Making money on Amazon KDP is simple but not easy. Even with “no content” books, it requires real effort and some trial and error to start seeing profits.
I don’t want to over-hype things here. The truth is you may spend quite a bit on freelancers, advertising, and outsourcing without success at first. It can take months to figure out which low-content book strategies work for you when publishing on KDP.
Some launches will flop completely. You have to be willing to make mistakes, learn from data, and persist even when the money doesn’t immediately flow. But with some grit and smart iteration, low-content publishing can be very rewarding in time.
In this article, I’ll show you the proven templates others have used to make handsome passive income from books with curated, public domain, or outsourced content. It may take some lost dollars and dead ends before you crack the code.
So be patient, keep tweaking your approach, and set yourself up for eventual success on KDP – no writing required.
Outsourcing Content Creation
Outsourcing content creation is one of the most powerful ways to publish books on Amazon KDP without having to write the book yourself.
This simply involves hiring freelance talent to produce book content for you. With the right guidance and affordable talent, you can have high-quality books created quickly and passively publish them to earn ongoing royalties.
How to Provide Direction to Freelancers
When outsourcing content for your no-content books, you need to provide very clear instructions to your hired freelancers to get good results. Here are some tips:
– Give exact word counts or page lengths so content matches KDP requirements
– Provide examples of styles, topics, tones from successful books in the niche
– Create a templated outline for content with chapter titles and short descriptions
– Communicate the target audience age range, interests, and background knowledge
– Set a tight deadline for delivery to keep projects moving swiftly
Giving very specific direction is crucial – the more details you provide about formatting, topics to cover/avoid, terminology, etc. the better content you will receive back. Provide plenty of examples so expectations are clear.
Where to Find Budget Freelance Talent
Amazon publishers often use sites like:
– Fiverr – cheap gigs good for simple/short books
– Upwork – larger talent pool for bigger projects
Sort by reviewer ratings, number of gigs completed, and budget. Talented freelancers exist globally so language/culture barriers sometimes exist.
The key is building relationships with 2-3 reliable freelancers you can outsource entire niches to after establishing trust and confidence in their work. This saves tons of time versus one-off orders.
With defined parameters and reliable talent secured, you can profit forever from outsourced book content through KDP with almost no effort required.
Repurposing & Curating Content
Repurposing existing content you already own or curating publicly available content into new book formats also allows you to publish abundantly on KDP without writing anything new yourself.
These strategies lower the effort tremendously while still resulting in high-volume, polished books that attract readers and drive sales.
Public Domain
Scouring public domain book sources like Project Gutenberg allows you to legally access copyright-free ebooks you can republish on KDP. Genres like classic literature offer thousands of timeless out of print works.
Here is an effective process:
1. Search by genre and download promising outdated formats
2. Have freelancers re-typeset into modern, clean layouts
3. Design eye catching covers consistent with niches
4. Add subtitles and bundle sets around new themes
Refreshing antiquated works for current audiences helps them sell to a whole new generation of readers. Just make sure to clearly label and properly source free domain works.
Repurposing Your Own Content
If you are a writer or have existing writing, why not reformat and repackage your content into new KDP books?
Approaches that work:
– Compile old blog posts or articles into thematic compilations
– Collect past speeches/talks/interviews into transcripts
– Anthologize poems, lyrics, or short stories previously written
– Turn an outdated book into a “revised and expanded edition”
Ask readers what topics or formats they want. Most will eagerly pay for easier access to your back catalog recast for simple reading pleasure.
Compiling Aggregated Content
Compile quotes, recipes, social media memes, how-to lists and more from public sources into engaging new books people enjoy.
Niche examples with templates:
– Photography inspiration quote collections
– “365 Best Home Recipes” annual series
– Meme compilations to make people laugh
– Gardening, home organization, craft how-tos
Follow fair use doctrine and give attribution. But the permutations are unlimited here for slapping together mildly entertaining quick reads from freely available bits into passive profit generators.
Reselling PLR Content
Low cost PLR or Private Label Rights content you purchase can also be a starting place for no content books. These articles, templates and ingredients get mass produced for easy resale.
Tips when leveraging PLR sources:
– Vet content quality before buying licenses
– Combine multiple PLR sets around themes
– Have freelancers rewrite or improve pieces
– Add fresh takes with commentary/analysis
Visual Low Content Books
Beyond text-based content, a growing number of no content formats using only visuals are dominating Amazon charts and earnings. Let’s explore some of the best genres perfect for non-writers.
Profitable Photo Book Niches
Photo books remain top sellers on KDP attracting high royalties. Leading niches include:
* Landscape photography focused on locations, seasons, elements
* Still life images of food, flowers, decor, textures
* Architecture showcasing world landmarks and building styles
* Animals showcasing popular pets, birds, wildlife species
* Transport featuring planes, trains, cars, ships, bikes
Sourcing great photography without text through sites like Adobe Stock or freelancer shoots makes visually stunning interior pages. Group similar images around narrow themes for a series of single subject volumes.
Sourcing Coloring Book Illustrations
Equally promising are adult and children’s coloring books created without complex writing. Leverage sites like Fiverr and Upwork to commission packs of line art illustrations fitting themes like:
* Zendoodle abstract designs
* Mandalas and geometric patterns
* Botanicals like flowers, leaves, plants
* Land & cityscape line drawings
* Popular cartoons, animals
Default interiors provide framing for art while leaving 95% blank for coloring activity. No prose needed.
For more volume, buy licenses to pre-made art redrawn from public domain works for your titles.
Sudoku, Crosswords & More
Puzzle books don’t require any writing skill either. Create themed volumes around various brain game formats like:
* Sudoku from easy to hard in same collection
* Crossword puzzles focused on dictionary words
* Find-a-word and word searches by topic
* Mazes for kids or complex labyrinths
* Spot the difference puzzles
Hire freelancers to generate volumes of original puzzles across ability levels. Or purchase reprintable batches from online wholesalers. Add some branding and puzzles basically publish themselves!
Journals, Trackers and Blank Templates
Finally, blank books for planning, logging, budgeting, health tracking and more remain massively popular on KDP. Simply create the templates around hobbies or goals and leave empty space for readers to fill in.
Some examples:
* Bullet journaling with dot grid pages
* Family tree ancestry recording pages
* Bucket travel logs to scrapbook trips
* Fantasy sports draft sheets
* Pregnancy journals & new baby memory books
With smart outsourcing, data-driven niche targeting and consistent branding, photo books, coloring volumes, puzzle anthologies and writing journals offer multiple zero-word opportunities to profit over the long-term on KDP.
Comics and Graphic Novels
Beyond books with just images or puzzles, consider developing original visual stories and sequences people love through the power of comics and graphic novels.
Hire Comic Artists and Illustrators
Working with talented comic creators allows you to publish series around compelling characters and worlds. Key process tips:
– Browse comic art portfolios on freelance sites to select styles you like
– Develop comic identities, superpowers, origin stories
– Map out plot beats for 3-5 volume limited launches
– Let artists storyboard major scenes to lock workflows
Provide loads of narrative and visual references so finished comic interiors meet your vision.
Republish Public Domain Comics
Hundreds of golden age comics are freely available online to legally republish. Steps here include:
– Downloading scanned color copies from public archives
– Enhancing artwork resolution if needed
– Typesetting classics series from single heroes
– Designing themed cover collages grouping diverse stories
Refreshing these vintage works helps new generations fall in love with iconic characters.
Key Publishing Considerations
Conduct Niche Research
Leverage Kindle and print book data to guide projects. Assess demand for genres, competitive situations, pricing sweet spots and more.
Optimize Book Covers & Interiors
Work closely with illustrators on striking visuals for hot niches. Interior formatting clarity impacts reading enjoyment.
Vet Copyrights & Licensing
Get clear legal guidance on reusing any non-original content to avoid KDP violations jeopardizing accounts.
Whether you create next generation comics with artists or recirculate classic works – the primarily visual sequential art medium provides engaging alternatives to text-heavy books.
Follow best practices and the visual stories you publish can entertain the masses for years to come!
Main Takeaways
The core strategies we covered for making money without writing include outsourcing book creation tasks, repurposing existing materials you have rights to, and formatting visually-driven genres.
Specific examples ranged from hiring writers on freelance sites, to republishing public domain comics, to creating travel photo journals or puzzle book compilations.
Niche research, understanding reader appeal, optimizing book interiors/covers and checking licenses are vital steps regardless of production method.
Key Next Actions
Choose 1-2 “zero word” techniques that resonate from sourcing talent, using your own content, designing templates or curating art.
Start testing with a 3-5 book series launch plan focused tightly around sub-niches revealed through keyword data.
Reinvest profits to replicate initial successes, form writer/artist partnerships and expand catalog over time through repetition.
While not entirely effortless, establishing efficient systems for publishing desirable books without handling writing yourself leads to the ultimate passive income stream.
Now you too can confidently forge your own no-content publishing path to prosperity on Amazon KDP!
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