Are you a dietitian that wants to self-publish but you don’t yet have a manuscript? Creating low content books is a simple & quick way for almost anyone to become a published author – with very little writing skill required. As dietitians, we can have so much more impact and reach when we share our messages with our ideal clients through books, especially lower content books. Want to know more? Let’s dive in!
What is a Low Content Book [Amazon’s Definition]?
As per Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing’s (KDP) definition, a low-content book has minimal or no content on the interior pages. These pages are generally repetitive and designed to be filled in by the user.
Common examples include notebooks, planners, journals, and other similar works. This does not typically include activity/puzzle books or coloring books, which generally do not feature repetitive content on each page.
What are “Lower” Content Books?
Although Amazon has their own definition of low content books, one of my favorite types of books to talk about is the world of “lower content books.” These are books that are great for dietitians to dive into and explore as another source of passive income. As dietitians there are an extensive number of niches that we can tap into from pediatrics and renal to diabetes and digestive disorders and so much in between. Our ideal clients can benefit from a variety of low and lower content books within all of these area.
Lower content books are similar to “low content books” but with more variety and less repetition among the pages, as well as more content in the interior file. Examples include symptom trackers, activity books, workbooks, coloring books, and more.
Amazon KDP offers a variety of trim sizes to choose from for paperback or hardback books.
What Low (or Lower) Content Book Niches Sell the Most?
Some of the more popular low content book niches include coloring books, activity books, gratitude journals, inspirational journals, meal planning journals, food logs, and notebooks.
However, there is so much opportunity to be creative and meet the needs of your ideal client in this category or lower content books. Think outside the box. How can you best provide a solution to your client’s problems through lower content books?
Is it Free to Sell Low Content Books on Amazon?
Yes, it is free to create an Amazon KDP account and upload your low content book for publication. However, depending on how much you want to DIY versus outsource for things like graphic design, editing services, etc, you could spend more.
How Do I Create Low(er) Content Books?
Using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’s platform, you can create low content books for free the same way you would create a regular, manuscript type book. Using Canva Pro is one of the easier ways to create your low content books. This tool allows for so much creativity for you to create your cover and interior files. The sky is the limit! I definitely recommend using Canva Pro (version the free Canva option) in order to get more access to fonts, elements, photos, graphics, etc.
Create an Amazon KDP account.
Go to your Bookshelf.
Hit (+) Create. And select Paperback or Hardcover for your low-content book.
Then there will be three tabs where you have to input your book information: Details, Content, and Rights & Pricing.
Under Details, enter your title, description, keywords, and categories. Under categories, select the low-content box. If you do not select this box, or select a different box, your book will be rejected during the review/approval process.
Under Content, choose your print options like trim size, paper color, and ink color. You can choose between publish without an ISBN or use my own ISBN. Next, upload your manuscript and cover files, preview your book, and order a print proof.
Under Rights & Pricing, choose the territories where you hold distribution rights and set your list price.
After entering all your information, then publish your book!
Note: Amazon KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don’t have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory in order to be a self-published author. Learn more about KDP Book Printing Costs here.
ISBNs and Low Content Books
On Amazon KDP, low content books are not required to have an ISBN, and they also do not qualify for for a free KDP ISBN. Instead, when you create a low content book, you can either purchase and use your own ISBN (from Bowker) or just publish without an ISBN. If you choose to publish without an ISBN, then Amazon KDP will assign you an ASIN number (Amazon Standard Identification Number).
Even though Amazon says you do not need an ISBN for your ebook, it’s still recommended and best practice to purchase one. Remember, every version of your book should have its own ISBN number (ebook, paperback, and hardback = 3 ISBN numbers).
You cannot change your ISBN selection after you’ve published your book. If you need to change your ISBN selection after publishing your book, you’ll need to unpublish it from your Bookshelf and then republish it.
Bar Codes and Low Content Books
If you purchase and use your own ISBN, you can decide to upload a cover with or without a barcode. If you choose the option “Publish without an ISBN,” or decide not to provide your own barcode, Amazon will automatically place one on your back cover.
A barcode will be placed in a white box in the lower right-hand corner on the back cover of your book. Don’t include any text or objects in this area when creating your cover file or it may be rejected during the review process.
What Information Can Be Updated After Publishing a Low(er) Content Book?
After you publish your book, certain features are locked depending on the type of book you created. These features can’t be updated unless you publish the book as a new title from your KDP Bookshelf all over again.
Print Books
You cannot change the language, book title, subtitle, edition number, primary author, low content checkbox, age and grade range, ISBN choice, imprint, ink and paper type, trim size, and royalty rate.
How To Get Your Book Noticed On Amazon
Whether it’s a low or lower content book, or a manuscript heavy book, writing a book is a huge accomplishment. However, once you are done with the file and are ready to hit upload, many self-published authors quickly realize that writing the book was just half the battle. Once you hit publish and your book is LIVE to the world, it’s time for all things post-release marketing & promotion. Figuring out how to get your book noticed on Amazon can be a struggle for some but there are some strategic steps to take to help increase your discoverability and ultimately, your sales of your book listing on Amazon. Learn about these 7+ strategies to get your book noticed on Amazon.
Interested in Learning More About Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP?
Are you a dietitian that has self-publishing on your bucket list? Join the Click to Publish course today and make your dream a reality.
📖Looking for Additional Reading?
- IngramSpark Vs KDP: What Are The Key Differences?
- 21+ Amazon KDP Low-Content Book Ideas
- BISAC Codes and Amazon KDP
- 11 Reasons Why RDNs Need To Self-Publish On Amazon KDP
- How To Create Amazon A+ Content For Books
- Understanding KDP Book Printing Costs
- KDP Book Sizes: How To Select The Right One
- ISBNs For eBooks: Do You Need One?
- All About Barcodes For Books
- How To Gift An eBook On Amazon
- What Is Amazon KDP Expanded Distribution?
- How To Get Your Book Noticed On Amazon
- Understanding Amazon KDP Select – Pros And Cons
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