Are you an artist who’s looking for a way to make money from your artistic gifts? Coloring books could be your ticket to artistic and commercial success. It’s a popular genre that is open to all types of artists and artwork. Some illustrators make a good side income from their coloring books, and others make a full-time living from it. With the right idea, some good illustrations, and a standout feature, you could be the next big coloring book success story.
A Pioneer of Coloring Books
In 2013, freelance illustrator Johanna Brasford proposed a new book to her publishing agent. It was for a series of detailed, pen-and-ink illustrations of the flowers, birds, and animals that Brasford had grown up with in her native Scotland and seen on her many boat trips with her family.
What was unusual was that the drawings were all in black and white only, and the idea was to invite readers to do the coloring. Her agent and publisher both thought the idea of publishing a coloring book was crazy. Since Brasford had a solid record as an artist, they finally agreed to publish the book, but they limited the original print run to only 13,000 copies. Brasford herself was worried, telling an interviewer in 2018 that she was certain her mother would have to buy a lot of the copies.
Coloring Books Becomes a Hot Trend
To everyone’s shock, the book, titled Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book for Adults, was a smash bestseller. It sold 12 million copies worldwide and is still a popular favorite. Secret Garden and its follow-up, Enchanted Forest, cemented Brasford’s position as the queen of adult coloring.
They also sparked a worldwide trend in coloring books for adults. Today, they are still a popular genre with millions of devoted buyers.
Publishing Coloring Books: Tips for Success
Are you ready to join the crowd of coloring book authors? To be a success, you should know:
- What trends are currently popular in coloring book publishing?
- Can you create illustrations that appeal to the coloring public?
- Are you able to produce 20 to 50 detailed drawings?
- Do you plan to self-publish or go through a commercial publisher?
Who’s Your Reader?
Who are you publishing a coloring book for? To know that, think about the reasons adults use these books:
- Unwind and relax.
- Detach from the outside world.
- Engage in a mindful, focused activity.
- Increase their ability to meditate.
- Express their creativity.
- Have fun.
- Get in touch with their spiritual side.
- Let go of stress.
Once you know your target readers, you can choose pictures that will appeal to them.
Know What’s Trending in Coloring Books
Since their arrival on the publishing scene, coloring books have followed various trends. At first, the most popular books featured classically beautiful scenes of animals, nature, landscapes, farms, fantastic creatures, and magical worlds. These are still the most popular subjects. Some coloring book authors specialize in a specific type of animal, landscape, or season of the year. Flowers, animals, and nature remain the top favorites.
There are thousands of titles that fit these categories. A small sampling includes Woodland Animals by the Stream by Marianne Rodwing, Fanciful Sea Life by Marjorie Sarnat, Country Farm Scenes by Teresa Goodridge, and Autumn Charm by Lily Mae.
Mandalas
Mental health professionals say that coloring is good for your emotional health. It helps teach mindfulness, enjoying the moment, and detaching from digital screens. Quick to note this, many authors created coloring books that feature mandalas and other exotic designs.
A mandala is a geometric design that is an important symbol of Buddhist philosophy. To some, it stands for the universe. Mandalas are used for focusing attention during meditation and higher thought. Publishing a coloring book that features mandalas is a clever way to introduce mandala use to regular readers.
There are dozens of mandala coloring book titles, and they do a brisk sales business. Titles include Amazing Patterns by Kim Mansamer, Mandalas Coloring Book by Jade Summer and Kristen Thorne, and Adult Coloring Book: Calming Mandala-Style Animal Images by Lala Jean.
Religious
Many people use coloring books to meditate and create a closer relationship with their religion. All Things Are Possible by Rayne Mills and A Garland of Grace from Christian Art Publishers.
Inspirational
Some coloring books take the self-care elements of coloring a step further. They include motivational, inspirational quotations that users can color in. These are sometimes surrounded by flowers, mandalas, or other pictures, but the inspirational statement is the main part of the picture. An example is the Good Vibes Coloring Book by Thaneeya McArdle and Positive Affirmations for Mindful Peace by Gina Eve.
Others are aimed at people in recovery from substance abuse. They offer guidance and support in a book of drawings designed to keep the user calm and focused. Some titles are The Big Coloring Book of Recovery by Rebecca Cooper and Progress not Perfection by Kimberly Adler.
Historical
Learn about history from a book that teaches you about a particular historical period. Examples include Life in a Medieval Castle and Village by John Green, and The Titanic Coloring Book by Peter F. Copeland.
Humorous
Humor is a natural fit with the playful nature of coloring books. Funny coloring books are everywhere now, and they are selling well online and in bookstores. Some titles in this category are Maybe Swearing Will Help by Nyx Spectrum and Sam McAdams, Sassy Animals by Coco Wyo, and Wacky World by Tom Pecha.
Have a Standout Feature
What sets you apart from other coloring book authors? And what sets your books apart? For instance, Johanna Brasford always includes a list of secret items and “locked doors” that open into new illustrations to color. In this way, completing the book has an element of a quest built in.
Coloring With Mother Nature by Leali David features beautifully detailed designs of country life, including birds, country cottages, flowers, and calming nature scenes. The pictures are printed on one side only to prevent bleed-through.
The Southern Lotus Vintage Inspired Coloring Book for Adults is a collection of old-fashioned pictures of small-town main streets, storefronts, and other vintage scenes. It has spiral binding at the top, which makes it easy to flip through the pages and keep them flat while you’re coloring.
The Color the World with Kindness coloring book from the Mindmellow Store has beautiful nature prints. It comes with mindful exercises and features easy tear-out pages, so you can easily hang the finished artwork on the wall or the fridge door.
Use Original Art
If you want to make your mark in coloring book publishing, it’s important to use original art. While it’s true that artificial intelligence (AI) can make publishing a coloring book easy for even a non-artist, it’s also true that buyers of these books are quick to spot AI work. They consider these works inferior and report feeling “ripped off” by mediocre drawings. If you want to gain their respect, use hand-drawn designs.
Choose Your Page Count
For a full-sized coloring book, you must have at least 20 pictures. Most successful books have 20 to 50 illustrations. For coloring book publishing, you can choose commercial publishing or an online print-on-demand format.
You will need at least 24 pages if you want to use a print-on-demand service when publishing a coloring book. Many coloring books have blank pages to allow for bleed-through, so your collection of 20 pictures would add up to 40 pages.
Select Your Size
When publishing a coloring book, stick to the standard sizes. The most popular books are 8.5 x 11 inches. You can choose a portrait or landscape setting. Some books use a square 8.5 x 8.5 inches.
Coloring Books Are Big Sellers
If you’re an artist looking for a creative outlet, you can’t go wrong with a coloring book. You’ll earn appreciation for your artwork and gain devoted followers. You could even make a living from it. If you’re interested in working with a professional printer, contact Dazzle Printing.
