The Rise of Low-Content Books on Amazon KDP in 2025

Introduction: Why “less” content is suddenly more

Walk into any school bag store or creator’s store and you’ll find everything from stylish dotted notebooks, daily planners, heavy duty notebooks, long books and guided journals. These are all “low content” books, i.e. physical books where the value is in structure, layout and the usability rather than long-form text.

Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) have moved from side-hustle experiments to the professional micro-publishing niche.

In 2025, several currents converged to accelerate their rise: print-on-demand quality, maturing design tools, clearer KDP rules, smarter ad options, and a creator economy hungry for physical products that reinforce digital brands. This piece unpacks the trend with practical strategies, cost math, pitfalls to avoid, and a forward look at where Low-Content is heading next.

What Amazon KDP considers as a Low-Content book

Some books have minimal text on interior pages or have a lot of repetitive content or are designed in a way that is filled out by the user. Classic examples include notebooks, journals, diaries, logbooks, scorecards, and prompt journals. Puzzle books and coloring books typically don’t count as low content books because they don’t present repetitive content.

Two Policy nuances matter in 2025:

  • ISBNs: Low-Content paperbacks/hardcovers can be published without an ISBN and are not eligible for KDP’s free ISBN. If you want features like Look Inside and Transparency codes, then you need to get your own ISBN. Expanded distribution is not supported for low-content regardless.

  • Series pages: Titles that are Low-content and public domain works are not eligible for KDP “Series” creation. Plan discoverability around keywords, A+ content, and author pages instead.

This combination rewards craft over volume—the exact shift serious low-content creators needed.

2) Economics you can model upfront

How KDP has Changed Print Economics in 2025

  • Royalty for lower-priced print books:
    For certain list price thresholds, such as books below $9.99, the 60% of the print royalty rate becomes 50% of the list price minus printing. At the same time, KDP reduces color printing costs for the same marketplace, opening up new design possibilities (full-bleed planners, mood trackers, or color-coded teacher logs).

  • Cost Visibility:
    KDP’s official printing cost and royalty calculator lets you calculate margins based on trim, page count, and marketplace requirements—critical for low-content books.

3) Discoverability tools keep improving

KDP surfaces A+ content image models on product pages to show interior spreads—especially useful because low-content interiors aren’t always eligible for “Look Inside” without your own ISBN.

The world of self-publishing has changed a lot in recent years, and one of those changes is that Amazon KDP is making so many people crazy about the rising popularity of content books. This trend shows no sign of slowing down in 2025.

What are Low-Content Books?

Low content books are publications with minimal written text. They are lightly formatted pages designed for a specific purpose. Examples:

  1. Journals – Blank pages for writing or sketching.

  2. Planners – Calendars, goal setting templates.

  3. Workbooks – Activity books for learning/self-improvement.

  4. Coloring books – Illustrations for relaxation.

Benefits of Low-Content Books

  1. Passive Income – Generate steady income via Amazon KDP’s royalty program.

  2. Low Overhead Costs – Minimal upfront costs make it attractive.

  3. Flexibility – Can be created/published quickly to match market trends.

The Rise of Low-Content Books on KDP

Why popular?

  1. Growing demand for self-care and mindfulness.

  2. Increased accessibility of digital tools.

  3. Amazon KDP’s wide reach and ease of use.

Challenges and Considerations

  1. Competition – High competition among creators.

  2. Quality Control – Professional design and usability are crucial.

  3. KDP Policies – Must comply with changing rules.

Strategies for Success

  1. Niche selection – Target high-demand but low-competition niches.

  2. High-quality design – Visually appealing, professional layouts.

  3. Keyword optimization – Boost discoverability on Amazon.

  4. Marketing & Promotion – Social media, email marketing, ads.

  5. Customer engagement – Encourage reviews and feedback.

Creating Low-Content Books

  • Use templates to save time.

  • Design for aesthetics to attract buyers.

  • Keep it simple for usability.

Marketing and Promotions

  1. Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp.

  2. Email Marketing – Build and target email lists.

  3. Amazon Advertising – Sponsored products and ads.

  4. Book Promotions – Giveaways and discounts.

Statistics about Low-Content Books in 2025

  • Demand surged post-COVID-19, especially for journals, planners, coloring books.

  • 73% of individuals (age 30–45) read at least one book in the past year.

  • Self-Publishing Growth: 2.3M+ self-published books in US (2021).

  • Income Potential: Some earn $5,000–$10,000 monthly, while top earners exceed that.

Resources and Tools

  • Amazon KDP – Publishing tools and support.

  • Design Tools – Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Excel.

  • Marketing Resources – Social media and email campaigns.

Conclusion

Low-content publishing has become a major trend on Amazon KDP in 2025. It has democratized publishing, enabling students, freelancers, parents, and retirees to generate passive income.

Consumer demand for personalized, creative, and mindfulness-driven tools keeps fueling growth. Though competition and stricter KDP policies create challenges, success lies in quality, creativity, and smart marketing strategies.