[Book] Because Coffee Excites Me: A Special Moment on Amazon

A few days ago, I launched my Korean-language book, Because Coffee Excites Me (original title: 설레는 게 커피라서), on Amazon.com, the world’s largest online marketplace. Since it’s an English-based platform, I wasn’t sure if a Korean-language book would sell, but I uploaded it with a hopeful heart. Today, I was thrilled to see my first buyer on Amazon Japan, and I wanted to commemorate this special moment here on my blog.

This book was first published in Korea in the fall of 2021. However, it didn’t receive much marketing attention as it got pushed down my list of priorities amid other responsibilities. There were occasional bulk orders from groups, and one particularly joyful memory was when 70 members of Korea’s largest roaster community purchased the book after I was invited to give a lecture. I still vividly remember how happy I felt that day—it almost made me feel like I had suddenly become a truly accomplished person.

Until now, my book had only been sold in Korea. However, I began wondering if there might be people abroad learning Korean who would want to read essays written by a Korean author—particularly a Korean female author. With that in mind, I decided to launch the book internationally. Once copyright issues with the publisher were resolved and I had an EPUB file compatible with Amazon.com, I included an English description of the book and opened it for sale on Amazon Japan as well. And here we are—it feels like such an incredible and surreal experience.

For anyone visiting this blog who might be interested, here’s where you can find my book:

• Buy Because Coffee Excites Me on Amazon.com

• Buy Because Coffee Excites Me on Amazon.co.jp

Please note, this is not a book solely about coffee. It’s a story of someone who initially knew nothing about coffee but, through academic pursuits spanning three continents, went through a transformative journey to eventually become a coffee expert. The book also reflects on the many questions I received when I left academia and opened an Ethiopian coffee shop in Seoul—Beletu Ethiopian Coffee Club. People often asked, “How did someone who studied so much end up opening a coffee shop?” So, I wrote this book partly as an answer to those questions and as a kind of extended business card.

Before this book, I published Study Nomad (공부 유랑) with the well-known Korean publisher Hainaim, which compiled blog posts I wrote during my time studying in the UK. Although that book is now out of print, Because Coffee Excites Me contains some reworked material from it, as well as new essays I wrote during the global pandemic in the fall of 2021—a time when the world felt particularly gloomy.

They say that when your passion becomes your job, it can sometimes make you dislike or even resent it. But for me, coffee still excites me. I’ve been living a life entirely filled with coffee for years, and yet coffee continues to inspire me, help me become a better person, and fill my life with joy. Today, I sold just one eBook, but here I am with so much to say about it. I feel like the protagonist of Arabian Nights, with endless coffee-related stories to tell. I’m grateful for this platform where I can share them.

I hope to write more essays like Because Coffee Excites Me, as well as stories about Ethiopian coffee and coffee culture in general. My dream is to connect with many people and share coffee stories. I’ve spent so much time researching coffee alone, and I’d love to engage with others who are just as passionate.

What’s your favorite coffee story? Share it below—I’d love to hear from you!