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How to Make Money on Amazon without Selling Physical Products?
TL;DR
You don't need to sell physical products to make money on Amazon.
Earn through affiliate marketing, self-publishing, and digital products.
Amazon Merch on Demand allows designers to sell without handling inventory.
The Amazon Influencer Program helps content creators earn commissions.
Offer freelance services through Amazon Services Marketplace.
Generate passive income with audiobooks and digital downloads.
Think you need to sell physical products to make money on Amazon? Think again! Amazon offers many ways to earn without handling inventory, packing, or shipping.
If you enjoy writing, designing, creating content, or offering services, you can make money through Amazon Affiliate Marketing, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Merch on Demand, and more. Whether you’re a blogger, artist, influencer, or freelancer, there’s an opportunity for you.
This guide will show you how to make money on Amazon without selling physical products. From publishing eBooks to earning commissions through affiliate marketing, you’ll discover easy ways to start earning online.
How to make money on Amazon without selling physical products?
#1: Amazon Affiliate Marketing (Amazon Associates Program)
The Amazon Associates Program is a simple way to make money by recommending Amazon products. If you have a website, blog, or active social media presence, you can earn a commission every time someone purchases through your unique affiliate link.
How it works:
Sign up: Join the Amazon Associates Program for free.
Choose products: Pick products that fit your niche or audience.
Create links: Generate unique affiliate links for the products you promote.
Share & earn: Share these links on your website, blog, YouTube, or social media. When someone clicks and buys, you get paid.
Why it's great:
No need to handle inventory, shipping, or customer service.
Passive income and earn money while you sleep.
Works for bloggers, YouTubers, influencers, and even small business owners.
Practical example:
Imagine you run a tech blog. You write a review on the best noise-canceling headphones, include affiliate links, and share it with your audience. When readers click the link and buy the headphones, you earn a commission. Over time, as more people purchase, your earnings grow.
#2: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Self-publishing on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) allows anyone to become an author without needing a traditional publisher. It’s an easy and cost-effective way to sell ebooks and paperbacks to a global audience.
How it works:
Write your book: Choose a topic you’re passionate about—non-fiction, fiction, self-help, or even a short guide.
Format for KDP: Amazon provides free tools to help format your manuscript correctly.
Upload & set price: Publish your book with just a few clicks and decide on the selling price.
Earn royalties: You can earn up to 70% in royalties for every book sold, making it a great passive income source.
Why it’s great:
No upfront costs, you can publish on KDP for free.
Sell to a massive audience. Amazon has millions of readers worldwide.
Earn passive income as your book continues to sell over time.
Practical example:
If you are a fitness coach, write an ebook called “The 30-Day Weight Loss Plan” and list it on Amazon KDP. Within a few weeks, people start buying it, and the coach earns royalties with every sale without worrying about printing or shipping.
#3: Amazon Merch on Demand
If you’re an artist, graphic designer, or someone with creative ideas, Amazon Merch on Demand is a great way to make money by selling your designs on various products.
The best part?
You don’t need to manage inventory, handle shipping, or worry about printing and Amazon does it all for you. Here, you can opt for the best Amazon product infographic service that you can use for this to make money.
How it works:
Sign up: Apply for the Amazon Merch on demand program.
Create & upload designs: Design graphics for t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, and more.
Choose products & set prices: Pick which products to sell and set your royalty per sale.
Amazon handles everything: When a customer orders, Amazon prints, packs, and ships the item.
Earn royalties: You make money each time someone buys your design.
Why it’s great:
No upfront costs, and you only earn when a sale is made.
No need to manage shipping, printing, or inventory.
Perfect for artists, designers, and entrepreneurs looking for passive income.
Practical example:
A graphic designer loves creating unique, funny cat-themed designs. They upload their artwork to Amazon Merch on Demand, and every time someone buys a t-shirt with their design, they earn a royalty. Over time, as more people purchase, their earnings grow without any extra effort.
#4: Amazon Influencer Program
If you have a strong social media presence, the Amazon Influencer Program is a great way to make money by recommending products to your audience. This program is similar to Amazon’s Affiliate Program but allows you to create a custom storefront where you showcase your favorite Amazon products.
Every time your followers purchase through your store, you earn a commission.
How it works:
Sign up & get approved: Apply for the Amazon Influencer Program and wait for approval.
Create your storefront: Customize your Amazon storefront with products that align with your niche.
Share your store link: Promote your storefront on social media, YouTube, or a personal website.
Earn commissions: When followers buy products from your store, you earn money.
Why it’s great:
Perfect for YouTubers, Instagrammers, TikTokers, and bloggers.
No need to handle inventory or customer service.
Build trust with your audience by recommending products you personally love.
Practical example:
A beauty influencer creates an Amazon storefront featuring their favorite skincare and makeup products. They share the link in their Instagram bio and mention it in YouTube videos. Every time a follower buys from their storefront, they earn a commission, creating a reliable source of passive income.
#5: Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
If you're looking for an easy way to earn money online, Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a great option. It allows you to complete simple tasks for businesses and get paid for your work. These tasks, called Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), can be done from anywhere with an internet connection.
How it works:
Sign up: Create an account on Amazon Mechanical Turk.
Browse tasks: Choose from thousands of small tasks like data entry, surveys, content moderation, and transcription.
Complete & submit: Follow the instructions, complete the task, and submit it for approval.
Get paid: Earn money for every completed task. Payments are added to your Amazon account or transferred to your bank.
Why it’s great:
Work anytime, anywhere, and perfect for stay-at-home parents, students, or anyone needing extra cash.
No special skills required, and you need to follow simple instructions.
Earn at your own pace and pick as many or as few tasks as you like.
Practical example:
A freelancer spends an hour completing short surveys and transcription tasks on mTurk. By the end of the day, they earn extra income while working from home at their convenience.
#6: Sell digital products on Amazon
Amazon makes it easy to sell digital products, like printables, templates, and stock photography, allowing you to earn passive income without managing inventory or shipping physical items.
How it works:
Create digital products: Design items such as journals, planners, greeting cards, stock photos, or educational worksheets.
List them for sale: Upload your digital files to Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or a third-party marketplace.
Customers download instantly: When someone purchases your product, they receive a digital file to download immediately with no shipping needed.
Earn money on every sale: Each purchase generates income, and the same file can be sold over and over again.
Why it’s great:
No upfront costs or inventory to manage.
Passive income, and once uploaded, products can sell repeatedly.
Ideal for graphic designers, photographers, and content creators.
Practical example:
An entrepreneur designs a “Weekly Meal Planner” printable and lists it on Amazon. Customers looking for an easy way to plan meals can buy and download the planner instantly. Over time, multiple purchases generate a steady stream of passive income without any extra effort.
But just listing your product isn’t enough. You need Amazon listing optimization services to ensure your digital products rank higher and attract more buyers.
#7: Self-publishing audiobooks via Audible (ACX)
The audiobook industry is growing rapidly, and Amazon’s ACX platform makes it easy for authors and voice actors to publish and sell audiobooks on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. If you have a great book or enjoy narrating, this can be a fantastic way to generate passive income.
How it works:
Write or own a book: You can either write your own book or obtain the rights to publish an existing book as an audiobook.
Record the audiobook: Either narrate it yourself or hire a professional narrator through ACX.
Upload to ACX: Follow Amazon’s simple guidelines to upload your audio files.
Set pricing & publish: Once approved, your audiobook is available for sale on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
Earn royalties: You receive a percentage of every sale, creating an ongoing stream of passive income.
Why it’s great:
Audiobooks are in high demand, with millions of Audible subscribers.
Once published, an audiobook can generate income for years.
You don’t need to be a professional voice actor; hiring a narrator is an option.
Practical example:
A motivational speaker writes a self-help book and turns it into an audiobook by hiring a narrator. Once listed on Audible, the audiobook starts selling, and the speaker earns royalties every month without any extra effort.
#8: Offer Professional Services on Amazon (Amazon Services Marketplace)
If you offer freelance services, Amazon Services Marketplace is a great platform to connect with customers who need professional help in areas like home improvement, business consulting, marketing, and more. Instead of searching for clients, Amazon brings them to you.
How it works:
Create a professional profile: Sign up and showcase your skills, expertise, and past work experience.
List your services: Offer services like graphic design, writing, video editing, or even handyman work.
Get hired: Customers looking for your services can find and book you directly through Amazon.
Complete the job & get paid: Deliver the service as agreed and receive payment through Amazon.
Why it’s great:
Access to a large customer base actively looking for services.
No need to market yourself, and Amazon helps bring clients to you.
Great for freelancers, consultants, and small business owners.
Practical example:
A website developer creates a profile on Amazon Services Marketplace, listing expertise in Amazon storefront customization. An Amazon seller looking for help with their online store finds the listing, hires the developer, and pays through Amazon.
This creates a steady stream of projects without the need for constant self-promotion.
Final thoughts
You don’t have to sell physical products to make money on Amazon. There are many other ways to earn, like affiliate marketing, publishing eBooks, selling digital products, or offering services. The key is to find what works best for you.
But just signing up isn’t enough, you need the right strategy to succeed. If you’re not sure where to start, our Amazon consultants can help you set up, optimize, and grow your earnings. Whether you want a side income or a full-time business, we’re here to help you make the most of Amazon.
