AI Side Hustles
Business Model

Amazon KDP & Publishing

Self-publishers who use AI for research, drafting, or illustration and sell through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and audiobook platforms.

Startup Cost in Our Cases
About $900 per book with ghostwriters in one case; ad spend in another
Time to First Revenue in Our Cases
Not consistently disclosed in our cases
Published Cases
2 Published
Independently Documented
0 of 2

Strengths Seen in Our Cases

  • Amazon provides the storefront, printing, and delivery
  • A catalogue of titles can keep selling over time
  • Audiobooks can extend the same content to a new format

Known Risks

  • Amazon content and AI disclosure rules
  • Advertising costs can absorb a large share of royalties
  • Low-quality AI books can attract poor reviews
Case Studies

Amazon KDP & Publishing Cases

2 case studies
September 1, 2023
1 source

A couple earned $39,500 from nonfiction books and audiobooks in three months

Chris Rawson and Angelina Stanzione built a catalogue of 29 nonfiction books on Amazon, 17 of them also on Audible. They reported $34,500 in KDP royalties and $5,000 in audiobook royalties over three months. They started with ghostwriters and later used ChatGPT.

Reported figure
$39,500 in 3 months(revenue)
Evidence levelSelf-Reported
Tools:
Inspect Case
Video thumbnail: How I Made $10,155 PROFIT From 2 AI Coloring Books
Video: Samazonkdp
June 13, 2026
1 source

Two AI coloring books earned $10,155 net profit in 2025

Sam, who has self-published for six years, earned $13,745.78 in royalties from two AI coloring books during 2025, split almost evenly between them. After about $3,589 in Amazon ads, his net profit was $10,155.

Reported figure
$10,155 net profit
Evidence levelPartially Verified
Tools:
Inspect Case
Tools

Tools Named in Amazon KDP & Publishing Cases

ChatGPT logo and wordmark on a blue and orange gradient.Official image

ChatGPT

AI Assistant

OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant. In our documented cases it is used to draft reports, brainstorm product slogans, write first drafts of client posts, and generate code for digital products.

Free plan: Yes. Free plan with limits on uploads, image creation, and deep research.

Pricing: Free plan, plus paid Go, Plus, and Pro plans for individuals and Business and Enterprise plans for teams. Exact prices were not shown in the version of the page we could read; check the official page for your region.

Checked October 17, 2026

Used in 11 documented casesView Profile
Kittl social preview: "Create without limits", over sample designs.Official image

Kittl

Design

A design platform with AI image tools, templates, and mockups aimed at merch and print sellers. Named as the design tool in the documented AI coloring book case.

Free plan: Yes, for personal use only. No commercial rights on the Free plan.

Pricing: Free, Pro, Expert, and Max plans, monthly or yearly. Exact prices were not shown in the version of the page we could read.

Checked October 17, 2026

Used in 1 documented caseView Profile
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