Choosing the Perfect Category for Journals

Categories on KDP are essentially like sections in a bookstore or library. They are simply there to help your readers find your work. However, KDP has no specific category for “Journal” so you’ll need to be creative to place it in a pre-existing category that fits.

Start with Your Journal’s Purpose

Look over your journal’s purpose. What is it for? Who is the target audience?

• Is it a guided self-help journal? Consider Self-Help/ Journal Writing or Self Help/Personal Growth.
• Is it a travel journal? Try Travel or General.
• Is it a daily planner or organizer? Look into Non-Classifiable or related niches.
• Is it a dream journal? What about Self-Help/Dreams for Biographies.
• Does it resemble a diary? Consider Memoirs/Diaries & Journals.
• Is it a student planner or a study organizer? Try Education / Study Skills.

We use our KDP Category Tool Finder to assist us in finding the best categories to fit our books. Simply type in your book niche or relatable keywords to find suitable categories to put your book into.

Use Keywords Strategically

KDP categories work hand-in-hand with keywords. If your journal doesn’t perfectly match a category, strong keywords can help boost its visibility. For example, if you’re publishing a gratitude journal, You could use keywords such as “gratitude,” “self-care,” and “mindfulness” which are likely to connect readers to your journal. Always make sure you use the suggested keywords that people are searching for on Amazon to help get results.