6 Examples of Journals Created with Kindle Direct Publishing
Have you ever thought about creating your own journal or planner and selling it around the world?
When I first seriously considered it in 2018, I thought I’d have to start a Kickstarter campaign to make my vision a reality.
Custom journals and planners can require a huge upfront cost not to mention shipping, taxes, etc.
While I truly believe that anything is possible and doable if we want to achieve it, I also was looking for an easier way to get started with the process.
Luckily, I discovered KDP or Kindle Direct Publishing (formerly CreateSpace) which is a self-publishing platform through Amazon.
It’s free to use AND you get a free listing for your book right on Amazon (something that usually requires a monthly membership to Amazon Seller Central).
I’d seen a lot of people self-publish their own books but I wanted to see if I could create journals and planners and the answer is you absolutely can! (Read more about how to publish your own planner in this post here).
Today I want to share with you the two main planners I created with KDP and how I’ve helped over 30 students create their own journals and planners on Amazon as well!
Here’s what I’ll be covering in this blog post:
What kinds of cover and paper options you have with KDP
Examples of journals, planners, and interior pages both me and my students have created
Why I LOVE KDP and still use it for the journals I continue to create
How you can get started and create your own journal!
Before we get into all these amazing journals, I want to let you know that I go into a LOT more detail inside my Free Planner Publishing 101 Workshop all about Successfully Self-Publishing and Selling Your Journal or Planner on Amazon. You can watch it right here.
COVER & PAPER OPTIONS WITH KINDLE DIRECT PUBLISHING
KDP lets you allows you to create gorgeous paperback (and now hardcover) books in a variety of sizes which means it’s super easy to make custom journals, planners, and workbooks.
Cover options include a glossy or matte finish.
Interior pages can be black and white or color on cream or bright white paper.
Journal sizes come in standard sizes such as 5x8, 8x10, 8.5x11, and custom sizes only naming a few!
JOURNAL & PLANNER EXAMPLES
The Mindful Productivity Guide
The Mindful Productivity Guide is an undated planner that will guide you toward planning with intention on your terms. Start (and pause) your planning when you need to. Let go of feeling like you're "behind" because you missed a week. This planner allows you to work through your schedule as life ebbs and flows.
This was the very first planner that I self-published and it was so much fun to create! It recently got a brand new update with all new interior pages! The original planner was created inside of Canva (something I walk my students through inside Publish with Purpose).
The Daily Productivity & Brain Dump Book
The Daily Productivity & Brain Dump Book provides daily brain dump templates to declutter your mind and boost your mental energy. Daily Productivity Pages guide you to map out your daily focus projects and target tasks so you can stay organized, focused, and productive!
The Daily Productivity & Brain Dump Book is something I use almost daily. It helps you gain mental clarity and energy for the day ahead. This book was created in Apple Keynote.
This planner is an 8x10 with a black and white interior on white pages.
Let’s take a look at some examples from students of Publish with Purpose…
The Positivity Planner by Laura Beeson
The Positivity Planner is an undated planner that will show you simple tools to help you clarify your vision and blossom into the person you want to be. Get ready for a guided journey of growth and self-development with mindfulness prompts to help you tap into the next level version of yourself.
Positivity Planning involves four phases: Seed, Grow, Blossom and Nurture. Each section includes exercises which will help you stretch yourself and focus on growth while maintaining a positive attitude and improving your mental health.
The Positivity Planner is perfect for the plant lover in you who wants to create better habits, follow through with plans and achieve your goals.
If you’re ready to fine tune your plans and develop habits that align with your big picture dreams, this planner has everything you need to walk forward with a clear vision full of success.
This planner is an 8x10 with a black and white interior on white pages.
Learn more about Laura’s Positivity Planner on her portfolio page here!
The 90-Day Novel Writing Planner by Marisa Mohi
Novel writing is tough. So I created this planner to help me see the forest for the trees. This planner is designed to keep all your novel writing bits and pieces in one place. Sure, digital tools like Scrivener, Pinterest, and Google Drive can keep things for you. But I’m an analog girl, so this planner makes it a lot easier for me to keep notes together, and in a way that actually helps me write. There are times when you have an idea, but you don’t know where to start. Find the 90-Day Novel Writing Planner on Amazon here!
This planner is an 8x10 with a black and white interior on white pages.
Client Calls Simplified by Amanda Cross
Taking a client call, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, can be nerve-wracking. No one ever talks about how challenging talking on the phone can be, or how bad looking at a blank sheet of paper when you are taking notes can feel. Unless you go into freelancing with a ton of sales experience, it can be challenging to make sense of client calls.
Client Calls Simplified is here to help you create a better client call experience. The pages in this journal will help you organize your thoughts and prepare for the next steps once you get off the phone. You can go from disorganized to confident every time you get on the phone with a client.
This planner is an 8.5x11 with a black and white interior on white pages.
My Unstoppable Life Daily Journal by Simone Samuels
The My Unstoppable Life Daily Journal is an undated quarterly journal and tracker that will help you put an end to overwhelm and stress so you can easily pave the way toward an unstoppable life. Inside this journal, you’ll be invited to cultivate more magic, resilience, and productivity to your days by creating an intentional daily morning writing routine and evening ritual, based on the lunar cycle. Completing the daily pages will guide you to focus on your self-care and truly make it a priority. You will be encouraged to reflect on your dreams, set intentions, and create inspired goals while also learning how you can harness the power of the moon in your everyday life to make positive changes to your routine and lifestyle.
This planner is executive sized at 7”x10” with a black and white interior on white pages.
See a walkthrough of Simone’s Journal over on her portfolio page here.
