Publishing Books on Amazon in 2026: Is It Worth It?
An honest review for moms
This article is part of my Honest Work-From-Home Report series, where I review the internet’s most popular ways to work from home and make money online. Every opportunity is evaluated using the same framework: startup costs, required skills, earning potential, competition, flexibility, time to first income, and whether it’s actually realistic for moms.
If you’re a mother looking for ways to work from home, odds are you’ve searched for Amazon KDP for beginners, how to make money with Amazon KDP, Amazon KDP coloring books or some variation.
The idea sounds very easy and so inviting. YouTube and the internet are full of videos claiming you can create a coloring book in Canva, upload it to Amazon, and start earning passive income within days.
All you have to do is create a book once. Upload it. Watch the royalties roll in. Live part-time in Costa Rica.
I did the research, and the reality is, as usual, a bit more complicated.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is a legitimate way to publish books without a publisher, and many people earn real income from it.
What they forget to mention is that it’s also one of the most competitive online business models, because almost anyone can publish a book (and add to the mix, books created with AI).
Starting from the beginning
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform. It allows anyone to publish books in digital or paperback formats and earn royalties whenever someone buys a copy.
How do you do it?
You research a niche, create or write a book, and upload it on Amazon KDP. Customers shopping on Amazon find your book and buy it. Amazon prints it on demand, meaning only when someone buys it, and you get paid royalties from every sale.
A huge pro here is that you don’t handle inventory or shipping.
Skills required
| Creativity | ★★★★☆ |
| Keyword research | ★★★★★ |
| Market research | ★★★★★ |
| Canva or design | ★★★☆☆ |
| Writing (children’s books) | ★★★★☆ |
| Patience | ★★★★★ |
| Consistency | ★★★★★ |
| Marketing | ★★★☆☆ |
Startup cost
Minimum, estimated $0–50: an Amazon KDP account, Canva Free and Google Docs.
Typical, estimated $50–300: Canva Pro, keyword research tools and stock graphics.
See, no course cost here. The internet has so much free material that it really makes no sense to invest in a course.
Time until first income
Best case: 2–6 weeks. Typical: 2–6 months. Worst case: no sales.
Here is where it gets interesting. The books sure are easy to make, especially with all the tools available. You can get very good at researching a niche and keywords, and great at making the books, but the hard part is differentiating your products from the millions out there and getting someone to actually buy them.
Time until consistent income
Most successful publishers spend 6–24 months building a catalog before earning meaningful monthly royalties. One book rarely creates a sustainable income.
How much can you make?
Income varies dramatically depending on your niche, quality, marketing, and the number of books you publish, but to summarize:
| Stage | Monthly income |
|---|---|
| Beginner (1–10 books) | $0–100 |
| Growing (10–50 books) | $100–500 |
| Established (50–200 books) | $500–2,000 |
| Large publishers | $2,000–10,000+ |
Most successful KDP businesses are built around dozens or even hundreds of books rather than one bestseller.
Competition: Very high
Publishing has become significantly more competitive due to AI tools and the low barrier to entry. Every day, thousands of new books are added to Amazon.
Barrier to entry: Low
Almost anyone can publish a book. Standing out is the difficult part.
Flexibility for moms: 10/10
This is one of the most flexible online businesses. You can work during naps, evenings and weekends. There are no meetings, clients, or deadlines unless you create them. This can be great, but it can also make it hard to stay consistent about publishing.
Coloring books vs. children’s books
I added this section because of all the hype around these two niches.
Coloring books
They have the advantages of being super easy to produce, with no storytelling, and fast to publish. However, it’s extremely competitive, flooded with AI-generated books, and has a lower average selling price.
Overall: a good learning project, but difficult to build substantial income unless you develop a unique niche.
Children’s books
They have a higher perceived value, and you can create strong branding around them, which helps you get repeat customers and gives them good long-term business potential.
You will need some writing skills, though, and illustration costs can be high and are necessary. That makes it, obviously, more time-consuming.
Overall: a better long-term opportunity than generic coloring books, especially if you create memorable characters or educational content.
Biggest risks
- Highly competitive marketplace
- AI-generated books flooding Amazon
- Algorithm changes
- Books may never rank
- Royalties are unpredictable
- Copyright issues if using unlicensed content
Biggest misconceptions
“Amazon KDP is passive income.”
Eventually it can be partially passive, but the initial investment of time, research, creating books, optimizing listings and publishing consistently won’t allow you to be too passive about it.
“One coloring book can replace my income.”
Most successful publishers earn steady royalties because they have a large catalog.
“AI will do everything.”
AI can help brainstorm ideas, write outlines, and assist with design, but it doesn’t replace quality, originality, or understanding what customers want. Creators who rely entirely on AI-generated books without adding originality are less likely to build sustainable businesses.
Where to learn and find opportunities
Success comes from understanding customer demand, as with any product or service. Some useful resources: the Amazon KDP Help Center, Amazon Best Sellers lists, Amazon search suggestions, keyword research tools, Canva, writing communities and illustrator marketplaces.
Scalability: 9/10
This is KDP’s greatest strength: one book becomes ten, ten become fifty, fifty become a recognizable publishing brand, and your catalog can keep earning royalties while you create new products.
Mom reality check
I do think it’s still a good opportunity if you consider how long it takes to make money and how much you’ll have to invest to learn things like keyword research from zero.
What I would do
If I needed my first $300 fast… I wouldn’t choose Amazon KDP. Most books take months to gain traction, and there’s no guarantee they’ll sell. I’d start with freelancing to create immediate cash flow.
If I had only 5–10 hours each week… KDP is an excellent fit. You can build your catalog around your family’s schedule with no client meetings or deadlines.
If my goal was earning $3,000 per month… I wouldn’t rely on a single coloring book or children’s book. I’d publish consistently, specialize in one niche, build an email list, and eventually expand into related digital products.
If my goal was long-term freedom… Amazon KDP becomes much more attractive. Unlike freelancing, every book becomes a digital asset that can keep earning royalties for years. The key is building a catalog, not chasing one viral success.
Final verdict: Excellent long-term business, poor short-term income
Amazon KDP is one of the few work-from-home opportunities where you’re building an asset instead of simply trading time for money. However, it’s often marketed as much easier than it really is.
Publishing one coloring book or children’s book is easy. Building a profitable publishing business is much harder.
If you’re patient, enjoy creating educational or creative content, and are willing to think in years instead of weeks, Amazon KDP can become an excellent long-term business.
If you need income within the next three to six months, I’d recommend building cash flow through freelancing first and treating KDP as your long-term asset.
A version of this post first appeared on Motheredit, my Substack. Subscribe there to get new posts by email.