So you’ve written a book or two, and you’re dreaming about skyrocketing sales through paid advertising. It sounds straightforward: run some Facebook or Amazon ads, and watch the readers roll in, right? Unfortunately, without a solid author platform—especially an email list—much of the money you spend on ads can disappear into a black hole, never to be seen again. Here’s why an engaged audience is the single most powerful asset you can build before you invest heavily in paid marketing.
1. The Value of Direct Reader Relationships
Why an Email List?
Your email subscribers are the people who’ve already shown an interest in what you write. When you have a new release or a special promotion, they’re the ones most likely to buy or recommend your book. An email list gives you a direct line of communication, without having to rely on social media algorithms or constant ad spend. Every time you send an email, you’re able to reach people who specifically asked to hear from you.
Zero (or Low) Cost Outreach
Advertising repeatedly to the same unengaged readers can be expensive. By contrast, once someone subscribes to your email list, it costs you virtually nothing to reach them again. That means more marketing power and less dependence on ads each time you launch a new book or run a sale.
2. The “Platform” Factor
Defining “Author Platform”
Your platform is the sum total of all the places you have an audience—your social media followers, your blog or podcast subscribers, and especially your email list. It’s essentially a group of readers who know you, trust you, and want to hear about your work.
Trust and Credibility
If a reader stumbles upon your ad but sees no further evidence that you’re an active, reliable author (e.g., a well-maintained website, social media presence, or reviews from dedicated fans), they’re less likely to make a purchase. However, with a platform, you have social proof: active followers, posts, and endorsements that say, “Yes, this author is legitimate.”
3. Why Paid Ads Alone Aren’t Enough
One-Off Sales vs. Long-Term Growth
Without a platform or email list, every time you spend money on ads, you’re paying to attract brand-new readers. You might make some sales up front, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to reach those same people again. Essentially, you start from scratch for every new ad campaign.
With a platform, you re-engage existing readers who already enjoyed your previous book. That means your marketing dollars go further because you’re building on a relationship—not just renting attention from strangers.
Wasted Budget on “Cold Traffic”
Many new authors mistakenly believe that if they just run enough ads, they’ll magically become bestsellers. But highly targeted ads can be expensive, and less targeted ads risk attracting people who aren’t really your audience. Either way, you’re paying top dollar to show your book to cold leads who haven’t established any affinity with you. A better approach is to grow your author platform first, so that every dollar spent in ads can lead to capturing a permanent subscriber, not just a quick sale.
4. Building Your Email List Before Advertising
Reader Magnets
A “reader magnet” is a free piece of content—like a short story, a novella, bonus chapters, or a useful guide—that you give away to new subscribers in exchange for their email address. This entices potential readers to sign up because they get something valuable immediately.
Landing Page and Call-to-Action
Make it easy for visitors to subscribe:
- Have a dedicated sign-up page on your website.
- Promote it in your social media bios, blog posts, and in the front/back of your published books.
- Highlight the benefits of joining (e.g., exclusive previews, discounts, or insider news).
Automated Welcome Sequence
Set up an automated series of emails welcoming new subscribers. Over the course of a few messages, share your background, your writing journey, and what they can expect from you. This not only builds rapport but also sets the stage for future book promotions.
5. Converting Your Platform Into Successful Advertising
Re-Marketing to an Engaged Audience
When you decide to run Facebook or Amazon ads, you can target people who already recognize your name or have joined your email list. Even if you use general ads, you can leverage lookalike audiences (on Facebook) or better keywords (on Amazon) by studying your existing fans’ interests or buying patterns.
Lower Costs, Better Returns
Ads that retarget your warm audience typically cost less per click and convert at a higher rate. This means you’ll spend less to achieve more sales, since people who already trust you need less “convincing” to buy another of your books.
Building Sustainable Momentum
By combining ads with an established platform, you effectively widen your funnel. Each new reader who comes in via an ad can then be guided toward subscribing to your email list, following you on social media, and reviewing your book. This cycle of acquiring new fans and keeping them engaged is how you sustainably grow sales over the long term.
6. The Bottom Line
Advertising and marketing without an email list or an author platform is like pouring water into a leaky bucket. Sure, you may see a spike in sales or clicks when your ads run, but as soon as you stop pumping in money, the flow of readers dries up. With a well-built platform, however, each advertising dollar spent is an investment in attracting new loyal fans who will stick with you for more than just one purchase.
Action Steps
- Start Building a List: Create a simple landing page offering a free reader magnet, and start collecting emails ASAP.
- Leverage Social Media: Choose one or two platforms where your ideal reader hangs out, and be active there to cultivate relationships.
- Optimize Paid Ads: Use advertising to funnel warm leads into your email list, and retarget existing readers for best results.
Conclusion
If you dream of achieving not just one-off sales but sustainable success as an author, focus on laying the groundwork of an engaged email list and an active author platform. Then, once you run ads, you’ll have an audience ready to respond—maximizing your return on every marketing dollar you spend. When you combine advertising with a thriving platform, you stop throwing money away and start building a true, long-lasting relationship with your readers.
