How to Make Money Selling AI Coloring Pages—Without Wasting Your Time

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You're here because you want passive income that doesn't require a PhD or selling your soul.

And yes — AI-generated coloring pages can do that.

But most people jump into it without a plan and end up hitting the same pitfalls — sloppy prompts and results no one wants to color.

Let’s make sure you don’t.

Because this isn’t some tiny niche — it’s a $1.2-billion and growing industry with a massive, hungry audience.

Adults like stress-coloring. Teachers and parents are constantly hunting for screen-free activities that keep kids busy.

Here’s the step-by-step on how to create and sell AI coloring pages.

1- Getting Your AI Prompts Right

A bad prompt costs you money twice — once in AI credits, and again in unsellable designs.

This applies to various design tools like MidJourney, ChatGPT, DALL·E, and more.

Let’s simplify these prompts into 4 key parts :

1. The Subject (your actual image)
Think kawaii bunnies, tiny worlds... Whatever your niche craves. This is your foundation.

2. The Style (where most people fail)
You need : simple line art, thick outlines, bold borders.

Because shading = unusable coloring pages. Be explicit about this.

3. The Details (quality boosters)
High resolution, symmetrical design, sharp clean lines, centered composition.

4. Negative Prompts (things you want the AI to avoid)
No shading, no grayscale, no overlapping lines, no blurry edges, no text, no color fills...

But, with dozens of coloring page styles out there (kawaii, realistic, geometric, floral...), you'll lose your mind testing everything.

What is highly recommended is to get Pre-Made Prompts made by experts.

This way, you can create professional, stunning coloring pages just like these :

Quick example that works :

"Cute bunny shopkeeper surrounded by carrots, cakes, and fruits, simple black-and-white line art, thick outlines, clean coloring book style, centered composition, high resolution. No shading, no color, no text, no background clutter, no gray tones."

If you prefer to skip AI, Pre-Made Coloring Pages are always a solid option—it really just depends on your preferences.

The most important thing is not to get discouraged from entering the coloring book industry.

2- Two Ways to Actually Sell These Things

⁃ Option 1 : The Volume Play
Create massive bundles (think 100-500 pages) and sell them with PLR rights (Private Label Rights).

This means other sellers buy your bundle to create and sell their own coloring books.

⁃ Option 2 : Direct-to-Consumer
Design themed coloring books (20-50 pages) and sell them on Etsy, Amazon KDP, or your own Shopify store.

This takes more work per sale but offers higher margins.

Whichever route you choose, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is non-negotiable.

Use keyword tools to find what buyers are actually searching for. "Stress relief coloring pages for adults" beats "pretty pictures to color" every time.

Your listing needs :

⁃ Killer titles with search terms

⁃ Detailed descriptions that answer buyer questions

⁃ Mockup images that make people stop scrolling.

Browse top sellers and study what works—then make yours better.

3- The Free Traffic Hack Nobody Uses Right

Pinterest isn't social media—it's a visual search engine with 450+ million monthly users who are actively looking to buy stuff.

The audience is 40% more likely to purchase compared to other platforms.

How to start :

⁃ Create eye-catching pins showing your coloring pages in action (think: finished colored versions, lifestyle shots, comparison grids)

⁃ Post consistently (aim for 5-10 pins per week minimum)

⁃ Use keyword-rich descriptions on every pin

⁃ Link directly to your sales pages

The Pinterest algorithm rewards consistency and quality.

Give it what it wants, and it'll funnel buyers straight to your listings while you sleep.

💡 Mistake to Avoid : Don't just pin once and ghost. Pinterest needs regular feeding. Set aside 30 minutes twice a week and batch-create your pins.

The Bottom Line

AI coloring pages work as a side hustle because the market is huge, evergreen, and starving for new content.

But success requires sharp prompts, smart positioning, and consistent promotion.

Start small, test what sells, then scale what works.