Curiosities

What if goals and the development of habits were reframed as experiments? Would this make the journey of reaching a goal or developing a habit easier? How might life change over the long-term by the consistent practice of experiments, without the pressure of expectation? These are some of the questions I was asking myself in late 2021 when I decided to take on several experiments with a commitment to practice them daily or weekly for the duration of 6 months - 1 year. One of the experiments, begun in June 2022, is the publishing of low to medium-low content books on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

I was initially drawn to creating books on Amazon KDP because it offers the potential of a lucrative passive income stream that is in alignment with my natural creative process and work rhythms: that is, tedious editing and proofreading, working in multiples, endless market research, solo and intense work time, and late night production. I was also attracted to the fact that books are assets. Design and write the book once; print it over and over again. Material from the book can also be repurposed into new assets (physical and digital product).

At the beginning of this experiment, my goal was to add one to two new books (journals, trackers, diaries, planners, sketchbooks, composition notebooks –as these were promoted as the most financially successful books by popular KDP creators) to my bookshelf and website each week, with the intention of creating 50-100 books by the end of 2022. (Curious if I’m on track to reach this goal? I am. However, the long-term vision for this experiment has changed.)

Intentions

Upon starting this experiment, my intentions were to (other than financial gain): stretch my creativity, see and play in new ways, create clarity in my artistic viewpoints; experiment with the Print On Demand (and affiliate/Amazon associate) business model; test my endurance with a creative project that was not passion driven; develop a commercial outlet that feeds my quirkier and more childlike creative visions.

I chose to niche down in the categories of spiritual and magical practice (like meditation and manifestation) and vintage equine/horse design, often combining the two, because these subjects felt exciting to the heart, I thought there may be lower niche competition, and I knew I could easily create 50+ unique designs with imagery from these categories.

I started designing the books with reworked prints and drawings from the public domain. All interiors that include text are original designs. (KDP Book publishers will often purchase pre-made interior templates for low-medium content books. As a book designer, I prefer to create my own interiors and sell the designs to others as templates.)

I experiment with various pen names to see how and where customer traffic flows across Amazon and my other website sites.

Lessons

The experiment is ongoing, but here is what I have learned thus far about the Amazon KDP + Print on Demand model and the process of being creative:

• It’s ok to be messy. It’s ok to make bad art. It’s ok to find clarity in the process of making and experimenting. (Some of my book cover designs are ugly AF, not up to my standard, and need to be trashed, yesterday.) My personal motto: publish first, then polish. Release all ideas from the system, then edit and refine. Sometimes, the work gets better the more it’s worked.

• No effort is a waste and nothing made is wasted. Rework and use existing art to create new designs and product.

• Financial gain can, but doesn’t have to, be the measure of success. Long-term visions and goals for a project can change from money to discovery and joy, and money can still end up being an outcome.

• Start with small goals. Bigger visions and dreams will reveal themselves in the process of doing. Curiosity and creation brings awareness of possibility.

• SEO is everything. (ok, almost everything. design still counts, but visibility supports its wider success.)

• I can separate my artist self from my business self. There is room for both. I used to think the artist had to feed the business, otherwise, there would be no room for the artist. Now, I realize the business can feed the artist, giving the artist the resources to explore its art without the pressure of being hustled, exploited and monetized.
  

Final Results

Thus far, I’ve made enough money from this experiment to take my Love on a cheap dinner-and-a-movie date. However, I am not giving up hope. In 2023, I plan to focus less on the creative and more on the seo, marketing and analytics of my new assets. I have also started to experiment with new, secret book categories as I learn how to determine book niches that sell (or might sell –sometimes, this process is like mining for gold. Will the intuition be right?)

Through the process of creating a diverse range of books, I have come to learn which books I most love making. And I love making the coloring books. Though these books are the most time consuming, I find great enjoyment in sourcing and selecting imagery and reimagining the prints with contemporary colors and coloring techniques. These books have been the gateway to more creative equine stories and print-on-demand product I plan to produce in the future. (Stickers anyone?)

What else is to come?

Paper Dolls. Paper Horse Dolls. Paper Horse Dolls on adventures through antique and vintage landscapes within Coloring Books. In 2023, I plan to produce a series of coloring books with paper doll horses that can be colored, cut out, and taken on adventures through the illustrated country scenes of antique etchings. The horses and their country scenes are inspired by the collection of coloring books and recipe books posted below. This series of recipe books centers around a group of equine personalities inspired by the magic of pantry herbs. I love herbal magic. I have a long history practicing with it. And, I love horses. In this series, my diverse loves again are combined.

Going into the Amazon KDP experiment, I wasn’t thinking about the creative potential, but primarily a financial one. Though, I imagine now, and going forward, that this herd of horses, derived from a few experimental journals and composition notebooks, make their way into illustrated story books found at the chain bookstore and a children’s tv show streamed on tablets in homes. There was a point not too long ago when I didn’t think something like an illustrated tv show was a possible career move for me. I was on a very different trajectory. And, for a long time I forgot how to dream bigger than my now.

So, how about that? I guess this is what happens when you commit to an experiment.

Find all sketchbooks, trackers, coloring books, recipe books, journals and diaries on Amazon as print-on-demand hardcover and softcover works. Follow my instagram @jacquelyntierney for reels that review the print on demand product I make.