing, and meditation.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks were the most profitable income stream for the Mikkelsen Twins and their students.
Christian told Forbes that they chose to focus on the audiobook side of their publishing business because it was a new worldwide trend and they wanted to ride it before it went mainstream.
He claims that there was very little competition for people selling audiobooks.
And back then, that was accurate because out of 48 million books, just over 200 thousand audiobooks were for sale on Audible.
After they had a book written, they’d have it professionally narrated and published as an audiobook. They used Audible’s database of over 100,000 narrators to find professional talent to narrate their audiobooks for less than $180.
What they teach nowadays
Their educational programs, which you can find on Publishing.com, delve into identifying profitable niches, book creation and publishing techniques, and effective marketing strategies. They also provide students with supportive tools and resources to aid in this process.
The Mikkelsen Twins’ business model has gotten a lot of flack with some branding it as a potential scam. But at the same time, many students have come out reporting that they’ve had successful outcomes by implementing their system.
But rather than rely on a bunch of testimonials, the best move is to do your thorough research and make an informed decision before committing your time and resources to the business opportunity.
In the end, while their model may not cater to everyone’s preferences, those willing to work hard may find it to be a viable path toward achieving financial independence.
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Publishing(dot)Com
Publishing.com, previously known as Publishing Life, is an online education company specializing in personalized one-on-one coaching sessions.
These coaching sessions are customized to address the unique needs and objectives of each student, encompassing various subjects including business strategy, marketing, and mindset development.
The primary goal of this coaching, as highlighted by the Mikkelsens, is to assist people in overcoming obstacles and unlocking their full potential.
The Mikkelsen Twins offer a free webinar that serves as an introduction to their AI Publishing Academy course.
This webinar serves as a foundational resource for understanding the fundamentals of establishing a successful online business and offers an overview of the course itself. It’s a convenient way for people to get a feel of the training that the Mikkelsens offer.
In addition to the webinar, the Mikkelsen Twins provide free training on their website. This training encompasses a wide range of topics, including mindset development, goal-setting, and business strategy.
The training is designed to offer valuable guidance and support to people who are looking to embark on their entrepreneurial journey or enhance their existing business skills.
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What is The AI Publishing Academy?
AI Publishing Academy is the flagship program offered by the Mikkelsens.
AI Publishing Academy is supposed to teach you how to harness Artificial Intelligence to simplify your entrepreneurial experience.
It is an upgrade on Audiobook Impact Academy, which means that there are still elements of publishing that are borrowed from it.
As a student, you get access to purpose-built AI software, designed specifically for publishing, and it is meant to automate significant aspects of your Amazon business operations (Audible).
You get to learn how AI can seamlessly automate various facets of your business with ease.
It costs $6,000 but they have payment plans (4 installments of $1500) if you cannot afford it all in one go.
What is the Audiobook Impact Academy?
If you’ve been looking around for resources on how to self-publish audiobooks on Audible by Amazon, you may have encountered the Audiobook Impact Academy, which has been rebranded to AI Publishing Academy.
The course was structured into modules covering various aspects, from identifying the right niche to effective audiobook marketing. Christian and Rasmus Mikkelsen designed the program for individuals at all experience levels.
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Freedom Shortcut
The Mikkelsen Twins have written a book titled “The Freedom Shortcut,” which is currently available on Amazon. This book focuses on self-improvement, aiming to guide readers on their journey of personal growth and development.
The central premise revolves around the idea of transitioning from traditional employment to generating passive income through online ventures.
One noteworthy aspect of the book is its clear and easily understandable writing style. The Mikkelsens (assuming they didn’t outsource this) cover a wide range of topics, including goal-setting, time management, mindfulness, and positive thinking, offering a comprehensive overview of key self-improvement principles.
However, “The Freedom Shortcut” falls short in terms of depth and originality. Much of the content appears to reiterate commonly known self-help advice without providing distinctive insights or practical strategies.
Detractors have said that the book lacks a fresh perspective that could engage readers and inspire them to implement these concepts in their lives. Some readers have even likened it to an advertisement for the AI Publishing Academy.
“The Freedom Shortcut” provides a surface-level overview of well-established concepts and while it may offer value to readers new to the self-help genre, those seeking a more profound exploration of personal growth might find themselves desiring a deeper and more original exploration of these principles.
Are The Mikkelsen Twins Legit?
Yes, they are. To better review the Mikkelsen Twins, we should evaluate their courses; they launched Publishing Life and AI Publishing Academy with the aim of educating individuals on selling books, audiobooks, and e-books through Amazon and Audible.
So, how have they been received?
Publishing Life has encountered controversy, largely associated with the Mikkelsen Twins’ reputation. Reports have emerged, alleging that the twins are out of touch with the content they teach given that since they were banned on Amazon, they haven’t been actively selling as much as they did.
Just to remind you, they were banned from Amazon and Audible because they were selling subpar content, particularly with their translated books. They were also on the hook for potential plagiarism
The reduced presence of their books on these platforms raises questions about the validity of their claims. If they were making so much money from them, why didn’t they fight to get back as soon as they were dropped?
Turning to their AIA training program, their sales materials make extravagant and unverified claims, suggesting that anyone can easily make money using their methods and implying an untapped market.
The use of artificial scarcity tactics is also evident, with pricing for Publishing Life remaining unchanged despite indications of an impending price increase.
This may be why they changed their domain name to Publishing.com, a move that could be seen as an attempt to enhance credibility.
In summary, Publishing Life (now Publishing.com) and AIA have been mired in controversy and fraud accusations.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that there are success stories from individuals who have taken their courses, suggesting that anyone can achieve financial freedom with the right mindset and tools.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Mikkelsen Twins known for?
The Mikkelsen Twins are known for Publishing Life (renamed Publishing.com) and a course called Audiobook Income Academy (renamed Audiobook Impact Academy and later, AI Publishing Academy) to teach others how to make money in self-publishing.
How much is the Mikkelsen Twins program?
AI Publishing Academy is available at $6,000 or in 4 installments of $1.500.
Who are the twins that sell books on Amazon?
The Mikkelsen Twins are popular for their digital nomad lifestyle and selling books on Amazon. But they’ve stopped selling them instead focusing on teaching about self-publishing.
Does Amazon book arbitrage work?
The Mikkelsen Twins believe that Amazon book arbitrage definitely works and they teach it in their course.
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