Low & Medium Content Books on Amazon KDP: What’s Really Working (and What Isn’t) Through 2026
Trends, Opportunities and Strategies for Passive Income Generation with KDP
For a while, low-content books on Amazon KDP felt like a gold rush. Blank notebooks, simple planners, and quick journals flooded the platform - and many early publishers made solid money.
That era is over.
But the KDP opportunity has disappeared. It’s just shifted.
Between 2023 and 2025, the low-content space has matured into something more competitive, more demanding, and for the right creators, more sustainable. Medium-content books in particular are emerging as the long-term winners.
This article summarises key findings from an in-depth KDP market analysis covering trends, niches, risks, and forecasts through 2026, with a practical lens on what to publish now if you want results later.
First: What Amazon Really Means by “Low Content”
Amazon officially defines low-content books as titles with little to no written content and largely repetitive interiors, such as:
Lined notebooks
Blank journals
Undated planners
Simple logbooks
These must be marked as low content during upload and do not receive a free ISBN. They also don’t allow “Look Inside” (now titled “Read Sample” previews.
And by contrast, what creators commonly call medium-content books include:
Colouring books
Puzzle and activity books
Guided journals
Workbooks and trackers
These contain non-repetitive pages and meaningful original content, although they’re usually not text-heavy. Amazon treats them like regular books, which gives them more flexibility and visibility.
This distinction matters more than ever.
The Current Reality of the KDP Market (2023–2025)
The low/medium content ecosystem is huge - and also very crowded.
Some categories now contain hundreds of thousands of titles. Generic notebooks and planners are especially oversupplied, making discoverability extremely difficult without a strong angle or existing audience.
At the same time, buyer demand hasn’t vanished. It’s simply become more selective.
Today’s KDP buyers expect:
Clear purpose
Thoughtful design
Error-free interiors
Something that solves a problem or delivers an experience
Amazon has responded by tightening rules, including upload limits and AI-content disclosures - with the intention of reducing spam and protecting customer trust.
In short:
Low effort no longer works. Value still (always) does.
What’s Actually Selling Right Now
Across both US and UK marketplaces, several categories continue to perform consistently — especially where books offer real utility or enjoyment.
1. Puzzle & Activity Books (Especially Large Print)
Word search, sudoku, crosswords, and mixed puzzle books - particularly for seniors, remain evergreen.
Why they work:
Strong repeat-purchase behaviour
Clear use cases (relaxation, cognitive engagement)
Large-print editions are hugely in demand
Series formats (“Volume 1, Volume 2…”) perform especially well.
2. Adult Colouring Books (Done Well)
Adult colouring is no longer a fad, it’s a steady and hugely popular wellness niche.
Successful books typically:
Have a clear theme (nature, mindfulness, nostalgia, humour)
Avoid obvious AI artefacts
Balance simple and intricate designs
Poor-quality or rushed AI colouring books, however, are increasingly called out in reviews.
3. Niche-Specific Planners & Journals
Generic planners are saturated, however specific planners still sell.
Examples:
Planners for teachers, carers, small business owners
Wellness-focused planners (burnout recovery, gentle productivity)
Hobby planners (gardening, reading, fitness tracking)
Undated formats outperform dated ones long-term and reduce the need for yearly updates.
4. Guided Wellness Journals
Books that provide light structure such as prompts, reflections, trackers - continue to resonate, especially when tailored to a specific audience.
Strong sub-niches include:
Gratitude and mindfulness
Anxiety and stress support
Faith-based or spiritual journaling
Life transitions (retirement, menopause, caregiving)
The key is guidance without overwhelm.
5. Children’s Activity & Learning Books
Parents are still actively buying:
Travel activity books
Seasonal activity books
Educational workbooks (age-specific)
The winners here are tightly aligned to age range and clearly labelled for buyers (i.e. parents).
What’s Saturated (or Quietly Dying)
If you’re starting from scratch, these are the hardest paths right now:
Plain lined notebooks with generic covers
“Same interior, different cover” books
Keyword-stuffed titles trying to game search
Ultra-low-effort AI content
Copycat versions of existing bestsellers
Amazon’s algorithm and customers alike are less forgiving than they were even two years ago.
If your only differentiator is “I made another book”, it’s unlikely to gain traction.
The Big Shift: Why Medium Content Is the Future
Across the data, one pattern stands out clearly:
A small percentage of higher-quality, content-rich books generate the majority of revenue.
Medium-content books:
Command higher prices
Earn better reviews
Are harder to replicate
Build trust and repeat buyers
This doesn’t mean low-content is dead, but it does mean hybrids and enhanced formats are where growth is happening.
Think:
Journals + prompts
Planners + habit tracking
Logs + guidance
Activity books with real progression
Added value (bonus downloads, 2 books in one etc)
Trends to Watch Through 2026
Looking ahead, several clear trajectories are emerging.
1. Hybrid Formats Will Dominate
Books that blur categories (workbook + journal, activity + reflection) will outperform single-purpose designs. I’ve recently seen this with my Wheel of the Year Journal - I update it every year, but changed the title from “planner” to “journal” for 2026, plus updating the description - sales have increased significantly)
2. Premium & Gift-Ready Books
Hardcovers, colour interiors, and keepsake-style books will continue to grow, especially outside purely utilitarian niches.
3. Accessibility & Large Print
Age-friendly layouts, bold typography, and simplified designs are expanding beyond puzzles into journals and planners.
4. Gamified & Challenge-Based Content
30-day challenges, trackers with progress visuals, and goal-driven formats are gaining traction.
5. Ethical AI as a Tool - Not a Shortcut
AI will remain useful for ideation and production efficiency, but always keep in mind that unedited, low-quality AI output is becoming a liability, not an advantage. That’s not to say that Amazon frowns on AI - the important piece is to use it as an assistant, not a sole creator.
Building Passive Income (The Realistic Version)
The creators who succeed long-term don’t rely on one book.
They build:
Small, focused catalogues
Series within niches
Evergreen titles with seasonal boosts
They also think beyond Amazon:
Etsy for printables
IngramSpark or Lulu for alternative formats
Direct sales for premium or personalised products
Diversification isn’t merely about growth, it’s about long-term resilience.
The Biggest Success Factors Going Forward
Across hundreds of examples, the same themes repeat:
Clear niche selection
Real value for a defined audience
Strong, readable design
Clean metadata and honest positioning
Willingness to adapt as the platform evolves
This is no longer about publishing more.
It’s about publishing better.
Final Thoughts
Low-content publishing isn’t a shortcut these days, although it is still a viable business model for creators willing to evolve. I started in 2020 and have seen considerable shifts - I’m still learning and improving!
So, if you’re prepared to:
Move beyond generic formats
Focus on usefulness and experience
Treat publishing like a long-term asset, not a hack
Then you’ll find the KDP landscape through 2026 remains full of opportunity - IF you’re ready to work hard and persevere.
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If you’ve found the information in this article useful, I’d love to hear from you - and please feel free to restack!
