Use Canva and Amazon KDP To Create And Sell Writing Journals For Free

An Easy Step-By-Step Guide

Use Canva and Amazon KDP to create and sell writing journals for free. These two are truly a dynamic duo. The learning curve is quite low and it’s so much fun to create writing journals. You can even use pictures you’ve taken yourself. This straightforward step-by-step guide will show you just how easy it is.

Outside of creating journals on Canva to sell on KDP, it’s also a fun activity to do with your kids too. Your kids can use the journals they create as composition notebooks for school or as gifts. How cool would it be for your kids to have their custom-designed notebooks? And can you imagine their sense of accomplishment?

Ok, enough with my opinion. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Account

You have to create an account on Canva, Amazon KDP, and Amazon and login to use Canva and Amazon KDP.

Specifications

You have to define what kind of journal you want. You need these for input to generate the right book cover size and interior margins for your book to plug into Canva and Amazon KDP. If the sizing isn’t accurate, Amazon KDP will not print the book, but they’ll send an email requesting you fix the issue and re-upload it. Also, keep in mind, there’s a 72 hr review period on Amazon KDP before your journal goes Live and is available for sale.

Note: I’ll use the specification I used on Canva and Amazon KDP as an example to make this step-by-step guide even easier.

• Theme — Flowers
• Dimensions — 7.5” x 9.25”
• # of Pages — 110
• Binding (Paperback or Hardcover) — Paperback
• Interior Pages — Black & White

Amazon KDP — Cover Calculator And Book Template Generator

You want to create the book cover. To do that, you first have to calculate the dimensions using the cover calculator. Here’s how you do that:

1. Login to Amazon KDP.
2. Click Tools and resources (it’s tiny). It’s on the same bar as the yellow Create tab.
3. Scroll down to File setup calculator and click on Cover calculator and template generator. There’s an option to download the file but you don’t have to do that.
4. Fill in the book information using the specifications you wrote down earlier to generate a book cover template; to use on Canva.

Note: Using the specifications above, this is what the choices would look like:

• Binding Type: Paperback.
• Interior Type: Black & White.
• Paper Type: White paper.
• Page-turn direction: Left to right.
• Measurement units: Inches.
• Interior trim size: Click on 7.5 X 9.25 in.
• Page count: 110.

5. Click dimensions to generate the book template.

6. Click Download template (below calculate dimensions) — it will download a zip file with 3 files.

7. Click the PNG File (the one in the middle) to see your book cover template.

8. You’ll need these 15.498” x 9.500” Overall Dimensions to input into Canva.

Canva — Create The Book Cover

There’s a free and paid options to use Canva. I use the free option to create my journals.

1. Log in to Canva.
2. Click Create a design.
3. Click Custom size (1st circle at the bottom).
4. Change from px to in.
5. Enter 15.498” x 9.500”, which is the overall dimensions from the KDP template.
6. Click Create new design.
7. Copy and paste the Cover Template you downloaded onto the white rectangle. You can also upload the cover template to Canva, drag and drop it onto the white rectangle.
8. Drag the cover template to fill the white rectangle. Make sure to fill the rectangle. To help you position it correctly there’re red, guiding lines that appear as you move the cover template.

Note: You can use pictures you’ve taken to design your journal cover or create a design using the graphics on Canva.

To Use Your Picture

1. Click Uploads (on the left).
2. Click Upload files (at the top) and choose a file from your computer. You can then drag and drop the picture, to use as your cover or interior (I’ll show you how later).

To Create A Design — Adding Graphics/Pictures/Elements

1. Click Background (bottom, left) and choose one.
2. Click the Checkered box (at the top) and decrease the Transparency so you can see through (I use 10 to 15).
3. Click Elements to see options for lines & shapes, graphics, etc. You can filter using the rectangles under Search elements or enter whatever you’re looking for i.e., flowers, dog, etc. to choose pictures/graphics for your design.

Note: The pictures/graphics with a little crown are only available to paying subscribers. There are still many appealing options for the free account.

4. Drag and drop each picture/graphic/element you want onto the page. You can duplicate, discard, position, and rotate the pictures using the prompts that appear with each picture.

Note:

• The book’s Barcode is on the bottom left, so keep that in mind when creating your design. Any graphics in that area will be covered by the Barcode after printing.
• You can use the buttons at the top to Edit, Crop, Flip, and Animate your images.

To Create The Spine

• Click Elements.
• Click or drag a Square, align (let the red lines be your guide), drag, elongate, and position in the middle.
• Click on the colored box (at the top) and use the colors and + box on the left if you want to change the color.

To Add Text

• Click on a square and position it where you want.
• Click T and choose a style or one of the Heading, Subheading, or body text boxes and type in whatever you want. Change the font size and style by using the tabs at the top.

To Add Lines

• Click on a line (on the left).
• Click on the Horizontal lines box (at the top) and toggle if you want to make the line thinner or thicker.
• Click on the Checkered box (at the top) to make the line lighter or darker.
• When you’re done with your design, bring back the transparency by clicking the checkered box at the top and toggle it to show the background.

To Download Your Book Cover

1. Click Share (top right).
2. Click Download.
3. Click PDF Print in the dropdown menu.
4. Click Download.

Awesome! You’re all done making your book cover.

The Interior — Book Pages

Amazon KDP

1. Click Help (top right).
2. Click Format Your Paperback under Book Formatting (on the left).
3. Click Set Trim Size And Margins.
4. Scroll down and decide if you want Bleed or No Bleed (Bleed means the lines will go from end to end, and No Bleed means there’s space around the edges).

Note: For this example, I’ll use With Bleed.

5. Click Examples of page size with and without bleed(kdp.amazon.com).

6. On the Page Size With Bleed column, you want size 7.625 X 9.5” to put into Canva.

Note: If you have a paid account, continue to step 7. If you have a free account, you can skip this step. Without this step, the journals print just fine.

7. Scroll down to Margins. On the table, it shows what the margins should be, based on the number of pages you choose. In our example, the margin is 0.375 in.

Canva

1. Click Create a design.
2. Change from px to in.
3. Type in 7.625 X 9.5” and click Create new design to create the interior (book) page template.
4. If you have a paid account, create the margins of 0.375” by dragging the ruler at the top and the left side to 0.375”. For a free account, you won’t see this step.
5. Click Elements.
6. Under Lines & Shapes, click on a Line and drag it end to end.
7. Click the Horizontal Lines tab (at the top) and toggle down to make the line thinner (I use # 1).
8. Click the Checkered Box for transparency and toggle down to make the line lighter (I use # 50).
9. Click the + box above the line to duplicate it as many times as you want (I duplicate it 25 x and delete lines as desired).
10. Highlight the lines.
11. Click the Three Dots above the highlighted lines.
12. Click Space evenly.
13. Click Tidy up.
14. Drag the Lines out using the little circles to create the spacing you want.

Note: You can add graphics and pictures to the page by following these steps:

• Click Elements to see options for lines & shapes, graphics, etc. You can filter using the rectangles under Search elements or enter whatever you’re looking for, i.e., flowers, dog, etc., to choose pictures/graphics for your design.
• Drag and drop each picture/graphic/element onto the page. You can duplicate, discard, position, and rotate the pictures using the prompts that appear with each.
• Click the Checkered box (at the top) and decrease the Transparency so you can see through the graphic, this will allow for writing over the design (I use between 3 and 6).

After creating your page, it’s time to duplicate it, so there’re 110 of them. Here’s how to do that:

1. Click the box with the number 1 on it (bottom, right), Click ctrl C to copy, then ctrl V to paste. Do this until you have 10 pages.
2. Highlight the 10 pages.
3. Click ctrl C to copy, then ctrl V to paste until you have 110 pages (add or delete pages as needed).
4. Click Share.
5. Click Download.
6. Select PDF Print on the drop-down menu.
7. Click Download (check your download file to ensure you have 110 pages).

Publish On Amazon KDP

Now it’s time to publish your book on Amazon KDP.

Book Details

1. Log in to your Amazon and Amazon KDP accounts.
2. Click Create.
3. Click Create paperback.
4. Select the Language.
5. Write the book title and subtitle.

Note: you can look at similar journals on Amazon to see how other sellers title/subtitle theirs. Don’t copy though, just use the information as a guide and create your title/subtitle.

6. Under Series, choose if your journal is part of a series. If not, skip it (if this is your first journal, it’s not part of a series).

7. For Edition Number, you can skip it.

8. Under Author, you can put your name or a pen name, for the First name (I put “Guided By The Pen 2” which is the name I write under), and for the Last name, I put Publishing.

9. For Contributors, put the name of the person who assisted/contributed to creating the book.

10. Under Description, you can look at similar journal descriptions on Amazon to see what other sellers put. Don’t copy though, just use the information as a guide and create your own. It’s also a good idea to put some specifications in the description, like the number of pages, book size, and the cover type (Glossy or Matte, which we will choose later).

Note: I’ve used Glossy and Matte book covers and had no issues with either.

11. For Publishing Rights, choose “I own the copyright…” if you created the journal.

12. For Keywords, you can search for the type of journal you created and see what people are searching for to find it. Use the search terms in the search bar as your keywords/phrases.

Tip: Try to find keywords/phrases that have 1000 or fewer items in that category (you’ll see the numerical Results on the top left). You may have a better chance of your journal selling because there’ll be less competition.

13. Click Categories. For Journals, click Nonfiction to expand it and look for a category that fits ( you can choose two).

14. Click Save.

15. Select Low-content book.

16. Select whether your book has adult content or if it’s appropriate for kids.

17. Click Save and Continue.

Book Content

1. Click Publish Without an ISBN under Print ISBN.
2. Put the date you’re uploading the book on Amazon KDP for the Publication Date.
3. Click Black & white interior with white paper under Print Options.
4. Click Select a different size under Trim Size (select 7.5 x 9.25 in).
5. Select Bleed or No Bleed based on your previous selection (For this guide, it’s Bleed).
6. Select Matte or Glossy under Paperback cover finish.
7. Click Upload paperback manuscript and upload your journal manuscript/ interior/pages.
8. Select Upload a cover you already have….
9. Click Upload your cover file and upload your journal cover.
10. Leave Unchecked Does your cover include a barcode?
11. Click Launch Previewer to see the cover and pages of your book and check if you want to make any changes before publishing it.
12. Click Approve.
13. Scroll down to Summary to see the specifications of your book and Amazon’s printing cost.
14. Click Save and Continue.

Book Rights and Pricing

1. Select All Territories (worldwide rights) under Territories.
2. Select Amazon.com under Primary Market.
3. Price your book in the Amazon.com section under Pricing royalty and distribution to see how much you’ll get from each sale. Amazon sets minimum and maximum price guidelines for you. Amazon automatically populates the other marketplaces pricing for you, but you can set your price if you want.
4. Scroll down and review the Terms & Conditions.
5. Click Publish Your Paperback Book.

And that’s it! It really is that easy and FREE. Absolutely FREE, except for your time, of course. If there’s an issue with publishing your book, Amazon will email you and tell you what to fix. After fixing the problem, you can upload your manuscript, cover, or both again.

Here’s a tip for you. If you delete the journal/s from your computer after uploading it on Amazon KDP (they do take up quite a bit of space), wait until the journal goes Live just in case you have to make any adjustments in the interim.

Photo by Matilda Wormwood: https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-and-child-sitting-on-the-couch-7484920/

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs: https://www.pexels.com/photo/closeup-photo-of-journal-book-and-pencils-1018133/

Photo by Antoni Shkraba: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-using-laptop-for-graphic-designs-4348404/

Photo by Dids: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-open-book-with-floral-drawing-1610992/

Photo by Tranmautritam: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-laptop-computer-beside-white-smartphone-on-brown-wooden-table-69432/

Thank you for taking the time to read what I write. I am available to write for you. You can always find me at:

• Guided By The Pen 2
• guidedbythepen2@gmail.com
• https://medium.com/@GuidedByThePen2

By Sharon Cleveland

03/18/2023