innovation and future | May 09, 2026

Are coloring books profitable? | ContextResponse.com

Adult coloring books are selling like crazy. They were extremely popular and extremely profitable, and they more or less came out of nowhere. In 2014, 1 million coloring books were sold; in 2015, 12 million were sold. Coloring books were helping to stabilize a foundering industry.

.

Similarly one may ask, do coloring books make money?

But fiction is hard work and takes a long time – adult coloring books should be much faster and easier to make, and potential will sell much better. If I can get into the top 100, that's about a thousand sales a day. At $2 profit, that's $60K a month.

Similarly, are coloring books still popular? Today, adult coloring books are certainly selling more than they did pre-2015, but nowhere close to the same record-breaking numbers at the height of the trend.

Also question is, how much does it cost to make a coloring book?

Morrison prices her coloring books at $12 and receives a royalty of $5.05 per book, approximately 40% of the list price.

Can you sell your coloring pages?

When you buy an adult coloring book, you have the right to do more or less whatever you want to do with that physical copy of the book under the First Sale Doctrine. You can even sell the individual, colored pages, if your coloring skills are strong enough to create a market value for the finished product.

Related Question Answers

Can I sell finished coloring pages?

When you purchase any coloring book, it is legal to sell the colored pages under the First Sale Doctrine (explained here). As long as you aren't copying the pages in your books, a book that you purchased is yours to do with as you please.

How many pages should a coloring book be?

Typically, a coloring book is anywhere from 16 to 60 pages, with black-and-white interior line art, like the page above from Joni McCracken's Color Your Essence.

What's wrong with coloring books?

The point is, that although coloring books, like chips, do nothing to promote children's healthy growth or development and, if used to excess, they can actually have a negative effect on children's overall development.

Can I get paid to color?

In addition to a FABULOUS package of coloring pages delivered digitally each month, you can earn commissions by telling your coloring friends about it! When they join, you earn cash commissions through 7 levels. (When they tell their coloring friends, and those friends also purchase, you earn even more money!)

Is coloring a hobby?

Coloring is a great hobby for adults. It's the ideal way to relax after a hard day and perfect for giving your creativity a boost. For many people, the coloring of a beautiful picture is a kind of meditation.

Why adults are buying coloring books?

Why adults are buying coloring books (for themselves) Coloring books for adults have been around for decades. Fuelled to some degree by social media and by marketing that associates them with such therapeutic ends as anxiety- and stress-reduction has created a massive new industry category.

Do coloring books sell?

Coloring book illustrators can now publish and sell their printed books in the world's biggest bookstores.

What do you do with finished coloring pages?

4 Brilliant Ways to Repurpose and Display Your Finished Coloring Pages
  1. Wall Art. The easiest way to re-purpose your coloring page is to transform it into wall art!
  2. Gift Wrap, Gift Tag & Greeting Card.
  3. Paper Ornaments.
  4. DIY Coasters.

What can you do with old coloring books?

29 Creative Ways to Repurpose Coloring Pages
  1. Turn your coloring pages into wrapping paper.
  2. Use a coloring page to create these cute gift bows.
  3. Create a DIY name plaque with your favorite coloring page.
  4. Make a coloring gift bag.
  5. Customize a cell phone case.
  6. Give your old furniture a coloring book makeover.
  7. Make your own envelope liners.

What kind of paper are coloring books printed on?

Because the pages of a coloring book are designed to be filled in, they are usually created from an uncoated paper stock that has enough surface texture to “pull” the color off crayons, colored pencils, and other drawing media.

How do you turn a picture into a coloring book?

How to Make a Coloring Book
  1. Step 1: Choose a Photo.
  2. Step 2: Open Pixlr.
  3. Step 3: A Quick Overview of Pixlr's Layout.
  4. Step 4: Make It Black and White.
  5. Step 5: Duplicate the Layer.
  6. Step 6: Invert the New Layer.
  7. Step 7: Fancy Trickery.
  8. Step 8: Blur the Top Layer.

How do I turn a picture into a coloring page?

How to turn any picture into a coloring page
  1. Step 1: Go to and click the link "Open photo editor." Find the image you'd like to use from any of the sources listed on the next page that loads.
  2. Step 2: Select Desaturate from the dropdown menu labeled Adjustment.
  3. Step 3: Right-click on the Background layer in the Layer window on the right-hand side.

What are the best gel pens for coloring?

12 of the Best Gel Pens for Coloring
  • VaO1A Color Gel Pens. These beautiful gel pens come in 36 vibrant colors and are perfect for your coloring book.
  • Reaneon Gel Pens.
  • Shuttle Art Gel Pens.
  • ColorIt Gel Pens.
  • Aen Art Gel Pen.
  • Smart Color Art.
  • Lineon Gel Pens.
  • Feela Gel Pens.