Adult Coloring Books: How to Get Started

Choosing Adult Coloring Books

As stated in a prior blog post, I have recently "discovered" adult coloring books. So, here are some tips about books. Once I started looking at adult coloring books online, I was almost getting overwhelmed at the choices. So, after a few weeks in "the game," I want to share what I have learned in order to spare you wasting your time. Luckily, I'm the great "over-researcher," so I wasn't disappointed with any of the choices I ended up making.

Okay, before getting into books, I do know that you can download individual coloring pages for free online. However, I'm leery about downloading anything because my last-century computer is already not working right, and I try to minimize any risks. If you feel comfortable doing so, go for it, but, and there is a BIG but: Make sure you're not violating copyright. That means, freebies should only come from sources that are authorized by the original artist.

Now, here is what I learned about the books. Basically, they come in several main categories. Books by main publishers such as the Creative Haven series by Dover Publishing, books individually published like those on Create Space (Amazon's platform), and one-of-a-kind books by artists sold on platforms like Etsy. Let's take a look at all three categories.

Major publication books can be bought from the publisher itself, in book stores like Barnes & Noble, craft stores, hobby stores, and department stores. If you find comfort in numbers, other best-selling adult coloring books publishers (according to PublishersWeekly.com) include Laurence King, Test Pattern, Design Originals, H.R. Wallace, Plume and Fox Chapel.

Keep in mind that any source other than the publishing company will have limited choices according to what the corporate buyers of the individual company might think will sell. Also, one store in one area might sell some, while the same chain store in another state won't have any.  Of course you can also look for these from the usual suspects like Amazon and eBay.

One major indie publishing platform is Create Space through Amazon. Indie published active adult coloring books can be hit and miss. Some "authors" simply take free designs of the Web, slap them together, and sell them. Rinse and repeat. Since more quantity means more money, the design process is often rushed and the layouts can be skewed and sloppy.

Luckily, that has not been my personal experience. I simply found this out by doing research and reading online reviews. In regards to Amazon, you will know that a book was published on Create Space when reading the item description in the Amazon search results. Of course Create Space is just one example for indie publishing. You're likely to find many more when you search the Web.

That doesn't mean you need to shy away from indie books, you simply need to do your research and read reviews before ordering. Like I said, I had a pleasant buying experience. A friend on Facebook advertised that one of her family members was selling one of her adult coloring books that she published via Create Space.

Buying adult coloring books from Etsy is fairly risk free because Etsy has a good buyer resolution platform, but is generally a bit more expensive than a book published via the other two methods. That's because artists there pay listing and selling fees and also have to price their items high enough to include their material costs. It can be worth it though if you really want designs that are truly unique.