How to Create a Journal to Sell on Amazon

Key Highlights

• Amazon KDP makes it easy to publish and sell journals worldwide with low startup cost
• Best-selling journals include gratitude logs, fitness trackers, travel diaries, and planners
• Tools like Canva help design standout covers and interior pages without design experience
• Choose materials that match your journal’s purpose—premium, portable, or durable
• Optimize your KDP listing with the right keywords, titles, and categories for better visibility
• Promote using social media, email marketing, and collaborations to boost reach
• Track sales and feedback through Amazon dashboards to improve future launches
• Publishing takes just 24–72 hours once your journal is uploaded and approved

Turn your creativity into income with Amazon KDP—no experience needed. Selling custom-designed journals gives you access to millions of customers and the chance to build a profitable business from home. This guide covers everything from journal basics to using design tools like Canva to bring your ideas to life. Let’s get started!

Understanding the Basics of Journal Creation

Selling journals on Amazon is an amazing way to make some extra money. Here are its benefits. 

Benefits of Selling Journals on Amazon

Amazon KDP is not just an ordinary platform; it brings along numerous advantages when it comes to selling journals. Here are a few key reasons why Amazon KDP is the bestselling choice for authors:

• Low Initial Investment: With Amazon KDP, you can design, create and publish custom-made journals, which is a great way to do so without having to worry about hefty upfront costs or the need for an inventory.
• Passive Income Generator: Once your journal is live on Amazon, it could generate sales passively, positioning you to earn a steady stream of income.
• Global Outreach: Amazon provides access to a global market, broadening the potential audience and customer base for your journal.
• Creative Liberation: Crafting your own journal affords you the freedom to design merchandise that caters to specific customer needs or reflects your personal style.

Embracing these benefits could pave your pathway to developing a flourishing online business!

Not ready to sell on Amazon or don’t have inventory yet? Check out our guide on how to make money on Amazon—without selling a single product!

Types of Journals That Sell Well

Success on Amazon starts with knowing what sells. Focus on journal types and themes that resonate with buyers.

Here are some of the most popular journal types on Amazon:

1. Gratitude Journals

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Designed to foster self-reflection and thankfulness, these journals have surged in popularity alongside growing interest in mental wellness and mindfulness practices.

2. Planners (Weekly, Monthly, Yearly) 

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Ideal for organized individuals who rely on structured scheduling. These journals help users manage appointments, goals, and daily to-dos with ease.

3. Fitness Logs 

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Tailored for health-conscious customers, fitness journals help track workout routines, nutrition plans, and progress over time, encouraging accountability and motivation.

4. Blank Notebooks

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A versatile option for those who value creative freedom. Whether it’s for note-taking, doodling, journaling, or brainstorming, blank notebooks are a perennial bestseller.

5. Travel Journals 

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Perfect for avid travelers who enjoy capturing memories on the go. These journals often double as scrapbooks, allowing space for photos, tickets, and mementos.

Understanding which journal types are in demand can help you design and market products that align with customer interests—and ultimately increase your chances of success on Amazon.

Essential Tools You Need To Create a Compelling Journal

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Tools like Canva simplify journal design, even for beginners. To publish, set up an Amazon KDP account and finalize your journal’s niche and dimensions for a polished, ready-to-sell product.

Software for Designing Journals

Designing a standout journal cover doesn’t require a background in graphic design—especially with tools like Canva at your disposal. Whether you're launching a gratitude journal or a travel log, Canva empowers you to create eye-catching, professional-quality designs with minimal effort.

Here’s why Canva is a smart choice for journal creators:

• User-Friendly Interface – Designed for ease, Canva lets you dive straight into creating without wrestling with complicated tools.
• Versatile Templates – Choose from a wide array of templates tailored to different journal themes, then customize fonts, colors, and graphics to match your vision.
• Advanced Features, Simplified – From unique typography effects to detailed illustrations, Canva gives you high-end capabilities without the learning curve.
• Print-Ready Output – Your designs are automatically optimized for platforms like Amazon KDP, ensuring they meet resolution and bleed requirements.
• Theme-Driven Workflow – Once you’ve defined your journal’s niche—be it a fitness log, idea book, or planner—Canva helps bring that concept to life with aligned visual elements.

If you're serious about making your journal stand out in a crowded market, Canva is more than just a tool—it’s a creative partner.

Selecting the Right Materials

The right material enhances your journal’s value and user experience. Whether for elegance, portability, or durability, choose materials that align with your journal’s purpose.

Here’s a quick guide to matching journal types with the most suitable materials:

• Creating a luxurious, premium-feel journal
  → Use high-quality cover materials like leather or hardcover
  These elevate the perceived value and are ideal for giftable or keepsake-style journals.
• Designing a compact, travel-friendly journal
  → Choose softcover materials for a lightweight, flexible option
  Softcovers are easy to carry and perfect for users on the go.
• Crafting a fitness or diet journal
  → Opt for durable, water-resistant covers
  These protect against wear and tear, sweat, or spills from frequent handling.

Selecting the right materials isn’t just a production decision—it’s part of your journal’s story. Prioritize both form and function to ensure your product meets your audience’s expectations.

Designing Your Journal

Journal design involves creating a compelling cover and thoughtfully laid-out interior pages. A striking cover grabs attention, while the interior—whether lined, blank, dotted, or mixed—should match the journal’s purpose. Tools like Canva make the design process smoother and more efficient.

Crafting Attractive Covers

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Your journal cover is your product’s first impression and key to driving clicks on Amazon. To make it stand out:

• Start with a Clear Theme – Ensure the cover reflects your journal’s purpose, like fitness, travel, or mindfulness.
• Use Relevant Visuals and Quotes – Connect emotionally with potential buyers through imagery or inspiring words.
• Choose High-Contrast Colors – Make your title and design pop, even in thumbnail view.
• Prioritize Font Readability – Use clear, legible fonts for easy reading.
• Leverage Tools like Canva – Create professional, niche-aligned covers using Canva’s templates.

Your cover isn’t just decoration; it’s a vital tool for attracting customers. Make it count.

Formatting Interior Pages

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A well-designed journal interior is essential for user engagement. Ensure the layout supports the journal’s purpose:

• Daily Planners – Include sections for appointments, to-dos, and reminders.
• Fitness Journals – Provide space to track workouts, meals, and progress.
• Gratitude Journals – Use prompts for daily reflections.
• Travel Journals – Add features like packing lists and itinerary pages.

Tools like Canva simplify the process, offering templates for polished interiors.

Steps Before Publishing Your Journal

Before publishing on Amazon KDP, verify key factors: conduct market research to find popular niches and keywords, set a competitive price based on market rates, and register your journal with an ISBN for exclusive identity. Let’s explore these steps in detail.

Conducting Niche and Keyword Research

Identifying a profitable niche that aligns with your interests is crucial for creating a successful journal business. Here's a breakdown of niche categories and keyword research tips to help guide your efforts:

• Niche Categories
  • Fitness Journals
  • Productivity Planners
  • Mindfulness Journals
• Sample Keywords
  • Fitness Journals: Fitness log, workout tracker
  • Productivity Planners: Planner, daily organizer
  • Mindfulness Journals: Gratitude journal, mindfulness diary

Setting the Right Price

Determining the ideal price for your journal is a key factor in driving sales and ensuring profitability. Here's how to approach pricing:

• Factor in design, publishing, shipping, and royalties.

• Factor in design, publishing, and royalties.
• Check Competitor Pricing
  • Research similar journals within your category to find a price benchmark.
• Balance Perceived Value
  • Avoid setting prices too low (may indicate poor quality) or too high (may limit potential buyers).

Obtaining an ISBN for Your Journal

An International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is essential for selling your journal through various retailers and distributors. Here’s what you need to know about ISBNs:

• Required for Distribution
  • Necessary if you plan to sell through booksellers, libraries, and wholesalers.
• Contains Key Information
  • Includes details like language, publisher, edition, and format for tracking and ordering.
• Free ISBN via Amazon KDP
  • Amazon KDP offers a free ISBN during setup.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Create a Journal to Sell on Amazon Using Canva

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Curious about selling journals on Amazon? Canva makes it simple to design and publish high-quality journals, even if you’re just starting out. This guide walks you through setting up your KDP account, choosing the right theme and size, designing with Canva, and getting your journal live on Amazon..

Step 1: Setting Up Your Amazon KDP Account

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Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) offers a platform that makes publishing your journal seamless. Here’s how to start with KDP. 

• You begin by signing up for a free KDP account if you don't have one already. Simply visit the KDP website and sign in with your existing Amazon account or create a new one. 
• The set-up process involves providing essential details like your name, address, and payment information. This allows you to receive royalties from your journal sales.

Step 2: Choosing Your Journal Theme and Dimensions

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Selecting the right theme for your journal is crucial to attract potential customers. Consider how your chosen niche can resonate with your target audience. 

Additionally, determining dimensions is essential for usability—standard journal sizes include 6x9 inches, A5 (5.8" x 8.3"), and 7x10 inches, each offering a balance between portability and writing space. 

Utilize tools like Google Keyword Planner to find high-ranking keywords related to your theme, ensuring your product listings gain visibility. A well-designed book cover will further entice buyers across various online retailers.

Standard journal size: 

• 5 x 8 inch (12.7 x 20.32 cm)
• 5.5 x 8.5 inch (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
• 5.06 x 7.81 inch (12.85 x 19.84 cm)
• 5.25 x 8 inch (13.34 x 20.32 cm)
• 6 x 9 inch (15.24 x 22.86 cm)
• 6.14 x 9.21 inch (15.6 x 23.39 cm)
• 6.69 x 9.61 inch (16.99 x 24.4 cm)
• 7 x 10 inch (17.78 x 25.4 cm)
• 7.5 x 9.25 inch (19.05 x 23.5 cm)
• 7.44 x 9.69 inch (18.9 x 24.61 cm)
• 8 x 10 inch (20.32 x 25.4 cm)
• 8.5 x 8.5 inch (21.59 x 21.59 cm)
• 8.5 x 11 inch (21.59 x 27.94 cm)
• 8.25 x 6 inch (20.96 x 15.24 cm)
• 8.25 x 8.25 inch (20.96 x 20.96 cm)
• 8.25 x 11 inch (20,96 x 27,94 cm)
• 8.27 x 11.69 inch (21 x 29.7 cm)

Step 3: Designing Your Journal Cover Using Canva

Your journal’s cover is what gets people to click. Canva makes it easy to design eye-catching covers with its vast template library and customization features.

Here’s how to create your cover in Canva:

1. Sign in to Canva or create a free account.
2. Click "Custom Size" and enter the exact dimensions required by KDP (including bleed, if applicable).
3. Search for “Book Cover” templates or start from scratch.
4. Customize your cover with Canva’s drag-and-drop features—add icons, backgrounds, fonts, and colors to match your theme.
5. Make sure your title is clear, readable, and on-brand.

Design your journal’s interior to fit its purpose—planners, fitness logs, and gratitude journals each need tailored layouts. Tools like Canva simplify customization, from margins to icons, ensuring a polished, consistent look.

Remember, the cover serves as your first interaction point with potential buyers, spend adequate time making it riveting.

Step 4: Designing the Interior Pages

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Canva allows you to create multiple-page documents, perfect for journal interiors. Use their templates or build your own layouts depending on your journal type:

• Planners: include daily, weekly, or monthly layouts.
• Fitness logs: add tables for workouts, meals, and progress tracking.
• Gratitude journals: insert prompts, space for reflection, and motivational quotes.
  
  

Customize fonts, line spacing, icons, and headers for a polished, functional design. Keep the layout clean and consistent across pages.

Step 5: Exporting Your Design and Uploading to Amazon KDP

Once your cover and interior are complete:

1. Download both as PDF Print files from Canva.
2. Ensure the files are high resolution (minimum 300 DPI).
3. Head to your KDP dashboard and click “Create Paperback."
   
4. Upload your interior PDF and cover (as a separate PDF if using KDP's cover upload option).

KDP’s preview tool will help you ensure everything fits correctly.

Step 6: Publishing and Marketing Your Journal

After uploading your files, add your title, description, keywords, and pricing details. Hit “Publish,” and your journal will go live within 24–72 hours.

Marketing Tips:

• Optimize your Amazon listing with keywords found in your earlier research.
• Create mockups of your journal using Canva and post them on Instagram, Pinterest, or TikTok.
• Share behind-the-scenes looks at your design process or customer reviews.
• Use Amazon Ads and email marketing to drive traffic

Publishing on Amazon KDP

Publishing on Amazon KDP is simple: set up your title, upload files, set rights and pricing, and choose distribution. After reviewing your print preview, hit "Publish Your Paperback Book"—your journal is ready to go live.

Setting Up Your Amazon KDP Account

A crucial facet of publishing your journal on Amazon KDP is setting up an Amazon KDP account if you don't have one already. The registration process is simple:

Step 1: Head to the KDP website and sign in with your Amazon account or create one.

Step 2: Input requisite details like your name, address, and payment information. This enables KDP to disburse your royalty earnings for your journal sales. 

Step 3: With your KDP account set up, move forward to selecting your journal's format, define your book's language, create a unique title, and add relevant keywords and categories.

Ensuring these details are right sets the stage for a successful publishing journey on Amazon.

Uploading and Configuring Your Journal

Once your book details are complete, you’re ready to upload your manuscript and cover files to Amazon KDP. Here’s a streamlined process to follow:

• Upload Manuscript and Cover Files
  • Upload high-resolution PDFs of your journal.
  • KDP generates a preview to review before publishing.
• Adjust as Needed
  • Make adjustments based on the preview to ensure accuracy.
• Set Pricing and Royalties
  • Choose between 35% and 60% royalty options for printed journals.
• Distribution Settings
  • Select distribution preferences to control where your journal is sold.
• Fast Publishing
  • Your journal will be available on Amazon within 24 to 72 hours.

Marketing Your Journal

Creating a great journal is just the beginning—smart marketing makes sure it gets noticed. By optimizing your Amazon listing and promoting your product strategically, you can boost visibility and sales.

Amazon SEO Tips:

• Use keyword-rich titles like Fitness Journal or Daily Gratitude Diary
  
• Write clear, detailed descriptions with high-traffic search terms
• Encourage customer reviews to improve rankings
• Maintain high product quality and service to support SEO
  
  

Sales-Boosting Strategies:

• Email Marketing: Send updates, discounts, and tips to your audience
• Paid Ads: Use Amazon Ads or other platforms for targeted reach
• Collaborations: Partner with influencers or niche bloggers for exposure
• Word-of-Mouth: Deliver exceptional value to turn customers into advocates

If you want to know more about marketing your journal, check out our blog on Amazon SEO strategy, and Amazon Marketing Cloud. 

Analyzing Sales and Customer Feedback

Sales data and customer feedback provide valuable insights into your business. Analyzing this information helps identify successful strategies, popular products, and areas for improvement. It also allows you to better understand customer needs and make adjustments to enhance performance.

Utilizing Amazon's Sales Data

Amazon provides several built-in tools to help you monitor and understand your sales performance.

Key Reports on Amazon

• Sales Dashboard – Visual summary of sales and order trends
• Order Reports – Detailed records of customer purchases
• Payment Reports – Breakdown of royalties and earnings

Reviewing these regularly helps you fine-tune pricing, manage inventory, and identify effective promotions.

Adapting Based on Reviews and Feedback

Customer reviews are valuable for improving your product and customer experience.

• Identify Patterns – Look for common praise or complaints
• Respond to Reviews – Show appreciation and address concerns
• Incorporate Feedback – Use suggestions to improve future products
• Continuous Learning – Every review is an opportunity for growth and better customer alignment

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We specialize in helping sellers rise above the noise with conversion-optimized listings, data-backed keyword targeting, and compelling brand messaging. From polished A+ content to impactful storefronts, every detail is designed to build trust and drive sales.

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Conclusion

Creating and selling a journal on Amazon is more than a side hustle—it’s a rewarding creative venture. With tools like Canva and a clear niche, you can design, list, and market your journal effectively. This guide equips you with the essentials to get started, helping you turn your ideas into something impactful and profitable. Enjoy the journey and keep building boldly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Publish a Journal on Amazon?

Publishing your journal on Amazon KDP is relatively quick. After uploading and reviewing your journal, it can take up to 24 to 72 hours for your journal to be available for customers to purchase on Amazon.

What is the Cost Evaluation for Creating a Journal?

Creating a journal for Amazon KDP involves minimal costs. Some mild expenses can be incurred in terms of design software or professional design assistance. However, publishing the journal on Amazon KDP is free, making it accessible for beginners to start their creative venture on this platform.

What file format should I use for journal interiors on Amazon KDP?

Amazon KDP accepts PDF format only for interiors. Make sure your file is flattened, print-ready, and exported at 300 DPI with bleed if needed.

Can I use Canva fonts and elements in my journal commercially?

Yes—but only if you're using Canva Pro. Free elements are typically safe, but Pro assets come with a commercial license. Always double-check Canva’s license terms before publishing

Ready to boost your Amazon sales and grow your brand? Contact beBOLD Digital today and let our expert team help you reach your full potential on Amazon!