Law school has been many things, but one thing all students would agree on is that it is a constant grind. During my first year of law school, I experienced a high level of imposter syndrome (and still do).
I recognized the need to actively work on maintaining a positive perspective of my academic abilities. I did this by listening to positive affirmations as often as possible the first year.
When friends shared that they also felt insecure about their abilities and experienced imposter syndrome, I realized many of us suffer from it due to chronic perfectionism and a history of overachieving.
I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, so I decided to turn an idea into something that might help others in my position: a gratitude and affirmation journal specifically designed for law students.
In this first part of a series of creating several income streams, I will share how I created The Law Student’s Gratitude and Affirmation Journal, why I chose to publish it through Amazon KDP, the design process, and, of course, the financial aspects. This includes exactly how much Amazon will take in royalties and what I expect to profit from the journal.
Whether you’re a fellow law student, a creator curious about Amazon KDP, or someone dreaming of building passive income streams, I hope this post inspires you to see how an idea can become a real product that can help people.
Why I Created a Journal for Law Students
As a third-year law student, I am well aware of the immense pressure of law school and how overwhelming it can be. The mental health toll is real, and law school can quickly start to feel like a constant uphill battle. Additionally, many of us juggle financial concerns, relationships, and the anxiety of finding a job to pay back student loans after graduation.
I’ve always leaned on gratitude lists and affirmations to help me stay positive and reframe my perspective. Gratitude journaling, in particular, has been scientifically linked to lower stress and better sleep.
However, when I searched for journals specifically designed to address law school struggles, I couldn’t find any. Sure, there were generic affirmation journals, but none that spoke to the intense reading load, the cold calls, the final exams looming in the distance, or the constant imposter syndrome.
So I decided to make one myself.
The Concept: Gratitude + Affirmations
The journal needed to be practical, simple, and deeply relatable. I built it around three daily sections:
- Gratitude lists – Each page begins with “Today, I’m grateful for…” and space to write down five things. This helps shift focus from stress to appreciation.
- Positive affirmations for law students – Each day includes five affirmations specifically tailored to law students. Instead of generic “I am strong” statements, these affirmations tackle real challenges: exam stress, public speaking anxiety, professional confidence, and resilience. I ended up producing 595 affirmations (5 per page, for 119 pages).
- Positive quote of the day – Every page ends with a motivational quote from a legal mind, thinker, or leader. These provide inspiration and perspective, tying each page together with encouragement.
The journal is meant to serve as a daily companion for law students. It is a self-care tool designed to support mindset and motivation during law school.
Why I Published on Amazon KDP
There are several ways to self-publish a journal, including printing locally, using print-on-demand services like Lulu, or outsourcing to bulk printing companies. However, I wanted my journal to be easily accessible anywhere in the world. I wanted a low upfront price, and I didn’t want to fulfill orders myself. Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) ticked all of those boxes.
KDP is great because it offers print-on-demand. Amazon only prints the book when someone orders it, so I don’t have to hold inventory. They don’t have any upfront printing costs, so I can publish my journal without incurring an investment of my own money. Additionally, Amazon is the world’s largest bookstore, and buyers already search there for “gratitude journals” and “law student gifts.”
Regarding royalties, while Amazon takes a cut, the system is transparent, and I know exactly what I’ll make per book. For a side project created during law school, it was the perfect platform.
The Design Process
After brainstorming, I outlined what each page needed (gratitude prompts, affirmations, quotes). Then I built a structure for 119 unique daily entries. I used AI to generate all affirmations and curated positive quotes that aligned with the law school journey. Adding this content to the journal took some time, but it fits the niche audience I hope to target.
I wanted the cover to be elegant and giftable. Using Canva and drawing inspiration from other bestsellers, I designed something simple and law school-themed. For the interior pages, I used a clean, bullet-journal-inspired design with space for reflection. This was done in PDF format so it would upload smoothly to KDP. On Amazon KDP, I selected my trim size (6×9, a common size for journals), set the page count (approximately 120 pages), uploaded the cover and interior, and then determined my pricing.
Pricing
Pricing was a big decision. Too high, and it risks scaring off students (who are often broke). Too low, and it undervalues my effort. I landed on $9.99 as the launch price because it’s below the $10 psychological barrier, making it competitive with other gratitude journals on Amazon. Once I build reviews and traction, I may raise the price, but I think this is the sweet spot for now.
Amazon Royalties: How Much Do I Actually Make?
This is where transparency matters. Amazon KDP has a simple royalty structure:
- Royalty rate for paperbacks: 60% of the list price
- Minus printing cost: Amazon deducts the printing fee (based on page count, ink, and size).
For my journal:
- List Price: $9.99
- Royalty Rate: 60%
- Printing Cost: ≈ $2.30 (for a ~120-page black & white journal at 6×9 size)
- My Profit per Sale: $3.69 per copy
That means every journal sold earns me around a little under $4, depending on print fluctuations.
Expected Revenue
Here’s the fun part: what the journal has the potential to earn. Of course, sales are never guaranteed, and I’m fully aware I won’t sell anything! But let’s run some scenarios.
- 10 sales/month → ~$37/month
- 50 sales/month → ~$185/month
- 100 sales/month → ~$369/month
- 500 sales/month → ~$1,845/month
For a project that cost me $0 upfront to publish (just time and effort), even 100 sales/month would be a huge win.
And because this is evergreen (law students will always exist, and the stress of law school won’t disappear), the journal could potentially continue to sell year after year.
The Bigger Picture: Passive Income Meets Passion
The beauty of Amazon KDP is that once the book is uploaded, it continues to sell without me having to constantly fulfill or manage orders. I can focus on other projects and assignments while Amazon handles printing, shipping, and customer service.
More importantly, this journal is part of my bigger project: Post Grad Money. My blog helps postgraduates navigate personal finance and cultivate a money mindset. This journal provides law students with support for managing their mental health and cultivating a success mindset —a different yet deeply connected form of support.
It’s about creating a resource I wish I had when I started law school, and hopefully inspiring others to blend passion projects with practical income streams.
Wrap-Up
If you’ve ever dreamed about creating something meaningful and putting it out into the world, Amazon KDP makes it possible. You don’t need thousands of dollars, a publishing deal, or fancy connections. You need an idea, the discipline to bring it to life, and the courage to share it.
For me, that idea became The Law Student’s Gratitude and Affirmation Journal. It’s not just a product, it’s a reflection of my own law school journey, the struggles I’ve faced, and the resilience I hope will make a student’s life a little bit better.
At $9.99, it’s affordable for students, gift-worthy for loved ones, and a small step toward creating something bigger. If I can do this in the middle of law school, maybe it’ll inspire you to take your own idea and make it real too.
Thank you so much for reading my article! Check out the rest of the blog for more personal finance guides, tips, and more!