The Smartest Book You Are Not Publishing

Let me put you on to the most underrated book in publishing.

It is not the memoir. It is not the novel. It is the humble coloring book, and the authors and brands who publish them quietly do very, very well.

Here is why the coloring book deserves your attention:

It is the fastest custom-illustrated book you can publish. No manuscript. No chapters. You bring a list of what you want illustrated, Bible verses, affirmations, your city, your characters, and the illustrations do the storytelling.

It sells year round, to everyone. Adult coloring is a stress-relief staple, kids never stopped, and coloring books make effortless gifts, event favors, and ministry tools. Our client Ashley N. Company built Travel-ish, a travel-inspiration coloring book celebrating Black women around the world, as a beautiful extension of her travel brand. Kristine Smith made Let's Dance for young dancers. Different audiences. Same smart move.

And it multiplies. Here is my favorite part. Because your coloring book is built from custom illustrations, those illustrations can be colored and formatted into a full children's book. Same art, second product. With our add-on, that is a coloring book and an illustrated children's book, a complete two-book product line, for 6,000 dollars total. Many authors pay more than that for one book.

The math is friendly too

The Standard Coloring Book package is 3,500 dollars for up to 24 custom illustrations, interior design, and a cover that sells. At 20 dollars a copy, that is 175 books to break even, or one paid workshop. And unlike trend-driven books, a good coloring book keeps selling quietly for years.

Sometimes the smartest book is the simplest one.