How I Made Money with Amazon KDP in 30 Days

Were you aware that starting a new Amazon KDP account can lead to sales within just a month? Let’s unravel this journey together and discover what it really takes to initiate sales in the world of self-publishing!

“One of the most common questions when it comes to Amazon KDP is how long it realistically takes to start getting sales.” [verify]

How Many Books Published?

Have you ever wondered how many books you realistically need to publish to see initial sales on Amazon KDP? After starting a robust yet fresh KDP account, I decided to conduct an experiment over a 30-day period. From October 9th through the end of the month, I uploaded seven uniquely themed word search puzzle books geared toward camping enthusiasts. To stay within Amazon’s rule for new accounts (which caps uploads at three titles per day), I spaced my releases: one on October 9th, a second the following day, two more on October 18th, and three final entries on October 24th and October 26th. This pacing feels doable for anyone serious about ramping up their KDP inventory early on.

To streamline the publishing process, I designed each cover in Canva using a consistent color palette and template, then formatted the interior puzzles with a grid-based layout. Each book took about two to three hours from title research to final upload. Tracking my daily progress in a spreadsheet helped me stay on pace, and the consistent theme across all seven—camping word searches—allowed for slight variations in puzzles without reinventing the wheel.

Earnings Day 1–30

So, what did my first 30 days yield in terms of royalties? Surprisingly, only one sale. That lone purchase generated $1.27 in earnings. At first glance, this result might seem discouraging after the effort of designing and uploading seven books. However, it underscores an important truth on Amazon: listings need time to index and climb the search rankings before they can attract steady organic traffic. Interestingly, after that single sale, Amazon automatically increased my daily upload limit beyond three titles, but I chose to maintain a seven-book launch cadence to test sustainable publishing rates. If you hit early sales, you can accelerate your content pipeline by uploading more books per day, but I recommend careful quality control over quantity.

Earnings Day 31–90

Between November 10th and January 11th, those same seven camping word search books began benefiting from their initial ranking momentum. With no paid advertising running, each title started to surface in relevant searches and capture the attention of niche puzzle fans. By January 11th, total royalties had grown to $29.17. It’s worth noting that mid-experiment I shared tutorials showing exactly how these books were created. That transparency led to a wave of copycats in identical sub-niches, which subsequently diluted some of my own sales. Nevertheless, this phase clearly illustrated the power of organic discoverability on Amazon KDP—and how momentum builds over time when you hit the right niche.

Best Amazon KDP Advice

If you’re contemplating jumping into Amazon KDP, take this key lesson to heart: target sub-niches rather than broad categories. A generic “word search book” faces a sea of competitors on Amazon. Instead, identify narrower markets—like camping-themed puzzles, hobby-specific journals, or regional travel logs—where demand exists but competition is light. By focusing on specialized customer interests, you increase your chance of appearing on the first page of search results and converting curious browsers into buyers.

In addition to choosing sub-niches, optimize your metadata. Incorporate primary and secondary keywords naturally in your book title, subtitle, and description. Craft cover images that pop against competitors—bold typography and clear imagery show up well in small thumbnail sizes. These small optimizations, paired with niche focus, signal relevancy to Amazon’s search algorithm and improve your discoverability.

How To Find Under-Saturated Niches

Discovering high-potential, low-competition niches doesn’t have to be daunting. When vetting each niche, keep an eye on two key numbers: search volume and competition score. A high search volume indicates demand, while a top grade (A or B) for competition suggests few books are fighting for the same spot. For example, I discovered “adventure word search” had around 2,000 monthly searches with an A-level competition score and about 71 estimated sales—an ideal sweet spot. Similarly, “Alaska word search” surfaced nearly 3,800 searches per month, also with an A rating and an estimated 137 sales. That intel guided my decision to focus on outdoors and camping-themed puzzles.

Here’s a streamlined process using Book Bolt and manual validation:

1. Log into Book Bolt and navigate to Keywords → Search.
2. Enter a base term related to your planned book (for example, “word search” or “notebook”).
3. Adjust the results to show the top 100 trending keyword phrases.
4. Scan for ideas that resonate with your interests; click the heart icon to save them.
5. Switch to Keywords → Favorites, then view each favorite’s details.
6. Focus on those with an A-rated competition score and a healthy monthly search volume.
7. Cross-check these by manually searching Amazon to confirm the number and quality of competing titles.

Beyond Book Bolt, you can also use free Amazon autocomplete (type a keyword into the search bar and note the suggestions) and tools like MerchantWords for supplemental insights. Use Book Bolt’s reverse ASIN lookup to analyze top-selling books in your niche and the “Look Inside” feature to gauge interior complexity. Finally, build a content calendar mapping out when you’ll publish each niche title to maintain consistent momentum.

Conclusion

Ready to launch your own Amazon KDP venture? Remember:

• Focus on specialized sub-niches to reduce competition and attract the right buyers.

Be patient: organic sales on Amazon can take several weeks to build momentum, but once your books rank, they’ll continue generating passive income. Keep revisiting and refining your keyword strategy quarterly to stay ahead of new trends. What underserved niche will you explore first? Let me know in the comments below!