Have you ever wanted to create your own journal, planner, or notebook and sell it on Amazon? With tools like Canva and Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), it’s easier than ever to design, publish, and share your own digital products with the world, no design or publishing background required!
In this post, I’ll walk you through the simple steps to get started and share how you can create your very own book today.
Step 1: Sign Up for Canva
First, head over to Canva.com and sign up for a free account. Canva is an intuitive design platform that lets you create professional quality layouts even if you’re not a graphic designer.
Once you’re in, you can explore templates for:
- Journals
- Planners
- Coloring books
- Workbooks
- Logbooks
- Or even creative notebooks for specific audiences
If you want to make low-content products (like gratitude journals, prayer journals, or habit trackers), Canva is the perfect place to start.
Step 2: Sign Up for Amazon KDP
Next, go to kdp.amazon.com and create a free account. This is where you’ll upload your book and sell it through Amazon.
With KDP, you don’t need to print or ship anything — Amazon handles the printing and distribution for you. You earn royalties for every copy sold.
Step 3: Create Your Product in Canva
Now comes the fun part, designing your book!
You’ll need two separate files for KDP:
- The Manuscript (Interior Pages) – This is your actual content, like journal prompts, lined pages, or planner layouts.
- The Cover File – This includes your front cover, spine, and back cover in one full image.
🧮 Pro Tip: Use the KDP Cover Calculator
Before designing your cover, visit the KDP Cover Calculator. Enter your trim size (for example, 6×9 inches), page count, and paper type. KDP will tell you the exact dimensions for your cover, including bleed and spine size, so your design prints perfectly.
Once you have your measurements, you can create a custom size design in Canva that matches the calculator’s numbers.
Step 4: Design the Interior (Manuscript)
In Canva, create another file for your interior pages. You can make:
- Lined or dotted pages for journals
- Templates for daily planners
- Checklists or trackers
- Scripture reflection pages or gratitude prompts
You can design one beautiful layout and then duplicate it for as many pages as you need. When finished, download the file as a PDF Print.
Step 5: Upload to Amazon KDP
Now that you have your manuscript PDF and cover PDF, go back to your KDP account and:
- Click “Create a Paperback.”
- Enter your book details (title, description, keywords, etc.).
- Upload your manuscript and cover files.
- Preview your book using KDP’s previewer.
- Set your price and publish!
Amazon will review your submission, and once approved, your book will be live in the Kindle store.
Step 6: Share Your Work
Once published, don’t forget to share your new product! You can post your Amazon link on social media, in your newsletter, or on your website.
If you’d like to see examples of digital products I’ve created using this process, visit my Amazon Author Page:
👉 Mrs. Debbie Antoine on Amazon
Want to Learn More?
If you’d like me to create a step-by-step video tutorial showing how to design and upload your own product from start to finish, leave a comment below and let me know!
Creating digital products on Canva and publishing through Amazon KDP is not only fun, it’s a great way to share your creativity and even build a passive income stream.