What is the utility of a tshirt? Other than the fact that it covers our body and communicates a visual or written message to onlookers, there’s not much to do with a tshirt other than wash and wear it.

What about low-content and no-content books released on KDP? They exist not to be mindlessly worn but thoughtfully used.

I bring this up for two reasons.

Firstly, the biggest mistake many Merchers are making today is that they haven’t yet started selling on KDP. But, secondly, and this is extremely important, mistakes are still being made by those who think that transitioning to KDP simply means putting tshirt designs on book covers.

Unfortunately, as a means to evaluate whether or not an MBA design should be placed on a KDP book cover, the questions most Merchers initially ask themselves include:

  • Do I need to add something to the design or change it in any way?
  • Will the design look good on a book cover?
  • Should I put this design on a book that’s blank, a lined journal, or some other type of book?

These are all the wrong initial questions to ask. And I believe a lack of asking the right questions is the biggest impediment to success that Merchers experience when transferring their creations to KDP.

So what are the first questions to ask yourself about whether a design on MBA belongs on a KDP cover? Here goes:

  • Does this niche’s audience have any reason to write something pertinent to this niche?

I suspect that “yes” will be the answer most of the time. Once this question is answered, it’s on to the second question.

  • What could possibly need to be written down, documented, or otherwise tracked or recorded about this niche?

Third question:

  • Who is likely doing the writing?

Fourth and final question:

  • What’s is the probable goal of the writer?

These four questions will light a path in your MBA to KDP transition. Let’s navigate through this process with an example.

Assume I have a tshirt on MBA in the general coffee drinker niche that I’m thinking about using for a KDP notebook or journal. Let’s answer the four questions previously posed.

1. Does this niche’s audience have any reason to write something pertinent to this niche?

Answer: Yes. Coffee has been filling cups for ages. But it’s filled many books too.

2. What could possibly need to be written down, documented, or otherwise tracked or recorded about this niche?

Answer: Coffee baristas and coffee shop managers need books to record drink recipes and document supplies for replenishment. Caffeine junkies need to be mindful of caffeine consumption tracking, per doctor’s orders. Meetings over coffee are especially common among co-workers, requiring planners/schedulers. Coffee commodity traders have to be aware of many fluid facets of the agricultural commodities industry, often requiring copious notes and other intensive documentation.

3. Who is likely doing the writing?

Answer: As alluded to above, a wide range of individuals — from food service workers, to financial professionals — have reasons for writing about matters directly or indirectly related to coffee.

4. What’s is the probable goal of the writer?

Answer: For a barista or coffee shop manager, the goal would be to stay organized and better serve customers. For a coffee addict, the goal of cutting back or quitting may be medically necessitated by the desire to reduce anxiety, insomnia, or heart palpitations.

These four simple questions can quickly help you to:

  • Smoothly transition a design from MBA to KDP
  • Determine the utility of such a KDP book
  • Target a specific sub-niche audience
  • Pinpoint the type of interior that’s appropriate
  • Formulate a keyword-rich and effective listing for your KDP upload

There are many tools and resources at your disposal to help you spin a successful MBA business into an equally (if not more) successful KDP business. But none of these invaluable tools will be valuable to you unless you initially ask the right questions and immediately determine the functionality of your book within a highly targeted niche audience.