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What if you could turn a simple, creative idea into a real, passive income stream just by selling coloring books on Amazon? It might sound a little too good to be true, but the coloring book market is a massive industry. Some reports value the adult coloring book space in the hundreds of millions of dollars, while other estimates put it at over a billion, and it’s projected to keep growing. But let’s be real—the idea of creating, publishing, and actually selling a book can feel incredibly overwhelming, especially if you’re a complete beginner. You’re probably thinking, “But I’m not an artist,” or “I have no clue where to even start.”
That’s exactly why I made this video. This is the complete, beginner-friendly roadmap you’ve been looking for. I’m going to walk you through every single step of the process. We’ll go from finding a profitable idea that people are already searching for, to creating your coloring pages without any artistic skills, all the way to uploading your finished book and making your very first sale on Amazon KDP. By the end of this video, you will have a clear, actionable plan to get started today.
So, if you’re ready to dive into the world of self-publishing and tap into this growing market, you’re in the right place. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Find a Profitable Niche with Keyword Research
Alright, let’s talk about the single most important step in this entire process, and it’s the one most beginners skip: Niche and Keyword Research. I can’t stress this enough: creating a book that doesn’t sell is just heartbreaking. The way we avoid that is by figuring out what people are already looking for and buying on Amazon before we create a single page. Your goal isn’t to create a book and hope people find it; it’s to create a book that meets a demand that’s already there.
First, what exactly is a niche? It’s just a specific theme for your coloring book. Instead of a generic “coloring book,” you’d create a “dinosaur coloring book for toddlers” or a “stress-relief mandala coloring book for adults.” The more specific you are, the easier it is to stand out. A broad search like “coloring books for adults relaxation” can pull up tens of thousands of competing books on Amazon. That’s a tough crowd to get noticed in. But if you niche down to something like “cat coloring books” or “sports coloring books,” you’ll face less competition and have a much better shot at making sales.
So how do you find these golden niches? Your first and best tool is Amazon itself. Go to the Amazon homepage, make sure you’ve selected “Books” in the search department, and start typing in a broad idea like “coloring book for kids.” As you type, Amazon shows you a dropdown of auto-fill suggestions. These are the exact phrases real customers are searching for. Pay close attention to them—they are absolute gold mines for ideas.
Once you have a few ideas, it’s time to validate them. Type a promising keyword into the search bar, like “mandala coloring book,” and check out the results. First, look at the number of results. If there are over a thousand, that niche is pretty competitive. As a personal rule of thumb for a first book, I suggest looking for a niche with fewer than 1,000 competitors.
Next, look at the top-selling books. You can spot bestsellers by their orange “Best Seller” badge or by checking their Best Sellers Rank, or BSR. You’ll find the BSR on a book’s product page, under “Product details.” A lower BSR means more sales. A book with a BSR of 100,000 is selling, but one with a BSR of 5,000 is selling a lot more. As a general guideline, I look for niches where the top books have a BSR under 300,000. This tells me there’s consistent demand.
There are also tools that can supercharge this process. Tools like Publisher Rocket and Book Bolt are made for KDP sellers. They show you exactly how many people search for a keyword, how competitive it is, and even how much money top books are making. While they do have a cost, they can save you dozens of hours and stop you from accidentally creating a book that nobody is looking for.
Your goal here is to find that sweet spot: a niche with clear demand (proven by low BSRs) but with competition you can actually handle (fewer than 1,000 results). Some evergreen niches for adults include mandalas, floral patterns, and inspirational quotes. For kids, animals, dinosaurs, and holidays always do well. Spend quality time here, because getting this step right sets you up for success.
Step 2: Create Your Coloring Pages (No Art Skills Required)
Now that you’ve got your profitable niche, it’s time for the fun part: creating the actual coloring pages, also known as the book’s “interior.” This is where a lot of people get stuck, thinking they need to be a professional artist. I’m here to tell you that’s simply not true. Thanks to some awesome tools, anyone can create beautiful, high-quality coloring pages. Let’s walk through four different ways to do it.
Method 1: Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) – The Fastest Approach
AI has completely changed the game. Tools like Midjourney, DALL-E 3, and Dzine.ai can generate unique coloring pages from a simple sentence. For example, you could type a prompt like “coloring page of a cute cat in a garden, thick lines, black and white, simple, for kids,” and the AI will create an image for you.
The key to getting great results is learning to write good prompts. Be specific. Include phrases like “coloring book page,” “black and white line art,” “clean lines,” and “white background” to tell the AI exactly what you want.
One critical thing to remember with AI is quality control. It can sometimes produce weird artifacts or messy, shaded lines that aren’t good for coloring. Always review each image carefully. You might need to generate a few versions to get a perfect one. Also, Amazon requires you to disclose if your book’s content is AI-generated when you upload it, so be sure you’re transparent about it. It’s always a good idea to check KDP’s latest content guidelines, as policies can change.
Method 2: Using Canva – The Free and Easy Option
If you’d rather not use AI, Canva is an amazing free tool. Canva has a massive library of free graphic elements. You can search for things like “cat outline” or “flower outline” and find thousands of simple graphics perfect for coloring pages.
To create a page, you just start a new design with the right dimensions, find elements you like, and arrange them on the page. You can combine multiple elements to create a unique scene—for example, a cat, a ball of yarn, and a rug. You can even add borders by searching for “square” in the elements, placing it around your image, making the fill transparent, and increasing the border weight.
The one big rule with Canva is to use their elements correctly. Their license generally requires you to combine multiple elements to create a new, unique design. You can’t just grab a single graphic, plop it on a page, and sell it. Always check their latest licensing terms to be safe.
Method 3: Buying Pre-Made Graphics – The Quality Shortcut
Another popular route is to buy pre-made coloring pages or graphics from marketplaces like Creative Fabrica. This site is a gold mine for KDP publishers. You can buy individual graphics or entire packs of 50 or 100 themed pages that are ready to go.
The big advantage here is the quality is usually very high, and it saves you a ton of design time. When you buy from a site like Creative Fabrica, you get a commercial license, giving you the right to use those graphics in a book you sell. It’s a great middle-ground option if you have a small budget but want professional-looking illustrations.
Method 4: Hiring a Freelance Illustrator – The Custom Professional Approach
Finally, if you have a very specific vision and want a completely unique style, you can hire a freelance illustrator. Websites like Fiverr and Upwork are full of talented artists who specialize in creating coloring book pages.
You can browse their portfolios, find an artist whose style you love, and hire them to create your pages. Prices vary a lot, so be sure to communicate your needs clearly and agree on a price upfront. This is the most expensive option, but it gives you a 100% unique product that can truly stand out and help you build a brand.
Best Practices for Interiors:
No matter which method you pick, follow these tips.
- Page Count: Most coloring books have between 30 and 60 illustrations. KDP requires a minimum of 24 total interior pages for a paperback book (and that includes any blank pages you add).
- Single-Sided Pages: Always put your illustration on the right-hand page and leave the left-hand page blank. This stops markers from bleeding through and ruining the next picture.
- Variety: Keep it interesting! If you’re making a “Magical Forest” book, include pages with fairies, unicorns, enchanted trees, and cool mythical creatures.
Choose the method that fits your budget and skills. The most important thing is to create clean, high-quality pages that your audience will love.
Step 3: Design a High-Converting Cover
Your book cover is your number one sales tool. It’s the first thing a customer sees, and it has about two seconds to grab their attention. A great cover clearly shows the book’s theme, looks professional, and pops off the page. You could have the most beautiful art inside, but if your cover is weak, no one will ever see it.
Luckily, you don’t need to be a pro designer. You can create a fantastic cover for free using Canva.
First, you need the exact dimensions for your cover. This isn’t just the front; it’s one flat file with the front, back, and spine. The dimensions depend on your book’s size and page count. The absolute easiest way to nail this is by using Amazon’s own KDP Cover Calculator. Just enter your book’s details, and it will generate a perfect template for you to download.
Once you have your template, upload it to Canva. It will show you exactly where the front, back, spine, and bleed lines are, so your design is perfectly aligned for printing.
Now for the fun part—the design. Here’s what every great cover needs:
- A Visually Striking Image: The main image should be bold, colorful, and represent your book’s theme. A great strategy is to take one of your best interior pages, color it in vibrantly, and use that as the centerpiece. It gives customers a perfect preview of what’s inside. Never use a black-and-white image on your cover; color is what sells.
- A Clear, Readable Title: Your title needs to be in a large, bold font that’s easy to read even as a tiny thumbnail. Pick a font that matches the mood—a fun, chunky font for a kids’ dinosaur book, or an elegant script for a floral book. Make sure the font color has a strong contrast with the background so it pops.
- An Informative Subtitle: The subtitle is prime real estate for keywords and explaining who the book is for. For instance: “An Adult Coloring Book Featuring Beautiful Mandalas and Relaxing Patterns for Stress Relief.” This helps both customers and Amazon’s algorithm understand what your book is all about.
- A Compelling Back Cover: Don’t leave your back cover blank! A great back cover should show off a few sample pages from inside the book (in black and white, just like they appear inside). This gives customers even more of a preview and builds their confidence to buy. You can also add a short blurb about the book or list its features, like “50 unique designs” or “single-sided pages.”
Take some time to browse the best-sellers in your niche. What do their covers have in common? Don’t copy them, but do model what’s already working. A professional cover builds trust and is often the deciding factor for a customer.
By the way, if you’re finding this guide helpful, do me a huge favor and hit that like button. It really helps the channel reach more people who are looking to start their own publishing journey. And if you’re serious about building a passive income stream with KDP, make sure you subscribe, because I have a lot more guides like this coming your way.
Step 4: Format and Upload to KDP
You’ve done the creative work. Your interior is designed, and your cover is looking sharp. Now for the final technical hurdle: formatting and uploading to Amazon KDP. I know this part can seem a little scary, but I promise, it’s really just a simple checklist.
First, let’s get your files formatted.
Formatting the Interior (Manuscript):
Your interior needs to be a single PDF file in the correct size. The most common size for coloring books is 8.5 x 11 inches, since it’s like a standard sheet of paper.
When you create your design, you need to think about “bleed.” That’s just a printing term for when your art goes all the way to the edge of the page. If you want designs to fill the page, you’ll need to select the “bleed” option, which makes your canvas slightly larger. KDP’s help pages have the exact dimensions. If all your designs have a white margin, you can just select “no bleed.” For a first-timer, “no bleed” is often simpler.
Once all your pages are in order (title page, copyright page, then your coloring pages and blank pages), export the whole thing as a “PDF Print.” This ensures the best quality. If you have Canva Pro, choosing the CMYK color profile is a good habit for print design, but don’t sweat it if you don’t. KDP’s system is smart and handles RGB files just fine, too.
Uploading to Amazon KDP:
With your two PDFs ready, head over to kdp.amazon.com. Signing up is free and only takes a few minutes.
Once you’re in, click “Create” and choose “Paperback.” You’ll go through three tabs:
- Paperback Details:
- Title and Subtitle: Enter the keyword-rich title and subtitle you already created.
- Author: Enter your name or a pen name.
- Description: This is your sales pitch. Write a compelling description that highlights the benefits. Talk about the themes, the page count, and the experience (“Escape into a world of magical creatures…”). Sprinkle in your keywords naturally.
- Keywords: KDP gives you seven keyword slots. Use all of them! Think like a customer. What would they type to find your book? Use a mix of broad terms (“adult coloring book”) and specific ones (“grayscale fantasy portraits coloring”).
- Categories: Choose two relevant categories, like “Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Coloring Books for Grown-Ups.”
- Paperback Content:
- Print ISBN: Just click the button to get a free ISBN from KDP.
- Print Options: Select your settings: black & white interior with white paper is standard. Set your trim size (8.5 x 11 in), bleed settings, and cover finish. A matte finish is a popular choice for coloring books as it feels nice and reduces glare, but glossy can make colors pop more.
- Manuscript & Book Cover: This is it! Upload your interior PDF to “Manuscript” and your cover PDF to “Book Cover.”
- Book Preview: Click “Launch Previewer.” Do not skip this step. The previewer shows you exactly how your book will look when printed. Check every single page for errors, making sure nothing is cut off. The tool will flag any major issues you need to fix.
- Paperback Rights & Pricing:
- Territories: Choose “All territories” to sell your book worldwide.
- Pricing & Royalty: Here, you set your price. KDP shows you the printing cost. Your list price has to be higher than that. Your royalty is 60% of your list price, minus the printing cost. For a typical coloring book, prices between $5.99 and $9.99 are common. Check out what similar books in your niche are priced at.
Once you’ve filled everything out, hit that “Publish Your Paperback Book” button. Amazon will review it, which usually takes a few days. Once it’s approved, your book will be live on Amazon stores around the world!
Step 5: Market Your Coloring Book for Consistent Sales
Publishing your book is a huge win, but the work isn’t quite done. You can’t just “publish and pray” for sales. To give your book the best chance, you need to market it. Here are the most effective ways to do that.
1. Amazon Advertising (PPC)
The most direct way to get your book in front of buyers is with Amazon’s own ads. It’s a pay-per-click (PPC) system, so you only pay when someone actually clicks your ad. You can create campaigns that target the keywords you researched earlier. You’re basically telling Amazon, “When someone searches for this term, show them my book.” You’re reaching people at the exact moment they’re looking to buy. Start with a small budget, like $5 or $10 a day, and run an automatic campaign. Amazon will test different keywords for you. After a week or two, check which search terms are leading to sales, and then create a manual campaign targeting only those winning keywords. It’s the fastest way to drive traffic and get your first sales.
2. Leverage Social Media
Coloring books are super visual, making them perfect for platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram.
- Pinterest: This is arguably the best platform for coloring book authors. Create pins showing your colored-in cover, mockups of your book, and individual pages. Video pins showing a time-lapse of a page being colored work great. A single good pin can drive traffic for months.
- TikTok: Don’t sleep on TikTok. Create short videos showing a flip-through of your book, a satisfying coloring time-lapse, or even a quick story about why you made it. Use trending sounds and relevant hashtags like #coloringbook and #KDPpublishing to get seen.
- Instagram: Share high-quality photos of your book. You could also collaborate with “bookstagrammers” or art influencers by offering a free copy in exchange for a post. Even a small feature can lead to a big spike in sales.
The key is consistency. Post regularly and engage with people. You’re not just selling a book; you’re building a community.
3. Build an Email List
An email list is one of the most powerful tools you can have. Unlike social media followers, you own your email list and can contact them directly. A great way to get sign-ups is by offering a freebie, like a downloadable PDF with a few sample pages from your book. You can promote this on your social media or even include a link in the back of your book. Then, whenever you launch a new book, you can email your list. This creates a built-in audience of buyers for every future project.
4. Utilize A+ Content on Your Amazon Page
Once your book is live, use Amazon’s A+ Content feature. It lets you add beautiful, custom images and text to your product page, making it look way more professional. You can show off large images of your interior pages, lifestyle photos of someone enjoying your book, and tell the story behind your brand. A well-designed A+ Content section can seriously increase your conversion rate, turning more browsers into buyers.
Marketing is an ongoing process. Start with one or two of these strategies and see what works for you. By actively promoting your book, you’re not just waiting for sales to happen—you’re making them happen.
Your Blueprint for Success
And there you have it—the complete, step-by-step blueprint for turning your coloring book idea into a real product that can earn you passive income on Amazon KDP. We’ve covered everything from finding a hungry audience with niche research, to creating stunning pages even if you’re not an artist. We’ve walked through designing a cover that sells, navigating the technical bits of uploading to KDP, and finally, marketing your book so it actually gets seen.
It might seem like a lot, but this is a process you can tackle one step at a time. The most important thing you can do now is take that first step. Don’t get stuck overthinking it. Start your niche research today. Open up Canva and just play around. The journey from idea to published author is built on small, consistent actions.
The opportunity in this market is real and it’s growing. With the tools and strategies we’ve talked about, it has never been easier for beginners to get started. You have the knowledge, you have the roadmap—now all you need to do is begin.
Thank you so much for watching. I truly hope this guide has given you the confidence to start your own KDP journey.
Now, I’ve got a question for you: Which creation method are you most excited to try first? Are you going to dive into AI, get creative with Canva, or maybe hire an illustrator? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
