Will I Publish Low-Content Books on Amazon?

Amazon has a lot of ways you can publish content to make a few bucks. From full-length novels to short serials, there's something for just about everyone. But are low-content books something I would publish myself?

I'm not entirely convinced I would. Not because I doubt I'd make any money on them, but because I am more of a traditional writer. Meaning I need to flex my creativity and write stories, not picture books.

What Are Low-Content Books?

There are a lot of different things that constitute as a low-content book on Amazon. Some of these include:

• Coloring books for kids
• Lined notebooks with designer covers
• Journals
• Self-help progression books
• And anything that has very little to do with word count

If you look on YouTube, there are plenty of videos that teach you how to get into this market to make some money. And although there are plenty of creators who do fairly well for themselves, it's just not something of which I would be all that interested. As I said, I am a writer.

Why People Create Low-Content Books

In the grand scheme of things, it takes far less effort to whip up a low-content book than, say, a 90,000-word sci-fi novel. In fact, there are a few creators on YouTube that show their audiences how to quickly create coloring books using free stock images off of Canva.

Though, I think that is just north of a shady practice.

The underlying element is creating a sellable book quickly while putting in very little effort. And too many people are in love with instant gratification to actually put in the effort to put out quality content.

However, there are a lot of quality creators of low-content books out there who do substantially well. That's because they put in the time to put out something amazing that people enjoy using. Even then, low-content books are extraordinarily easier to put out than an actual novel.

Low-Content Books Saturate Amazon

One of the biggest problems with jumping on the low-content-book trend is based on the success of those YouTube videos I mentioned. Because those creators have such a massive following with tons of engagement, you can safely assume that a massive chunk of those viewers are following suit.

Especially since you can get started setting everything up for free.

If I wanted to start selling low-content books tonight, it would take me less than 20 minutes to put one out and publish it.

But when you search in Amazon, you'll find a slew of these books filling the virtual shelves. And the more people who dive into this type of publishing, the more difficult it will become to market and sell those books. Prices start to plummet, and you start making less and less per sale because creators start undercutting each other on price.

Of course, this is just my opinion and not a future forecast. But I have seen things like this during similar periods of saturating a market with the same cookie-cutter format.

I'm not saying that you won't make money selling low-content books. But it will become more difficult as time goes on, especially if you don't have a strong marketing platform. That's because more people will flock to Amazon while creating low-quality low-content books just to make a sale as a lot of folks want the quick and easy buck.

Before long, though, those bucks will turn into pennies.

What Low-Content Books Would I Create if I Did?

For the most part, I wouldn't put out a ton of low-content books simply because I want to build a good reputation as an author. Pumping out four or five coloring books or journals every day just isn't how I roll, regardless of how much money other creators make.

But if I did decide to create something along the lines of these types of books, they would probably be centered around writing. Something aspiring authors can use to get motivated to create. Perhaps a daily writing journal or a daily writing prompt book to get the creative juices flowing.

After all, that is what my brand currently centers around: writing.

I show people how to do what I do for a living and the exact steps I took to go from writing with content mills to what I do today as the Content Marketing Team Lead of a prominent web hosting company. Not to mention publishing my first book in 2021 with plenty more on the way.

So, any low-content book I create would reflect what I do with WriterSanctuary.com. That's if I even decide to create one.

I may set up one or two low-content books just to see what's all involved so I can tell my audience about the experience. But as for making it my primary method of income? Nope.

I have stories to tell.

What Would You Prefer to Create?

In the end, there's really nothing inherently wrong with low-content books. If you can push out some quality books that people enjoy buying, then keep going. Everyone has their cup of tea. I've bought a few self-help progression books in the past that relied on daily goals and affirmations, so they do work for the right audience.

It all comes down to personal preference as a creator.

But when it comes to self-publishing, I'm focusing more on telling a good story that entertains the reader.