Well, here it is — my very first roundup of my Amazon KDP results!
I’m both nervous and excited to share this part of the journey, because it’s a real look at what self-publishing through Amazon KDP looks like after about two weeks. And trust me, I learned a lot, made some mistakes (that turned into little blessings) and have been really overjoyed every time I see a sale!
If you’ve been thinking about starting KDP, this post will give you a realistic idea of what early results can look like — especially if you’re starting from scratch with no following and learning as you go. Spoiler alert: it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it is incredibly rewarding when you start seeing progress.
Let’s Get Into It — My First 2 Weeks On Amazon KDP!
In this post, I’ll go over:
- How many books I currently have published
- My sales and royalty totals
- How much I’ve spent on ads so far
- What I’d like to improve
- Honest mistakes
- My plan for the rest of October
Number of Books Published
As of the day I’m writing this blog post, I have 16 books published on Amazon KDP. Out of those, only two books have sold so far (not counting the copies I personally purchased, which total 11).
Number of Sales
So, how many total sales have I made in two weeks?
👉 24 total sales, but after removing my own purchases, that’s 13 sales. (As I’m typing this blog, I just got another sale through Amazon Ads – so that actually makes 14 sales!)
That averages out to about one sale per day, which honestly makes me really happy! It may not sound like much, but to me, it’s a clear sign that this little business is starting to grow and reach real readers.
Total Royalties
Without including my own purchases, my total royalties come to $53.70 CAD over the two-week period. My goal for the end of the month is to reach $100 in royalties, which feels realistic — especially since one of my puzzle books has been selling steadily.
Amazon Ads: The Good and the Not-So-Good
Let’s talk about ads — because I know that’s a big question for many new KDP publishers.
Right now, I’m running ads on six of my books, which have brought in 10 total sales so far:
- 9 sales from my best-selling crossword puzzle book
- 1 sale from one of my coloring books
While I’m currently in the negative when comparing ad spend to royalties, I’m not discouraged. My best seller is gaining consistent impressions and clicks, which tells me it has strong potential — especially with the holiday season around the corner.
Here are the stats about my ads. Remember this is in Canadian dollars ☺️
My Initial Thoughts
Honestly? I’m excited.
Yes, it’s slow progress and I’m spending money to make money, but it’s steady, and I’ve even made two organic sales (no ads involved!) which is such a confidence boost.
No, I’m not making hundreds of dollars a day like some YouTubers claim — but that’s okay. I’m learning, improving, and watching my first few books find their audience. And for me, that’s a huge win.
What I’d Like to Improve
My biggest goal right now is to see more variety in my sales.
Most of my purchases have been from one book, and I’d love to see another title start selling regularly.
It’s tempting to jump in and publish a ton of new books, but I’m reminding myself that patience is key. I want to focus on improving what I already have rather than rushing to create more.
✨ And you know, it’s funny — when you put something out there it sometimes just happens. I had written this section of the post and checked my KDP ads ⎯ low and behold, another coloring book purchase! I’m thrilled. I hope this little anecdote inspires your creative juices for Amazon KDP and shows you that starting your own online business is possible and progress will happen! ✨
My Biggest Mistake (And Why I’m Glad It Happened!)
You probably noticed earlier that I mentioned purchasing my own books (😅) — and you might be wondering, “Wait… why didn’t she just order author copies?” Well, that’s how much of a newbie I was! I saw the option but, for some reason, went straight for the retail checkout instead.
At first, I thought it was a total rookie mistake — but honestly, I’m glad it happened. Buying retail gave me an instant quality check and helped me spot a few things I needed to fix right away. For example, my bestselling crossword puzzle book needed a few interior and content adjustments, but I was thrilled with how the cover turned out.
Another example is that I had to upscale the image of one of my journal covers. I’m so glad I caught that quickly!
Plus, when you buy retail, you can use Amazon Prime for fast shipping. Author copies can take 10–12 days to arrive (at least here in Canada), which means you can’t review your book’s quality before customers start ordering. So, in the end, that “mistake” was a pretty helpful one!
Action Plan for the Rest of October 🍂
Here’s what I’m focusing on next:
- Continue running Amazon Ads, but lower my daily budget for sustainability
- Tweak keywords and descriptions for underperforming books
- Create more A+ Content (I’ll definitely write a future blog post on this!)
- Stay consistent with Pinterest marketing for long-term growth
Final Thoughts
They may not be huge numbers, but I’m genuinely proud of these results. Every sale, whether organic or from an ad, reminds me that someone out there is enjoying something I created — and that’s what makes it all worth it.
So, if you’re just getting started with Amazon KDP, know that slow progress is still progress. It takes time, testing, and patience, but those small wins add up.
I’m excited to keep sharing this journey on the blog, and I hope it inspires you to take your own first step.
If you’ve started your KDP business, I’d love to hear — how were your first two weeks? Or if you’re still thinking about it, does this help you set realistic expectations? Drop a comment below — I’d love to chat!