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Advertising Books on Amazon Book Marketing

My Amazon KDP Advertising Campaign Strategy for Authors: Don’t Run Ads on Your Books Until You Read This!

I’m hoping I’ve caught you at that pivotal moment before you are running your first ad to your book on Amazon, because what I am about to tell you is going to save you SO MUCH MONEY.

When it comes to book marketing, you really can’t do any better than paid ads on Amazon. They are cheap (if you do them right), targeted (if you do them right), and can really help your career and your book sales (again, if you do them right). Amazon ads are not just the best way to advertise Amazon products. They are absolutely the best way to sell more books.

However, here is my bold and somewhat controversial statement: When it comes to advertising your books, Amazon is making money from your lack of knowledge about their KDP advertising platform, and they don’t seem to be that willing to educate you to keep you from overspending. Why would they?!

I believe Amazon actually WANTS you to rush through the advertising setup for your book. When you rush, they make money. They are counting on the fact that you don’t even want to be paying for advertising (or marketing your book) in the first place, and that you are going to try to get through setting up paid advertising as quickly as possible. They are going to point you in the wrong direction at almost every turn, knowing that you are just throwing advertising money at the wall to see what sticks. I think all of this because of the very existence of “automated ads,” which is basically five clicks to a potentially huge amount of overspending.

First off, no one tells indie authors about the “missing piece” of marketing, which is that you should 100% not be paying for advertising unless you have a means of capturing paid readers and making them your subscribers. You do that by placing a link (or a QR code) inside your book to a freebie you will give them in exchange for joining your email list. If you do not have that, please stop what you’re doing and get my free book on this very subject. Amazon will take your money anytime of the day or night, but do not give them that money unless you have this one piece set up. This is how you ultimately win with paid advertising— by using it to build an email list of super fans that will buy all of your books when they come out so you’re not starting over with every launch. Remember: paid advertising should be used to scale a system that is already working, not to put a Band-Aid on poor book sales! This is one instance where throwing money at the problem is not going to work!

So, go and set that email thing up right now. Right this minute! I’m begging you. The book is free, the email services are all free, and the benefit to your career is immeasurable.

Back to paid advertising, because I am hoping you have seen the light, have fixed that problem, and are now back here wanting some paid advertising strategy to help you sell books AND build your list.

Let me break down this user flow for you, so you can see how this whole thing is set up against you (and what to do about it). I’ll do this by starting an ad for my book “How to Market a Book,” because I love being ironic like that. I’m going to take you through this every step of the way, so go ahead and pull up this post in another browser so you can follow along step by step and start an ad on your own book. We’re in this together!

This is my book:

If your book is in KDP (which I’m assuming it is, since you are trying to learn about paid advertising strategies), click on “Promote and Advertise” as indicated above. If you’re advertising the Kindle edition, it’s right there on the side. If you’re advertising the paperback or hardcover, just click on the three little dots, then select “Promote and Advertise.”

I’m sure this goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: if you’re trying to be thorough, you’ll need to start all of the different ad types for each version of your book (and by that I mean Kindle eBook, Paperback, and Hardcover), because each one of those is a completely different book in Amazon’s eyes and each one has its own sales and BSR (bestseller rank). Many authors choose to just start a set of ads on the Kindle eBook edition just to

Here’s the first screen we see after clicking on “Promote and Advertise” for the eBook. My book is not in KDP Select (the book itself has a whole chapter on why but I won’t bore you with that now), so I’m just picking “Run an Ad Campaign” and selecting the US marketplace. Annoyingly, you will need to open an advertising account for each of the different markets where you want to run ads for your books, because despite being a multi-billion dollar company, Amazon has not figured out how to streamline this interface.

When I choose “.com” and click the yellow “Create an ad campaign” button, I then see this screen:

Again, not sure why Amazon makes it so annoyingly difficult for us to spend our money with them, but here we are. You want “Sponsored Products” for the purposes of this example. The other two options are a little more advanced and shouldn’t really be offered to you at this point, since you are just trying to get over the hump of running your first ad. So, go ahead and click the blue “Continue” button under “Sponsored Products.”

Great! Now we are faced with a bunch of other choices. Hang in there! We’re going to get through this!

This box defaults to “custom ad text,” which is weird because that forces you to write ad copy, making it even less likely that you are going to actually launch an ad. I have tested both and have found absolutely no advantage to doing this, so I recommend you just set it to “Standard ad” and move on. If you decide you want to test an ad with some custom copy in the future, you can start a new ad for that.

Name your ad group something that is easy to remember. Yes, this is your very first ad, but if you love paid advertising you’ll be starting a bunch more, so you’ll need to be able to quickly tell them apart.

Next up is the “Products” screen, and if they didn’t select your book already, go ahead and find/ select it.

Next, we’re faced with one of the most important choices in the entire paid advertising interface: Automatic vs. Manual targeting. I always warn authors to never ever ever pick automatic targeting, and I’ll tell you why.

I have found the “Automatic Targeting” ad to be absolute worst kind of ad to run, especially if you didn’t do a great job researching your keywords and filling in your seven keyword slots on the back-end of your book when you published it. If you did not do that (or didn’t do a great job of it), that is another thing you can fix that will improve your book’s visibility and sales, and I will cover that in another post.

“Automatic targeting,” in case you don’t know, is when you tell Amazon “You go ahead and pick the keywords/ products to advertise my book against.” It sounds good in theory, but remember, Amazon is trying to make money for itself, not for you. Amazon makes money when someone clicks the ad for your book, whether or not that book is a good fit for them and ends up making a sale. Those are two very different things, and often what will happen is that authors will keep all of the defaults just to get through the setup and end up paying an arm and a leg for Amazon to basically take their book out on a fishing expedition to try to learn more about it.

I have tested this type of ad, and I will honestly say that the only thing an Automated ad is useful for is gathering additional keywords and products you might not have caught in your keyword research (which you can totally do on your own). It can sometimes be interesting to see what Amazon thinks your book is about, but this type of ad is almost always a money loser for authors because it is so broad.

The other problem with the “Automatic Targeting” ads interface is this ridiculous “suggested bid”:

WOW! That is ALOT OF MONEY!

As an author, you are no doubt aware of the fact that you are paid royalties on the sale of every book. My books make about $2 royalties apiece, so I’d be ok paying out 90 cents per click if I could guarantee a sale (plus I have that email signup link in all of my books, so that 90 cents might turn into a life-long customer).

HOWEVER, because we’re in “Mystery Advertising Land” over here where we don’t even know what Amazon is going to show our books against, there is NO WAY we should be offering to pay 75 cents per click for Amazon to push our books out into the metaphorical ether. I’d pay 5 cents a click for this, max, because I am curious where they are going to show my book, but 90 cents?

GET OUT OF TOWN, AMAZON. I am not paying that. Don’t fall for that nonsense because they have that there as the default and because you currently don’t know any better. They’re still might show your ad if you offer to pay 5 or 10 cents a click. They want your money, remember?

Here’s what is going to really get you— the combination of all the defaults. You don’t know what you’re doing, so you go with the open-ended bid (a terrible idea), the Automatic Targeting (again, yikes), and the 75 cent default bid (way too much). That combination is going to end with you overpaying for untargeted traffic, which is going to mean you get a huge bill and don’t sell many (or any) books. If you do sell any books, I would be willing to bet you are still running a deficit because remember, your royalties are only about 20% of what Amazon charges for your book.

This is a deadly trifecta that is not designed to sell books, people. It is designed to make money for Amazon. It’s a trap and I hope you won’t fall into it. If you did fall into it, that’s totally fine– just go and turn that ad off, or at very least lower the bid. All that being said, I hope you have now heeded my warning and will never run an Automatic targeting ad again, but if you do, just PLEASE lower that suggested bid.

ok, rant over. Please start a new ad and pick the “Manual targeting” option, because anything (and I do mean anything) you put in manually is going to be better than paying Amazon to make their best guess.

Both of these types of ads work great, and you can run them both at the same time (you’ll need to start them separately). As with all things Amazon, the more specific you get the better, so make sure you are prepared with a good list of keywords and/ or a list of competitive titles. As with the “Automated Targeting” rant, I will encourage you to never ever take Amazon’s default suggestions. Remember, they are trying to make money for themselves, which they do when they sell advertising clicks, not when you sell books.

Here’s an example of how they are going to try to do that in the “Manual” keyword interface:

This is hilarious. If I click the “Add All” button and start this ad, Amazon is going to advertise this book against the words “Book,” “Cookbook,” “Free Books,” “marketing,” “sap,” “how” and “free,” and is going to charge me up to $1.21 PER CLICK for that privilege.

Again, no thank you, and please get ahold of yourself, Amazon. I would be happy to come in for a meeting if you’d like some feedback.

The way to best use this particular interface (and to harness the magic of the Amazon suggested search algorithm) is to switch over to the “Enter list” tab. Switch to “custom bid” and set the bid for something really low like 10 cents. Also, uncheck “Broad” for match type, because that gets us back into “Amazon wilding out and advertising your book against random words” territory again.

Your screen will look like this:

ok, now enter the topic/ genre/ subject of your book, and hold on to your hat! This part is cool.

Well, will you look at that?! Amazon is actually being insightful and helpful. Most of these suggestions are what my book is actually about. I will just repeat this type of search with phrases like “how to market a book” and “marketing self-published books” until I have a list of about 50 keywords. When you get the hang of this you can go up to 100 keywords per campaign, but for right now let’s stop at 50 and get this thing launched.

Nice! You should have a similar list that is related to your book’s subject matter or genre. You can use the names of other authors, other books, and anything else you think might be relevant or get someone to buy your book. Also, if you never filled out the seven keyword slots when you published your books, take some of these great keywords and fill those out right this minute!

Next up is “Negative Targeting,” and we’re skipping that because this is our first ad and we don’t have that kind of insight yet. I swear we’re almost done!

“Campaign bidding strategy” is after that, and I recommend that you choose “Dynamic bids, down only” because you never want to give Amazon permission to spend MORE of your money than your default bid. “Down only” is a good option because that way, Amazon can LOWER your bid to see if doing so will still yield a click. If/ when it does, great! You’ll know that for the future.

You made it! You’re on the very last choice before you can launch this ad!

I know, that was stupid complicated. I feel your pain.

The very last thing we’re going to do is fill out the “Settings” for the ad. Here’s what mine looks like:

Amazon has now moved this down to the very bottom, which is even more problematic for you because you are likely to be fed up by then and miss this “gotcha” moment. The default for this screen is “No End Date,” but you should actually NEVER start a brand new ad with no end date!! Having no end date is going to make you think you can “set it and forget it,” which you absolutely cannot ever do with paid advertising. “No end date” is just Amazon wanting to stick their hand in your pocket and start taking your money from now on, whether or not your ads are working. They are counting on the fact that you are a right-brained creative ADHD type and you will probably a) forget this ad is running, b) forget to check it regularly, and c) never come back to optimize it. So, whatever they are offering you here is what’s going to happen from now on, and I promise you, you’re not going to like it when you get the bill at the end of the month. Remember, you have to pay Amazon for these ads whether or not they result in book sales.

So— change that date to two weeks from the day you start running the ad. You want to schedule this like everything else in your life that costs money and needs maintenance. You wouldn’t enter into an open-ended, paid agreement with no end date with any other company, so don’t do it here.

The second problem is that you have absolutely no idea what to set your daily budget for, and Amazon’s certainly not going to give you any guidance that might discourage you from getting in over your head. They’ll let you set that sucker to $100 a day and spend every penny! They do not care if you sell no books and end up cash flow negative. They made money, so who cares about you?

I advise people to just set this for $5- $10 dollars per day at the beginning and check it every single day. You will have ample (just, so many!) opportunities to raise your daily budget, so start small and manageable and scale up as you gain more knowledge. There is no need to “go big or go home” at this moment in your career.

Shockingly, YOU ARE NOW DONE with your first ad! Hit that beautiful blue “Launch campaign” button at the bottom.

This button right here!! I made the screenshot huge so we could celebrate this moment together.

As if you haven’t been through enough, this is actually not the end of this Amazon Advertising nonsense. What happens next is that your ad is “submitted” to some kind of internal Amazon KDP advertising bot for “approval.”

This is rather ambiguous and definitely unsatisfying, but we’ll take it. We’re done for now!

Later, we will receive an email that our ads are running (if they were “approved”). The only reasons why your ad would not be approved is if your book wasn’t actually eligible for advertising (like, it has swear words or objectionable content on the cover or in the subject matter) or if you wrote some custom copy they didn’t like (which you didn’t do because you followed this example and chose a “standard” ad.

Thanks for that.

OK, I hope you have enjoyed this (probably unnecessarily) deep dive into starting your first Amazon Advertising campaign for KDP. Our takeaways here was that this was stupidly overcomplicated and Amazon is going to take every chance they can to overcharge you, but I hope that I have saved you some frustration and some wasted money.

If you’re interested in following the continued status of how this ad is doing, you can find that post right here!

Book Marketing

The Ultimate Book Promotion Checklist

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ok, I am going to hit you with a whole exhaustive list of every single thing you’ll need to do to promote a book, from formatting it properly to launching it to (I apologize) stopping before you launch it to build an audience.

This list is a work in progress so it is subject to change (and grow). Let me know if you think I missed something!

Pre-Launch Preparation

Complete your manuscript and ensure it’s professionally edited and proofread. A polished manuscript increases your book’s chances of success by delivering a better reading experience.
Format both eBook and paperback/print-on-demand versions properly. Proper formatting ensures your book looks professional and meets retailer requirements. Check out formatting tools like Vellum.
Design a high-quality, genre-appropriate cover. A professional cover is your first chance to make an impression on potential readers. Find cover designers on platforms like 99designs.
Ensure consistent fonts, spacing, and design in your interior formatting. This helps avoid readability issues and ensures your book feels cohesive. Explore formatting templates for Word or InDesign.
Finalize metadata: Include a clear title, subtitle, author name, ISBN, keywords, and categories. Metadata is essential for discoverability and helps retailers recommend your book. Understand Amazon metadata best practices here.
Craft a professional author bio and obtain a high-quality author headshot. A well-written bio introduces readers to you, while a good headshot conveys professionalism. Learn how to craft an engaging author bio.
Build or optimize your author website. A professional website serves as your online hub for books, updates, and audience engagement. Check out author website examples.
Select and configure a newsletter service: Options include MailerLite, ConvertKit, or EmailOctopus. Your newsletter is a direct line to readers and critical for long-term engagement. Compare email marketing services here.
Develop and distribute a Reader Magnet. Offer a freebie (short story, bonus chapter, etc.) in exchange for email sign-ups to build your mailing list. Use tools like BookFunnel to distribute reader magnets.
Set up or optimize your social media profiles. Focus on platforms where your target readers are most active and keep branding consistent. Find tips for authors on Instagram here.
Create a book landing page featuring: The cover, summary, reviews, purchase links, and an opt-in for your reader magnet. A well-designed landing page can significantly boost conversions. Learn how to create effective landing pages.
Identify your niche and target audience. Research where your ideal readers spend time online and what they enjoy. Discover tools for audience research.
Choose a primary social platform and focus on building a following. Consistency and authenticity are key to attracting readers. Check out guides for authors on TikTok.
Post engaging content relevant to your audience. Share a mix of personal insights, teasers, and interactive content to keep your followers engaged. Learn what content works for authors.
Promote your Reader Magnet to convert followers into email subscribers. Highlight the benefits of your freebie in posts and profile bios. Find reader magnet ideas here.
Interact consistently with followers to build community and recognition. Respond to comments, engage in discussions, and establish your presence. Learn social media engagement tips.
Set a realistic launch date, allowing time for pre-launch activities. Consider factors like editing, ARC distribution, and promotional buildup. Find a book launch timeline template.
Define your goals (e.g., sales, reviews, newsletter growth) and budget. This helps you stay focused and avoid overspending. Calculate your publishing budget.
Assemble a launch team (e.g., beta readers, ARC reviewers, and a street team). These supporters help spread the word and provide critical early reviews. Learn how to build a street team.
Create a detailed marketing calendar, including social media posts, emails, and interviews. A plan ensures consistent outreach and prevents last-minute stress. Download a free marketing calendar template.

If you have no audience at all, this is where you will need to pause and focus on employing the Follower Funnel Method for six months to a year (or more). Building a foundational audience is critical to ensuring your book has an engaged group of readers ready to support its release. The follower funnel method includes identifying your niche, consistently engaging on one or two social media platforms, creating valuable content, and converting followers into email subscribers via a compelling reader magnet. While this step takes time, it is essential for long-term success. Learn more about audience-building strategies here.

Advance Review & Buzz Building

Distribute ARCs via trusted reviewers, BookFunnel, NetGalley, or BookSprout. Early reviews build credibility and help attract more readers to your book. Discover how to distribute ARCs effectively.
Provide clear review instructions for platforms like Goodreads and Amazon. Simplify the process to make it easier for reviewers to leave feedback. Learn how to request reviews professionally.
Use ARC feedback to generate social proof and collect blurbs for marketing. Positive quotes from early readers can be used in ads and promotional materials. Get tips on leveraging reviews for marketing.
Set up pre-order pages on platforms like Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Pre-orders help create momentum and boost visibility on launch day. Learn how to set up pre-orders.
Announce pre-orders via newsletters, social media, and your website. Include an enticing call to action and exclusive offers to encourage early purchases. Find pre-order marketing strategies here.
Offer incentives (e.g., exclusive content or early-bird pricing) to encourage pre-orders. Make the deal irresistible to build excitement and boost sales. See examples of pre-order bonuses.
Post a cover reveal to generate excitement. Use social media or email to share your cover and ask for feedback or engagement. Learn how to plan a cover reveal.
Share sneak peeks, excerpts, and behind-the-scenes content. These small previews keep your audience intrigued and looking forward to your book’s release. Discover creative teaser ideas.
Countdown to launch day with engaging posts or quizzes. Include fun facts, polls, or interactive elements to maintain interest. Find countdown post examples here.

Launch Week Activities

Craft a compelling book description and refine metadata. A strong blurb and optimized keywords improve discoverability and conversion rates. Read about writing effective book descriptions.
Claim and optimize your Amazon Author Central profile. Add your bio, photos, and book details to make it easy for readers to find your work. Learn how to set up your Author Central page.
Use engaging subject lines and include a launch announcement in your email newsletter. Share purchase links, bonus content, and a request for reviews. Get examples of effective email subject lines.
Share launch-related updates daily, varying content types. Include posts like “Thank you” messages, launch day videos, or live sessions. See social media ideas for book launches.
Host a live event (e.g., Q&A or a virtual book party). Live interaction adds a personal touch and builds stronger connections with your audience. Learn how to host a virtual book event.
Run ads on Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, or BookBub. Start with small budgets to test what works best for your audience. Explore guides for book advertising.
Adjust bids and creatives based on performance. Monitor ad metrics to identify which campaigns are generating the best ROI. Learn how to analyze ad results.
Run a Goodreads giveaway or host contests on social media. Giveaways attract readers and can increase your book’s visibility. Find out how to run a Goodreads giveaway.
Partner with other authors for cross-promotions. Teaming up with authors in your genre can expand your reach and introduce your book to a new audience. Discover strategies for author collaborations.

Ongoing Promotion & Visibility

Encourage early readers to leave reviews. Reviews provide social proof and help improve your book’s ranking in search results. Learn how to ask for reviews effectively.
Reach out to book bloggers and influencers. These partnerships can introduce your book to their established audiences. Find tips for working with book influencers.
Pitch yourself to podcasts, blogs, or local media. Sharing your story and expertise helps build your author brand and expand your reach. Check out tips for media pitching.
Engage with online and local book clubs. Offer to host discussions or provide group discounts to attract bulk purchases. Learn how to connect with book clubs.
Donate books to libraries and offer to host events. Libraries are a great way to increase visibility and reach new readers. Discover how to get your book into libraries.
Use retargeting ads on platforms like Facebook. Retargeting allows you to reach people who showed interest in your book but didn’t purchase. Find out how retargeting works.
Run seasonal campaigns (e.g., holiday promotions). Tie your book promotions to relevant holidays or seasonal events to boost interest. Get seasonal promotion ideas here.

Events & Appearances

Host webinars, virtual signings, or online workshops. These events allow you to connect directly with readers and showcase your expertise. Learn how to host virtual events.
Speak at online conferences in your genre. Sharing your knowledge or insights can position you as an expert and attract a wider audience. Explore speaking opportunities for authors.
Arrange book signings and workshops. In-person events are great for connecting with readers and building a local fanbase. Check out tips for successful book signings.
Participate in book fairs or festivals. These events provide networking opportunities with other authors and publishers. Find a list of book fairs and festivals.
Join joint signings, cross-promotions, or themed bundles. Collaborating with other authors expands your reach and attracts new readers. Discover collaborative marketing ideas.

Long-Term Strategy

Maintain an author blog and post updates regularly. Blogs help improve SEO, engage readers, and showcase your expertise. Learn how to create a successful author blog.
Send engaging newsletters to your mailing list. Share updates, exclusive content, and promotions to keep readers interested. Explore email newsletter ideas here.
Develop consistent branding and network with other authors. Branding helps readers identify your work, while networking opens up collaborative opportunities. Read about building an author brand.
Monitor sales, review trends, and engagement metrics. Use analytics tools to refine your marketing strategies and identify what works best. Check out tools for tracking book sales.
Adjust marketing strategies based on data insights. Experiment with different approaches to maximize ROI. Find strategies for optimizing campaigns.
Work on your next book or spin-offs to maintain momentum. A growing backlist helps sustain long-term income and reader interest. Explore tips for writing sequels.
Use your current audience as a launchpad for new releases. Encourage them to spread the word and engage with your latest work. Discover reader engagement tips.

Bonus Tips & Reminders

Stay organized with tools like Trello or Asana. Keeping track of tasks helps streamline your publishing process. Check out productivity tools for authors.
Experiment with different tactics and track results. Be open to trying new strategies and adjust based on what resonates with your audience. Find marketing experiment ideas here.
Celebrate milestones to maintain motivation. Acknowledge small wins like your first review or hitting a sales target. Learn about setting milestones for success.

Book Marketing Book Promotion

KDP Select/ Kindle Unlimited: Everything to Know

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KDP Select: A Detailed Overview

KDP Select is an optional program offered through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform that provides authors with unique promotional tools and benefits in exchange for making their eBook exclusive to Amazon. By enrolling in KDP Select, you commit to a 90-day period during which your eBook cannot be sold or distributed on any other platform, such as Kobo, Apple Books, or Google Play. While this exclusivity may seem restrictive, it unlocks a suite of features that can significantly enhance your book’s visibility and earning potential, especially for certain genres that thrive on Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (KU) platform.

Key Features of KDP Select

One of the biggest advantages of KDP Select is access to Kindle Unlimited (KU) and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL). These programs allow Amazon subscribers and Prime members to borrow your book at no extra cost, dramatically expanding your potential readership. Instead of earning royalties per sale, you’ll earn based on the number of pages readers complete. The funds for these payouts come from the KDP Select Global Fund, which Amazon allocates monthly. For some authors, particularly those in genres with voracious KU readers like romance or thrillers, these page-read royalties can make up a substantial portion of their income.

KDP Select also gives you access to promotional tools like Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions. With Kindle Countdown Deals, you can discount your book for a limited time, while Amazon displays a countdown timer on your book’s product page to create urgency. Free Book Promotions, on the other hand, allow you to offer your book for free for up to five days during each 90-day enrollment period. These tools are invaluable for gaining visibility, attracting new readers, and boosting your sales rankings.

However, the most important factor in making KDP Select work for you is having a strong reader magnet. A reader magnet is an irresistible freebie—such as a bonus epilogue, prequel, or exclusive short story—that you offer to entice readers to join your email list. Including a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your book can help convert readers gained through KDP Select promotions into loyal fans who are excited for your next release. Building a robust email list through these efforts ensures that you’re not solely reliant on Amazon’s algorithms or policies and gives you a direct line to your audience.

Genres That Succeed in KDP Select

Certain genres thrive in KDP Select due to their alignment with Kindle Unlimited’s reader base and subscription model. These genres typically attract avid readers who consume books rapidly and favor serialized content or genre-specific tropes. The most successful genres in KDP Select include:

Romance: Subgenres like contemporary, paranormal, historical, and romantic suspense perform exceptionally well due to loyal readers who binge-read and love series.
Thriller and Suspense: Readers enjoy fast-paced plots and recurring characters, with subgenres like psychological thrillers and crime thrillers being particularly popular.
Science Fiction and Fantasy: Epic fantasy, urban fantasy, and niche subgenres like LitRPG excel due to immersive worlds and devoted fanbases.
Cozy Mysteries: These lighthearted, character-driven mysteries with amateur sleuths and small-town settings attract consistent readers.
Horror: Psychological and supernatural horror appeal to KU readers who enjoy high-tension, fast-paced stories.
Self-Help and Personal Development: Non-fiction, especially in areas like productivity, mindfulness, and entrepreneurship, finds a strong audience in KU.
Erotica: Steamy romance and erotica thrive due to privacy Kindle devices offer readers, though authors must adhere to Amazon’s content guidelines.
Young Adult (YA): Fantasy, paranormal, and dystopian YA books perform well, particularly those with crossover appeal to older readers.
Paranormal and Supernatural: Books featuring vampires, witches, and shapeshifters succeed in romance, urban fantasy, and horror niches.
LitRPG and Gamelit: This growing niche appeals to fans of video game-inspired storytelling.

Benefits of KDP Select

KDP Select offers several key benefits for authors:

Increased Discoverability: Being part of Kindle Unlimited exposes your book to a large audience of avid readers.
Additional Revenue Streams: Royalties from page reads through KU and KOLL can supplement direct sales revenue.
Promotional Flexibility: Tools like Kindle Countdown Deals and Free Book Promotions provide strategic opportunities to drive sales and downloads.
Simplified Focus: Exclusivity means focusing marketing efforts on a single platform (Amazon), which can be easier for new authors.

Drawbacks of KDP Select

While KDP Select has significant advantages, there are also limitations:

Platform Dependence: Exclusivity ties your success to Amazon’s ecosystem, limiting your ability to reach readers on other platforms. If Amazon changes policies or removes your book, it can heavily impact your income.
Missed Opportunities: Not distributing to platforms like Kobo, Apple Books, or Google Play means missing readers who prefer these ecosystems. Excluding your book from library systems also limits its reach.
Unpredictable Earnings: Royalties from page reads depend on the KDP Select Global Fund, which fluctuates monthly. The payout rate per page read can vary.

Is KDP Select Right for You?

KDP Select is a fantastic tool for authors writing in popular Kindle Unlimited genres, especially those who are new to self-publishing or looking to gain visibility quickly. However, success depends heavily on strategic planning. Pairing KDP Select with a strong reader magnet can help you turn casual readers into long-term fans, while careful use of promotional tools can maximize visibility and sales. For authors in high-performing genres like romance, thrillers, or fantasy, KDP Select offers a powerful way to build momentum and grow your audience. If your goals align with what KDP Select offers, it can be a game-changing program for your self-publishing career.

Book Marketing

Publishing a book on Amazon has become a popular route for aspiring and established authors alike. The good news? Yes, you can publish a book on Amazon for free using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This platform allows authors to upload their manuscripts and reach millions of readers worldwide without any upfront costs. Here’s a detailed look at how the process works and what you should consider.

How to Publish Your Book on Amazon for Free

To get started, sign up for a free account with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). You can only have one KDP account per person! I am so serious about this! Once you’re in, follow these steps:

First, prepare your manuscript. Amazon accepts files in Word (.docx), PDF, and several other formats. Ensure your text is properly formatted for digital reading or print, depending on your publishing goals. If you’re publishing a Kindle eBook, consider using Amazon’s free formatting resources or guides to make your manuscript reader-friendly. For print books, formatting should adhere to paperback or hardcover standards.

Next, you’ll need a book cover. If you’re on a tight budget, Amazon offers a Cover Creator tool, which is free and easy to use. However, many authors opt to hire professional designers to make their books more visually appealing, which can increase sales.

Once your manuscript and cover are ready, log into KDP and start entering your book details. This includes the title, subtitle, author name, and description. Upload your manuscript and cover files, and then preview your book to ensure everything looks perfect. KDP provides tools to preview both eBook and print formats.

Finally, set your pricing. You can choose to publish your book as a Kindle eBook, paperback, or hardcover (or all three). For eBooks, Amazon lets you set your price and offers two royalty options—70% or 35%—depending on your book’s price and distribution. For print books, royalties are calculated based on the sale price minus printing costs.

Once everything is complete, hit the “Publish” button. Your book will typically be live on Amazon within 24 to 72 hours.

Is It Really Free?

Yes! The actual publishing on Amazon is indeed free, but there are optional costs you might consider to enhance your book’s quality and appeal. For example, professional editing and proofreading can significantly improve your manuscript, while a custom-designed cover often attracts more readers. Additionally, formatting tools like Vellum (for Mac users) or paid formatting services can make your book look polished and professional. These optional investments aren’t required, but they can help your book stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Understanding Royalties

Although there are no upfront fees to publish on Amazon, the platform takes a percentage of your book’s sales. For Kindle eBooks, you can earn either 70% or 35% royalties, depending on your book’s price and the geographic regions where it’s sold. For print books, royalties are calculated by subtracting the printing cost from the sale price.

For example, if your paperback is priced at $10 and the printing cost is $4, you’ll earn $6 per sale, minus Amazon’s fee. Understanding this structure helps you price your book competitively while maximizing your earnings.

Benefits of Publishing on Amazon for Free

Publishing on Amazon comes with several advantages beyond its zero-cost entry point. For starters, it provides global distribution, allowing your book to reach readers across multiple countries. You retain full control over your book’s rights and pricing, and you can make updates to your manuscript or cover at any time.

Amazon also offers promotional tools like KDP Select, which allows eBooks to be part of Kindle Unlimited, a subscription service that can boost your book’s visibility. Additionally, you can use Amazon Ads to target potential readers and drive sales.

Final Thoughts

Publishing a book on Amazon is an excellent way to share your story or expertise with the world, and the fact that it’s free makes it accessible to virtually anyone. While optional expenses like professional editing, cover design, and formatting can enhance your book’s appeal, the platform itself allows you to publish without any financial barriers.

Whether you’re a first-time author or a seasoned writer, Amazon’s KDP platform is a powerful tool for turning your manuscript into a published book. With careful preparation and thoughtful marketing, you can reach a wide audience and start earning royalties—all without spending a dime upfront.

Advertising Books on Amazon Book Marketing

How to Sell More Books on Amazon

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If you’ve self-published your book on Amazon, chances are you’ve spent some time staring at your sales reports (or lack thereof), wondering when those sales are going to start rolling in. That, or you’ve been anxiously refreshing the listing page for your book, waiting for the moment when the BSR (sales rank) indicates that you’ve made some sales.

We’ve all been there. After working for what seems like forever on a book, it can be beyond heartbreaking to log in day after day to find that you’ve made zero sales. What about all that effort you put in? What about “if you build it, they will come”? WHY IS NO ONE BUYING YOUR BOOK?

I have many answers to this question, and I’ll start with the simplest one: did you build an audience before you released your book?

If not, start there. In fact, I believe in that so strongly, I’ll make it # 1.

1. Build your audience. In this case, “audience” means email list, and if you don’t have one of those already, can I recommend that you get started on that, like, yesterday? You need an email list to be a successful author. I would put “email list” even above websites for important things for authors to have. After all, if you don’t have any people, how are you going to get the momentum going for your book? Many authors learn this the hard way, but just publishing a book on Amazon does not entitle you to book sales. Yes, Amazon has its own built-in audience, but you have to do something to get the momentum going. Ideally, that would mean sending out an announcement about your book to your 10,000+ person email list. an email list is an essential tool for any author who wants to connect with their readers, build their brand, and promote their books effectively.

Here is more information (in fact, a whole free book!) about how to set up your email list so people can start signing up. Seriously. Get on that!

2. Put A+ content on your book’s page. A+ content is essentially an expanded description of your book that includes images, videos, and other rich media. A+ allows authors to showcase their products in a more visually appealing and informative way

A+ content can help you sell books on Amazon in several ways. First, it can help your book stand out from the competition. A+ content provides an opportunity to create a more engaging and informative product page that helps potential customers better understand what your book is about and why they should buy it. A+ content is free, so why wouldn’t you use it? Any space you can get for free on Amazon, you should take.

Additionally, A+ content can help improve your book’s search ranking on Amazon. By including additional keywords and rich media, you can improve the relevance and visibility of your book to potential customers.

Here is more information about A+ content!

3. Take out paid ads on your book (through Amazon)

In case you’re not familiar with paid ads on Amazon, Amazon Advertising is a suite of advertising tools that Amazon offers to sellers and vendors on its platform. It includes several different types of ads, such as sponsored products, sponsored brands, and sponsored display ads. These ads can appear on various parts of the Amazon platform, including search results, product detail pages, and even on external websites.

Amazon Advertising can help you sell more books by increasing the visibility and discoverability of your products on Amazon. By creating targeted advertising campaigns, you can reach potential customers who are actively searching for books similar to yours, or who have shown interest in your book’s genre or topic.

One of the key benefits of Amazon Advertising is that it allows you to track the performance of your ads in real-time. This means you can adjust your campaigns as needed to optimize your ad spend and ensure that you’re getting the best possible return on investment.

To get started with Amazon Advertising, you’ll need to have a seller or vendor account on Amazon. From there, you can create advertising campaigns and set your budget and targeting criteria. Amazon also provides a range of tools and resources to help you get the most out of your advertising campaigns, including analytics and reporting tools, as well as best practices and optimization tips.

Here is more information on amazon ads!

4. Use GoodReads to get the word out about your book. This will work especially well if you are an active GoodReads user, meaning you already know the interface and participate in the community. You can create a profile on GoodReads, add your book(s), host giveaways, participate in groups, get reviews, and alot more. Plus, GoodReads is owned by Amazon, so that counts for something! Here is some more information about GoodReads (and a great video interview).

Tech Talk

What is Search Engine Optimization? Why Do You Care?

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You’ve probably heard the term “Search Engine Optimization” or SEO thrown around, but what does it actually mean? And why should authors—people who write books, not blogs—care about it? Let’s break it down in simple terms.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is just a fancy way of saying you’re making your online content easier for people to find. When someone types a question or keyword into Google, Amazon, or any other search engine, SEO is what determines which results show up first.

For authors, SEO is about optimizing your book listing, author website, blog, or even social media content so that readers can find you when they search for books or topics in your genre.

Think of it as creating a trail of breadcrumbs that leads readers straight to your book.

Why Should Authors Care About SEO?

Your Book Needs to Be Found
- Writing a great book is step one. Step two is making sure people know it exists. SEO helps your book get discovered by readers who are already looking for something similar.
Amazon is a Search Engine
- Many authors don’t realize that Amazon itself is one of the world’s largest search engines. Readers type in keywords like “cozy mystery with cats” or “dystopian sci-fi”—and SEO determines whether your book shows up.
Stand Out in a Crowded Market
- There are millions of books on Amazon. SEO can help your book stand out by matching it with the right keywords, categories, and audience. If you’re not using SEO, you’re leaving your book’s visibility up to chance.
Drive Traffic to Your Author Platform
- If you have a website, blog, or newsletter, SEO can help direct traffic there. The more people visit your site, the more chances you have to connect with them, sell books, or grow your email list.
It’s Cost-Effective
- Unlike paid ads, SEO doesn’t require you to spend money. It’s all about tweaking your content to make it more discoverable. Once you’ve set it up, it keeps working for you in the background.

How Authors Can Use SEO

Here are a few practical ways authors can incorporate SEO into their marketing:

Optimize Your Amazon Book Page
- Use keywords in your book’s title, subtitle, and description. Think about what your ideal reader would type into the search bar.
- Choose the right categories and subcategories for your genre.
Leverage Your Author Website
- If you have a blog, write posts that tie into your book’s themes or topics. For example, if your book is about baking, write a blog post about “5 Tips for Perfect Sourdough Bread.”
- Include keywords that readers might search for in your blog posts and page titles.
Use Keywords in Metadata
- Metadata includes things like your book’s title, subtitle, keywords, and even the tags you use on your website. Be strategic about including terms your readers are searching for.
Create Evergreen Content
- Blog posts, YouTube videos, or social media posts that remain relevant over time can bring in consistent traffic. For example, a post titled “How to Write Your First Fantasy Novel” can attract aspiring writers for years.
Use Social Media Strategically
- Even your social media profiles and posts can benefit from SEO. Use hashtags and keywords that align with your book’s genre or audience.

What Keywords Should Authors Be Optimizing For?

Keywords are the bridge between your book and potential readers. As an author, you should focus on keywords that reflect the genre, themes, and audience of your book. For example, if you’ve written a historical romance, keywords like “Regency romance” or “Victorian love story” might be perfect. Think about what your ideal reader would type into Amazon or Google to find a book like yours.

To find the best keywords, tools like Publisher Rocket can be invaluable. Publisher Rocket helps authors uncover high-traffic, low-competition keywords that can improve your book’s discoverability. It’s a great way to take the guesswork out of keyword research and focus on terms that will actually drive results.

SEO Isn’t Just for Tech Experts

The good news is you don’t have to be a tech genius to use SEO. It’s really about understanding your audience and speaking their language. Think about what they’re searching for and make sure your content—whether it’s your book description, website, or blog—matches that.

When done right, SEO can act like an invisible marketing assistant, helping readers find your work without you having to hustle 24/7. And who doesn’t want that?

Reviews

Show Your Work!

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I know, I know, I said I was going to recommend free books, but I recently read one that is so good, I really think it should become part of your library. The book is “Show Your Work,” and the author is Austin Kleon. This book is a couple of years old (2014), but the message is so timeless and so motivating, I wanted to share a couple of passages that have really, REALLY inspired me. Austin Kleon is also the author of “Steal Like an Artist,” which is a great book about creativity that I am also reading. As you probably have concluded, I am in sort of a “re-grouping” period pertaining to the teaching of book marketing, because for years I have been putting out content and having authors argue back that they do not really want to market (I’m not saying you did this or think this, I’m just saying that’s what happened and why I’m regrouping).

Here are a couple of quotes from this book, which I think is going to really change the way you think about marketing. Most authors (even me, to a certain extent) do not like the idea of “push marketing,” meaning when you go out and find your audience. I get that. This book is just a really great alternate way to start thinking about your marketing efforts. In the authors own words, “This is a book for people who hate the idea of self-promotion.”

Here is my favorite quote (so far):

“ In order to be found, you have to be findable. I think there’s an easy way of putting your work out there and making it discoverable while you’re focused on getting really good at what you do.”

Here’s another one, just to further motivate you to go check it out:

“Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.”

So, that’s a kinder, gentler type of marketing philosophy, right? Maybe we can all read this book together and find new motivation to be great at our respective crafts, to be findable, and to help others in the process.

Hope you’re having a great Monday!

Book Marketing

Let’s Talk About Motivation, Shall We?

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Hello again! Happy Monday!

I understand there has been some discussion (not quite controversy, but almost) about my decision to put my “author marketing and education” on hold. In fact, there was some discussion on my Facebook page over the weekend that included several people encouraging me not to give up on author education. Thank you for all of your kind words and thoughts. That is so nice of you!

Here’s the thing, though. I think when I started out on this “I’m going to teach authors about marketing” thing five or so years ago, I was under the (somewhat misguided) impression that authors ACCEPTED that they needed to learn about marketing, and that they knew this was a need.

I was wrong about that. I have now realized that authors in fact do NOT see this as a need, and as such, they kind of resent me every time I try to teach them something. This was actually an interesting lesson for me, and I thought I would share it with you.

As it turns out, you need to get inside the mind of your “ideal reader” or “audience avatar” BEFORE you put pen to paper. I had assumed that all authors were like me (if you’ll recall, I self-published a book and used marketing to sell so many copies, Simon & Schuster bought it). This, as I slowly came to accept, is just not the case. Most authors I have encountered over the past five or six years are introverted and just want to write, and marketing themselves and their work is something they are never going to WANT to do.

So, that’s fine. I have accepted the fact that I didn’t do enough research and/ or talk to enough people at the beginning of this endeavor, and that I made an incorrect assumption about the attitude and disposition of my target audience. Let’s use this as a learning experience, shall we? I promise you, I am not sad about it.

With that in mind, here is this week’s book pick, How to Achieve Anything You Want: Set and Prioritize Goals, Attract Wealth, and Live the Life You Always Dreamed, by Gerry Marrs. I like this book because it is motivational without being as “in your face!” about it as some other books of this genre. I am a big fan of personal development books in general, so I’m happy to add this one to my list.

If you do happen to be interested in book marketing, can I highly recommend that you take a look at this excellent presentation by Rand Fishkin from MOZ? It is about using SEO and startup tactics in book marketing, and I think it might turn on some lightbulbs for you.

And with that, let us go forth into this sleep-deprived Monday (thanks, Daylight Saving Time!) and conquer our respective worlds.

Self-Publishing

Letters from the Real World: Duh. Or, Classic Marketing 101 Mistake

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Um, yeah. I feel really dumb right now, and I’m cringing just a little at the thought of the “I-trained-you-better-than-this” amused look Carol – my lifelong public relations and marketing mentor, friend, honorary Mom – will give me when she reads this.

Carol was the toughest, smartest marketing professional I’ve ever known. When I worked for her, she drilled strategic thinking into me like a marine corps sergeant, and she showed me not the just how of publicity, but the why which is the key to everything. I have tried to follow the TRUTHS OF CAROL for my marketing and publicity.

Except I made a totally stupid newbie mistake. I panicked, and I rushed. I tried to launch a InstaTweetFacePinTumbTubeGoogleReads all at once.

First of all, let’s get this out there: I was baptized by fire in the inferno of the Dot Com years. I rode the boom up at the tender age of 22 and the bust down at the withered, cynical age of 30. There was a time in the summer of 1999 where you couldn’t go to lunch because you were afraid of missing a “paradigm shift.”

Carol and I worked on public relations teams that would take our clients from public launch to filing initial IPO papers in 8 weeks. Multiply by 4-6 clients at a time. Repeat.

The point is, all of this was par for the course in good marketing strategy, no matter what your industry. However, the difference of technology and Dot Com fever meant that time was of the essence.

This is not to say that a sense of urgency isn’t a good thing. More than ever, we devour content at the speed of light. Urgency, consistency, and constancy are winning principles in any marketing endeavor.

Where I and a lot of other new authors (yes, I am dragging others down with me) make a key mistake is trying to apply urgency to everything all at once.

There is a hierarchy to what you need to do and which social media you need to use as you get up and running. I have discovered this the hard way because there are only so many hours in the day, and this probably slowed some of the progress I had hoped to make in these first two quarters.

You have time.

I didn’t realize that. It doesn’t all have to be done at once. Here are the basic TRUTHS OF CAROL that I am ashamed to admit I had forgotten.

Good marketing plans are constructed with layers that build over time.

Good marketing plans are also realistic as to playing to personal strengths, scope, and impact over time.

Good marketing plans are based on good market research.

Don’t get me wrong. You don’t have all the time in the world, and you do need to set deadlines and goals in order to motivate, achieve, and move forward. However, you may not need to unleash your InstaTweetFacePinTumbTubeGoogleReads all at one go.

I tried, and I couldn’t even get up enough momentum to fail spectacularly. I failed mediocrely. My trial and mostly error did form a kind of double-blind study of the research I had done to learn how to promote my books. Here are some of my lessons learned.

1. Focus on getting your website set up and looking nice. Get the technical stuff worked out.

2. Do your homework and try some things before committing to your first three social media. Play around with Pinterest. Too overwhelming? Try Tumblr. Too juvenile? Try Instagram. No good at photography? Try Twitter….

3. Pick 2-3 social media to focus on primarily for your first year.

Example: I use Facebook and Twitter, and I hope to get Pinterest up to speed as a marketing tool in Q3-4

4. Decide on 2 more social media for the following year.

Example: In 2015, I will be using YouTube and Tumblr for more marketing. (Bonus: by giving myself time to relax and not stress about getting up and running with these outlets, I actually have come up with some really creative projects to do that don’t involve the usual cut/paste/spam content).

5. Decide what you are not good at or not interested in. Be honest.

Example: I am not an inspired photographer. Instagram will just never be my thing. I accept that. Also, I’m too distractible and impatient to do well in a GoodReads or Shelfari discussion group. It is highly unlikely I will be successful trying to use those sites because I will be naturally inclined to avoid them or procrastinate.

You don’t have to follow this. But, if you felt overwhelmed like I did when I started down this road, this could be a good way to both get yourself going and to keep your sanity.

Also, by narrowing your focus in the beginning, you can concentrate on writing more books while putting out quality promotional material. Balancing writing and promo was one other major stumbling block for me as I got started, and I’m only just getting right side up now.

So, here’s to a more organized, prolific Q3 with a stronger, more strategic marketing strategy!