Have you ever seen videos where people tell you how to make money by publishing a low-content book on Amazon? It may seem an easy way to become rich. But is it really so?
In today’s blog post, we’ll find out what low-content books are, how profitable they are, and how to increase income by selling them.
What are low-content books?
According to the definition on Amazon, a low-content book has minimal or no content on its pages. It can be various journals, planners, sketchbooks, etc. Their pages usually are repetitive or feature minor differences.
Users have to fill out the low-content books by themselves. They can find hints or prompts on their pages to understand what to write there exactly.
It’s essential to distinguish low- and medium-content books. The last category includes coloring, puzzles, and activity books. Amazon defines them as “not generally low-content books.” However, some KDP community members and self-published authors call them medium content, as the above definition doesn’t apply to this type.
What are the types of low-content books?
You can better understand the specifics of low-content books by looking at their types. So, what are they?
- Notebooks
- Planners
- Diaries and journals
- Log books and habit trackers
- Coupon books
- Vocabularies
- Grocery lists
- Crafting templates
- Blank sheet music
Indeed, you can personalize each type. For example, create a female planner, including specific pages useful only for women. You can make habit trackers just for tennis players, adding particular routines, and so on.
How profitable is selling low-content books?
Income from selling low-content books depends on several factors. Let’s explore them in more detail.
Royalty
Its percentage varies according to format, for example, paperback or hardback. Low-content books usually are published as paperbacks. That’s why it’s appropriate to consider royalties for this format.
KDP offers a fixed 60% royalty rate on paperbacks sold on Amazon marketplaces. Make sure to include printing costs that depend on page count and trim size. The formula for calculating your income is the following:
(Royalty rate x list price) – printing costs = royalty
Competition
One of the problems with making money on low-content books is the high competition. For example, there are over 60,000 notebooks on Amazon.
So be prepared for this. After all, according to the calculations, your royalties can be high. However, your profits will not be impressive if you can’t overcome your competitors and offer buyers something more unique and exciting.
Quality
You can create a low-content book in half an hour using special tools or platforms. But will it be high-quality, well-formatted, and valuable to customers? It’s unlikely.
A low-quality product can cause negative reviews and low or no sales. Whereas a high-quality low-content book will remain popular and profitable in the long run.
How to make more money selling low-content books?
Now, let’s find out how to boost income when creating and selling low-content books.
1. Find a unique niche
Focus on creating a more specialized low-content book, as general types are very competitive. For example, if we search for ‘planner,’ we will see more than 50 thousand offers.
If we look for a more specific type of planner, for example, a wedding one, there are 10 thousand fewer offers.
And what if someone wants to buy a planner for a spring wedding? There are only 364 such products, which means there is practically no competition. All you have to do is create a low-content book that is much more convenient and valuable than the others on the market.
This way, you can find narrower niches to create your low-content books.
2. Create versatile without time frames
If you want to create planners, notebooks, habit trackers, or other similar low-content books, make them universal, not year-specific. Leave room to fill in the date if necessary. This way, your products will always remain relevant.
You can edit the title and description of your low-content book every year to make it more SEO-friendly.
3. Create an eye-catching book cover
A striking cover is not just for high-content books. In any case, it is a powerful marketing tool that makes a first impression on readers, attracts attention, and helps your product stand out.
Thus, getting a professional book cover can be an excellent idea to increase your chance of becoming noticeable among competitors.
4. Study your target audience
When you’ve chosen a niche to create low-content books, it’s essential to research your target audience: their needs, wants, and tastes. This will help you understand what pages to add and what tone of voice to use when asking for requests, hints, or prompts. It will also tell you what style of layout and design to choose.
In addition, if you are creating books for children or vice versa for older adults, it is essential to take accessibility into account. In this case, you should use large fonts, contrasting colors, and simple shapes.
5. Do marketing
Lack of marketing is one of the top reasons books don’t sell on Amazon. Of course, you can rely on the platform’s algorithms or organic user searches. But you can also promote your low-content book on social media, showing potential buyers its benefits and usefulness.
Summing up
Selling low-content books on Amazon can be profitable, but success requires careful consideration and strategic planning. The variety of low-content book types, from planners to grocery lists, offers a broad canvas for creativity. However, the key to high incomes is creating high-quality books for a narrow niche.
Have you ever considered selling low-content books to make money? Share your experience in the comments.
