How to Create & Sell Kids' Coloring Books?

 

How to Create & Sell Kids' Coloring Books with AI | Earn Passive Income on Amazon

In the digital age, opportunities for creative entrepreneurship have expanded exponentially. 

One increasingly popular method is creating and selling kids’ coloring books using AI—especially through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). 

This low-barrier, high-potential side hustle allows you to generate passive income without any inventory or shipping responsibilities.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from concept to creation, and publishing to promotion.

Why Kids' Coloring Books?

Coloring books are timeless. Parents love them, teachers use them, and kids enjoy them. What makes kids’ coloring books particularly profitable is:

• Evergreen demand: Always in demand year-round.
• Low content: No need for extensive writing.
• Scalable: Easy to create multiple variations once you have a system.
• Niche-friendly: You can create books for dinosaurs, unicorns, space, holidays, learning letters, and more.

Step 1: Understand Amazon KDP

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows independent creators to publish books for free. When someone buys your coloring book, Amazon prints and ships it, and you earn royalties—passively.

Key features of Amazon KDP:

• Free to use.
• Global reach.
• Print-on-demand (no inventory).
• Royalty rate: Up to 60% of the list price (minus printing cost).

What Makes a Good KDP Coloring Book?

• Age-appropriate designs
• Clear line art for easy coloring
• Creative themes that appeal to kids
• Professional-looking covers
• Keyword-optimized titles and descriptions

Step 2: Niche Research – Finding Profitable Coloring Book Ideas

You don’t want to create just any coloring book—you want to create one that sells. Here's how to find a great niche:

Tools to Use:

• Amazon Search Bar: Type in “kids coloring book” and note autocomplete suggestions.
• Book Bolt (paid): Research profitable KDP niches and keywords.
• ChatGPT: Ask for niche ideas (e.g., “Give me 10 niche ideas for kids coloring books”).
• Self-publishing Titans’ Free Research Tools: Great for keyword and competition analysis.

Popular Niches in 2025:

• Alphabet & Numbers
• Dinosaurs
• Princesses & Fairies
• Outer Space
• Animals (especially baby animals)
• Seasonal (Christmas, Halloween, Easter)
• Educational (Shapes, Colors, Letters)

Look for niches with high demand but low competition.

Step 3: Use AI to Generate Coloring Pages

This is the game-changer: AI art tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, or Craiyon can create high-quality, unique coloring pages in minutes.

How to Do It:

1. Use prompts like:

“Black and white line art of a cute dinosaur for kids coloring book”
“Simple outline of a space rocket for toddlers, vector style”

2. Generate 25–50 unique images for a standard book.
3. Use vector or PNG files, preferably 8.5 x 11 inches, 300 DPI for print quality.
4. Edit your images (if needed) with free tools like Photopea, GIMP, or Canva to:
• Remove backgrounds
• Adjust contrast
• Format for KDP interiors

Tip: Make sure the images are kid-safe and copyright-free. Using AI art you create yourself avoids licensing issues.

Step 4: Format Your Book

You can use free tools like:

• Canva: Drag-and-drop simplicity, ideal for layout and cover design.
• Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher: For professionals.
• Book Bolt Designer: Tailored for KDP formatting.

Interior Guidelines:

• Size: 8.5” x 11” (most popular)
• Page count: 30–100 pages (even number, multiples of 4 preferred)
• File format: PDF
• Add:
• Title page
• “This book belongs to…” page
• Coloring pages
• Activity pages (optional)
• Copyright page

Once done, export your book as a print-ready PDF.

Step 5: Design a Professional Cover

Your cover is the most important sales driver on Amazon. It must be:

• Colorful
• Kid-friendly
• Niche-specific
• Clearly show what's inside

Use Canva, Book Bolt, or Photoshop. Include:

• Title with relevant keywords
• Fun visuals that match the niche
• Author name (use a pen name if you prefer)

Amazon provides free cover templates based on your book size and page count.

Step 6: Upload to Amazon KDP

Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign up (free).

Publishing Steps:

1. Create a New Paperback
• Book title & subtitle (use keywords)
• Author name
• Description (SEO-optimized)
• Keywords (up to 7)
• Categories (e.g., Juvenile Nonfiction > Activity Books)
2. Upload Content
• Interior: Your formatted PDF
• Cover: Upload full wrap-around PDF or use KDP Cover Creator
3. Preview & Approve
   Check for formatting issues, margins, image clarity.
4. Set Pricing
• Choose marketplaces (US, UK, etc.)
• Set a price (e.g., $6.99–$8.99)
• Amazon shows your royalty breakdown
5. Publish
   Your book will be live in 24–72 hours.

Step 7: Promote Your Coloring Book

Even the best book won’t sell without visibility. Here’s how to drive traffic:

Amazon SEO

• Use niche-relevant keywords in title, subtitle, and description.
• Use all 7 keyword slots during upload.
• Optimize categories for discoverability.

Social Media

• Share coloring pages on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook groups.
• Use hashtags like #coloringbookforkids, #earlylearning, #printablesforkids.

Printables & Email Lists

• Offer a few free pages on your website or Etsy in exchange for emails.
• Build an email list of parents and teachers.

Paid Ads (Optional)

• Amazon Ads: Start with $5–10/day to test.
• Facebook or Pinterest Ads: Target parents, teachers, homeschoolers.

Step 8: Rinse & Repeat

Once your first book is live, scale your business:

• Create multiple books in different niches.
• Bundle books together (e.g., Animals Vol. 1, Vol. 2).
• Add other product types: activity books, tracing books, holiday-themed editions.

The more books you create, the more opportunities you have to earn residual income.

How Much Can You Earn?

Here’s a rough example:

• Price: $7.99
• Royalty: ~$2 per sale
• Sales: 10/day = $20/day
• Monthly = $600 passive income

Now imagine having 10–20 books in your catalog.

Some successful KDP creators earn $2,000–$10,000/month, especially those with large portfolios and strong niches.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Low-quality art: Kids and parents expect clean, printable designs.
• Wrong sizing: Always use 300 DPI and 8.5” x 11” unless targeting a special format.
• Poor covers: Even amazing interiors won’t save a bad cover.
• Keyword stuffing: Use relevant keywords naturally.
• Ignoring the market: Don’t guess—research!

Conclusion

Creating and selling kids’ coloring books using AI is not only feasible, it’s also fun and potentially profitable. 

Thanks to free tools like Canva and powerful AI image generators, you don’t need to be a designer or writer to get started.

By combining creativity, smart niche research, and passive-income platforms like Amazon KDP, you can build a sustainable digital business—one coloring book at a time.

Quick Checklist

✅ Choose a profitable niche
✅ Generate coloring pages with AI
✅ Format and design your interior
✅ Create a vibrant, kid-friendly cover
✅ Upload to Amazon KDP
✅ Promote using SEO and social media
✅ Repeat and scale!