Getting a normal passive income stream, even if 100 pounds a month helps out over the year. I think many people don't realize how having a few passive income streams adds up. Congrats!
Thank you for this honest video. I don't really like the videos where they say you are going to make $7000 a month, I like an honest video like this where you start off making $100 or $200 a month. You have got a really pleasant personality and pleasant way of speaking, I think if you did a KDP teaching course, it would be successful.
Thank you so much for watching and leaving such a kind comment. I love that there is such a range of KDP videos out there and that people get to choose which ones suit them. I have my favourite channels based on the people running them rather than how much money they make, but other people might choose to watch particular channels because they are making a ton of cash!
I completely respect your honest and factual opinions. I am getting tired of numerous youtubers who are claiming that they've made a few thousands over a single ebook!
Thank you for your videos. I started in May and this has been so much fun. Learning, making tons of mistakes. First sale was in August. I have 145 books with 3 in review and so far I have made $36. This has also been amazing for my mental health. That alone is worth a bunch :)
That’s a fantastic start! Well done. I try to learn something new with each book so I can make each one better than the last. I really enjoy the work too and am thinking of putting more time and effort into it next year. I’d love to double my income from it in 2024 and I have so many ideas for books. Thanks for watching the video 🙂
It's so refreshing to find a sensible video about KDP! 🤩 I'm sick of all the thumbnails with ridiculous dollar amounts on them. 🙄 A few extra quid a month would be enough for me. 😊
Without a doubt, the best video i’ve heard about KDP review i’ve heard. It’s not always the amount of money but what the work can do for us as individuals and members of our household. Thankyou so much!
Absolutely! Not everyone needs to approach KDP as an all or nothing/10K a month or nothing enterprise. To build an income stream one baby step at a time and end up with a steady $100 a month can change someone’s circumstances as long as you give the money a “job” to do. Mine officially pays for my share of our household food. I mean that’s a big deal for me - it’s putting food on my table! Next stop with be building it to $200 a month and then give it another job to do. I’m thinking the gas & electric bill!
Late to the party here, just like you I sold 6 books right off the bat with 3 published books and then.... crickets so I went dormant. Then I thought that KDP is a flooded market thing kinda like rice farming here in Thailand where I live, if you do not flood the field the rice doesn't grow so I decided to make a book or 3 a month and see where that takes me. Started last month and moved to a high content book to see how that goes. Great video, you seem very honest and quite an earthy person thank you for that.
My notebooks on kdp have never gotten off the ground and I'm really happy with the way they turned out so I'm not sure where i went wrong. My high content books sell really well though and I'm looking forwards to seeing how many i can sell this Q4. I love kdp but the advertising can be a real draw on any profits, I've come to find that a Instagram account offers the best growth funnelling traffic to Amazon rather than relying on Amazon to find any customers, paid for. I think the online course's are a great idea, I bought Mandy Lynn's course on book formatting this year and it was a great help. All the best. 😊
I’ve just started and Instagram and RUclips channel for one pen name so it will be VERY interesting to see if some marketing gives the books a boost. I’ll keep people posted with how it goes!
I've listened to tons & tons of sleek RUclips videos hawking KDP but I must say I'm sold on Mel's approach. It's very down-to-earth; not promising anyone sacks of gold; and very commensensical. I love it & will definitely buy a subscription but 1stly I wanna read thru her Stackhouse & get a feel of what she's done. Tx so much Mel for your humility!
Now that it is Q4 officially you should see an uptick in sales ❤ I have been doing it slowly since 2019 I am about $200-300 a month not consistently publishing but I noticed over Q4 last year I did over $4-500 a month. I am very interested in your scapbooking course. 🥳 congrats I love that I can pay a utility bill once a month.
That’s fantastic, I hope my KDP goes the same way as yours and I really do hope I get a Q4 boost! Last year December was good but not October and November. I think I have a broader cross section of books this year so fingers crossed that helps 🤞🏻 Thanks for showing an interest in one of my mini-course ideas, if you use the link in the description and sign-up then I will have a better idea of numbers 🙂
@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries I hope your sells are going well :) 2 months later I respond I have submitted my email address I used my notary email so it would not get lost in my main email in box.☺
The most shocking thing you said in the video is that your household only spends 200 pounds per month on groceries! 😂 I live in Spain and groceries are so expensive here now! Btw... i just started KDP in may and made $78 in july, $300 in august and $110 in September! I have one children's book, 2 coloring books and like 60 notebooks
😂 You’re not the only one to say that! I think it’s because there’s only two of us and we cook nearly everything from scratch. Huge congratulations on your start at KDP, that’s brilliant news. Do you have an overall goal in mind for it?
@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries ha! I cook everything from scratch, too, and it's just me and my teenage son! Maybe that's why, lol. I'm telling you, Spain isn't as cheap as it once was. 😢 well, I started thinking about doing low and medium content, but now I have a mission with these children's books, so my focus is working on a series there. I've got my second one almost finished and ready to publish. So, focusing on high-quality children's books and materials. Although my adult coloring books are selling, they take so much time, and I personally haven't figured out the trick for good coloring books using midjourney. I don't like the way they turn out.
@@everybodylovessnoopy I have 2 teen boys and myself here in Canada and I spend $600 or more a month on food. It is crazy how expensive everything has gotten from simple things like food all the way to housing. I am a single income earner here too so I have had to find multiple income streams just to survive. Good for you on your kdp stats. I have children's books and coloring books too.
KDP is real. You can make money. What you say in your video is NOT "low content." For authors in America, "low content" means that someone "stuffed" a book with pages that only have a word a page. There was a big dang issue about this and we had to get the Author's Guild involved to have Zon actually look into how they publish books. The UK is very different from America with publications. Their reading program here in America made it easy for people to steal page reads from readers. You are NOT doing "low content" according to this example! You are doing something with what you are putting out. Don't sell yourself short by saying something that is considered very taboo across the pond. You are doing awesome! I'm so happy KDP is helping you! Cheers!
This is so good to hear an honest refreshing review. Thank you for sharing. I will keep adding quality books to my KDP. You are an inspiration and a breath of fresh air. I as well enjoy the process. Keep pressing forward. Wishing you much success.
What a lovely young lady! I’m so glad my sister sent me this video. I just started writing on substack and I need to look at other options. I’ve never heard of kdp. I’m retired on disability and the way things are going here in Canada I’ll need to supplement my pension or I’ll be living in my car.
Thank you ☺️ what a delightful compliment! I hope you’ll find my channel useful as I make money online in quite a few different ways and all of them would be suitable for supplementing a pension. I do not want you sleeping in your car! If you want a comparison the state pension in the U.K. is going to be £11,500 per year in 2024. For Canadian dollars it’s usually double the number so roughly 23K a year. I don’t know if that’s better or worse than you’re getting - you’ll have to let me know!
Love your honesty without crushing anyone's hope you are being realistic and sharing. Money can be made but often not right away and as much as some of these videos say...it takes time effort and buyer interest.
Definitely important to stress that the process and results are different for everyone. Some people learn faster than others, some have more time to put into it and others may have a natural eye for design. I think everyone can get somewhere with it but it will just be so individual. Thanks for watching!
Wow to know your survival expenses is covered passively is definitely something worth celebrating. Thank you for your post to show there is a way to life by doing what you enjoy even the starting income is tiny small.
Rarely comment but have to tell you, that I find you very inspirational and I’m definitely going to watch more of your videos 🌸🙏 best of luck with your future endeavors 🍀
What a lovely, honest video. I am rather new myself, I have a few books on, and am trying to work out how to make coloring/activity books, and puzzle books, without getting my KDP account closed down because I accidentally didn't modify an image enough. I find AI does sort of work, sometimes, but I need to learn software that changes the images. Thanks!
This suonds like such fun! Ironically, there's a particular type of diary I've been wanting and faililng to find... and if I did this, I could just make it and potentialy sell it to other people as well. Watching this video has felt like such a lightbulb moment! Subbed!
Thank you! Overall I’m pleased with how KDP is going (even though I approach it at the speed of a snail!) and as someone whose profession is teaching and who also sells physical products in my vintage shop on Etsy I think, or hope, I have a confident and clear approach to sales that isn’t “icky”!
I used to watch you back in 2018 while on maternity leave. My son has just turned 5 years old! I was so excited to see you pop up after all these years! I enjoyed binge watching your content lately as I prepare to go self-employed again. 😊 I hope you keep making these videos❤
That’s so lovely! I think I’ve managed to keep a few on my OG audience from reselling and it’s so nice to think people are still interested! I hope everything goes well with your return to self-employment 🤞🏻
Thank you for this! 😊 I think YT just hit the recommendation jackpot: I'm an author-illustrator looking at branching out into notebooks and colouring books and patterned papers and things. I am now off to check out the rest of your channel! By the way, both of those courses sound amazingly helpful even for someone who has published through KDP but using different tools and/or methods. And your advice over finding a tutor who matches you as a learner is something that could do with being included in EVERY class, tutorial, course, academy, etc etc... 😊
I found your video this video very honest and to the point. It is refreshing to hear such information. Due to health, I need to change from handyman work to teaching and sharing my 60 years of experience. Great information well done. Good to know that you are experimenting with education. Subscribed.😊
Thanks for these realistic expectations of earnings. KDP seems to be over-saturated now, and they are now pushing medium-content books like puzzles, coloring books, etc. I believe the ones who got in early are the ones making good money, and the ones getting in now are not going to be able to break in really well.
It’s an interesting one and I agree to an extent. If I put out a batch of 6 notebooks usually two will start selling. If I put out 6 scrapbooks 4 or 5 usually start selling. I would imagine if I went for medium to high content they all would sell at least a few copies. I’m going to carry on experimenting this year!
Well done! Nice, realistic outcomes that can lead to an alright passive income. I like this type of video rather than the type that claim you can make millions from journals and other low-content books.
You probably can, but I’m not 😂 I’m building up a steady income without doing that much work e.g. I haven’t added a new book for two months but the money still comes in from previous work. I’m happy with that. Also if you take a slow and steady approach is less overwhelming and you’re less likely to give up!
Thank you so much for giving us a real video. So many videos have thumbnails that scream at you that you just have to do this to make X amount of dollars, or that they have the only secret about what to do on a certain topic. Your realism is a refreshing change. 🥰
Definitely no secret here! Just steadily chipping away at it and realistic goal-setting. I’d like to get to at least £200 a month this year and then onto the next stage etc. Definitely not a get-rich-quick channel 🤣🤣
This was a broadly accessible video on passive income through digital products. It's not claiming high returns as a reason to start. Just simple application with a modest return that can be built upon, once you get started. A breath of fresh air.
For more than a hundred low-content books, you have spent a lot of time making all of them. I only made two and I am tired already. It really doesn't matter how much time is spent on making one book. Still, the idea is as soon as it is published all you have to do is wait for the royalty to come, and that's a beautiful thing to do - waiting for money to come even without having to do anything about the books.
I would purchase that course. I found out last year that I am actually a writer. I have been working on two books that I know that people will love! The information has been just coming out of my soul. Lol. It's hard tho because I have to learn so much as well as work on writing when I feel that vibe in me. So much to learn.
Great information. I've just started in kdp. I'm 65 and recently retired. Looking for something fun and enjoyable to supplement my income. Its definitely a lot more involved than the videos than others put out there. Glad to hear the straight talk. Im just now getting ready to upload my first book. Best of luck to you. Looking forward to following your adventures and learning insights from you.
That's awesome!!! Congratulations! I think this can definitely become a full-time gig. And the great part is you put in the work once and continue to reap the rewards.
Yes, the putting in the work once and then getting passive income is amazing. Have you watched my latest video about how I’m planning to double my KDP income in 2024? It sort of builds on this one I think…
I have 6 books up on kdp, including sudoku and halloween puzzles. The last one has been up since last year and I redid the cover this year. None of my books have sold at all. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I believe the content is attractive, and I've redone keywords at times too. Wish I could figure out where I'm going wrong, as my books seem to be comparable to others out there.
You made my day 💚 Gracias... You are so honest.. Sadly, very few people tell you the truth 😔... I believe creativity and passion can lead you to many places.. Money is important that's why is important to start a business with real knowledge about things 🙏
I had a book under a false writers name and I made more then what I paid to get it on there. ( I paid for an editor ). I am currently working on something new to see what happens. You do not become rich unless you are a VC Andrew’s or that writer of Harry Potter etc. to me it will be a little extra monthly income for gas and groceries
I appreciate this so much. I started KDP and some of the groups I'm in, people make it seem like you have to outsource all kinds of work and buy ads and it all sounds overwhelming. Im not opposed to ads or getting help now and then but none of them seem to be doing what you did. I wish i would have had the class youre talking about. I think it would have been helpful.
Hi, I’m only just starting to experiment with low cost ads so it’s definitely possible to build some kind of income, even if it’s quite small, without outsourcing anything and without spending hardly any money. Wishing you lots of luck with your KDP!
What a fascinating, realistic and honest review about KDP. It's reviews like yours rather than those claiming to make millions that has made me decide to plough on with my photography books. I have a big following on Facebook and Twitter which has a potential for sales, but what I need to learn is knowing how to make a book layout on KDP. Looking forward to your advice on that. Thank you and sunscribed.
Only discovered your channel now as i was looking for some realistic inputs on KDP creation - firstly, congratulation for earning a monthly half-grocery size income passively, i agree it is great. Secondly, thanks for your great video showing your results, realistically and clearly. Wish you luck going forward.
That's amazing to me Mel. Iv'e also been making books for KDP since late 2021 with now just over 130 books loaded (some will never sell now as they are dated 21/22) I had 2 months of doing fairly well with Coronation themed books which won't sell anymore. Apart from that I struggle to make £25/30 per month and thats with running ADS. I really had high hopes for KDP and am still creating books as I love the creative process, I will see what the future holds.
Thanks for the update Denise! I think our slow and steady progress through KDP is not unusual. I seem to have got to the point where I can create a book which trickles in sales over the course of the year and sometimes takes off a bit. I have a good hit rate with the number of my books that make at least a few sales a year. I think the key areas for me are demand and marketing. I’m definitely good at creating the actual books. It sounds like you might be in a similar position, would you agree? Or do you think there are some other things that might be at play with your KDP? So glad to hear you enjoy the process - me too!!
Hi Mel. thanks for your reply. Yes it's been pretty similar for me too. I have a background in graphic design so I'm happy to create the books but fall short when it comes to looking at demand, marketing and use of good SEO. I work full time so don't get a lot of time to work on KDP as i would like. I started making scrapbook pads and made a brand for those but only have 2 so far with a few sales to one of those running ads to it. Just recently i'm starting to dabble with other POD sites. Keep up the good work! :)@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries
This is the first video I’ve seen on this subject…and first of your videos. I’m very interested in KDP and have always wanted to publish a book. Maybe this is an opportunity for me. I would e interested in a course from you and don’t feel that I need to watch an additional videos. You are delightful…and I’m certain I can learn from you!
No problem. I happily share affiliate links to things I actually use and tell people if I’ve made something they might like to buy, but that’s probably the extent of my sales pitch 😆
Thank you for taking the time to film/post this video. I'm also testing various income streams like eBay, Etsy, and kdp - so, your video is comforting. Now....let's talk about the elephant in the room! 100 pounds a month for groceries!??? How the heck to do you do THAT! lol
😂 £100 each! So £200 in total for two people, though recently we’ve found it creeping up to around £225. I think in the new year we will give ourselves a new budget of £250 per month. It doesn’t include eating out or takeaways either!
Thank you for this video. You just gained a subscriber because I’m also a reseller like you. I really would appreciate more videos on this. Thank you so much.
It’s heartening to see such clean candor in a sea of marketing bloosh! Your breaking down your earnings is gold in content terms for us. Particularly valuable to me was how you equated your earnings to a specific use. That the £100 was your share of groceries. Or that you’re targeting x amount from kdp that checks off the money for monthly bills!! Love it, going to watch more of you and learn from you. I know you posted this 8 mths bk and may already have the help you asked for. If not, gimme a shout, I’d love to help. I have a background in content creation and design. And am cautiously trying to dip by toe nail into the vast waters on online business!
Yes I would definitrly be up for a course. I have about 5/6 notebooks on kdp I think from 21/22. No sales so i lost interest, your course might help me focus on it and hopefully improve the quality.
That sounds like the kind of situation I’d love to help people improve. I very nearly ended up in the same position myself but I dragged myself back to it after a few months break. If you add your email via the link in the description it helps me out because I’ll get a list of people who might be interested. Thanks so much for watching too 🙂
Hi thank you for your honesty, its has inspired me to get my journals up. I have struggled, thinking I could sell my journals in NZ. This is only happens with known authors. I have my goals set out to what I am going to do and achieve on KDP making a passive income stream,
It’s worth just starting I think. Treat the first few as practising the skills required and then gradually improve different elements and hopefully start gaining momentum. Good luck!
Exactly what happened to me, published in April, forgot about it and received the first royalties in June, when I checked I had sold 5 copies 😊 I didn’t put any effort, and it’s a 34 pages ebook
I admit that I had to google what KDP is. Very interesting video, thanks. You always inspire me with your planning and budgeting skills. I’m going to have a groceries budget refresh this autumn and winter. I have carers and one of them buys in bulk at Costco so I’m going to buy in bulk and share the cost with friends. Good luck with your holistic businesses and teaching, I look forward to future updates when you’re able.
Thank you so much for such a supportive comment, you’re so kind! Buying in bulk is such a good idea if you have a freezer or, as in your case, you can split the good between friends. Let me know by commenting on a future video how it all goes 🙂
Thanks. Just published my first book today so now know the process. Looking forward to now spend some more time reseaeching and creating, and publishing more books. We'll see where it gets me :)
I'm glad you made this video because its helping give me some perspective about getting into this to try to make money from home. This gives me hope so thank you!
Perspective is EVERYTHING! Don’t let yourself feel pressured into doing it one specific way or end up feeling that if you don’t make “X” amount then you’re failing. Experiment and have fun then build from there (if you want to). Good luck!
This is awesome!! I’ve got a handful of things up and every once in a while I get a random payment and it’s nothing to write home about but it’s exciting. Hoping to build up my catalog because even that grocery money would make a difference in my life.
Yes! Go for it and wishing you loads of luck!! I’m so pleased with my £100 as it makes a genuine difference to my life and I’m quite happy plodding along with KDP and, as you say, building up a catalogue of digital assets that will hopefully snowball and all add up over time. Thanks for watching!
It’s great! I would love to get there!!! I’ve got some random stuff on my redbubble as well and I think I might make close to $20 there this year. Every little bit helps. I’m not trying to get rich, but paying a bill or two would be a big relief. Of course I would love to be able to replace my income but that takes time and that’s ok. :) I have heard you need about 1 product for every $1 you earn, and it sounds like you are more or less on par with that with your kdp. Figuring out what to put up to get to that say 150 items is hard! But I keep plugging away! :) Thanks for the giving hope! Never saw you before but RUclips nailed what I needed to see today by offering me this vid. :)
Thanks for the video. I put a few low content books up in 2021/22 and though I’ve forgotten about them, they do bring money in every other month. So I am confident if I advertised them and put another ten up, they would bring more money every month.
The only problem that i can foresee with this business model is that you dont have enough control. Great whilst it lasts but Amazon could change its algorithm at any moment or shut your account down without reason.
You mentioned coloring books in your video. I heard that KDP was cracking down on coloring books though, many with copy right issues... ? Any thoughts on that? (I don't do coloring books, so I'm not threatened by this and not in competition with you. But I'd like to know if they are doing a hard line against certain activities. Thanks.)
Love your honesty!! so refreshing to hear real and authentic information given. I am new to KDP and my approach is slow and steady until I learn the process better, especially,😊the keywords researching aspect. I subscribed to your channel and will be checking out some of your other videos as well. 😊
Getting a normal passive income stream, even if 100 pounds a month helps out over the year. I think many people don't realize how having a few passive income streams adds up. Congrats!
Yes, that’s true!
I can use $100 a month , especially if it’s passive income, then I can find other sources of income and it can add up.
Thank you for this honest video. I don't really like the videos where they say you are going to make $7000 a month, I like an honest video like this where you start off making $100 or $200 a month. You have got a really pleasant personality and pleasant way of speaking, I think if you did a KDP teaching course, it would be successful.
Thank you so much for watching and leaving such a kind comment. I love that there is such a range of KDP videos out there and that people get to choose which ones suit them. I have my favourite channels based on the people running them rather than how much money they make, but other people might choose to watch particular channels because they are making a ton of cash!
I agree actually!!! Joh this is the most realest thing I’ve seen
This was good and no hyperbole. The other ads I see on RUclips are way overestimating earnings
I completely respect your honest and factual opinions. I am getting tired of numerous youtubers who are claiming that they've made a few thousands over a single ebook!
don't declare anything to your employer. You don't owe them anything - if you get so big they find out you don't need them anymore.
I AM my boss 😉 and I know everything I get up to 😂
Thank you for your videos. I started in May and this has been so much fun. Learning, making tons of mistakes. First sale was in August. I have 145 books with 3 in review and so far I have made $36. This has also been amazing for my mental health. That alone is worth a bunch :)
That’s a fantastic start! Well done. I try to learn something new with each book so I can make each one better than the last. I really enjoy the work too and am thinking of putting more time and effort into it next year. I’d love to double my income from it in 2024 and I have so many ideas for books. Thanks for watching the video 🙂
Thank you for your response@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries
Going through a divorce and I’m a sahm, so me making even a little bit by myself is a win for me not just financially but mentally for sure.
🎉 Congratulations! 🎉
And thank you for adding your experience here too. 😊
It's so refreshing to find a sensible video about KDP! 🤩 I'm sick of all the thumbnails with ridiculous dollar amounts on them. 🙄 A few extra quid a month would be enough for me. 😊
Yes, definitely a slow-growth lady here!
A few extra quid makes all the difference! Most people would just appreciate a little ease and wiggle room in their finances 🙂
Same for me. I'm just launching my first children's book on Amazon Kdp and nervous but so excited to have created my first book.
Unlike a lot of people who do this, you seem very honest and legit.
I love that you brought up the benefits beside just the money. Learning skills applicable for all online businesses for example. ❤
Totally! I love learning new things so it’s been the perfect income stream in that respect. Thanks for watching 🙂
Without a doubt, the best video i’ve heard about KDP review i’ve heard. It’s not always the amount of money but what the work can do for us as individuals and members of our household. Thankyou so much!
Absolutely! Not everyone needs to approach KDP as an all or nothing/10K a month or nothing enterprise. To build an income stream one baby step at a time and end up with a steady $100 a month can change someone’s circumstances as long as you give the money a “job” to do. Mine officially pays for my share of our household food. I mean that’s a big deal for me - it’s putting food on my table!
Next stop with be building it to $200 a month and then give it another job to do. I’m thinking the gas & electric bill!
Late to the party here, just like you I sold 6 books right off the bat with 3 published books and then.... crickets so I went dormant. Then I thought that KDP is a flooded market thing kinda like rice farming here in Thailand where I live, if you do not flood the field the rice doesn't grow so I decided to make a book or 3 a month and see where that takes me. Started last month and moved to a high content book to see how that goes.
Great video, you seem very honest and quite an earthy person thank you for that.
My notebooks on kdp have never gotten off the ground and I'm really happy with the way they turned out so I'm not sure where i went wrong. My high content books sell really well though and I'm looking forwards to seeing how many i can sell this Q4.
I love kdp but the advertising can be a real draw on any profits, I've come to find that a Instagram account offers the best growth funnelling traffic to Amazon rather than relying on Amazon to find any customers, paid for.
I think the online course's are a great idea, I bought Mandy Lynn's course on book formatting this year and it was a great help.
All the best. 😊
I’ve just started and Instagram and RUclips channel for one pen name so it will be VERY interesting to see if some marketing gives the books a boost. I’ll keep people posted with how it goes!
I've listened to tons & tons of sleek RUclips videos hawking KDP but I must say I'm sold on Mel's approach. It's very down-to-earth; not promising anyone sacks of gold; and very commensensical. I love it & will definitely buy a subscription but 1stly I wanna read thru her Stackhouse & get a feel of what she's done. Tx so much Mel for your humility!
Now that it is Q4 officially you should see an uptick in sales ❤ I have been doing it slowly since 2019 I am about $200-300 a month not consistently publishing but I noticed over Q4 last year I did over $4-500 a month. I am very interested in your scapbooking course. 🥳 congrats I love that I can pay a utility bill once a month.
That’s fantastic, I hope my KDP goes the same way as yours and I really do hope I get a Q4 boost! Last year December was good but not October and November. I think I have a broader cross section of books this year so fingers crossed that helps 🤞🏻
Thanks for showing an interest in one of my mini-course ideas, if you use the link in the description and sign-up then I will have a better idea of numbers 🙂
@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries I hope your sells are going well :) 2 months later I respond I have submitted my email address I used my notary email so it would not get lost in my main email in box.☺
I feel like every purchase of a book is a compliment to the author.
Liked. Subscribed. You are a trustworthy person. Build your channel along those lines. So honest, so refreshing. So helpful.
I appreciate your candid honesty. thank you
The most shocking thing you said in the video is that your household only spends 200 pounds per month on groceries! 😂 I live in Spain and groceries are so expensive here now! Btw... i just started KDP in may and made $78 in july, $300 in august and $110 in September! I have one children's book, 2 coloring books and like 60 notebooks
😂 You’re not the only one to say that! I think it’s because there’s only two of us and we cook nearly everything from scratch.
Huge congratulations on your start at KDP, that’s brilliant news. Do you have an overall goal in mind for it?
@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries ha! I cook everything from scratch, too, and it's just me and my teenage son! Maybe that's why, lol. I'm telling you, Spain isn't as cheap as it once was. 😢 well, I started thinking about doing low and medium content, but now I have a mission with these children's books, so my focus is working on a series there. I've got my second one almost finished and ready to publish. So, focusing on high-quality children's books and materials. Although my adult coloring books are selling, they take so much time, and I personally haven't figured out the trick for good coloring books using midjourney. I don't like the way they turn out.
@@everybodylovessnoopy I have 2 teen boys and myself here in Canada and I spend $600 or more a month on food. It is crazy how expensive everything has gotten from simple things like food all the way to housing. I am a single income earner here too so I have had to find multiple income streams just to survive. Good for you on your kdp stats. I have children's books and coloring books too.
@@MelanieKBremner I totally hear you! I'm working on multiple income streams as well!
There are 5 in my family with two teens, and I spend $1200 a month and I cook from scratch too. USA
$100 dollars a month would be a big help for me. I am in South Africa, so, with the conversion to ZAR it makes just a little under R1800 per month.
KDP is real. You can make money. What you say in your video is NOT "low content." For authors in America, "low content" means that someone "stuffed" a book with pages that only have a word a page. There was a big dang issue about this and we had to get the Author's Guild involved to have Zon actually look into how they publish books. The UK is very different from America with publications. Their reading program here in America made it easy for people to steal page reads from readers. You are NOT doing "low content" according to this example! You are doing something with what you are putting out. Don't sell yourself short by saying something that is considered very taboo across the pond. You are doing awesome! I'm so happy KDP is helping you! Cheers!
Thank you for sharing real numbers. Tired of teenagers saying they earn 5k a month
Best video on KDP in the internet. Sincere and honest ❤. You are a great success 🙌 👍
This is so good to hear an honest refreshing review. Thank you for sharing. I will keep adding quality books to my KDP. You are an inspiration and a breath of fresh air. I as well enjoy the process. Keep pressing forward. Wishing you much success.
What a lovely young lady! I’m so glad my sister sent me this video. I just started writing on substack and I need to look at other options. I’ve never heard of kdp. I’m retired on disability and the way things are going here in Canada I’ll need to supplement my pension or I’ll be living in my car.
Thank you ☺️ what a delightful compliment! I hope you’ll find my channel useful as I make money online in quite a few different ways and all of them would be suitable for supplementing a pension. I do not want you sleeping in your car! If you want a comparison the state pension in the U.K. is going to be £11,500 per year in 2024. For Canadian dollars it’s usually double the number so roughly 23K a year. I don’t know if that’s better or worse than you’re getting - you’ll have to let me know!
Love your honesty without crushing anyone's hope you are being realistic and sharing. Money can be made but often not right away and as much as some of these videos say...it takes time effort and buyer interest.
Definitely important to stress that the process and results are different for everyone. Some people learn faster than others, some have more time to put into it and others may have a natural eye for design. I think everyone can get somewhere with it but it will just be so individual. Thanks for watching!
Wow to know your survival expenses is covered passively is definitely something worth celebrating. Thank you for your post to show there is a way to life by doing what you enjoy even the starting income is tiny small.
Rarely comment but have to tell you, that I find you very inspirational and I’m definitely going to watch more of your videos 🌸🙏 best of luck with your future endeavors 🍀
What a lovely, honest video. I am rather new myself, I have a few books on, and am trying to work out how to make coloring/activity books, and puzzle books, without getting my KDP account closed down because I accidentally didn't modify an image enough. I find AI does sort of work, sometimes, but I need to learn software that changes the images. Thanks!
This suonds like such fun! Ironically, there's a particular type of diary I've been wanting and faililng to find... and if I did this, I could just make it and potentialy sell it to other people as well. Watching this video has felt like such a lightbulb moment! Subbed!
Yes! I love your no sales-y, down to earth approach. I'd love to learn both kdp and the scrapbook thing! Congrats on your sales!!❤
Thank you! Overall I’m pleased with how KDP is going (even though I approach it at the speed of a snail!) and as someone whose profession is teaching and who also sells physical products in my vintage shop on Etsy I think, or hope, I have a confident and clear approach to sales that isn’t “icky”!
I used to watch you back in 2018 while on maternity leave. My son has just turned 5 years old! I was so excited to see you pop up after all these years! I enjoyed binge watching your content lately as I prepare to go self-employed again. 😊
I hope you keep making these videos❤
That’s so lovely! I think I’ve managed to keep a few on my OG audience from reselling and it’s so nice to think people are still interested! I hope everything goes well with your return to self-employment 🤞🏻
Thank you for the transparency
You’re welcome! It’s the only way to be helpful!
Thank you for this! 😊
I think YT just hit the recommendation jackpot: I'm an author-illustrator looking at branching out into notebooks and colouring books and patterned papers and things. I am now off to check out the rest of your channel!
By the way, both of those courses sound amazingly helpful even for someone who has published through KDP but using different tools and/or methods.
And your advice over finding a tutor who matches you as a learner is something that could do with being included in EVERY class, tutorial, course, academy, etc etc... 😊
Thank you so very much for the honest review. We really need more honest reviews like this.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video!
I found your video this video very honest and to the point. It is refreshing to hear such information. Due to health, I need to change from handyman work to teaching and sharing my 60 years of experience. Great information well done. Good to know that you are experimenting with education. Subscribed.😊
Thanks for these realistic expectations of earnings. KDP seems to be over-saturated now, and they are now pushing medium-content books like puzzles, coloring books, etc. I believe the ones who got in early are the ones making good money, and the ones getting in now are not going to be able to break in really well.
It’s an interesting one and I agree to an extent. If I put out a batch of 6 notebooks usually two will start selling. If I put out 6 scrapbooks 4 or 5 usually start selling. I would imagine if I went for medium to high content they all would sell at least a few copies. I’m going to carry on experimenting this year!
A good and honest success story on KDP. At least her food bill is taken care off. Thanks for sharing your experiences. ❤❤😅😅😅
Well done! Nice, realistic outcomes that can lead to an alright passive income. I like this type of video rather than the type that claim you can make millions from journals and other low-content books.
You probably can, but I’m not 😂 I’m building up a steady income without doing that much work e.g. I haven’t added a new book for two months but the money still comes in from previous work. I’m happy with that. Also if you take a slow and steady approach is less overwhelming and you’re less likely to give up!
Your starter course is a great idea. Love hearing you talk and share your experience. I am looking at getting started with KDP. Thank you
Thank you so much for giving us a real video. So many videos have thumbnails that scream at you that you just have to do this to make X amount of dollars, or that they have the only secret about what to do on a certain topic. Your realism is a refreshing change. 🥰
Definitely no secret here! Just steadily chipping away at it and realistic goal-setting. I’d like to get to at least £200 a month this year and then onto the next stage etc. Definitely not a get-rich-quick channel 🤣🤣
Great video with genuine transparency. Pray your business grows 1000 fold.
This was a broadly accessible video on passive income through digital products. It's not claiming high returns as a reason to start. Just simple application with a modest return that can be built upon, once you get started. A breath of fresh air.
Well done Mel. Honest, realistic and helpful - an evident gap in the market. Who would have thought it?! Bravo!
Those results are so disappointing. Thank you for your honesty. I will not waste my time on this.
I love your candor and sweet transparency. Nice job! 🎉
Thanks!
I would be very excited if I had sold that much of my products. I am so excited for when I start selling my products.
Amazing to see how happy you are producing capital, seeking education and looking to the future! Lets go!!
Yes!
For more than a hundred low-content books, you have spent a lot of time making all of them. I only made two and I am tired already. It really doesn't matter how much time is spent on making one book. Still, the idea is as soon as it is published all you have to do is wait for the royalty to come, and that's a beautiful thing to do - waiting for money to come even without having to do anything about the books.
I would purchase that course. I found out last year that I am actually a writer. I have been working on two books that I know that people will love! The information has been just coming out of my soul. Lol. It's hard tho because I have to learn so much as well as work on writing when I feel that vibe in me. So much to learn.
I’m so glad you’ve found what feels right to you. Wishing you loads of luck with your writing!
Great information. I've just started in kdp. I'm 65 and recently retired. Looking for something fun and enjoyable to supplement my income. Its definitely a lot more involved than the videos than others put out there. Glad to hear the straight talk. Im just now getting ready to upload my first book. Best of luck to you. Looking forward to following your adventures and learning insights from you.
Thanks so much for watching and I’m glad you got something positive out of the video 🙂
saw your note, im almost 80, i have learned so many computer skills just making a notebook and it was accepted
Congratulations! You are sweet! Wish you luck for your plans!!!😊
That's awesome!!! Congratulations! I think this can definitely become a full-time gig. And the great part is you put in the work once and continue to reap the rewards.
Yes, the putting in the work once and then getting passive income is amazing. Have you watched my latest video about how I’m planning to double my KDP income in 2024? It sort of builds on this one I think…
@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries no I haven't, I just found your channel so I'm going to check out the rest of your videos too. Thanks for responding!
Congratulations on your KDP results! 🎉Great to hear your update.
Thanks so much for the support 😀
Thanks for the honest ans detailed review!
I have 6 books up on kdp, including sudoku and halloween puzzles. The last one has been up since last year and I redid the cover this year.
None of my books have sold at all.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
I believe the content is attractive, and I've redone keywords at times too.
Wish I could figure out where I'm going wrong, as my books seem to be comparable to others out there.
are you marketing your books? telling people on social media, friends' family?
You made my day 💚 Gracias... You are so honest.. Sadly, very few people tell you the truth 😔... I believe creativity and passion can lead you to many places.. Money is important that's why is important to start a business with real knowledge about things 🙏
Thank you for watching!
I hope you invested that money so it can continue to grow
Great vid! Thank you. I totally agree with your idea of "get of the ground with kpd" sounds great
Thanks. I think sometimes people just want something simple to get started.
I had a book under a false writers name and I made more then what I paid to get it on there. ( I paid for an editor ). I am currently working on something new to see what happens. You do not become rich unless you are a VC Andrew’s or that writer of Harry Potter etc. to me it will be a little extra monthly income for gas and groceries
I appreciate this so much. I started KDP and some of the groups I'm in, people make it seem like you have to outsource all kinds of work and buy ads and it all sounds overwhelming. Im not opposed to ads or getting help now and then but none of them seem to be doing what you did. I wish i would have had the class youre talking about. I think it would have been helpful.
Hi, I’m only just starting to experiment with low cost ads so it’s definitely possible to build some kind of income, even if it’s quite small, without outsourcing anything and without spending hardly any money.
Wishing you lots of luck with your KDP!
What a fascinating, realistic and honest review about KDP. It's reviews like yours rather than those claiming to make millions that has made me decide to plough on with my photography books. I have a big following on Facebook and Twitter which has a potential for sales, but what I need to learn is knowing how to make a book layout on KDP. Looking forward to your advice on that. Thank you and sunscribed.
Well done mel.
I do admire your tenacity
Hope you have a lovely week
Thank you! Love being called tenacious 😁😁
I would be very interested in a KDP course, especially from someone who has a realistic story!
Excellent. I’m planning it out this week so make sure you’re on my mailing list as it will be offered there first!
Same!
Helpful and genuine, thanks for sharing.
Only discovered your channel now as i was looking for some realistic inputs on KDP creation - firstly, congratulation for earning a monthly half-grocery size income passively, i agree it is great. Secondly, thanks for your great video showing your results, realistically and clearly. Wish you luck going forward.
No problem. Glad you found the video beneficial 🙂
Thank you for realistic review of kdp this is the real review thank you ! And keep up this good work.
That's amazing to me Mel. Iv'e also been making books for KDP since late 2021 with now just over 130 books loaded (some will never sell now as they are dated 21/22) I had 2 months of doing fairly well with Coronation themed books which won't sell anymore. Apart from that I struggle to make £25/30 per month and thats with running ADS. I really had high hopes for KDP and am still creating books as I love the creative process, I will see what the future holds.
Thanks for the update Denise! I think our slow and steady progress through KDP is not unusual. I seem to have got to the point where I can create a book which trickles in sales over the course of the year and sometimes takes off a bit. I have a good hit rate with the number of my books that make at least a few sales a year. I think the key areas for me are demand and marketing. I’m definitely good at creating the actual books. It sounds like you might be in a similar position, would you agree? Or do you think there are some other things that might be at play with your KDP?
So glad to hear you enjoy the process - me too!!
Hi Mel. thanks for your reply. Yes it's been pretty similar for me too. I have a background in graphic design so I'm happy to create the books but fall short when it comes to looking at demand, marketing and use of good SEO. I work full time so don't get a lot of time to work on KDP as i would like. I started making scrapbook pads and made a brand for those but only have 2 so far with a few sales to one of those running ads to it. Just recently i'm starting to dabble with other POD sites. Keep up the good work! :)@@SparrowsEndBusinessDiaries
This is the first video I’ve seen on this subject…and first of your videos. I’m very interested in KDP and have always wanted to publish a book. Maybe this is an opportunity for me. I would e interested in a course from you and don’t feel that I need to watch an additional videos. You are delightful…and I’m certain I can learn from you!
Thank you for your chill explanation and positive but not sales attitude
No problem. I happily share affiliate links to things I actually use and tell people if I’ve made something they might like to buy, but that’s probably the extent of my sales pitch 😆
Thank you for taking the time to film/post this video. I'm also testing various income streams like eBay, Etsy, and kdp - so, your video is comforting. Now....let's talk about the elephant in the room! 100 pounds a month for groceries!??? How the heck to do you do THAT! lol
😂 £100 each! So £200 in total for two people, though recently we’ve found it creeping up to around £225. I think in the new year we will give ourselves a new budget of £250 per month. It doesn’t include eating out or takeaways either!
Felt very happy after listening to you, Take a bow..... love from INDIA......
Thank you!
Thank you for this video. You just gained a subscriber because I’m also a reseller like you. I really would appreciate more videos on this. Thank you so much.
Welcome to Sparrows End! Do you mean more videos about reselling or more videos about KDP? 🙂
It’s heartening to see such clean candor in a sea of marketing bloosh! Your breaking down your earnings is gold in content terms for us. Particularly valuable to me was how you equated your earnings to a specific use. That the £100 was your share of groceries. Or that you’re targeting x amount from kdp that checks off the money for monthly bills!! Love it, going to watch more of you and learn from you.
I know you posted this 8 mths bk and may already have the help you asked for. If not, gimme a shout, I’d love to help. I have a background in content creation and design. And am cautiously trying to dip by toe nail into the vast waters on online business!
Love your entrepreneurial spirit & honesty. This is quite enjoyable. Best to you xx
I had no idea you where still doing content - this popped up on my feed! A great video as always and good to see you :)
Yes I would definitrly be up for a course. I have about 5/6 notebooks on kdp I think from 21/22. No sales so i lost interest, your course might help me focus on it and hopefully improve the quality.
That sounds like the kind of situation I’d love to help people improve. I very nearly ended up in the same position myself but I dragged myself back to it after a few months break. If you add your email via the link in the description it helps me out because I’ll get a list of people who might be interested. Thanks so much for watching too 🙂
appreciate your transparency! Thank you.
Hi thank you for your honesty, its has inspired me to get my journals up. I have struggled, thinking I could sell my journals in NZ. This is only happens with known authors. I have my goals set out to what I am going to do and achieve on KDP making a passive income stream,
It’s worth just starting I think. Treat the first few as practising the skills required and then gradually improve different elements and hopefully start gaining momentum. Good luck!
Exactly what happened to me, published in April, forgot about it and received the first royalties in June, when I checked I had sold 5 copies 😊 I didn’t put any effort, and it’s a 34 pages ebook
Glad it’s not just me 😂 I wondered why on earth Amazon was paying me money then I remembered 💡 🤦🏻♀️ 😆
Same! I was no way I sold a book…I guess it’s better when you forget so you don’t get frustrated if doesn’t sell fast 😂
I admit that I had to google what KDP is. Very interesting video, thanks. You always inspire me with your planning and budgeting skills. I’m going to have a groceries budget refresh this autumn and winter. I have carers and one of them buys in bulk at Costco so I’m going to buy in bulk and share the cost with friends. Good luck with your holistic businesses and teaching, I look forward to future updates when you’re able.
Thank you so much for such a supportive comment, you’re so kind! Buying in bulk is such a good idea if you have a freezer or, as in your case, you can split the good between friends. Let me know by commenting on a future video how it all goes 🙂
Thanks. Just published my first book today so now know the process. Looking forward to now spend some more time reseaeching and creating, and publishing more books.
We'll see where it gets me :)
Thanks for your honesty.
I'm glad you made this video because its helping give me some perspective about getting into this to try to make money from home. This gives me hope so thank you!
Perspective is EVERYTHING! Don’t let yourself feel pressured into doing it one specific way or end up feeling that if you don’t make “X” amount then you’re failing. Experiment and have fun then build from there (if you want to). Good luck!
This is awesome!! I’ve got a handful of things up and every once in a while I get a random payment and it’s nothing to write home about but it’s exciting.
Hoping to build up my catalog because even that grocery money would make a difference in my life.
Yes! Go for it and wishing you loads of luck!! I’m so pleased with my £100 as it makes a genuine difference to my life and I’m quite happy plodding along with KDP and, as you say, building up a catalogue of digital assets that will hopefully snowball and all add up over time.
Thanks for watching!
It’s great! I would love to get there!!! I’ve got some random stuff on my redbubble as well and I think I might make close to $20 there this year. Every little bit helps. I’m not trying to get rich, but paying a bill or two would be a big relief. Of course I would love to be able to replace my income but that takes time and that’s ok. :)
I have heard you need about 1 product for every $1 you earn, and it sounds like you are more or less on par with that with your kdp. Figuring out what to put up to get to that say 150 items is hard! But I keep plugging away! :)
Thanks for the giving hope! Never saw you before but RUclips nailed what I needed to see today by offering me this vid. :)
Very interesting!! Thank you for your detailed and interesting recap!! ❤
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 🙂
I say go for it! One constructive criticism, check your video volume. Your video was really quiet on my end. Just wanting to help.
Thank you for the honest opinion, I was evaluating side hustles, I like to be creative and this sounds like a great option
It’s great because it’s incredibly flexible. I haven’t touched it in months and still get a small income from it.
Amazing video, thank you for sharing your lessons with us.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. I put a few low content books up in 2021/22 and though I’ve forgotten about them, they do bring money in every other month. So I am confident if I advertised them and put another ten up, they would bring more money every month.
OMG I wish my monthly groceries was $200/mo. It’s more than $200/week 🫠
Just found the channel. Love the simple and honest video 🥰
Thank you for a kind comment - much appreciated 🙂
Thanks for such a relatable video, you have made so many good points 💓
Thanks and you’re welcome 🙂
The only problem that i can foresee with this business model is that you dont have enough control. Great whilst it lasts but Amazon could change its algorithm at any moment or shut your account down without reason.
Absolutely, that’s why I have lots of streams of income on different platforms. I’m planning on branching out onto my own websites too.
Excellent information. Thank you for sharing and yes, I think your mini course is an excellent idea.
Thank you for the encouragement. The first course should be up for pre-sale very soon!
You mentioned coloring books in your video. I heard that KDP was cracking down on coloring books though, many with copy right issues... ? Any thoughts on that? (I don't do coloring books, so I'm not threatened by this and not in competition with you. But I'd like to know if they are doing a hard line against certain activities. Thanks.)
I’ve subbed as I have been looking for a UK based channel like this for months. Down to earth and realistic. Thank you. Happy Xmas and New Year
Excellent and welcome!
I really appreciate you sharing this. 🙂
Very helpful ...ty. I WILL be sharing! Always love to hear from our friends across the pond!
Thanks for sharing!!
Love your honesty!! so refreshing to hear real and authentic information given. I am new to KDP and my approach is slow and steady until I learn the process better, especially,😊the keywords researching aspect. I subscribed to your channel and will be checking out some of your other videos as well. 😊
Thank you and good luck with your KDP!
Omg, I love this channel! The ways she speaks is so comprehensive and makes so much sense! I love this video. Thank u ❤
Thank you! And welcome to the channel, I hope you find useful info or entertainment from my videos!
I love your positive and transparent updates. Thank you 😊 This motivates me to keep trying. ❤
You are such a wonderful person because of your honesty god bless you more for guidance and your human qualities 😇❤