Your Ultimate A-to-Z Guide on How to Start Making Money Selling Coloring Books

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Coloring books, huh?
Why would someone even care to buy these? I mean, we live in the era of VR headsets, AI robots, and TikTok dances so fast you get dizzy trying to copy them.

That’s the first impression most people have when they hear about coloring books.
But here’s the plot twist...

Despite the tech boom, coloring books are strangely gaining more attention than ever before.
Why?
Because after spending 97% of our day glued to screens (a totally non-official, but probably true statistic), both adults and kids are craving screen-free activities to save their brains.

And that’s where coloring books rise and shine.
They're evergreen, affordable, ridiculously fun to create — and thanks to print-on-demand services, you don’t even need to stockpile boxes of books under your bed.

Even better?
When done correctly, they can build you a strong passive income stream — the holy grail of online business dreams.

So let’s dive into this fun, step-by-step guide on how to create and sell your first — and hopefully best-selling — coloring book!

Step 1: Pick the Right Niche (Yes, the Annoying but Crucial Step)

If you think choosing a niche is just “meh, whatever,”
think again.

Picking the right audience is literally 50% of your success.
If you get it wrong, your book will sit there gathering digital dust.
If you nail it?
You’re halfway to coloring book domination.

Imagine this:

➔ You create a coloring book full of cute ocean creatures.
Sea and ocean lovers?
They’ll absolutely adore it.
(this idea is inspired by the Deepsea Havean collection)

Other audiences might be obsessed with:

🗸 Magical worlds (yes, Harry Potter fans, I’m looking at you)

🗸 Tiny enchanted towns (hello, World Box fans!)

🗸 Food (because who wouldn’t want to color an avocado? Maybe an avocado shaped house? Fruit Houses?)

🗸 Animals, veggies, fairy tales, dinosaurs, mindfulness themes...

Endless possibilities.

↪ But how do you find winning ideas?

Easy:

☑ Manual research on platforms like KDP (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing) and Etsy, as well as on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest — just snoop around like a curious raccoon, and take notes and screenshots of successful products.

☑ Use research tools like EverBee for Etsy or Niche Scraper to uncover trending niches, bestselling books, and low-competition gaps.

☑ Explore Pinterest and TikTok trends — you’ll be surprised what people are obsessing over these days.

☑ Or simply steal (I mean...get inspired by) my carefully picked list of: Top 15 New and Unique Coloring Book Ideas You Can & Sell Create in One Weekend.

✦ Pro Tip:
Always think a little outside the box.
Everyone’s doing mandala coloring books—but maybe you’ll be the genius who launches the Dreamy Island coloring book collection.

Having a full collection is crucial—you don’t want just 3 to 5 listings in your shop. A larger selection builds credibility, trust, and authority. So consider using pre-made coloring pages or AI tools to create your books quickly and efficiently, making your business look far more professional.

Step 2: Design the Best Coloring Book (No, Slapping Stuff Together Won’t Cut It)

Okay, so you picked your niche.
Now what?
Just head over to Canva, paste a few random doodles, throw a fancy cover on it, and call it a day?
Wrong!

That’s a one-way ticket to "Why isn't my coloring book selling?" town.

To truly stand out, you need to put some heart, brain, and fairy dust into the design.
Here’s how to do it right:

↪ First: Build Your Coloring Page Collection

You have 3 main options:

1. Create From Scratch

🗸 If you’re an artist (or just confident with a pencil), this is your golden opportunity.

🗸 Not a Picasso? No problem.
Use AI tools that generate gorgeous black-and-white line art you can customize.

2. Purchase Pre-Made Coloring Pages

🗸 Look for high-quality bundles with over 500-600+ pages.

🗸 These collections are often beautiful, affordable, and easy to turn into multiple books.

Warning:
Don’t just Google “pre-made coloring pages” and grab the first thing you see.
You want UNIQUE, well-drawn designs — not pixelated nightmares.

Check my exclusive list of Top 15 New and Unique Coloring Book Ideas You Can & Sell Create in One Weekend.

3. Hire Freelancers Online (least favourite)

🗸 If you have a budget, go to Upwork, or 99designs....

🗸 Just be very careful when choosing freelancers: check their portfolios, set clear deadlines, and make sure they provide COMMERCIAL RIGHTS (or you'll get into a messy copyright battle later).

↪ Second: Put Your Book Together Like a Pro

🗸 Use Canva (free or Pro version) — it's perfect for beginners.

🗸 Dimensions: Standard US Letter Size: 8.5 x 11 inches

🗸 Ideal number of pages? 30 to 100 pages works well. (Amazon KDP requires a minimum of 24 pages.)

Golden Tips+++

🗸 Cover Page: design a cover that slaps people in the face (gently) and screams "Buy me!"
Use bright, exciting color palettes — check out Coolors to generate amazing combos.

One of my favorite techniques: place your cover image among a bunch of others and ask someone which one stands out the most. It’s a simple way to test if your design grabs attention!

Add Extras:
Sprinkle in:

-Funny quotes

-Inspirational messages

-Little Easter eggs hidden in the drawings

Don't forget about freebies+++
🗸 Bonus pages like checklists, mindfulness journal pages, mood trackers, or mini planners.
🗸 It instantly makes your product more valuable. Plus, no one—and I mean absolutely no one—dislikes free stuff. It’s human nature.

Last but not least:

🗸 Save your book as a high-resolution PDF. (YES, PDF is the correct format.)
🗸 Make sure your file is print-ready and meets the requirements of your chosen platform.

Step 3: List and Promote Your Product Like a Boss

You did it!
Your masterpiece is ready.
But now comes the real beast: getting people to actually find and buy it.

↪ Where Should You Upload Your Coloring Book?

Two best options for beginners:

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Pros: Huge audience, free to upload, passive income.
Cons: High competition, need to optimize SEO to rank well.
Etsy + Printify (Print-on-Demand)
Pros: More creative freedom, better for niche audiences.
Cons: Etsy fees, more effort needed for marketing.

(Bonus option: Your own website! More on that below.)

↪ But Here's the Secret Sauce: Marketing

Way too many people upload their coloring books and pray.
Spoiler alert: praying is not a marketing strategy.

To really crush it, you need to get loud and get visible:

↪ Promote Your Coloring Book Like a Pro:

1. Pinterest Power

→ Pinterest is not just a social media site — it’s a search engine.
→ Create stunning pins using Canva + Coolors.
→ Use catchy headlines like: “Relax Instantly with This Magical Coloring Book!” , “Best Coloring Book for Ocean Lovers – Download Now!”
→ Post consistently (at least 5-10 fresh pins a week).

Pro Tip:
Pinterest loves fresh content AND landing pages.
Instead of linking directly to your shop, link to a simple landing page where you collect emails too (build your audience!).

2. Build Your Own Website (the Smart Move)

🗸 A personal website = more control, better SEO ranking, and no platform fees stealing your profits.
🗸 The best option? Hostinger is highly recommended — they have beginner-friendly, affordable plans.

You can build:

→ A mini blog about your niche, whether it's mindfulness, health, or anything else you're passionate about.

→ Landing pages for your books.

→ Free lead magnets (like a free mini-coloring book) to grow your email list.

Dream big, today a coloring book, tomorrow an entire coloring EMPIRE.

3. Use FOMO and Limited-Time Offers

🗸For example, you could offer a special discount code—like 60% off—for the first 5 or 10 buyers to create urgency and reward quick action.

🗸 Add things like: "Only 50 copies left!", "Get this bonus checklist FREE if you buy today!"

Humans hate missing out. Use it to your advantage.

4. Expand Your Collection

🗸A shop with one lonely coloring book? Meh.

🗸 A shop with 10-20 amazing books? Instant authority!

🗸 Create series using your coloring page collections — 700+ coloring pages collection can easily become 10+ books.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Start Today (Not Tomorrow)

Here’s the thing:
Selling coloring books is no longer some “side hustle for bored housewives” (seriously, who even came up with that stereotype?).
It’s a legit, evergreen, scalable online business opportunity.

It doesn’t require crazy investments.
It doesn’t need huge tech skills.
It lets you unleash your creativity while making passive income.
And most importantly...it’s FUN.

The longer you wait, the more saturated the market gets.
But if you start today — and put real love and strategy into your products —there’s absolutely no reason you can’t build a thriving income stream one coloring book at a time.

So sharpen those pencils, fire up Canva, keep an eye on coloring page collections, use AI, and go create your first masterpiece!
Who knows?
Your quirky "Enchanted Sushi Coloring Book" could become the next big thing.

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