In today’s fast-paced world, finding the perfect side hustle that involves your kids can be a wonderful way to spend quality time together while earning some extra income. In this blog post, we’ll explore the best side hustle for 2023: creating coloring books with AI and selling them on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
Not only is this an exciting and creative project to engage your children, but it also offers immense potential for success in the ever-growing market of digital content. It also appeals to a wide range of ages. Both my 4-year-old and 12-year-old LOVE creating coloring books with me. So, let’s dive in and discover how to turn quality time into a profitable side hustle venture!
Not sure what Amazon KDP is? Start here.
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Why Choose Coloring Books as a Side Hustle?
Creating coloring books is an excellent choice for a side hustle with kids due to several reasons:
- Popularity and Demand: Coloring books have gained immense popularity among both children and adults, making them a consistently high-demand product to sell.
- Artistic Outlet: This side hustle provides an opportunity for you and your kids to unleash your creativity and create beautiful illustrations.
- Low Cost and Low Risk: Starting a coloring book business is relatively low-cost, especially when using AI technology to generate designs. This makes it an ideal venture for those looking to minimize financial risks.
- Passive Income Potential: Once your coloring books are published on Amazon KDP, they can generate passive income for months or even years to come.
Coloring pages can also be included in various types of activity books. For example, you might create an activity book for 8-year-olds who love dragons. You could have dragon coloring pages, mazes that lead to dragons, or dragon-related wordsearch puzzles. If you’re interested in creating a range of books, check out our post on HOW TO MAKE PASSIVE INCOME ON AMAZON with medium content books.
Tools you need to start your side hustle
Midjourney (MJ)- an artificial intelligence platform that generates images from text-based prompts. You simply type in a prompt like “a coloring page of a Corgi” and MJ creates it for you!
Canva– a very popular online graphic design platform that allows you to edit images, add graphics, and format books for Amazon KDP. You do need the Pro version for this side hustle, but you can get a 30-day free trial.
Publisher Rocket (Optional) – This keyword research tool provides insights on keyword research, competition analysis, and market trends to improve discoverability and increase sales.
Getting Started with AI-Generated Coloring Books
Incorporating AI technology into your coloring book creation process can add a whole new dimension of creativity and efficiency. Below we list the general steps to get you started. To read the step-by-step guide, click here.
Research and Ideation
Encourage your kids to brainstorm ideas for themes: Sit down together and have a brainstorming session. Ask your children about their favorite topics, whether it’s animals, nature, fantasy, or educational concepts. Let their imaginations run wild and note down all the ideas.
Utilize online platforms and resources: The internet is a treasure trove of inspiration. Explore websites, social media platforms, and online communities dedicated to coloring books and illustrations. Look for unique designs, popular trends, and styles that resonate with your target audience.
The coloring book business can be seriously profitable. But it really depends on how much effort you put into this first phase. Finding a profitable niche takes a bit of work, as KDP can be a highly competitive space. There are some great keyword research tools like Publisher Rocket that will actually give you a competitiveness score to let you know which niches would give you the best opportunity for making money. It really just depends on your goal, whether this be just for fun or if you are actually looking to profit.
Design Your Coloring Pages
Once you’ve chosen your niche or topic, it’s time to start generating your coloring pages. To begin your creative journey with Midjourney, sign in and start creating! It’s best to start with simple prompts to avoid confusion. Remember to prioritize important words in your prompt, such as “a coloring page of…” or “subject doing an activity in the style of a coloring page.” If you need inspiration, check out our 11 easy prompts to help you create stunning coloring pages.
Format Your Book
Create an account on Amazon KDP: To publish and sell your coloring books, you’ll need to create an account on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). Visit their website and sign up for a free account. Familiarize yourself with the platform’s guidelines, requirements, and formatting specifications for coloring book uploads.
Format your coloring book pages: Ensure that your illustrations are formatted correctly for publishing on Amazon KDP. Pay attention to proper margins, resolution, and recommended file formats. The KDP platform provides detailed guidelines to help you format your pages correctly. You can also check out our step-by-step guide.
Compile illustrations into a book
Once you know the dimensions of your book, it’s time to upload all of your images from Midjourney to Canva. Organize your illustrations into a cohesive coloring book. Determine the order of the pages, ensuring a logical flow and progression of designs. After you’ve created the interior of the book, you’ll also use Canva to create a visually appealing cover that represents the essence of your coloring book. Not sure where to start? We break down all of the steps here.
Upload your coloring book to Amazon KDP
Once your coloring book is ready, log in to your Amazon KDP account and follow the step-by-step instructions to upload your book. Set your desired pricing, royalty options, and choose the territories where you want your book to be available (we usually choose all of them, because why not?) That’s it! You’ve published a book. Time to sit back, and watch the royalties roll in.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-paced world, finding a side hustle that involves your kids can be a rewarding experience. Creating coloring books with AI and selling them on Amazon KDP offers a unique opportunity to spend quality time together while earning extra income.
By leveraging AI technology, such as Midjourney, and utilizing platforms like Canva and Publisher Rocket, you can bring your creative ideas to life and tap into the ever-growing market for digital content. Whether it’s for fun or profit, starting a side hustle creating coloring books with your kids can be a fulfilling and lucrative venture. So, get started today! Follow our step-by-step guide to create coloring books that sell. Happy publishing.
