How To Make Money by Selling Custom Journals With AI (2024)

Introduction to Creating and Selling Custom Journals With AI

Thinking about starting your own side hustle?

Jot this down.

Today we’ll be talking about the booming market of custom journals. This comprehensive guide walks you through each step of the process, from generating unique journal prompts via AI, designing beautiful pages and covers, to setting up your journal for print-on-demand services and selling on marketplaces such as Etsy.

You’ll get an in-depth look at how to kick-start your own journal-making business in no time.

Ever thought, “How can I put ChatGPT, Canva, Printful, and Facebook Marketplace/Etsy to work for my side hustle?”

Look no further – this article will answer that. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, this guide is straightforward, engaging, and will give you a distinct advantage in selling custom journals.

There’s a whole world out there avid for custom, interactive, and thoughtful stationery. Make the most out of this opportunity, providing not just a product, but a personal development tool that could be as transformative for your customers as it is profitable for you.

Ready to take the first step? Let’s jump right in!

How to Create and Sell Journals Using ChatGPT, Canva, Printful, and Facebook Marketplace/Etsy

Step 1: Generate Journaling Prompts and Inspirational Messages with ChatGPT

1. Access ChatGPT: Go to the OpenAI website and access the ChatGPT tool.
2. Prompt Example: Use the following prompt to generate creative journaling prompts:
   • “Generate 20 creative and engaging journaling prompts.”
3. Inspirational Messages: You can also ask ChatGPT for inspirational messages with:
   • “Provide me with 10 inspirational messages perfect for daily journaling.”

Step 2: Design Journaling Pages and Covers with Canva

1. Sign Up for Canva: Go to Canva and create a free account.
2. Create a New Project: Click on “Create a design” and choose “Custom size.” Set the dimensions for a standard journal page (e.g., 8.5 x 11 inches for the US Letter size).
3. Design Pages:
   • Add prompts: Use the text tool to add the prompts generated by ChatGPT.
   • Add writing space: Include lined or blank areas beneath the prompts for writing.
4. Design Cover: Create a separate design for the journal cover. Use Canva templates if needed and ensure it’s eye-catching.
5. Download Templates: Once finished, download all designs in high-resolution PDF or PNG format.

Step 3: Set Up Print-on-Demand Journals with Printful

1. Sign Up for Printful: Visit Printful and create an account.
2. Create a New Product:
   • Choose “Products” from the dashboard.
   • Select “Journals” or “Notebooks.”
3. Upload Designs:
   • Add your cover design.
   • For inner pages, follow Printful’s guidelines to ensure compatibility. You may need to create a single-page design that Printful will use for all inner pages.
4. Set Pricing and Mockups: Define your cost, and generate mockups for use in your listings.

Step 4: Offer a Digital Download Option

1. Create a Digital File:
   • Use the designs from Canva.
   • Compile them into a PDF file.
2. Digital Product Hosting:
   • You can use platforms like Etsy or Payhip to offer digital downloads.

Step 5: Selling on Facebook Marketplace and Etsy

1. Set Up a Shop on Etsy:
   • Go to Etsy and create a seller account.
   • Add your journal products, using the mockups from Printful for images.
   • Include descriptions, price, and shipping options.
2. List on Facebook Marketplace:
   • Go to Facebook Marketplace.
   • Create a new listing: Include product images, description, and link to purchase either physical or digital versions.
3. Subscription Options: You can also create monthly subscription boxes by combining different journaling prompts and designs each month. Use Printful for recurring orders and manage subscriptions directly through Etsy or any e-commerce tool that offers subscription management.

With these steps, you can effectively generate, design, produce, and sell high-quality journals tailored to a variety of audiences and preferences.

How to Market Your Custom Journals

Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience

Marketing begins with understanding who you’re selling your journals to. Doing so will help guide your marketing efforts and ensure that your messaging resonates with potential customers. To identify your target audience:

• Consider the prompts: The journal entry ideas you generated with ChatGPT may cater to specific groups like teens, parents, mindfulness practitioners, or entrepreneurs.
• Determine their interests and where they hang out online: Do they frequent specific social media channels? Which blogs or websites do they visit?

Step 2: Use Social Media Marketing

Once you’ve identified your target audience, it’s time to establish a presence on their preferred platforms. You don’t have to be active on all social media platforms. Focus on 1-2 platforms where your target audience is most active.

• Set up a professional page: Set up shop on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, showcasing your journals and linking to your sales pages on Etsy.
• Engage your audience: Post regularly, answer comments and messages, host giveaways, and provide valuable content.

Step 3: Leverage Blogging and SEO

Create a blog where you provide customer insights, success stories, and tips and tricks about journaling. Blogging not only provides valuable content for your audience but also helps with search engine optimization (SEO).

• Keyword research: Gather keywords related to your products and create content around them to increase your visibility in search engine results. The Google Keyword Planner is a free and useful tool for this.
• Create high-value content: Write posts that link back to your product, offering readers more than just product specifications – tips, inspiration, success stories.

Step 4: Email Marketing

Collect email addresses from people who show interest. Email marketing is effective for nurturing potential customers and keeping in touch with existing ones.

• Offer incentives: To get people to subscribe, offer incentives like a discount, free shipping, or a free sample journal page.
• Newsletter: Send regular newsletters providing product updates, sales announcements, and valuable content.

Step 5: Collaborations and Affiliates

Networking and partnering with other businesses or influencers can widen your reach.

• Collaborations: Partner with complementary businesses (e.g., stationery, bookstores) and co-host events or deals.
• Affiliates: Implement an affiliate program where bloggers or influencers can earn a commission through promoting your product.

Remember, marketing needs consistency and patience. It might take time to see tangible results, but with persistent efforts, your custom journals can reach larger audiences and your business can grow.

Evaluating the Market Opportunity for Custom Journals

Understanding the market opportunity for custom journals is crucial for estimating potential profitability and the time required to execute your side hustle idea.

Here’s a breakdown of factors to consider:

Market Size and Demand

The global market for stationery products, including journals, has been steadily growing. Custom journals, especially those tailored for specific audiences like mindfulness practitioners or entrepreneurs, offer unique value propositions.

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global stationery market size was valued at USD 90.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% from 2021 to 2028. This indicates robust demand for journals and related products.

Total Addressable Market (TAM)

The TAM includes everyone who might be interested in buying custom journals. Specific market segments to consider are:

• Mindful Journaling Enthusiasts: People interested in mindfulness and mental well-being.
• Teenagers and Students: Aged 13-19, who may use journals for school tasks, personal thoughts, or creative writing.
• Professionals and Entrepreneurs: Individuals using journals for productivity, goal setting, and planning.

Potential Profit Margins

Understanding potential profit margins involves looking at both the cost of goods sold (COGS) and the price at which you can sell your journals.

Cost Component	Estimated Cost
Design Software (Canva Pro)	$12.99/month
Print-on-Demand Service (Printful)	$7 – $15 per journal
Listing Fees (Etsy)	$0.20 per item
Transaction Fees (Etsy)	5% per sale + Payment processing fee

Selling price per custom journal can range from $20 to $50 based on the complexity and customization available. So, here’s a rough profit estimate:

• Selling Price: $25
• Cost Per Journal: $15 (including Printful and Etsy fees)
• Profit Per Journal: $10

Time Investment

Estimating the time you will spend on various tasks can help in planning your side hustle effectively.

• Generating Prompts and Messages with ChatGPT: 2-3 hours initially
• Designing in Canva: 5-10 hours for initial designs
• Setting Up Printful and Product Listings: 3-5 hours
• Marketing and Social Media Management: 5-7 hours per week
• Customer Service: 2-3 hours per week

In total, expect to spend around 8-15 hours initially in creating your product and setting up your systems. Ongoing operations and marketing might take up 10-15 hours weekly.

Even with a limited amount of time, the scalability of print-on-demand services ensures you can grow this side hustle into a profitable venture.

Ultimately, this guide should provide you with the tools and insights you need to dive into the business of custom journals. Leveraging your time wisely and strategically tapping into market demand can lead to a rewarding and sustainable side hustle.

Advanced Techniques to Enhance and Monetize Your Journal Business

After setting up your journal business and understanding the market, consider these advanced techniques to enhance your offerings and boost monetization.

Advanced Design Features with Canva

Enhance the appeal of your journals by adding more advanced design elements in Canva. Here are some tips:

• Interactive Elements: Incorporate interactive elements like coloring pages, habit trackers, or goal-setting templates.
• Branding: Develop a consistent brand identity using Canva’s branding tools. Ensure your journals have a distinct look that sets them apart.
• Customization Options: Offer personalized covers or pages. For example, allowing customers to add their names or select specific prompts for their journals.

Utilizing Printful’s Advanced Features

Printful offers more than just basic print-on-demand services. Leverage their advanced features:

• Custom Packaging: Use Printful’s custom packaging options to create a premium unboxing experience.
• Product Variations: Offer different types of journals such as hardcover, spiral-bound, or eco-friendly versions. This can cater to varying customer preferences and increase sales.

Exploring Additional Monetization Strategies

Optimize your revenue streams by incorporating diverse monetization strategies:

• Subscription Boxes: Create subscription-based models where customers receive new journals or additional journaling materials like stickers, pens, and templates each month. Use tools like Subbly to manage subscriptions.
• Workshops and Courses: Host online workshops or courses on journaling techniques, mindfulness, or productivity. Platforms like Teachable can be great for setting up and selling courses.
• Affiliate Marketing: Promote related products like stationery, books, or courses and earn affiliate commissions through programs like Amazon Associates or ShareASale.

Cross-Promotional Opportunities

Collaborate with other brands and influencers to expand your reach:

• Influencer Partnerships: Work with influencers who have an audience interested in journaling or self-improvement. Offer them free products or commission-based deals for promoting your journals.
• Brand Collaborations: Partner with complementary businesses like stationery stores, bookstores, or wellness brands to co-create exclusive journal editions or bundles.

Tools and Resources for Streamlining Operations

Utilize various tools to streamline your workflow and improve efficiency:

Tool/Resource	Purpose
Trello	Task management and project planning
Mailchimp	Email marketing and customer engagement
Shopify	E-commerce platform for selling journals directly
Hootsuite	Social media scheduling and management
Zapier	Automate workflows between different apps and services

Scaling the Business

If you are seeing good sales and want to scale, consider these strategies:

• Expanding Product Lines: Introduce related products like planners, notebooks, or stationery accessories to broaden your inventory.
• Automating Processes: Use automation tools like Zapier to automate repetitive tasks such as order processing, inventory management, and email responses.
• Hiring Freelancers: If the workload becomes too much to handle alone, consider hiring freelancers for tasks like graphic design, customer service, or digital marketing. Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr can be excellent resources for finding talent.

By employing these advanced techniques and leveraging the right tools, you can enhance your journal business, increase profitability, and potentially transform your side hustle into a full-time, scalable enterprise.

Conclusion: Capitalize on At-Home Journal Creation and Sales

To conclude, creating custom journals and selling them online can be a profitable and rewarding side hustle.

By leveraging tools like ChatGPT from OpenAI to generate prompts, Canva to design pages and covers, Printful to manage print-on-demand production and Etsy or Facebook Marketplace for sales, you can establish a smooth production-to-sales pipeline.

After generating and designing the journals, marketing is critical. Identifying your target audience, leveraging social media, blogging and SEO, and email marketing are key steps to reaching your potential customers. Collaborations and affiliate marketing can further enhance your outreach and customer base.

Understanding the market opportunity is vital to estimate profitability and the potential success of your journaling enterprise. The global stationery market is growing, suggesting a robust demand for custom journals, especially ones catering to specific audiences.

Keeping a keen eye on the potential profit margins and considering the necessary time investment will also aid the financial planning and operation of your side hustle.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs