Are Low Content Books Still Profitable? (My $160K Results)

Last updated: April 2026

Are low content books still profitable? Yes — and here's the proof.

In the time I've been publishing on Amazon KDP:

• Made over $160K in royalties
• Published 500+ low and medium content books like puzzle books on Amazon KDP
• Started with no big budget and no following

In this post I'm sharing exactly what worked — and what's still working in 2026.

Recently, I logged into my KDP dashboard and was shocked at what I saw...

If someone would've told me a few years ago that I'd make over $160,000 selling simple books on Amazon, I probably would've looked at them sideways.

Are Low Content Books Still Profitable? Let’s Go Back to Where It All Started

In 2015, I first dipped my toes into Amazon KDP. I had no clue what I was doing. I followed all the trendy advice that said:

"Just find a hot topic, hire a freelancer, slap a cover on it and BAM—you'll be making thousands."

Well guess what, that didn’t work.

Fast forward to 2021. I was working a 9-to-5, looking for extra income. That’s when I stumbled onto low and medium content book publishing. 

I watched tons of YouTube tutorials, soaked up every piece of free content I could, and finally published a few random journals and notebooks.

My strategy at the time was to upload as many books as possible and hope something sold.

Spoiler alert:

It didn't. At least not right away.

After months of tumbleweeds and nothing happening I finally saw my first sale—$8. It was one of my worst looking books (lol). 

Eventually, I started experimenting with low and medium content books—things like puzzle books, journals, and activity books. And that’s when everything changed.

I cracked the code.

Fast forward to present date: with over 500 low and medium content books published on Amazon.

I’ve now generated more than $160,000 in royalties—and it all started with a few simple books and a clear strategy.

In this post, I’m pulling back the curtains and sharing how I went from a confused first-time publisher to making over $160K selling simple low and medium content books on Amazon.

From Struggling to Scaling: The Exact Steps I Took to Make Low Content Books Profitable

Here are the exact steps I used to go from crickets to over $160K in sales—all from selling low and medium content books on Amazon.

These weren’t overnight results, but once I focused on the right strategies, things finally started to click. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: I Stopped Publishing Random Books

In the beginning, I was throwing spaghetti at the wall—fitness trackers, meal planners, gratitude journals. You name it.

Sure, a few sold here and there. But nothing was consistent.

The game changer? I stopped creating random one-off books and started building book brands.

That means:

• Publishing around a focused niche
• Designing books that complement one another
• Using consistent branding across covers, pen names, and tone

Buyers who loved one book often came back for others. That’s when I realized—brands build repeat customers.

Step 2: I Learned to Find Profitable Niches (Without Guessing)

This step changed everything.

Instead of blindly guessing what to create, I learned how to research profitable niches:

• I look for books with steady demand but low competition

• I pay close attention to BSRs and trends

• I use tools like Publisher Rocket and BookBeam

Some of my best sellers came from boring or overlooked niches. One niche planner I almost skipped became my top-seller.

So if you’re wondering, "are low content books still profitable?" Yes—when you target the right niche.

Not sure where to start with niches?

The Puzzle Book Niche Finder takes the guesswork out of it — giving you researched, ready-to-go niche ideas so you can skip straight to publishing.

Step 3: I Focused on Design That Actually Sells

Real talk:

People do judge a book by its cover.

Once I upped my design game, the sales followed.

My go-to tips:

• Make covers bold and clear
• Design interiors that are functional and user-friendly
• Use a consistent design style across series

I used Canva Pro and leveraged AI tools like ChatGPT and Ideogram for design ideas. I even created my own design templates to save time.

If design isn’t your strength, outsource it. It's worth every penny. Here is a list of my recommended Fiverr Freelancers that I've used for my own book projects.

Want to skip the design work entirely? 

The Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit ($7) gives you a done-for-you interior, 3 Canva cover templates, and a publishing guide — everything you need to publish your first journal this weekend. Love puzzle books? The Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit does the same thing for puzzle books.

Step 4: I Used Keywords Like a Pro (No Stuffing Required)

Keywords are powerful when used strategically.

My process:

• Use long-tail keywords that match real buyer searches
• Incorporate keywords naturally in titles, subtitles, and backend
• Think like your ideal customer, not like an SEO robot

This helped me rank for competitive keywords organically, bringing in sales on autopilot. 

Step 5: I Let Amazon Ads Do the Heavy Lifting

I don’t hustle on social every day. I let Amazon do the hard work.

In fact, most of my traffic comes from organic search + low-cost Amazon ads.

What I focus on:

• Setting up A+ Content on bestsellers to boost conversions
• Running simple, targeted Amazon Ads on winning books
• Using QR codes inside my books to promote others in the series

That’s it.

If you're curious how to run ads without blowing your budget, I break everything down inside the Amazon Ads Bootcamp—how to set up, scale, and optimize your campaigns.

Step 6: I Use AI to Work Smarter (Not Harder)

AI has been a massive time-saver.

I use it for:

• Brainstorming niche ideas

• Generating book titles and descriptions

• Creating design ideas + pattern inspiration

• Speeding up keyword research

It’s like having a creative assistant on call 24/7.  To date, when I am wondering are low content books are still profitable or not -- I turn to AI to get a ton of ideas and streamline my workflow.

I cover using AI to work smarter and not harder more in Easy AI Book Design.

Step 7: I Focused on Repeat Buyers + Long-Term Growth

Want consistent KDP income?

Think long term and focus on building book brands not random one-offs.

Some of my best customers are repeat buyers who come back again and again because they love the layout, theme, and vibe of my books.

That's the power of building a brand instead of just publishing books.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Create a book series — not random standalone titles
• Offer seasonal or complementary books in the same niche
• Build mini-brands under different pen names to scale faster

The publishers who win on KDP long term are the ones who think like brand builders not just book uploaders.

What I’ve Learned After Making $160K in Sales

As I mentioned earlier — this wasn't an overnight success story.

It took years of trial and error, plenty of lessons learned, and a whole lot of failing forward before I finally found what actually works.

But once I shifted from publishing random one-off books to building real book brands? Everything changed.

Here are the most important lessons I've learned after making over $200K in low and medium content book sales:

• Branding matters more than you think: Buyers don't just purchase a book — they buy into a look, a feel, and a vibe. A cohesive brand keeps them coming back.
  
  
• Quality over quantity: One well-designed book in the right niche will always outperform 10 rushed, generic titles.
  
  
• Strategy over speed: Slow down, do your research, and publish with intention. The publishers who last are the ones who think before they upload.
  
  
• One strong book brand can outperform 100 random booksThis one took me the longest to learn — and it's the most important thing I can share with you.
  
  
• Keywords + design + branding = consistent sales: All three have to work together. Nail one and ignore the others and you'll always be leaving money on the table.

What I Wish I Knew Sooner:

Before I wrap this up, I wanted to share a few hard-earned lessons that would’ve saved me a ton of time (and frustration) if I’d known them earlier.

Whether you’re just getting started or you are already publishing low and medium content books, these takeaways can seriously speed up your success:

• Treat this like a business, not a hobby
• You don’t need 100 books to hit $1K months
• Branding drives repeat buyers
• AI can help you scale without burnout

Want to Build Your Own KDP Book Brand?

If you're ready to stop guessing and start growing, check out my course, From Publish to Profit.

Inside the course, I walk you through:

• Finding profitable niches
• Creating books that look and sell like a pro
• Building a book brand that gets repeat buyers
• Leveraging AI tools to speed things up
• Running ads the easy way

You can find out more about the course right here. 

Your Low Content Book Questions — Answered

Q: Are low content books still profitable in 2026?

Yes, absolutely. Low content books — journals, planners, puzzle books, notebooks, and activity books — continue to sell thousands of copies every single day on Amazon KDP. The key difference in 2026 is that strategy matters more than ever.

Publishers who niche down, build book brands, and focus on design quality are the ones consistently winning. Random one-off books? Not so much. But intentional, branded publishing? Still one of the best passive income opportunities available online.

Q: How much can you realistically make selling low content books on Amazon KDP?

It varies widely depending on your niche, your covers, your keywords, and how consistently you publish.

I personally went from my first $8 sale to generating over $160,000 in royalties from journals, planners, and puzzle books — but that didn't happen overnight.

Realistically, many publishers hit their first $500–$1,000 month within 3–6 months of publishing consistently in a focused niche. Some hit it faster. The biggest factor is treating it like a business, not a side project.

Q: What types of low content books sell the best? 

Gratitude journals, planners, puzzle books, activity books, and niche logbooks consistently perform well on Amazon KDP. Gratitude journals in particular are perennial bestsellers — people search for them year round.

Puzzle books are one of the fastest-growing categories right now. The real secret though isn't the book type, it's the niche.

A well-targeted gratitude journal for a specific audience will always outsell a generic one.

If you want a shortcut, grab the Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit — it comes with a done-for-you interior, 3 Canva cover templates, and everything you need to publish your first journal fast.

Q: How long does it take to start making money with low content books?

Most publishers see their first sale within 30–60 days of publishing, but consistent income typically takes 3–6 months of focused publishing.

The fastest path is to start with a proven niche, use quality templates so you're not starting from scratch, and publish more than one book.

One book is a start — a series is a business. If you want to skip the slow start, the Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit and Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit give you done-for-you templates so you can publish your first book in a weekend instead of spending weeks figuring out formatting.

Q: How long does it take to start making money with low content books?

Most publishers see their first sale within 30–60 days of publishing, but consistent income typically takes 3–6 months of focused publishing.

The fastest path is to start with a proven niche, use quality templates so you're not starting from scratch, and publish more than one book.

One book is a start — a series is a business. If you want to skip the slow start, the Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit and Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit give you done-for-you templates so you can publish your first book in a weekend instead of spending weeks figuring out formatting.

Q: Do you need design experience to publish low content books on Amazon?

Not at all. I use Canva — the free version works perfectly — to design all of my book covers and interiors.

You don't need to be a designer or hire one to get started. Done-for-you templates make it even easier.

The Puzzle Book Toolkit for example includes fully editable Canva templates for covers and interiors, sized correctly for Amazon KDP and ready to customize without any design skills.

Final Thoughts

Making over $160K didn’t happen overnight. But once I had a plan, stuck with it, and treated this like a real biz—everything changed.

So if you’re still asking: Are low content books still profitable?

1000% yes.

And if I can do it? So can you.

Now go forth and build your epic book brand! 

I hope that you all enjoyed this blog post and would love to know your thoughts. Please leave me a comment below.