KDP HUB

Once you’ve got your first few books live and you’re seeing some sales coming in, the next question becomes: how do you scale this up?

The good news is that scaling doesn’t always mean working harder. Often, it’s about working smarter and paying attention to what’s already working.

One option is Amazon ads. I want to be transparent here and say that when I experimented with Amazon ads, I personally found that I was losing money rather than making it. That said, plenty of publishers swear by them and get fantastic results. Like most forms of advertising, there’s definitely a learning curve, and if you have the time and patience to learn how to optimise campaigns properly, it could absolutely be worth exploring.

One of the easiest ways to scale is to look at your best-performing book and ask yourself how you can expand on that success.

For example, let’s say your top-selling book is a capybara colouring book. Rather than starting from scratch with something totally unrelated, you could build on that momentum by creating:

• Capybara Christmas colouring books
• Capybara summer editions
• Valentine’s capybara books
• Volume 2, Volume 3, and beyond

If people clearly like one thing, giving them more of that thing is often a smart move.

I’ve done something similar myself. I created a 12-week Vinted planner, and readers started asking whether I’d make a 52-week version, as well as an eBay planner. That kind of feedback is incredibly valuable because your audience is literally telling you what they want to buy next.

Another option is influencer marketing. This can be a really cost-effective way to get your books in front of a targeted audience.

For example, if you create Halloween colouring books, you could reach out to creators making Boo Basket content and offer to gift them a copy. If you have Christmas books, you could approach creators making Advent box or festive gift content.

When you’re starting out, I’d personally focus on gifted collaborations rather than paid ones, simply because your budget will likely be limited and your margins may still be fairly small.

You can also think beyond Amazon itself.

Ordering author copies and selling them in person at:

• Craft fairs
• Christmas markets
• Local maker events
• School fairs
• Community events

can be a brilliant way to get your books into people’s hands while keeping more of the profit yourself.

You might also want to explore other marketplaces. Amazon doesn’t have to be your only sales channel. Depending on your products, you could also sell through:

• Vinted
• TikTok Shop
• Whatnot
• Your own website
• Etsy (for complementary digital products)

If you’re publishing under your own name or brand, another fantastic scaling strategy is building your email list. Amazon owns the customer relationship when someone buys your book there — you don’t get their email address or any way to contact them again.

That’s why it can be really smart to include a page in your book with a QR code linking to a freebie or sign-up page. For example:

• A printable checklist
• A bonus colouring page
• A free planner insert
• A helpful resource related to your niche

That way, readers can join your mailing list, and you can let them know when new books launch, when you create related products, or when you have special offers. Building your own audience gives you much more control over your long-term success.

Another really smart strategy is to create bundles or collections. If someone buys one colouring book and loves it, they may happily buy a second, third, or fourth if they fit together as a series.

And don’t underestimate the power of simply improving what already exists. Better covers, stronger keywords, updated descriptions, and cleaner interiors can all help older books perform better without needing to create something entirely new.

Scaling your KDP success isn’t about chasing every possible strategy at once. It’s about spotting what works, listening to your audience, and building from there.