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Coloring books ?

by fabriano
17 replies
Just wonder if coloring books are still good market?
#books #coloring
  • Profile picture of the author jmosticc22
    I think coloring books will always have some sort of market. Maybe a new way of getting them to consumers is needed. I came across a business on flippa that was a monthly subscribed coloring book website, something outside of the box may be profitable.
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  • Profile picture of the author msulcs
    There's a market for everything, but you have to know what differentiates you from others. Will you stand out?
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    Bill Platt has a lot of good products regarding adult coloring books.

    Coloring Book Profits :: from Bill Platt

    (Not an affiliate link)

    They are still profitable but there is a lot of competition so you'll need to find a way to market them.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author sjkstone
    I just had an idea. There are photo editing programs that will convert any photo into a line drawing. What if you offered a service that people can upload their family photos and you can create a customized coloring book from the photos?
    Also those mandala coloring books are popular now too.
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    • Profile picture of the author fabriano
      Thanks. Yes, one guy is doing it manually, not sure if that is true. I hope to do something more passive. lol.
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      Love Fabriano

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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    In the end, it always comes down to profit for me. How much can you possibly make selling a coloring book? Is someone really going to pay to have it shipped to them or is that going to further eat into the very small profit when you have to ship it for free?

    I'm thinking the only way it might make sense is if it was a recurring billing subscription where a new coloring book was automatically sent every 2-4 weeks.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by fabriano View Post

    Just wonder if coloring books are still good market?
    I don't know. About coloring books and the market. But, here is an idea, and one which could be capitalized on.

    IDEA: Local town coloring book. We Love _________ (city). A coloring book where each ADVERTISER has a page, and the books are given away for free with crayons.

    You could run a contest, of kids coloring, to be put on windows of the stores.

    Instead of selling one off coloring books, you would have hundreds made and distributed via the sponsors, maybe a BANK, and if you keep it simple, take pics of stores, and turn into line drawings, it wouldn't take much.

    Of course, maybe a BANK or savings and loan might want just their own, to teach kids about savings accounts, loans, all that bank propaganda...get kids hooked on banks early.

    Now that I think about it, maybe I should give this a closer look, THANKS for the idea.

    In olden days, a bank might give away a little booklet or pamphlet, and would order 1,000 at a time...hmmmmm,

    GordonJ
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    • Profile picture of the author fabriano
      This is really a cool idea. Thank you so much!!

      Thank you so much for this great idea!!, Genius!


      Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

      I don't know. About coloring books and the market. But, here is an idea, and one which could be capitalized on.

      IDEA: Local town coloring book. We Love _________ (city). A coloring book where each ADVERTISER has a page, and the books are given away for free with crayons.

      You could run a contest, of kids coloring, to be put on windows of the stores.

      Instead of selling one off coloring books, you would have hundreds made and distributed via the sponsors, maybe a BANK, and if you keep it simple, take pics of stores, and turn into line drawings, it wouldn't take much.

      Of course, maybe a BANK or savings and loan might want just their own, to teach kids about savings accounts, loans, all that bank propaganda...get kids hooked on banks early.

      Now that I think about it, maybe I should give this a closer look, THANKS for the idea.

      In olden days, a bank might give away a little booklet or pamphlet, and would order 1,000 at a time...hmmmmm,

      GordonJ
      Signature

      Love Fabriano

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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by fabriano View Post

      Thank you so much for this great idea!!, Genius!
      Some other ideas for you to consider.

      NOSTALGIA. Never goes away. A coloring book for adults, about a Christmas, say, 25 to 50 years ago. Ideally, cover both.

      Mine would be CHRISTMAS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio 1969 & 1994.

      Now this may be fun or tedious, depending on if you like history. My library has a collection, and we have a local historical society too. Between the two, pretty easy to find articles, papers, yearbooks from the past.

      So, I might contact local high schools (we have 4 of them) art departments, see if any students would be up for a "project" (paid).

      Finished product could be a COLORING book, or a booklet with a few pages to color in.

      A nice booklet, full of old ads, pics from yearbooks, articles from local paper, etc. could turn into an every year seller,

      As you are researching the coloring book industry, you'll encounter a lot of PRINTERS, or print shops who can do ON demand, or print in quantities.

      Using my hometown as the example, since 1969 fifty classes have graduated from the high schools, and roughly, about 750 total per year.

      Or about 37,000 names, and with all the classmates and Facebook groups, a TARGETED coloring book, or just a little Nostalgia Booklet

      If you would like to see one, go to amazon, and search for Carl Ellis Bradford, Ohio Christmas Past.

      A great example of something that was actually done. And could be duplicated over and over again,

      I might send an email to the list of Graduates, asking them to submit a Christmas Story from their childhood. Let your readers write your booklet for you. Same thing with the coloring book, they can supply pics, you turn to line art, and give credit.

      A lot of ideas.

      Since I used to sell advertising, I always think of sponsors and getting paid, thus allowing the book to be FREE. But, today, maybe I would do both, offer pages of ads in the booklet and sell it for 9.95 or whatever.

      If you live in a smaller town, it could be a regional thing, like Northeast Ohio. Or, you may investigate those cartoon maps, these have been around forever.

      Coloring doesn't have to be in a "book", have FUN, and get creative.

      Again, maybe local high school art students could design the map and you get local businesses to sponsor them.

      GordonJ

      PS. I like to color. However, never could stay between the lines.

      So, I scribble my crayolas in hurricane fashion across the construction paper of my imagination, in furious color, as far away from Van Gogh angst as I can get.
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      • Profile picture of the author fabriano
        Thank you so much!! If I finish all the design work, maybe we can do a JV while having your input for those types of promotion that most people don't know. If you are interested.

        Yes, indeed. Sponsors are definitely the missing part for me.
        Another thing I came up was thinking for charities. They can totally use to get more money for their causes.



        Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

        Some other ideas for you to consider.

        NOSTALGIA. Never goes away. A coloring book for adults, about a Christmas, say, 25 to 50 years ago. Ideally, cover both.

        Mine would be CHRISTMAS IN CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio 1969 & 1994.

        Now this may be fun or tedious, depending on if you like history. My library has a collection, and we have a local historical society too. Between the two, pretty easy to find articles, papers, yearbooks from the past.

        So, I might contact local high schools (we have 4 of them) art departments, see if any students would be up for a "project" (paid).

        Finished product could be a COLORING book, or a booklet with a few pages to color in.

        A nice booklet, full of old ads, pics from yearbooks, articles from local paper, etc. could turn into an every year seller,

        As you are researching the coloring book industry, you'll encounter a lot of PRINTERS, or print shops who can do ON demand, or print in quantities.

        Using my hometown as the example, since 1969 fifty classes have graduated from the high schools, and roughly, about 750 total per year.

        Or about 37,000 names, and with all the classmates and Facebook groups, a TARGETED coloring book, or just a little Nostalgia Booklet

        If you would like to see one, go to amazon, and search for Carl Ellis Bradford, Ohio Christmas Past.

        A great example of something that was actually done. And could be duplicated over and over again,

        I might send an email to the list of Graduates, asking them to submit a Christmas Story from their childhood. Let your readers write your booklet for you. Same thing with the coloring book, they can supply pics, you turn to line art, and give credit.

        A lot of ideas.

        Since I used to sell advertising, I always think of sponsors and getting paid, thus allowing the book to be FREE. But, today, maybe I would do both, offer pages of ads in the booklet and sell it for 9.95 or whatever.

        If you live in a smaller town, it could be a regional thing, like Northeast Ohio. Or, you may investigate those cartoon maps, these have been around forever.

        Coloring doesn't have to be in a "book", have FUN, and get creative.

        Again, maybe local high school art students could design the map and you get local businesses to sponsor them.

        GordonJ

        PS. I like to color. However, never could stay between the lines.

        So, I scribble my crayolas in hurricane fashion across the construction paper of my imagination, in furious color, as far away from Van Gogh angst as I can get.
        Signature

        Love Fabriano

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  • Profile picture of the author Lightcaster
    Coloring will always be relevant, I myself like to paint anti-stress pictures
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  • Profile picture of the author Tony Mancini
    There has been a boom in adult colouring books as a form of stress relief or mental relaxation ... love some of the intricate and complex designs that they come up with.
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  • Profile picture of the author superowid
    You've got to make it uniquely. Try combine coloring book with fortune reading.

    "Get my fortune coloring book now!
    Color them all and send back to me!
    I will read your fortune for the next 3 years!
    Make sure you color them your self, so I can read your inner things!
    Buy now! Only... $ XX!"

    Just an idea that can be helpful...
    Good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    Most adult coloring books have very intricate designs. When I was trying to find some for my aging mother it was always difficult. I didn't want to buy her kids books but the adult ones were too difficult.

    I finally found a few with large flowers and scenes. She did not want the mandala ones. She wanted to color something that she knew what it was! lol.

    So there might be a market for older/seeing impaired adults. Could be sold to senior communities, too. They are always looking for new activities for their residents.

    Speaking of non-profits - A friend of mine does coloring books for the dog shelter she works for to raise awareness of what they do. You could approach those types of organizations.

    Gordon's ideas are great, as usual. I've thought of taking some of the photos I take on walks and creating a local book for where I live, on Amelia Island. We have lots of tourists. But haven't gotten around to it yet. Haven't found a good program to change photos to line drawings though I've tried several.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author Bear1k
    There's absolutely a market for coloring books. In fact, I believe there's an overall trend in non-digital products - analog.

    Also, like with any product your marketing is key. With coloring books you can play on the nostalgia. What would kill it would be video content that really makes the viewers FEEL this nostalgia. There's obvious benefits too - there's a therapeutic/stress relieving side that many users would purchase for. Entertainment. I can already imagine thousands of adults filling in the color books as they watch their nightly shows.
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  • Profile picture of the author chuckholmes
    It's going to be hard to compete with the Dollar Stores and big discount stores in that market, and do it profitably. Yes, there is a market for coloring books.

    My only advice would be to figure out your own Unique Selling Proposition and do things differently than all other coloring books. Maybe you sell the crayons or pencils with your book. Maybe you have very unique drawings, like mystical creatures, funny animals, etc.

    Just ask yourself WHY people should do business with you as compared to every other coloring book. That is the million dollar question to ask.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Starc
    I feel coloring books will have a certain market, and that even after being so grown I do like to sometimes color..though only half or a single portion in it..but I do like them. I once somewhere read that coloring teaches you discipline. So, yeah.
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