Engage an experienced author and their community on book marketing strategies.

Published on 06/08/2025KOL Promotion Opportunities

Okay, here's the analysis based on the provided Reddit post and comments:

KOL/Community Member Identification & Screening:

  1. The Original Poster (OP - author of "My recent Amazon Ads experience"):

    • Profile: The OP is the author of an 8-book series and has been investing significantly in Amazon Ads, going all in with a "massive increase" in ad spend. They've noticed a climb in sales over a 6-month period but are tracking results closely. They engage in discussions, acknowledge the challenges (like lower profitability, as implied by their comment about being "nostalgic for the days before AMS, when sales were better and Amazon only got their 30%"), and are open to learning. They even considered trying FB Ads after another author's suggestion but prioritized AMS due to KU. They write Sci-Fi.
    • Influencer Type: Data-aware micro-influencer within the author community, especially for those focused on Amazon Ads and Kindle Unlimited. They're experiencing a common, significant pain point.
    • Screening: Prime Candidate. Their detailed (though partially shared) experience and willingness to discuss strategy and results make them an ideal partner. Their 8-book series indicates commitment and a substantial body of work to market.
  2. Commenter 5 (User mentioning FB ads for Sci-Fi):

    • Profile: This author has found Amazon Ads to be a "cash sink" and is actively experimenting with alternatives like Facebook Ads. They also write in the Sci-Fi genre.
    • Influencer Type: Active community member, potentially a micro-influencer if they share their FB ad experiences.
    • Screening: Secondary Candidate. They represent another segment of authors frustrated with AMS and actively seeking alternatives. Could be engaged if the primary collaboration with the OP is successful and expands, or if the marketing tool/agency also offers FB ad solutions.

Collaboration Suggestion & Expected Benefits (Focusing on the OP):

  • Identified Core Problem: Despite increased sales from higher Amazon Ad spend, the OP implies that profitability is a significant concern. The cost of ads is eating too much into the revenue, making the "good old days" of just Amazon's 30% cut seem better. They are also dealing with the complexity of managing AMS effectively.

  • Collaboration Opportunity: This author (OP) is actively seeking to make their substantial Amazon Ads investment profitable for their 8-book series. They are transparent about their efforts and challenges, making them an excellent candidate for a partnership with a book marketing tool or ad agency specializing in Amazon Ads optimization.

  • Suggested Collaboration Actions:

    1. Offer a Free/Heavily Discounted Trial or Consultation: Provide the OP with access to your book marketing tool designed to optimize Amazon Ads, or offer a free consultation from your ad agency to analyze their current campaigns.
    2. Targeted Optimization: Work with them to specifically address their profitability issues with AMS. Focus on keyword refinement, bid management, negative keywords, and campaign structure to improve ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale) and overall ROI.
    3. Case Study Development: If successful, collaborate on a detailed case study. The OP can share their "before" scenario (high spend, okay sales, low profit) and the "after" results achieved with your tool/service. This could be a blog post, a section in their future Reddit updates, or a video testimonial.
    4. Joint Content/Webinar: Co-host a webinar or an "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session where the OP shares their journey and your tool/agency provides expert insights on AMS strategies. This leverages their existing engagement and reaches other authors facing similar issues.
  • Expected Benefits:

    1. Highly Credible Case Study: A successful collaboration with an 8-book series author who is already investing heavily in ads provides a powerful and relatable success story.
    2. Access to a Targeted Community: The OP is already engaging with a community of authors discussing AMS. A positive experience shared by them will carry significant weight and generate organic interest.
    3. Demonstrate Problem-Solving Capability: Showcasing how your tool/service directly solves the critical issue of AMS profitability for a multi-book author is invaluable.
    4. Product Feedback & Improvement: Working closely with an experienced author like the OP can provide valuable feedback for refining your tool or service.
    5. Lead Generation: The case study and any shared content can serve as potent lead magnets, attracting other authors in similar situations (like Commenter 5 and others in the thread) who are struggling with AMS profitability.
    6. Brand Advocacy: A satisfied author who sees tangible results can become a strong brand advocate, recommending your solution organically within their networks.

Origin Reddit Post

r/selfpublish

My recent Amazon Ads experience

Posted by u/dwi06/08/2025
Six months ago I decided to go large on Amazon Ads in a bid to increase sales on my 8-book series. I massively increased my Ads spend, and as a result sales did indeed climb. After 6 months o

Top Comments

u/YoItsMCat
If those extra sales convert to fans of your work it could lead to additional sales in the future though, not all the profit has to be immediate right?
u/SgWolfie19
Can you tell if your followers on Amazon have increased? That report is on your authors page.
u/dwi
Yes, that's a good point. I guess I feel nostalgic for the days before AMS, when sales were better and Amazon only got their 30%.
u/dwi
That's a good question - tbh I've never looked at that until now, so all I can say is I have some, not what the trend is. Thanks for pointing that out, I'll keep an eye on it from now on.
u/Rekule42
Facebook may get you views, but it has low conversions to sales - is what I’ve heard.
u/PaulaRooneyAuthor
Try this book. It shows you how to do better on social media with our spending any money. Except the book which is £5 It has so much good advice in it. 'Sell your book using social media' by
u/tghuverd
I've been experimenting with ads outside Amazon, as that has been a cash sink for me. Nothing stellar so far, but I have learned a bit, so I'm gearing up for a FB campaign. My genre is sci-fi
u/Late-Pizza-3810
This is only true if OP has a lead magnet inside their book to build up their email list, which most authors do not.
u/markcoker
Amazon ads, at their heart, are a scam meant to fleece authors of their margin. They give preferential visibility that you must pay for. Since it’s an auction model where the highest bidd
u/dwi
Thanks. I guess I'm not the first to complain about Amazon's 'pay to play' model. I've been writing my series of 8 books since 2014 (yes, I know, slow) and finished the last book in April thi
u/dwi
I've got 8 books in my series and read-through is actually quite good. I think the problem is more likely my ads are targeted incorrectly or the bids are wrong. Unfortunately it seems we have
u/Turniper
I see a lot of scifi ads on twitter. Might be worth trying there, since the tech communities are big.
u/tghuverd
I've been experimenting with ads outside Amazon, as that has been a cash sink for me. Nothing stellar so far, but I have learned a bit, so I'm gearing up for a FB campaign. My genre is sci-fi
u/YoItsMCat
I thought I had received auto emails from Amazon in the past when an author I'd purchased released a new book? I'm petty sure Goodreads does something like that?
u/tghuverd
X. <sigh> I had an account on Twitter before the takeover but wasn't really 'on' it. Then I removed my account, mostly because I wasn't using it, though the change of tone was certain
u/dwi
Thanks, that's interesting—I hope it goes well for you. I also write SciFi, so I'd better look into FB too. I've been avoiding it, as I figured I should learn AMS first due to being in KU.
u/dwi
Thanks, that's interesting—I hope it goes well for you. I also write SciFi, so I'd better look into FB too. I've been avoiding it, as I figured I should learn AMS first due to being in KU.
u/Late-Pizza-3810
This is only true if OP has a lead magnet inside their book to build up their email list, which most authors do not.
u/YoItsMCat
If those extra sales convert to fans of your work it could lead to additional sales in the future though, not all the profit has to be immediate right?
u/wheresmysamuraii
FB ads intimidated the shit out of me when I was first starting out but they run circles around amazon ads for my genre (romance). I recommend doing a bit of research on what to use in your
u/josephmkrzl
I once heard a guy on a podcast saying that he was running around 120 amazon ads at the same time. Each with different keywords and strategy. And that was how he made profit.
u/Galactic-Bard
Thanks for this. It's very helpful to hear people's experiences with things like this. 
u/Xan_Winner
That means you need more books and/or more books in a series. Sell-through is what makes ads profitable.
u/josephmkrzl
I once heard a guy on a podcast saying that he was running around 120 amazon ads at the same time. Each with different keywords and strategy. And that was how he made profit.
u/dwi
That's great, thanks!
u/YoItsMCat
I thought I had received auto emails from Amazon in the past when an author I'd purchased released a new book? I'm petty sure Goodreads does something like that?
u/dwi
Yes, that's a good point. I guess I feel nostalgic for the days before AMS, when sales were better and Amazon only got their 30%.
u/tghuverd
Thanks, I'll post a summary later in the year when the results are in. Good luck with your advert tuning.
u/BrunoStella
Amazon ads have always been a loss for me unfortunately.
u/dwi
Thanks, I'll check it out.

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