Introduction
Hey, guys, you don’t need to be an author, designer, or publishing expert to make money selling journals on Amazon. Seriously. If you’ve got a laptop, a few creative ideas, and a bit of patience, you can create and publish a custom journal that people will buy — even while you sleep.
I stumbled across Amazon KDP a while back when I was looking for a side hustle that didn’t need a big upfront investment. Something low risk, but with high potential. That’s when I found out about publishing journals. You know, like gratitude logs, fitness planners, budget trackers, and dream journals. I was surprised to see how many of these were selling — some even without fancy content. Just simple pages designed to help people stay organized or track something meaningful in their life.
The best part? You don’t need to print anything yourself. Amazon handles printing, shipping, and customer service. All you do is upload the files. Once your journal is live, you can start earning passive income. No warehouse, no employees — just your creativity turned into a product.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how I made my first journal and got it up for sale on Amazon. From picking the right niche to designing pages and hitting “publish,” I’ll explain it all in plain, real-world terms. Trust me, if I can do it, you definitely can too.
FIND YOUR JOURNAL NICHE (DON’T SKIP THIS)
You Might think “a journal is just blank pages,” but the reality is, the more specific your journal is, the better chance it has to sell. That’s why this first step matters a lot: pick a niche.
Instead of creating a generic notebook, focus on who it’s for. A “daily planner” is okay, but a “daily self-care planner for moms with toddlers” is way more searchable and connects directly with a real need.
Hop onto amazon and start typing ideas in the search bar like “gratitude journal for…” or “fitness log book for…” and let the suggestions guide you. Look at what’s already selling, then figure out how you can offer something similar but with your own twist.
This part might take an hour or two, but it’s absolutely worth the time.
Design the inside (it’s easier than you think)
Once you’ve locked in a niche, it’s time to design the inside of your journal. This is where most people freeze up, thinking they need fancy design software. You don’t.
I started with canva, and it worked just fine. Just set your page size (usually 6×9 inches), then build a few page layouts. For example, if you’re making a gratitude journal, each page might have three prompts like:
- Today, I’m grateful for…
- Something good that happened today:
- A positive thought I want to carry into tomorrow:
Keep it simple. Clean layout, repeatable pages. Your journal doesn’t need to be 100% unique on every page — most buyers want consistency so they can form a habit.
When you’re done, export it as a pdf for print. That’s your interior file ready to go.
MAKE A GREAT COVER (THIS SELLS IT!)
Here’s the truth: people judge books by their covers. Especially journals.
Even if your content is awesome, a boring or confusing cover can kill your chances. Use bold, readable fonts. Stick with 1–2 colors or images. Your title should make it instantly clear what the journal is for.
FOR EXAMPLE:
✅ “30-day Fitness Journal For Women”
❌ “My Wellness Journey” (Pretty, But Vague)
Again, Canva Has Great Templates For Book Covers. Make Sure To Download Amazon’s Kdp Cover Size Template To Fit The Exact Trim Size And Page Count. Once Designed, Export As A Print-ready Pdf.
UPLOAD EVERYTHING TO AMAZON KDP
Once Your Interior And Cover Are Done, Head Over To Kdp.amazon.com And Create An Account. It’s Free.
Start A New Paperback Project And Fill In All The Details:
- Title & Subtitle
- Author (Use Your Name Or Pen Name)
- Book Description (Keep It Friendly And Benefit-focused)
- Keywords (Think What Your Buyer Would Type)
- Categories (Like “self-help” Or “health & Fitness”)
Upload Your Files, Preview Them In The Built-in Previewer, And Once You’re Happy — Hit Publish.
It Usually Goes Live In 24–72 Hours.
MARKET IT — JUST A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
Don’t Just Publish And Forget. Once Your Journal Is Live, Share It On Pinterest, Instagram, Or With Any Audience You Might Have. You Can Even Run A Small Amazon Ad To Get Initial Traction.
Over Time, If You Publish More Journals, You Can Grow This Into A Full Passive Income Stream. Some People Even Use Amazon Automation Tools Or Services To Help Manage Multiple Books, Especially If They’re Scaling. That’s Optional — But For Beginners, Doing The First One Manually Is The Best Way To Learn.
Conclusion
Selling journals on Amazon is one of the most beginner-friendly, creative, and low-risk ways to build an income online. You don’t need to be an expert writer or a professional designer. All it really takes is a solid idea, a clean design, and a bit of effort up front. It’s not instant money, but it is passive income. Once you publish a journal, it can earn for you while you work, sleep, or focus on other things. I know people who’ve published 10 journals and are pulling in monthly profits without lifting a finger. I also know people who’ve made one amazing niche journal and watched it become a bestseller. So why not give it a try? Start small. Pick a niche that interests you. Open up Canva and start designing a few pages. You don’t need to have it all figured out — you just need to start.
That journal sitting in your head right now? It could be your first step toward building something real on Amazon.