How I Built Passive Income Streams Amazon KDP, Redbubble, Blogging, & More!
I still remember that restless night in 2019 when I realized my monthly salary alone wasn’t going to fund my dreams — travel, a cozy home office, or even a rainy-day fund. I’d spent years grinding 9–5, thinking “if only I could make money while I sleep…” Turns out, that was the exact moment I decided to build passive income streams. Fast forward to today, and I’m earning from five different platforms — Redbubble, Blogger, my self-hosted blog, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Instagram affiliate links — and I want to share exactly how I did it (and the mistakes I made along the way).
Why “Passive” Isn’t a Myth
First, let’s clear something up: passive income still requires work — especially at the start. I spent late nights learning design basics for Redbubble, decoding Blogger’s dashboard, fiddling with WordPress themes, formatting e-books for KDP, and experimenting with hashtags on Instagram. But once each system was in motion, I could scale up without clocking double shifts. i was afraid to face camera so I choose behind the camera content creation tools like Amazon KDP, Redbubble etc.
1. Redbubble: Turning Doodles Into Dollars
I’d always sketched in notebooks, but sharing art felt scary. In January 2020, I dipped a toe into Redbubble — uploading three simple designs: a quirky cactus, a chatty coffee mug, and a minimalist mountain line art. I priced them competitively (around $20–$25 per tee) and let Redbubble handle printing, shipping and customer service.
- Lesson learned: Niche matters. The coffee mug design took off because there were just enough coffee lovers and not too many similar mugs on the platform.
- Tip: Use high-res PNGs with transparent backgrounds. Spend a weekend learning basic Photoshop or GIMP tricks — worth every minute.
By mid-year, that cactus tee (which I almost deleted for being “too simple”) had sold 150 copies. Today it’s still selling a handful each month, and every sale drops a small royalty into my pocket with zero extra effort from me.
2. Blogger: My First “Free” Blogging Adventure
I started on Google’s free Blogger platform because I wanted to dip my toes in blogging with zero overhead. In March 2020, I launched “Deepak’s Daily Hustle” — a simple, two-column layout with a handpicked pastel header (I admit, I’m a sucker for soft colors).
- Why Blogger? It’s dead easy to set up and you don’t need to worry about hosting or updates.
- Content strategy: Short, punchy posts — “3 Quick Books That Turbocharge Your Productivity” — published every Sunday night.
- Growth hack: I connected my custom domain (cost about $10/year) so it looked more professional.
One post about “How to Automate Your Morning Routine” caught steam on Twitter, and overnight I jumped from 20 to 200 monthly readers. Those pageviews translated into display-ad earnings once I plugged in AdSense, giving me my first taste of true passive revenue.
3. Blogging: My Personal Hub on WordPress
While Blogger was great for experimentation, I craved ownership. In late 2020, I built my own blog on WordPress (with a cozy, pastel-themed template because — I admit — I love soft palettes).
- Why a self-hosted blog: Full control over SEO, ads and user experience.
- Traffic tactics: Keyword research with free tools, writing 1,500-word cornerstone posts, internal linking and image optimization.
- Monetization: Google AdSense for display ads, plus affiliate links to tools I genuinely use (e.g., web hosting, Adsterra course platforms).
It took about six months to break even on hosting fees, but once a few posts ranked on page one of Google, the pageviews and ad revenue — climbed steadily.
4. Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): From Blog Post to eBook
One afternoon, I realized an evergreen blog post — “The Ultimate Guide to Productivity Tools” — would make a solid eBook. I expanded it, added worksheets, and designed a simple cover in Canva.
- Formatting tip: KDP’s Kindle Create tool is a lifesaver for non-techies.
- Pricing strategy: Launched at $2.99 to boost visibility, then experimented up to $4.99. My sweet spot ended up at $3.99 — premium enough to feel valuable, low sufficient for impulse buys.
In the first month, I sold around 200 copies, netting roughly $400 in royalties. Every subsequent month, I see a few dozen more, without me lifting a finger.
5. Instagram Affiliate Hustle
My Instagram page started as a passion project — sharing productivity memes and glimpses into my work-from-home life. Instagram won't pay you a penny for making videos; it's the tactic that you choose to monetize your followers.
- How I did it: Authentic short video demos and mini-tutorials in Stories, saved to Highlights.
- Earnings: Amazon affiliate links and a handful of SaaS partnerships. can easily pull in about $100–$200 a month on average.
Reality Check: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
I won’t pretend it was easy. There were months when ad revenue dipped, a Blogger post flopped, or KDP algorithm tweaks throttled sales. I’d catch myself thinking, “Maybe I should just focus on one thing.” But having multiple streams was my safety net — when one slowed, another kept me afloat.
My Top 3 Tips for You
- Start small, learn fast. Pick one platform, iterate relentlessly.
- Track everything. I keep a simple spreadsheet of upload dates, keywords, prices and results.
- Be authentic. Your audience senses sincerity — share your real wins and screw-ups.
What’s Next?
I’m eyeing Etsy printables and even dabbling in YouTube Shorts. But even if I never add another stream, I sleep better knowing I’ve built systems — imperfect, but working.
If you’ve been wondering, “Could I really do this?” — trust me, you can. The first sale is always the hardest, but once that notification pings, you’ll know it was worth every late night and cup of cold coffee.
Got questions or your own journey to share? Drop a comment below — I read every one (and yes, I’ll reply!). Welcome to the passive-income club. 🎉
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