25 Low Content Book Ideas That Actually Sell on KDP

by meena_1890 · January 31, 2026

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Table of Contents

Stop Thinking You Need to Be a Novelist to Be an Author

The biggest lie new self-publishers believe is that they need to write 50,000 words to make money on Amazon. They think they need to be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling to build a publishing business.

Here is the truth: Some of the highest-earning books on Amazon contain little to no text at all.

These are called Low-Content Books (LCBs). They are easy to create, faster to publish, and solve immediate problems for buyers. Instead of selling a story, you are selling a tool—a place for people to organize their lives, track their progress, or express their creativity.

This is the ultimate path to passive income. Once you design the interior and a great cover, that file can sell hundreds of copies indefinitely without you writing another word.

Ready to start building your library? Here are 25 proven ideas that actually sell, plus details on how to get started.

Category 1: Organization & Productivity

These are high-utility books. People buy them because they need to solve a specific problem in their daily lives.

Daily Planners (Undated): Undated versions allow customers to start using them at any time of the year, reducing waste and increasing value.
Password Trackers: In the digital age, everyone forgets their logins. An offline, secure backup is a perennial bestseller.
Bill Trackers & Budget Planners: Help people manage debt, savings, and monthly expenses. Niche down to “Wedding Budget” or “College Student Budget” for better results.
Meal Planners: Combine a weekly menu grid with a tear-off (or cut-out) grocery list section.
Project Planners: Designed for makers, contractors, or crafters to sketch ideas and list required materials.

Category 2: Health & Wellness

The self-care industry is booming. These books offer emotional support and physical tracking.

Gratitude Journals: Simple layouts prompting users to list 3 things they are thankful for daily.
Workout Logs: Track sets, reps, and weights. Focus on specific niches like “Powerlifting Log” or “Couch to 5k Tracker.”
Food & Symptom Trackers: Vital for people figuring out allergies or managing autoimmune conditions (e.g., FODMAP trackers).
Meditation & Mindfulness Logs: Spaces to record session duration, mantras, and post-meditation feelings.
Sleep Logs: For tracking sleep cycles, dream quality, and waking moods.

Category 3: Hobbies & Interests

Targeting specific passions is the best way to lower your competition and find eager buyers.

Fishing Log Books: Track weather, water depth, lure used, and catch size.
Gardening Journals: Track planting dates, sunlight requirements, watering schedules, and harvest yields.
Recipe Books (Blank): A place for families to record secret recipes passed down through generations.
Wine Tasting Journals: Sections for the label, vintage, tasting notes, and star ratings.
Music Manuscript Paper: Blank sheet music for composers and students.

Category 4: Specialized & Business

These are “boring” but essential books that businesses and professionals buy in bulk.

Mileage Logs: Essential for freelancers and gig workers (Uber/DoorDash) to claim tax deductions.
Guest Books: Niche down specifically for Airbnb/Vacation Rentals or Funeral Homes.
Notary Journals: Requires specific columns (Date, Name, ID Type, Signature). Note: Check legal requirements for column headers.
Appointment Books: Used by hair salons, nail techs, and therapists.
Inventory Logs: For small business owners or resellers to track stock.

Category 5: Educational & Kids

Parents are always looking for non-screen activities for their children.

Handwriting Practice Paper: The classic “dotted midline” paper for kids learning to write letters.
Scissor Skills Books: Pages designed to be cut out to help toddlers develop fine motor skills.
Composition Notebooks: The interior is standard, but the cover is where you win. Target specific aesthetics (e.g., “Kawaii Axolotl” or “Retro 90s”).
Graph Paper Notebooks: Target engineering students, math majors, or RPG gamers (for map drawing).
Sketchbooks: High-quality blank pages with a distinct border, targeted at artists or anime fans.

How to Get Started (Free Templates)

You don’t need expensive software like InDesign to make these. You can start today using free tools like Canva or Amazon’s own KDP tools.

Step 1: Pick one idea from the list above.
Step 2: Search Amazon to see what covers are selling (but don’t copy!).
Step 3: Create your interior (or download a ready-made template).

> Pro Tip: Don’t just make a “Journal.” Make a “Left-Handed Guitar Tab Journal” or a “Beekeeper’s Hive Log.” Specificity sells.

Here is the next section of your content, formatted to flow seamlessly from the introduction.

What Are Low-Content Books?

If the idea of writing a 300-page novel feels overwhelming, you can relax. Low-content publishing is an entirely different business model.

Definition

In simple terms, a Low-Content Book (LCB) is a paperback or hardcover book that has very little to no internal text. The value of the book doesn’t come from a story you read, but from the structure you provide.

Instead of chapters and paragraphs, the interior pages are usually:

Minimal: Containing simple lines, grids, or prompts.
Repetitive: The same page design is often repeated 100+ times (e.g., a lined notebook).
Interactive: These books are designed to be filled in by the customer. They are for writing, planning, sketching, or coloring.

Essentially, you provide the framework, and the customer provides the content.

Examples

You likely use these books in your daily life without realizing they are a massive industry on Amazon. Common types include:

Journals & Notebooks: Lined paper, dot grid paper, or blank sketchbooks.
Planners: Daily, weekly, or monthly organizers for personal or business use.
Coloring & Activity Books: Mandalas, puzzles (Sudoku/Word Search), or educational tracing books for kids.
Logbooks & Trackers: Niche-specific books for tracking data, like mileage logs for drivers, temperature logs for chefs, or workout logs for gym-goers.

Why They’re Perfect for Beginners

Low-content publishing is widely considered the best entry point for new entrepreneurs on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) for four key reasons:

No Writing Skills Required: You don’t need to worry about grammar, plot holes, or writer’s block. If you can draw a line or create a box, you can “write” a book.
Fast Creation Speed: While a novel might take a year to write, a low-content interior can be designed in less than an hour. You can publish multiple books in a single weekend.
Cheap (or Free) to Design: You don’t need to hire expensive ghostwriters or editors. You can use free software like Canva or Google Slides to create professional-quality interiors.
Highly Scalable: Once you create one great interior (e.g., a “Daily Planner”), you can use that same file with 50 different covers to target different aesthetics (e.g., floral, minimalist, retro, masculine). This allows you to build a massive portfolio of assets quickly.

Here is the next section, written to explain the market mechanics and keep the reader motivated.

Why Low-Content Books Sell So Well on KDP

You might wonder: In a world of iPads and productivity apps, why would anyone buy a paper notebook?

The answer lies in psychology and utility. Despite the digital age, the demand for physical writing tools has actually increased. People crave a break from screens, and there is a unique satisfaction in checking a box or writing a goal down by hand that an app simply cannot replicate.

Here is why this business model works so well for creators:

Evergreen Demand

Unlike a trendy diet book or a news-related biography that might spike and then crash, low-content books have evergreen longevity.

People will always need to organize their schedules.
Students will always need composition notebooks.
Artists will always need sketchbooks.These are functional necessities, not just entertainment. A well-designed logbook can sell steadily for years without you ever needing to update it.

Easy Impulse Purchase ($5–$10)

Price resistance is one of the biggest hurdles in sales. Asking someone to pay $25 for a new hardcover novel requires them to trust the author.

However, low-content books usually sit in the “impulse buy” sweet spot of $5.99 to $9.99.

At this price point—roughly the cost of a fancy coffee—customers don’t overthink the decision. If the cover is attractive and the interior looks useful, they click “Buy Now” without hesitation.

Low Competition vs. Novels

If you write a thriller novel, you are directly competing with giants like Stephen King and James Patterson. That is a losing battle for a beginner.

In the low-content world, the playing field is much more level. If you create a niche book—like a “Mileage Log for Uber Drivers” or a “Left-Handed Guitar Tab Notebook”—you aren’t competing with famous authors. You are only competing with other independent publishers. If your cover is better or your interior is more practical, you win the sale.

Faster Publishing (1–2 Days)

Traditional publishing takes years. Writing a novel takes months.

With low-content books, speed is your superpower.

You can spot a trend (e.g., a specific aesthetic like “Cottagecore”) on a Monday.
Design a cover and upload the book on a Tuesday.
Have it live and for sale on Amazon by Wednesday.This agility allows you to test ideas rapidly without wasting months of work.

Passive Income Potential

This is the ultimate goal. KDP is a “Print on Demand” service, meaning Amazon handles printing, shipping, and customer service. You upload the digital file once, and it sits in their catalog forever.

The Math of Motivation:

Imagine you create one simple logbook that makes just $20 profit per month (that’s only about 10 sales).

That doesn’t sound like much.
But if you spend a few months building a library of 50 books?
50 books x $20/month = $1,000/month in completely passive income.

You do the work once, and the royalties can continue to roll in for years.

Here is the list of ideas formatted clearly for your readers to scan and absorb quickly.