How to Create a Coloring Book WITHOUT AI for Amazon KDP (Step-By-Step)

This paragraph introduces the issue with using AI to create coloring books. While AI seems like an easy solution, it often produces images with errors such as extra fingers or unwanted grayscale, which can lead to negative reviews. The speaker, Sean, shares his personal experience and success in Amazon KDP publishing and explains that he will show viewers how to create a professional, error-free coloring book from scratch, without relying on AI. The paragraph also hints at the current trend of cozy-themed coloring books, which are gaining popularity on Amazon.

Sean discusses the success of two major brands in the coloring book industry: Hikaro CS and Coco Real. He highlights how their simple, cozy-themed books are earning significant royalties, with specific examples such as a $617/day book and another making $1,700/day. He emphasizes that these brands started small and their success comes from creating simple yet appealing designs. He also makes it clear that while viewers can achieve similar success, there are no guarantees.

This paragraph delves into the steps for creating a professional-quality coloring book without relying on AI or personal illustration. Sean recommends hiring an illustrator on platforms like Fiverr to create custom, hand-drawn illustrations in a cozy and simple style. He introduces GiggyC, a Fiverr illustrator, and provides examples of her work. He also mentions that illustrators will often provide a book cover, streamlining the process. Additionally, he introduces another illustrator, Sue Hendra, who creates realistic pages and works with successful brands like Coloring Book Cafe.

Sean continues discussing various illustrators available on Fiverr, recommending them based on their style and expertise. He mentions several other Fiverr illustrators who specialize in cozy, easy-to-color designs. He explains how the process works: after placing an order with an illustrator, you'll receive the interior and cover files. These files can then be used to format the book on Canva. Sean also emphasizes the importance of choosing the right illustrator and making sure they create a cohesive design for both the interior and cover.

This paragraph explains how to format a coloring book for Amazon KDP using Canva. Sean walks through the steps of selecting the right trim size (8.5 x 8.5 inches) and the necessary page length, which typically involves pairing each coloring page with a blank page. He also emphasizes the importance of setting proper margins to avoid printing issues. Sean provides detailed instructions on creating a layout, uploading pages from Fiverr, and ensuring that the designs fit within the margins. He concludes by guiding viewers on how to download the completed design in PDF format.

Sean explains how to create and finalize the book cover for Amazon KDP. He details how to use Canva to upload and position the book cover template, adjusting the design to fit within the required boundaries. The process includes checking the placement of text and images, ensuring they don’t exceed the margins. Sean also notes that many illustrators will provide the cover design in PDF format, negating the need for further formatting. He concludes by instructing viewers to download the finalized cover and preparing for upload to KDP.

In this paragraph, Sean explains the final steps to upload a coloring book to Amazon KDP. After finalizing the interior and cover files, the next step is to upload the book to the platform. He offers additional guidance through a separate tutorial on how to upload books to Amazon KDP. Sean reiterates that the process of creating a professional-quality coloring book, as shown in the video, can be done by following simple steps without using AI. He also cautions that success in this business requires investment and effort, but it can lead to significant financial returns.

This paragraph addresses the investment required to create coloring books. Sean estimates that working with illustrators on Fiverr for 40 pages will cost between $400 to $600. While this involves some upfront cost, he argues that it is worth it given the potential earnings. He highlights that successful coloring book brands like Coco Real and Hikaro Cott follow the same approach, hiring illustrators to create books under their brand. Sean emphasizes that while there’s no guarantee of success, the strategy has proven profitable for many.

Sean concludes by offering an opportunity for viewers to take their Amazon KDP business further through his mentorship program. He explains that this program is a hybrid of a course and coaching, designed to guide participants step by step in growing their business. Sean invites viewers to book a free 30-minute strategy call to see if the program is a good fit, stressing that there’s no pressure. He wraps up by encouraging viewers to like and subscribe, offering his support for their KDP journey.