Adult Coloring Books... Trending.

[MJ DeMarco]

Can someone explain this trend to me?

Adult coloring books? I saw a bunch of them at Costco and it's become quite a publishing phenomena.

I don't get it.

@EPerceptions posted a thread some months ago -- how is your venture going? (Thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ck-on-cover-design-adult-coloring-book.62229/)

 

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[AllenCrawley]

I'm not sure when Oprah's site/magazine published this but I'm sure it may be contributing...

http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Andrea-Pippins-Hair-Coloring-Book

 

[GPM]

It is exploding. They even had articles on it on CBC news talking about how it is the latest thing, and that this Secret Garden book or some such was the #1 thing on amazon.com and amazon.ca.

Alibaba is full of them now as well.

 

[CPisHere]

I love 'em. Great stress reliever.

How did it become such a popular trend? Not sure exactly, but probably started with a single article promoting how good coloring is for stress relief and snow-balled because of it's uniquely simple approach to a difficult problem.

 

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[IceCreamKid]

I jumped on the adult coloring book train after I read about how Ozzy Osbourne uses it as a relaxation tool.

My mind is constantly racing with creative ideas which results in insomnia. I use the color books as a way to get off the carousel of life and hit the reset button for the day. It helps with productivity for the next day because it helps me wake up with a clear and focused mind.

It's definitely one of my favorite life hacks. If meditation doesn't really resonate with you, give the coloring books a shot.

 

[AndrewNC]

https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=adult+coloring+books

September 2013-December 2014 is when it appeared on the radar. Sometime around November last year, it might have been picked up on a number of low level media outlets.

It seemed to take a nice spike in March 2015, right before the mainstream picked it up.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I have some friends in Canada who launched one a few months ago on Kickstarter.

Raised like $30k+

I was like whhhhaaattt?!?!

 

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[Blue1214]

I get the feeling with a lot of these things, there are the very few who feel a benefit and the rest are just trying to participate in a fad.

A while from now, there will be a new trend and the people who truly were into the coloring book thing will continue doing it and the herd will move on to the next.

It's an idea that goes against the norm (coloring books are for kids) and therefore gets people's attention. It is what Seth Godin would call, a, "purple cow".

 

[Veloce Grey]

This is topical for me. My sister came around a few days ago to show me what she'd bought my brother's fiancée for her first Christmas in the family loop. She pulled out a coloring book called Secret Garden or something as mentioned above. I sort of laughed politely thinking she was joking. Then there's that awkward silence when you realise someone has said something apparently ridiculous to you but they weren't joking. I think I eventually managed "oh...ok"

Personally I find the whole tattoo culture fairly odd but when you combine that with pinterest/instagram and the general fact that reading standards and attention spans seem to be declining then it starts to make sense something like this can take off as a rival to actual written books requiring attention and thought. Tuning out and relaxing are always going to be big business.

 

[Held for Ransom]

I don't get it.

I jumped on the adult coloring book train after I read about how Ozzy Osbourne uses it as a relaxation tool.

I was like whhhhaaattt?!?!

Perhaps there's a crayon niche waiting to be filled here. Crayola is so 1885.

 

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[Vigilante]

I literally just told my wife we should get one for my daughter for Christmas. She would LOVE IT. Cool concept. No downside. Great healthy diversion. And fun.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I jumped on the adult coloring book train after I read about how Ozzy Osbourne uses it as a relaxation tool.

Hmmm, wonder if it would help calm the mind before a writing session? Might be worth a try for writers.

 

[Daniel A]

I was recently browsing the Editor's Choice section in Google Play and one of the apps listed there is for coloring. Of course, it's not a coloring book, but I'm sure the same people who enjoy coloring books will enjoy the app. And I'm sure the developers noticed a trend before they went ahead and developed it.

"Colorfy - Coloring Book Free"

"In-app Products
$1.99 - $39.99 per item"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fungamesforfree.colorfy (Link to app in Google Play)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/editors_choice?hl=en (Link to Editor's Choice page where it's listed)

EDIT: About relaxing. Quoted from the description. "Coloring therapy now on your Android." Personally, I downloaded it and tried it for only a few seconds before I lost interest, haha.

 

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[Veloce Grey]

I like this quote from the Guardian article "It really took off for us – selling the anti-stress angle gave people permission to enjoy something they might have felt was quite childish"

Very hard to go wrong selling people "permission" to do something they enjoy but feel they'd previously have been negatively judged for.

 

[Held for Ransom]

Hmmm, wonder if it would help calm the mind before a writing session? Might be worth a try for writers.

@MJ DeMarco

That's what outlines are for.

Actually, this could be the next big thing on Amazon. Before you know it, they'll be $17 courses littering the Warrior Forum.

"How To Make A Killing Outsourcing Adult Coloring Books"
"Color Me Green - How You Can Cash In On Adult Coloring Books."
"How I Found Financial Freedom Following My Childhood Passion - Coloring Books."

etc.

 

[mws87]

@MJ DeMarco

That's what outlines are for.

Actually, this could be the next big thing on Amazon. Before you know it, they'll be $17 courses littering the Warrior Forum.

"How To Make A Killing Outsourcing Adult Coloring Books"
"Color Me Green - How You Can Cash In On Adult Coloring Books."
"How I Found Financial Freedom Following My Childhood Passion - Coloring Books."

etc.

I've already one up'd this idea and began creating a course on becoming an adult coloring book course creator. Kidding, of course, haha. Funny, I was thinking the same thing scrolling down and BAM! Read your words. Seriously, I can totally see your prediction happening.

I can hear Stefan Pylarinos now: "Guys, check out my program Kidnle Coloring Mastery and learn how I make $70k PER MONTH selling outsourced, adult coloring books and how I then publish those works onto the Kindle store." Ugh..

I wonder how long this will stick?

 

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[AllenCrawley]

Actually, this could be the next big thing on Amazon. Before you know it, they'll be $17 courses littering the Warrior Forum.

LOL. Just checked... there already is.

 

[BellaPippin]

@MJ DeMarco , the true original ones are the books with Mandalas. I saw the first ones around 3 years ago before I moved to the US, that's when I first started seeing them on the bookstores in Bs. As. as a starting trend. Mandalas are circles full of details, representing the whole circle of life/birth eastern beliefs (I don't remember if hindi or buddhist so I don't wanna make a guess). Coloring (or drawing) mandalas is supposedly a form of meditation, that's why it promotes relaxation and focus. You know, just coloring a bit every day. The result doesn't matter much. In fact I'm not sure the kind of drawing matters much either. It's a relaxing activity at the end of the day.

Previously to that I remember seeing books about doodling, which pretty much produced that whole kind of drawings as well, and they were related to relaxation and focus too.

Anyway, that's where the whole adult coloring trend started from I believe. Once it exploded last year they started making coloring books of just about anything with a pattern, and now you can find pretty much anything anywhere.

 

[splok]

Can someone explain this trend to me?

I bet a large part of it is servicing people who've always felt a little artistic but who've never made the effort to develop any artistic skill. So basically just an easy way to feel like you've created something. Imo, it pushes a lot of the same buttons as video games... a low investment way to get a small feeling of accomplishment whenever you want.

 

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[EPerceptions]

I think it's a combination of things. Just as physically writing/journaling has a calming and meditative effect, so does physically coloring. But you don't have to worry about bad spelling, handwriting, etc. You can even color outside the lines if you'd like.

For people who are "on" and connected 24/7, coloring is freeing. No lines, no menu selections, no boxes or forms, no distractions. It's kind of like having the power go out in a storm and 'having' to focus solely on the present and presence of now.

That, combined with the huge surge of DIY in recent years. Coloring books let people be artists or designers of sorts.

My few cents

(And my first one was a flop fwiw)

 

[Dangeruss]

Can someone explain this trend to me?

Adult coloring books? I saw a bunch of them at Costco and it's become quite a publishing phenomena.

I don't get it.

@EPerceptions posted a thread some months ago -- how is your venture going? (Thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ck-on-cover-design-adult-coloring-book.62229/)

Perhaps we're hitting that market of adults that refuse to grow up and choose to be best friends with their children instead of parents to them? The coloring book angle could be the direct result of people wanting to think they are creative without having to do anything but stay within the lines. I'd say we all know where "staying in the lines" gets you though. I do feel I need to follow this up by saying I was just coloring some Christmas pages today, so I'm all for it as a creative outlet.

 

[MarkNNelson]

Can someone explain this trend to me?

Adult coloring books? I saw a bunch of them at Costco and it's become quite a publishing phenomena.

I don't get it.

@EPerceptions posted a thread some months ago -- how is your venture going? (Thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ck-on-cover-design-adult-coloring-book.62229/)

For our family, it's a replacement for game night. Rather than let my 2 teenagers zone out in front of the tv, or worse yet, sit there on their phones ("together but alone"), we'll declare it to be either "dead tree reading night" (real books only, no kindle allowed) or "game night". Now we have a third alternative for those cold and snowy evenings.

 

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[DeletedUser396]

This is the effect drugs have on adults.

 

[Vigilante]

I did end up buying one for a gift.

 

[SmilingFrog]

Any sort of opportunity here to start some sort of niche site displaying the benefits of these books or something like drop shipping for them? Or is it too late?

 

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[DeletedUser396]

Any sort of opportunity here to start some sort of niche site displaying the benefits of these books or something like drop shipping for them? Or is it too late?

Maybe.
The best is the best, even if it's the newest on the market.

That's not the point though.

There is demand for lots of stuff you wouldn't believe people are willing to spend money on.
Just grab an idea and run with it.

Are coloring books the next gold rush?
F*ck no.
They're just a niche item that evokes positive memories in lots of people.

 

[MarkNNelson]

They're just a niche item that evokes positive memories in lots of people.

Agreed.

I think they're also part of a meta-trend though. Many people feel like life is getting faster, the world more complex and dangerous, technology more distracting. So whether it's coloring books at Costco or aromatherapy stuff and relaxation CDs at my local Conoco station (really!), I think the niche here is helping people CTFO.

 

[Kingmaker]

I met a new lady friend who works at a big chain bookstore and she told me adult coloring books are their best seller this holiday, along with adele's new CD and star wars toys. She also said they are great for doodling/coloring while sitting through class. Jokingly said she hopes they are a fad, because there's no place for them in the store with how many kinds there are. Somebody's making a killing on this, interesting thread

 

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[Rawr]

About a month ago I asked on a writer's forum 'what do you use to relax your brain?' and a good percentage of people suggested adult coloring books. I looked into it on my iphone, downloaded a few of them. I have to say - it doesn't work on the phone. The real deal has to be done with a pencil in hand.

People used to pick up a piece of paper and draw on it - but adults think 1. they can't draw 2. they don't have the time to sit down and draw. But they can and it will help them more than the coloring books.

 

[EvanOkanagan]

Can someone explain this trend to me?

Adult coloring books? I saw a bunch of them at Costco and it's become quite a publishing phenomena.

I don't get it.

@EPerceptions posted a thread some months ago -- how is your venture going? (Thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ck-on-cover-design-adult-coloring-book.62229/)

My 28 yr old girlfriend asked for an adult coloring book for Christmas