How to Create and Sell Print on Demand Journals and Notebooks

T-shirts, hoodies, and hats are often some of the first products Creators add to their merch stores. As your store grows, though, you may want to expand beyond apparel and give your audience something different.

Notebooks and journals can be a natural addition, especially when the idea connects to your content or something your audience already cares about.

This guide covers how print on demand journals and notebooks work, how to create and price them, and how to sell them as part of your merch lineup.

Let’s dive right in.

What Are Print on Demand Journals and Notebooks?

Print on demand journals and notebooks are custom stationery products made only after a customer places an order. Instead of buying inventory upfront, you create the product through a print on demand provider, which handles production and ships each order directly to your customer.

Customization varies by product. Some let you design only the front and back covers, while others support inside covers or selected interior pages. You may also have different page styles, sizes, bindings, and cover types to choose from.

Fourthwall, for example, offers several notebook and journal formats that you can customize and sell through your store without managing inventory or fulfillment yourself.

Why Notebooks and Journals Work as Merch

Notebooks and journals can carry the same artwork, references, or ideas that connect your other merch to your audience. But they also give people something they can use regularly for activities such as reading, studying, planning, drawing, or tracking their progress.

That creates plenty of possibilities for different types of Creators. An artist or illustrator can turn their work into a notebook their audience can use for writing or sketching. A study Creator can create something for class notes or revision, while a Creator whose content centers on a particular interest can build a journal around that activity.

BookTuber Hannah Azerang, for example, created the A Clockwork Reader Reading Journal for fellow readers. It includes space to track up to 100 books, along with prompts, reading challenges, lists, recommendations, and Hannah’s own contributions.

The right concept will depend on your content, your audience, and how the product could fit into something they already do.

Print on Demand Notebook and Journal Ideas

There are plenty of directions you can take with a notebook or journal. The key is choosing an idea that makes sense for your content and gives your audience a reason to use it.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Reading Journals

If you create book-related content, a reading journal can help your audience keep track of what they read. Depending on the customization available, you could include space for reading goals, ratings, reviews, or book lists.

2. Workout Journals

Fitness Creators can create journals for tracking workouts and progress. Depending on your audience, that could include space for exercises, sets, reps, weights, or other details they regularly record.

3. Study Notebooks

If you create educational or study content, a notebook can give your audience a dedicated place for class notes, revision, or exam preparation. Lined or dotted pages can keep it flexible, while the cover can connect the product to your content or community.

4. Travel Journals

Travel journals can give your audience a place to record itineraries, memories, and other details from their trips. A smaller format may also be easier to carry while traveling.

5. Planning and Goal Journals

If your content focuses on productivity, career development, or personal goals, you can create a journal around how your audience plans and tracks progress. Depending on the product, you could add goal-setting prompts, planning sections, or trackers.

6. Art and Illustration Notebooks

Not every notebook needs a structured interior. If you're an artist, illustrator, or designer, your artwork can be the main reason someone buys it. You could adapt existing designs, characters, or themes from your work for the cover.

7. Community-Themed Notebooks

You can also build a notebook around something your audience recognizes from your content, such as an inside joke, recurring phrase, character, or theme. This gives your community a more personal reason to choose your notebook over a generic one.

What to Consider Before Creating a Print on Demand Journal or Notebook

Once you have an idea in mind, you’ll need to decide what type of notebook or journal can best support it. Consider the following factors when comparing your options:

1. Your Audience and Use Case

Start with who the product is for and what they’ll use it for. This should guide the format rather than choosing a notebook first and trying to make your idea fit.

For example, a student taking class notes may need plenty of writing space and a binding that’s comfortable to use for longer periods. Someone using a travel journal may prefer something smaller and easier to carry.

Also consider how much structure the product needs. Standard lined or dotted pages may be enough for general writing, while a reading or workout journal may need prompts, instructions, or trackers.

2. Page Style and Interior Customization

Choose a page style that fits the intended use. Lined pages work well for writing and note-taking, while dotted pages offer more flexibility for lists, diagrams, planning, and bullet journaling.

If your concept requires a structured interior, check how much you can customize. Some print on demand journals only let you customize selected interior pages. That may work for occasional prompts or instructions, but not for a journal that requires custom templates throughout.

Checking these limits early helps you avoid designing something your chosen product can’t support.

3. Size and Portability

Consider where and how your audience will use the product. A larger notebook can provide more room for detailed notes or planning, while a smaller one may be easier to carry for travel, commuting, or everyday use.

Check the exact dimensions before designing. The finished size affects both the writing space available and how your artwork fits the printable area.

4. Binding and Cover Style

Binding affects how the notebook feels to use. Spiral-bound notebooks can lie open and fold back, which can be useful for note-taking, studying, or planning. A traditionally bound notebook offers a different experience and may suit other concepts better.

Cover style matters too. Depending on the options available, consider whether a softcover or hardcover makes more sense for how the product will be used and presented.

5. Printing and Customization Options

Check exactly which areas of the product you can customize. Depending on the format, this may include the front and back covers, inside covers, or selected interior pages.

Also check the print method and artwork requirements for the specific product. Use its design template and specifications rather than assuming the same artwork setup will work across different formats.

6. Production and Fulfillment

If your audience is spread across different countries, check where the product can be fulfilled. A notebook available only from a US fulfillment location may be less practical if a large share of your customers live elsewhere.

Timing can matter for products tied to a particular period too. If you’re selling a study notebook for a new school term or a goal journal for January, account for production and shipping times when planning your launch.

7. Base Cost and Pricing Room

Finally, compare the cost of the formats that meet your requirements. Base cost affects both the retail price you’ll need to charge and the margin available on each sale.

Don’t choose based on the lowest cost alone. A cheaper option may not have the page style, binding, customization, or fulfillment your concept needs.

Once you’ve narrowed down what matters most, you can compare the available formats and decide which production model makes the most sense.

Print on Demand vs. Buying Notebooks and Journals in Bulk

Print on demand and bulk ordering are two ways to produce custom notebooks and journals, but they differ in how much you pay upfront, how inventory is managed, and the level of customization available.

For Creators testing a new idea, print on demand gives you a way to start without committing to inventory upfront. Bulk ordering may make more sense once you have consistent demand and the lower per-unit cost or added customization justifies buying inventory in advance.

Print on Demand Notebook and Journal Options on Fourthwall

Fourthwall has a growing catalog of notebooks and journals you can customize and sell through your store. Available formats vary in size, page style, binding, price, and customization, so the right option depends on what you want to create.

Below are a few examples to consider:

1. Spiral Bound Notebook

The Spiral Bound Notebook comes in ruled-line and graph-paper versions, giving you two interior options depending on how you expect your audience to use it. Both have 120 pages, spiral binding, and a back document pocket.

Product details:

• Starting price: $10.95
• Size: 6 × 8 inches
• Pages: 120
• Page styles: Ruled lines or graph paper
• Paper weight: 90 gsm
• Cover: 350 gsm
• Binding: Spiral
• Extras: Back document pocket
• Print method: Digital printing
• Fulfillment: US
• Minimum order: None

The ruled version works well for writing, notes, or journaling, while graph paper can suit diagrams, planning, calculations, or other concepts that benefit from a grid.

2. Spiral Bound Journal

The Spiral Bound Journal has 150 lined pages in a compact format. You can customize the front, back, and inside covers, giving you additional space for artwork, instructions, or other elements.

Product details:

• Starting price: $11.51
• Size: 5.12 × 6.97 inches
• Pages: 150 lined pages
• Paper weight: 90 g/m²
• Binding: Metal spiral
• Cover: Glossy laminated
• Customization: Front, back, and inside covers
• Print method: Digital printing
• Fulfillment: US
• Minimum order: None

The lined pages make it a good fit for writing-focused products, while the smaller size can work well for journals designed to be carried around.

3. Hardcover Bound Notebook | JournalBook®

The Hardcover Bound Notebook has 80 cream-colored lined pages, an UltraHyde hardcover, elastic closure, and ribbon marker.

Product details:

• Starting price: $12.71
• Size: 5.5 × 8.5 inches
• Pages: 80 cream-colored lined pages
• Paper weight: 80 gsm
• Cover: UltraHyde hardcover
• Binding: Hardcover bound
• Extras: Elastic closure and ribbon marker
• Print method: UV printing
• Fulfillment: US
• Minimum order: None

The hardcover format gives you another option when you want something more structured than a spiral-bound notebook, though you have fewer pages than the spiral options above.

4. Karst Bound Notebook

The Karst Bound Notebook stands out for its stone-paper pages and water-resistant hardcover. It also has flat-lay binding, a ribbon page marker, and a back document pocket.

Product details:

• Starting price: $32.95
• Size: 5.5 × 8.5 inches
• Pages: 72 lined pages
• Paper: Stone paper
• Cover: Water-resistant hardcover
• Binding: Flat-lay
• Extras: Ribbon page marker and back document pocket
• Print method: UV printing
• Fulfillment: US
• Minimum order: None
• Other features: Tree-free and recyclable

At $32.95 before adding your margin, the Karst is a considerably more expensive option than the other examples above. Its stone paper, water-resistant construction, and flat-lay binding may make sense when those features are important to the product you want to create, but you’ll also need to consider the final price your audience would pay.

What You Can Earn Selling Print on Demand Journals and Notebooks

There’s no fixed amount you can expect to make from print on demand journals or notebooks. Your earnings depend on your margin per sale and how many units you sell.

Fourthwall’s internal data gives us a useful benchmark. Across 7,934 notebook and journal sales over the past 12 months, Creators earned an average margin of $5.05 per unit, or 29.7%. The top 10% of sales generated margins of $11.05 or more per unit.

Using the $5.05 average as an example:

These figures show how margins can add up as sales increase, but they aren’t a prediction of what you’ll earn. Your results will depend on the product you choose, your selling price, any discounts you offer, and how many units you sell.

Decide What Margin Makes Sense

Before setting your retail price, decide how much you want to earn from each sale. A higher margin increases your earnings per order but usually means charging more. A lower margin can keep the price more accessible, but you’ll need more sales to earn the same amount.

Use Fourthwall’s $5.05 average as a benchmark, not a pricing target. Consider your product costs, what your audience is likely to pay, and how much you want to earn from each sale.

Set a Retail Price That Fits the Product

Next, look at what similar notebooks and journals sell for and consider what your product offers at that price.

A general notebook with custom cover artwork may not command the same price as a purpose-built journal with additional customization. Format, design, and functionality can all affect what customers may be willing to pay.

If you plan to offer discounts, account for them before setting your regular price. Make sure you’ll still have enough margin at the discounted price for the sale to make sense.

Your final price should make sense for what you’re selling while leaving enough margin to make each order worthwhile.

How to Create Your Print on Demand Journal or Notebook

Creating your notebook or journal starts with finding a provider that can support the format you have in mind. You’ll also need to prepare your design, check the finished product, set your price, and create a listing for your store. Below, we walk through each step of the process.

1. Choose a Print on Demand Provider

Look for a print on demand provider that offers the type of notebook or journal you want to create. Compare:

• Available sizes and bindings
• Page styles and page counts
• Cover and interior customization
• Base costs
• Print and fulfillment locations
• Ecommerce integrations
• Branding and packaging options
• Minimum order requirements

Use your product requirements to narrow down the options. If custom interior pages are essential, for example, a provider that only supports cover printing won’t work.

Consider your existing setup too. If you already sell merch, choosing a provider that works with your current storefront can make it easier to manage your products and orders in one place. 

Fourthwall, for example, lets you add notebooks and journals alongside your other merch and handles production and fulfillment when customers order.

2. Prepare Your Design

Create your artwork using the specifications for the product you’ve chosen. Check the required dimensions, resolution, bleed, and safe areas, and use the provider’s design template when available.

Keep text, logos, and important parts of your artwork within the safe area so they aren’t trimmed or obscured during production. If you can customize multiple areas, such as the front and back covers, consider how the designs work together across the finished product.

3. Design the Interior, If Available

If your product supports interior customization, use those pages to support its intended use.

A structured journal might include prompts, trackers, or instructions, while a general notebook may only need a welcome page or short message. Keep the layout easy to follow and leave enough space for people to write.

Work within the customization limits of your product. If you only have a few printable interior pages, prioritize the most useful elements rather than trying to fit the entire concept into them.

4. Create the Product and Check Your Mockups

Upload your designs and use the product preview to check how everything comes together. Review the artwork placement, text size, safe areas, and any customizable covers or interior pages. 

If you’re using Fourthwall, you can do this directly in the product designer, where you can add your design and preview mockups before publishing the product to your store.

Check each print area separately. A front cover that looks right doesn’t guarantee the same alignment or spacing on the back or interior.

Mockups can help you spot visible design issues, but they can’t show you details such as paper feel, binding, or physical print quality. That’s where a sample becomes essential.

5. Order a Sample

Order a sample before promoting the product to your audience.

Check:

• Print placement and alignment
• Colors and image clarity
• Binding
• Paper and pages
• Cover quality
• Interior printing, where applicable
• Overall size and usability

Then use the product as your customer would. Write on the pages, open and turn them, and check whether the size, binding, and layout work for the intended use.

If something doesn’t work as expected, adjust the design or reconsider the format before customers start ordering.

6. Set Your Price

Set a price that covers the product cost and leaves you with a margin you’re comfortable with. When deciding how to price your product, consider what your audience is likely to pay and how much you want to earn from each sale.

If you plan to offer discounts, factor those in too. Make sure the discounted price still leaves you with a margin that makes the sale worthwhile.

7. Create Your Product Listing

Your product listing should give customers the information they need to understand what they’re buying.

Use clear images to show the cover, size, binding, and any important interior features. Include practical details such as:

• Dimensions
• Page count
• Page style
• Binding
• Cover type
• Interior customization, where applicable

Go beyond the specifications where useful. If you’re selling a reading journal, for example, show the pages customers will use to track books or ratings. If the main appeal is your artwork, make sure customers can clearly see how the design looks on the finished product.

By the time someone is ready to buy, they should have a clear idea of what they’ll receive and how the product fits their needs.

How to Market and Sell Your Journals and Notebooks

Once your product is live, focus your marketing on how it fits into something your audience already does. The more clearly people can see themselves using it, the easier it is to give them a reason to buy.

Here are some marketing ideas you could try:

1. Sell the Use Case

Show your audience what the notebook or journal helps them do.

If you’re selling a reading journal, you might show how you use it to set reading goals, track books, or record your thoughts after finishing one. If you’re a fitness Creator, you could demonstrate how the journal fits into planning and tracking workouts.

This shifts the focus from simply showing the product to demonstrating why someone might want to use it.

2. Show the Product in Use

Product mockups are useful for your store, but photos and videos of the physical product can give customers a better sense of what they’re buying.

Open the notebook, write in it, flip through the pages, or show how it fits into a bag. These details help communicate the size, binding, writing space, cover finish, and other features that can be difficult to judge from a product image alone.

You can use this content on your product page, social media, or anywhere else you promote the product.

3. Include It in Your Existing Content

You don’t always need to create separate promotional content for your notebook or journal. If the product connects naturally to what you already create, it can become part of that content.

Amanda Rach Lee is a good example. Her content regularly features drawing, journaling, and planning, and her Shop ARL store sells Doodle Planners and notebooks that connect directly to those interests. Her original Doodle Planner also grew from the planner layouts she had been drawing in her own journal.

4. Plan Around Relevant Buying Periods

Some notebook and journal ideas have natural periods when customers are more likely to need them.

Study notebooks may be more relevant before a new school term. Goal-setting journals can fit the end of the year and January, while travel journals may have stronger opportunities around common travel periods.

Plan your promotion early enough for customers to discover the product, place an order, and receive it before they want to start using it.

5. Cross-Sell With Related Products

If you already sell merch, look for products that naturally fit alongside your notebook or journal.

Artwork used on a T-shirt or print could be adapted for a notebook cover, for example. You could also build a small collection around the same theme so customers can choose between related products.

Keep the connection meaningful rather than adding products simply to make the collection larger. The strongest cross-sells give someone who already likes one product a relevant reason to consider another.

Start With One Notebook or Journal Idea

You don’t need a full stationery collection to get started. Choose one idea that fits your audience, then find a format that supports how you want them to use it.

From there, create the design, order a sample, and see how the finished product feels before putting it in front of your audience. If it sells, you’ll have a much better idea of what to improve, expand, or create next.

Print on demand makes that first test easier because you can start with one product without ordering inventory upfront. On Fourthwall, you can create your notebook or journal, add it to your store, and have each order produced as customers buy.

Start with the idea you think your audience will use most, and build from there.