Top Three Quotes
- “Amazon ads can help any author grow with incremental improvements. And those small changes make big opportunities for the future.”
- “You can’t pay your car loan with a low ACoS, but you can pay it down with higher monthly profit.”
- “If you want something to last that long, then you don’t want to rush it.”
Book Theme
Self-Publishing With Amazon Ads is a hands-on, realistic guide for self-published authors to use Amazon Ads strategically to build long-term royalties, develop profitable advertising campaigns, and regain control of their author career.
Why You Should Read This Book
If you’re a self-published author frustrated with marketing methods that drain your time or money, Bryan Cohen’s approach offers sustainable, low-cost, repeatable strategies. This book focuses on mindset, profitability, and the importance of patience in building ad success, making it invaluable for anyone serious about long-term book sales on Amazon.
Key Ideas and Arguments Presented
- Amazon ads are not a get-rich-quick tactic, but a long-term investment strategy.
- Lower ad bids often lead to greater profitability than high bids.
- Success with Amazon ads depends on consistent practice, not one-time hacks.
- Understanding and targeting relevant keywords is critical for ad visibility and conversion.
- Sales reporting in the Amazon ad dashboard can be misleading—track royalties and profit separately.
- Authors must regularly monitor and optimize ad performance rather than set-and-forget.
- Running ads leads to organic boosts like increased Amazon visibility and recommendations.
- Learning your genre deeply is essential for ad targeting success.
- Patience and a test-and-learn mindset are crucial for ad growth.
- The author provides formulas and benchmarks to determine profitable ad bidding and expected outcomes.
Book Outline
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Why Is It Worth Trying One More Book Marketing Thing?
- Chapter 2: What Kind of Time Do I Need to Invest in Amazon Ads?
- Chapter 3: How Do I Set Up Amazon Ads for Maximum Profit?
- Chapter 4: How Do I Know If My Ads Are Working?
- Chapters 5–12: Advanced strategies, keyword research, ad dashboard use, genre-based targeting, and more.
- Epilogue
- About the Author
Key Takeaways
- Start slow and aim for profitability over visibility.
- Target relevant readers rather than broad categories.
- Use low bids (e.g., $0.39 for series starters and $0.34 for single books) to improve profit margins.
- Track performance with the KDP dashboard rather than relying only on ad data.
- Set aside weekly time for keyword research, ad creation, and optimization.
- Focus your ad spend on your most profitable book first.
- Relevancy and genre alignment significantly reduce costs.
Key Techniques
- The Split Screen Method: Compare Amazon Ad Dashboard with KDP Reports for true profit tracking.
- Low-Bid Strategy: Bid low (under $0.39) to maintain profitability and control costs.
- Relevancy Targeting: Choose only hyper-relevant books and keywords to train the algorithm.
- Weekly System: Research keywords, create 5–10 ads weekly, then analyze metrics in 15-minute sessions.
Author’s Qualifications
Bryan Cohen is a bestselling author, founder of Best Page Forward, and host of The Sell More Books Show. He has run Amazon ad workshops for over 30,000 authors and helped many reach over $10K/month in royalties.
Comparison to Similar Books
Compared to other books on Amazon Ads, Cohen’s book is practical, humble, and focused on low-budget long-term growth. It avoids hyped-up promises and emphasizes consistency and mindset, unlike many ad-centric books that push high-risk bidding or short-term tactics.
Target Audience
- Self-published authors at any stage
- Writers with limited marketing budgets
- Authors struggling to understand Amazon Ads
- Writers ready to commit to long-term growth
- Authors who’ve tried other ad platforms without success
- Genre fiction and nonfiction authors looking to scale
- Those in KDP Select or Kindle Unlimited programs
Critical Response to the Book
The book was well-received, particularly in the indie author community. It was crowdfunded by over 600 authors via Kickstarter, and praised for being honest, approachable, and results-driven. The mix of narrative and instruction keeps it engaging and motivational.
One Sentence Takeaway
Amazon Ads, when used with strategy, low bids, and patience, can transform a self-published author’s career from stagnant to profitable.