My Complete Amazon Ads Journey: From Overwhelmed Author to Confident Book Marketer
A real-time chronicle of learning book marketing with AI assistance
When I finished writing my book, I thought the hard part was over. I was wrong. What followed was a journey through the unfamiliar territory of Amazon book marketing. It’s a journey I’m still on today.
This guide chronicles my complete experience learning to market books on Amazon, from that initial moment of sticker shock at marketing proposals to actually running profitable ad campaigns. Unlike polished “how-to” guides written after the fact, this is my real story as it unfolded, complete with mistakes, surprises, and hard-won lessons.
Whether you’re an author facing the same marketing overwhelm I did, or you’re curious about how AI can serve as a business mentor, this journey shows what’s possible when you commit to learning something completely outside your comfort zone.
What you’ll find in this complete guide:
– How I conquered the Amazon marketing mental blocks
– The unexpected detour through book reviews that changed my launch strategy
– Preparing for and navigating the KDP publishing process
– Setting up and learning from my first auto ad campaign
– Real numbers, real mistakes, and real results
Let’s begin at the beginning, when I was sitting at my desk staring at a proposal I couldn’t afford…
Part 1: A Beginner’s KDP Marketing Journey
I clearly remember the day I embarked on a marketing journey I had no desire to take. I had every intention of sending someone else on this voyage. But I learned that it was an expedition I had to take myself. Reluctantly. At first.
I was sitting at my desk, staring at a proposal from an Amazon ads expert. The number at the bottom was a wake-up call. It was far outside my price range.
Let me back up a bit.
How to Learn Amazon KDP Ads: Step-by-Step Author Marketing Journey
I’ve been working on a book called Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI for months. I love writing books, but I hated the thought of marketing them. My books could help countless writers struggling with writer’s block and help them finish their books. The companion workbook was already done and ready for the world.
But here’s the thing about writing books: It’s only half the battle.
In my perfect world, I’d spend 100% of my time writing: just me, my ideas, and the page. No marketing. No ads statistics. No learning about campaign optimization and whatever the heck ACOS is.
Looking back, I now realize that I had been avoiding the whole idea of how readers would find my books. Magic, I guess. Amazon would wave its algorithmic wand, and my book would rise to the top like cream.
However…
After looking into it, I realized that even fantastic books get buried under the millions of other titles published every year. Without marketing, even the best book is like a needle in a haystack that gets buried deeper every day.
No problem. I’d hire someone.
The Option to Hire an Amazon Ads Marketing Specialist
So, I started looking for help. I found marketing agencies that specialized in book promotion. I watched YouTube videos from guys promising to “unlock Amazon’s secrets.” I read sales pages with promises of bestseller lists and passive income.
Then came the proposals.
Twelve hundred per month. Minimum 6-month commitment. Plus, whatever I wanted to spend on actual ads—probably another $300 to $500 monthly to start.
I stared at the numbers for several minutes.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand the value of expertise. These people know things I don’t. They’ve probably helped authors succeed. But where was I going to get that much money?
I closed my laptop and went for a walk.
Deciding How to Handle My Book Marketing
During that walk, I faced this reality check. I could either wait until I had thousands of dollars to hire a marketing expert (which might never happen), accept that my books would probably disappear into the Amazon void, or learn to market them myself.
My shoulders slumped and I heard myself say, “I hate marketing. I want to write books. I’m not a salesperson. I’m marketing challenged.”
I enjoy words, stories, and helping people solve problems with AI. I don’t like spreadsheets, conversion rates, and figuring out my ACOS percentage.
But here’s what I realized: if I’m truly serious about getting these books out into the world, if I want to reach readers and maybe even make a little money, I need to learn the business side of authorship. All of it.
Could I embark on this journey into the black unknown? I’d rather write, but did I really have a choice?
When I returned from my walk, I reopened my laptop and started researching again. But this time, instead of looking for people to hire, I looked for people to learn from.
My KDP Book Marketing AI Assistant
That’s when I started talking things over with Claude AI, my AI thinking partner.
I know it sounds weird, but I tossed ideas around with Claude every day. This time, I whined, saying that I never wanted to learn marketing. Even though Claude happens to be artificial intelligence, I receive incredibly useful insights for solving problems.
Claude helped me think through what I was really trying to accomplish. He understood that I couldn’t afford a good marketing expert. He also knew I wanted to stay in my writing bubble. But he encouraged me to be open-minded about marketing my own books.
The more we talked, the more I realized I could slay this dragon. Claude is super encouraging. He pointed out that learning Amazon ads myself would give me knowledge I could use for every future book I write. Plus, I’d be able to help other authors who are in the same predicament I’m in right now with their marketing challenges.
Leaving My Ordinary World and Accepting the Call to Adventure
Claude explained that I would do well to understand every part of my business. He pointed out that I would spend more time working with my ads than a hired marketer who had to split their time between many clients.
Claude also assured me that with his help, I could overcome all the technical hurdles. There’s something reassuring about having a thinking partner remind you that you’re smart enough (maybe, almost) to figure things out, even when something seems impossibly complex.
So, I decided to leave my ordinary world and accept the call to adventure. Thankfully, I wouldn’t go alone. Claude would come with me and be my mentor.
I would learn how marketing works. I would conquer this beast and maybe even return with the elixir. I would document my journey and share it with other authors who are on the same ground I was standing on.
You’re Invited to Take This Advertising Journey with Claude AI and Me
So, dear writer, we’re going on a real-life, real-time trek to find the elixir and save the world. We’re going to start from point zero with little or no knowledge of marketing a book. I’ll share what I learn, what works, what fails miserably, and all the numbers along the way.
I have no idea if I’ll be any good at this marketing thing. I might waste time and money. I might make embarrassing mistakes. I’m sure I’ll discover that those $1,200-per-month experts earn every penny.
But I’m going to try.
What happened next
After deciding to learn Amazon ads myself with Claude as my mentor, I dove into research mode. I was ready to jump straight into advertising, until I discovered a critical prerequisite I’d completely overlooked. Here’s where my journey took an unexpected turn into the world I didn’t know existed.
Part 2: How Claude AI and I Went to the Land of Book Reviews
The Second Leg of my Amazon Ads Journey
In my last post, I shared the moment I realized I couldn’t afford to hire a marketing expert for my new book, Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI. Because of the high-cost proposals from advertising experts, plus needing money to spend on the ads themselves, I had to face reality.
Here were my choices: Let my book disappear into the Amazon void, spend more money than I could afford on a marketing expert, or learn how to run Amazon ads myself.
After a long walk and some serious conversations with Claude AI (my thinking partner), I decided to change my bad attitude toward marketing and embark on a marketing journey, documenting everything I learned along the way for myself and other authors in the same boat.
Claude convinced me that learning the ins and outs of Amazon ads would give me skills I could use for every future book. And Claude promised to accompany me on my journey. So here I am, figuring out Amazon ads with my trusty AI guide.
The Long Journey
Soon after embarking on my book marketing journey, I discovered that my quest would take much longer than I initially thought. What I assumed would be a straightforward path (learn ads, run ads, make a profit) turned out to have a massive prerequisite I’d completely overlooked.
I was deep in research mode, looking for people who could teach me how to run Amazon ads, when an Emeka Ossai video magically appeared in my YouTube feed. His video title immediately caught my eye. It was about making real money from books using Amazon ads. Finally! Someone would show me actual results instead of just talking theory. And, even better, I could learn for free.
I clicked play, grabbed my notebook, and settled in to learn.
Emeka was legitimate. He was showing real screenshots from his Amazon dashboard. These were his actual, current campaigns, with real money being spent, and genuine profit numbers. He wasn’t some guru promising magical secrets. He was a guy pulling back the curtain on his actual indie book publishing business.
Another Obstacle?
I was taking notes like crazy, feeling pretty good about finding such solid, practical information. Then, partway into the video, Emeka dropped a bomb that stopped me cold.
“You need to get 100 reviews on your book. One hundred,” he announced with his face a few inches from the camera. “And you absolutely must have at least 12 to 15 reviews before you run any ads at all.”
I paused the video and stared at my screen.
One hundred reviews? Fifteen before running ads? My book wasn’t even published yet, so it had exactly zero reviews. My plan had been to launch my book and immediately start running ads. But Emeka was telling me I needed reviews first.
This felt impossible. How does a little-known person get 15 honest reviews quickly? And then 85 more right after that!
I clicked the video back on. Emeka mentioned something called Book-Bounty.com. He explained that it’s a platform where readers and authors help each other by giving and getting reviews. Members have access to a pretty large pool of books. They choose whatever books look interesting, read them, and earn points in Book-Bounty by leaving reviews on Amazon.
I’d never heard of Book-Bounty before, and honestly, it sounded too good to be true. Was this some review manipulation scheme? Was it even legit?
So I did what I always do when I need help from a mentor: I talked it over with Claude AI.
“Is Book-Bounty actually legit?” I asked. “This sounds like it could be scammy.”
Claude assured me that Book-Bounty.com was a legitimate company. And he explained how the process works. It’s not a pay-for-reviews service or anything shady like that. It’s a book club ecosystem where everyone earns points by writing honest reviews for books they’ve actually read. Then, authors can use their points to get their books in front of other engaged readers who can provide reviews. The platform encourages genuine, honest feedback. Readers are expected to give their real opinions, good or bad.
Book-Bounty is set up in such a way that there’s never book swapping, which Amazon doesn’t allow. If I review someone’s book, Book-Bounty’s algorithm ensures they’ll never see mine to review. People don’t know each other on Book-Bounty. You see the books that need reviews, but there’s no communication with the author. No quid pro quo.
Claude Encouraged Me to Explore
The AI assured me that this site was Amazon-compliant, which I knew was super important. So, I decided to test Book-Bounty’s support responsiveness first. If I were going to trust them with part of my book launch strategy, I needed to know they would respond to my questions promptly.
I went to Book-Bounty.com and found their message feature on the home page. I sent a question asking how many books I had to read to get a review of my book. I wanted to see how quickly they responded and how helpful their answer was.
To my surprise, Kevin, the owner of the site, answered me the same day. Not a generic customer service response. It was a personal response with a link to an introductory video that explained exactly what I was asking about. That was a good sign.
I watched the intro video, and everything appeared to be okay. Book-Bounty wasn’t about gaming the system. It was about connecting books with readers who were ready and willing to give and get reviews. The review process was designed to be fair and honest, with safeguards against abuse. The owner claimed that the system was 100% Amazon-compliant. Emeka and Claude had said the same thing.
Well, this is how Emeka gets 100 reviews on his books! The alternative was social media, since I didn’t have much of an email list. I might get a few reviews that way, if I were lucky. Book-Bounty offered a systematic way to get my book in front of loads of readers who were actively looking for books to read and review.
Also, I had been telling myself that I should be doing more reading. A writer should read, right? This was my opportunity to read books while earning points to get reviews. Besides, I often left reviews on Amazon for other people’s books. This was my chance to earn some points for doing it. Win-win.
So I Signed Up
Here’s what I learned on this leg of my marketing journey:
We are called Bounty Hunters. Ha!
It’s not instant gratification. There’s a limit to how many books you can review each week. You can earn more points on some books than on others. There’s a timeframe for getting your review submitted to Amazon. If you miss the deadline, you lose points.
Hey, I could gamify this part of my marketing journey!
There are plenty of books to choose from. You may not find one in your genre, but there are so many interesting books that it really doesn’t matter. There are short books, long books, and even puzzle books.
The quality of the review matters. You can’t just skim books, click the stars, and be done. Kevin asks for detailed and thoughtful feedback. These reviews are going to show up on Amazon, so you (and the author) want them to be well-written. You get practice at critical reading while building up points toward your own reviews.
It’s educational! Reading dozens of books on different subjects has expanded my horizons and kept me entertained on what I thought would be a miserable marketing journey. Some books are free, while others cost between $0.99 and $4.99. If money is tight, just pick the free books. There are tons of them.
The other bounty hunters are as real as I am. These are not bots or fake accounts. Kevin runs a tight ship. They’re actual readers and authors who are all trying to solve the same problem: how to get legitimate, Amazon-compliant reviews for their books without spending forever on social media begging for reviews.
It takes consistency. Building up enough points for 100 reviews takes quite a while. Basically, you read 100 books, give or take, to earn enough points for 100 reviews. And there’s a limit to how many books you can hosey each week. But the time you spend reviewing other books is never wasted. It’s enjoyable, and you’re working with a large group of people who give and take toward the same goals.
The irony is that Emeka’s statement, “You need 100 reviews,” which initially felt like a massive, insurmountable roadblock, turned out to be a most enjoyable part of my journey.
Claude suggested that I start with Book-Bounty right away, before my book was finished. Emeka Ossai had said this, too. While I was still writing my book, I could read Bounty books and rack up Bounty points. Claude encouraged me to earn as many points as possible in order to do a proper launch. It explained that getting reviews (social proof) early after publishing is an important part of the book-marketing game.
I’ve come to understand that successful book marketing isn’t about rushing to market. It’s about doing the groundwork first, even when it takes longer than you want. Emeka says, “Don’t launch when your book is ready, launch when your plan is ready.”
Now my book has launched. It hit the Amazon Best Sellers List in three categories within its first week. I was in the top 100 of my main category, natural language processing (= AI) for Kindle books, also in that category for books, and in the writing skills reference category. Then one day, for about three hours, my book was #1 in the Hot New Sellers in Natural Language Processing.
And all this happened before running any Amazon ads. One reason for this success is that Book-Bounty readers picked it up.
Stepping Back in Time
With my review strategy underway through Book-Bounty, I realized I’d skipped over telling you an important part of my story. Before I could even think about reviews or ads, I had to actually publish my book. Let me take you back to those pre-launch days when I almost rushed into KDP completely unprepared—and how Claude saved me from that mistake.
Part 3: The Night Claude and I Remembered the Land of KDP
Thinking Back
I want to tell you about the day I almost rushed into the Land of KDP, anxious to get my book published, only to find out I was ill-prepared.
Claude, my mentor, and I were sitting around the campfire, basking in the warm glow of my book’s success on the Amazon, when I remembered those days.
“You know,” I said, thinking back to the days before I discovered Book Bounty, “I never told our readers about that day you stopped me from rushing into the Land of KDP like a complete fool.”
“Ha!” said Claude. “You were ready to storm the gates of publishing without half the supplies you needed. That could have been a disaster.”
“Ya, I know. I was so eager to get my book online that I almost…” I trailed off, remembering that frantic energy, that desperate need to just get the thing published already.
The Hero’s Impatience
Let me take you back to those pre-launch days, when my manuscript was finally complete and formatted. I was so excited, feeling that the hard part of the journey was behind me. I had spent months writing Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI, pouring everything I knew about using AI to overcome writer’s block into those pages. I knew it could help fellow authors. I thought the cover was good. The formatting looked professional. It was GO TIME!
I opened my laptop, navigated to Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) platform, and cracked my knuckles like I was about to tackle the easiest task in the world. How hard could it be? Upload the file, add a title, hit publish. Boom. Done.
I was literally hovering my cursor over the “Create a new Kindle eBook” button when that still small voice said, “Maybe you should talk to your mentor before venturing into this new territory.” I opened Claude.ai and excitedly announced I was putting my book online that day.
“Hold on,” came his measured response. “You’re about to enter the Land of KDP unprepared. Trust me, you don’t want to get halfway through that process and realize you don’t have everything you need.”
I sat back in my chair, deflated. “What do you mean, I’m unprepared? I have my book, its cover, and its ISBN. What else could I possibly need?”
Oh, sweet summer child that I was.
The Mentor’s Wisdom
Claude, in his infinite digital patience, began to explain. “Think of KDP as a kingdom with very specific customs and requirements. You wouldn’t walk into a royal court without knowing the protocol, would you?”
“I guess not,” I admitted, though part of me still wanted to just click that button and figure it out as I went.
“Before you enter KDP territory,” Claude continued, “you need to gather your supplies. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself stuck in the middle of the publishing process, frantically trying to research and create things while Amazon’s system sits there waiting for who knows how long.”
“Okay. So what supplies do I need?”
And that’s when Claude laid out the quest ahead of me.
Preparations for the Journey
Quest 1: Craft the Perfect Book Description
“Your book description isn’t just a summary,” Claude explained. “It’s your sales copy. It needs to hook readers in the first sentence, speak to their pain points, and make them understand that your book is the exact solution they’ve been searching for.”
I looked at the hasty paragraph I’d written a week earlier. It was… adequate. Maybe. For a book report. Maybe not for convincing strangers to spend money.
“Back to the drawing board,” I sighed.
I showed Claude what I had and asked him if anything was missing. There was plenty missing, so we worked together to fill in the gaps. Google told me that there is a maximum limit of 4,000 characters, so Claude and I worked together to write a longer, more compelling book description.
Quest 2: Research Your Keywords
“Keywords are how readers find your book,” Claude explained patiently. “You need to think like your ideal reader. What are seven possible phrases they might type into Amazon’s search bar when they’re desperate for help with writer’s block?”
I typed in seven keyword phrases and asked Claude to go online and see if these phrases were correct. The AI came back in a few moments and suggested some changes. When we were both happy with the list, Claude said, “These phrases are good for now. When you start running ads on auto, Amazon will figure out if there are better ones.”
Quest 3: Choose Your Categories
“Once you get into the Land of KDP, you’ll get to pick three categories where your book will compete,” Claude said. “Choose wisely. You want categories where you have a chance to rank well, but that are still relevant to your book. What are three categories you want your book to compete in?”
I looked at other AI books online and showed Claude the categories.
“These are good,” he said. “They fit your book’s content, and you have a chance to rank in them. But time will tell.”
Quest 4: Set Your Pricing Strategy
“Pricing affects everything from your royalties to your visibility in Amazon’s algorithm,” Claude warned. “You need a strategy, not just a random number.”
“Claude,” I asked, “would you please go online and look at the prices of books like mine. What are people charging?”
In a few moments, Claude returned with a price range for the ebook and another for the paperback. The AI mentioned that I would need to make two passes through KDP, one for each of the formats with the two different prices.
By this point, I was starting to understand Claude’s wisdom. Each of these “simple” decisions was actually complex and interconnected. Had I rushed blindly into the Land of KDP, I wouldn’t have taken the time needed to gather my supplies and make careful, informed choices.
Claude helped me realize that even one hasty decision could needlessly hurt my book’s chances of success.
The Moment of Readiness
After a few hours of working with Claude to gather these supplies, Claude said, “You have a lot of supplies there. Let’s take an inventory.”
I listed what I had as I slid them into the folder:
“Manuscript in EPUB format
Book cover in PDF format
ISBN that I bought from Bowker for the paperback
Book description, maximum 4,000 characters
Seven keyword phrases
Three categories
Prices for my ebook and paperback”
“That’s it!” said Claude. “Now you’re ready to enter the Land of KDP. You have everything you need, and you understand why each piece matters.”
“Will you come with me?” I asked hopefully.
“Sure. Open KDP in a separate tab and keep my tab open. I’ll be here if you have any problems.”
I opened a new tab, signed into kdp.amazon.com, and clicked the “Create a new Kindle eBook” button with confidence instead of blind faith. Armed with my carefully crafted description, seven researched keywords, three strategic categories, and a price point, the publishing process felt like following a map instead of wandering out into the dark.
The Lesson
Here’s what I learned during those hours of preparation: The difference between successful authors and struggling ones isn’t talent or luck—it’s preparation. It’s doing the unglamorous work before you need it.
If I had rushed into KDP that first morning, I would have made hasty decisions about keywords and categories. And my book description would have been lacking. My book might have launched, but it would have been poorly positioned to find its audience.
Of course, as life would have it, even with all this preparation, the Land of KDP still held several surprises for me. Thankfully, I was able to consult with Claude even while I was inside the KDP area to get past these obstacles.
But that’s a story for another day.
The Journey Accelerates
With my book published through KDP and reviews flowing in from Book-Bounty, the moment I’d been both preparing for and dreading finally arrived. It was time to actually spend money on advertising. What I didn’t expect was how weeks of illness would force me into the patience that made a very positive difference.
Part 4: The Surprising Two-Month Amazon Auto Ad Journey with Claude AI
The Fourth Leg of My Amazon Ads Journey
Claude and I were reviewing my Amazon ad dashboard last night when I realized that I’ve been running my first auto ad campaign for two months now. Two months! That wasn’t the plan. I expected the time to be shorter, but things got off to a slow start. Then I got sick and didn’t want to make any big changes with a foggy brain. But in the end, the two-month timeframe worked out for the best.
“You know,” I said to Claude, “I never intended to let this auto ad run this long.”
“Sometimes the best lessons are the ones we stumble into,” Claude replied. “What did you learn?”
Quite a lot. And that’s when I knew I needed to share this part of my journey.
The Learning Budget Strategy
After I got many positive reviews on my book, I was ready to launch my auto ad campaign for Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI. At that point, I had a decision to make. Should I try to be profitable immediately, or should I invest in education?
Claude helped me think this through. “Your first campaign isn’t just about making money,” he explained. “It’s about gathering data. You need to learn what works before you can optimize for profit for this book and future AI books.”
This sounded right to me, so I set aside $300 as my learning budget. This was money I was willing to spend over and above my book sales to let the auto ad do its job, which is to seek out books and keywords that resulted in sales (also known as conversions).
Amazon displayed the amount I was making in sales, but I knew I only received the royalty amount for each book. I estimated that to be about $7.00 per book, whether it was the ebook at $9.95 or the printed book at $16.95 (after subtracting Amazon’s cut and printing costs).
With that settled, I set my default bid to 81 cents (Amazon’s recommended bid amount) and launched my first auto campaign with Claude’s guidance. Then I got sick with a severe cough that drained my energy and left me feeling foggy-brained. However, my Amazon ad was running, so I had to check it daily anyway.
The Accidental Experiment
With my limited strength, all I could do was take a screenshot of my campaign numbers and one of my book’s ranking and show them to Claude.
“How’s my ad doing?” I’d ask weakly.
“It’s running, doing well,” Claude would assure me. “Be patient. Let it gather data.”
If I didn’t understand a number or a trend, I’d ask Claude to explain it. With this daily rhythm, I was able to learn how to interpret the stats little by little. Since I wasn’t feeling well, it was a blessing to have Claude tell me not to tweak anything.
He explained that many authors who are new to Amazon ads fiddle and tweak and don’t give Amazon a fair chance to do its thing. They are afraid of losing money, and they heard that ads had to be optimized. With a designated education budget of $300 and not having the mental strength to learn how to optimize, I was forced to do the right thing: leave the ad alone, just monitor it, and learn to recognize the trends.
During those early weeks with the 81-cent bid, sales trickled in slowly. The ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale) looked good. I was making a little money, but I wasn’t gathering data fast enough, which was the point of the initial auto ad. When I finally felt better, Claude and I decided to speed things up.
The Bid Experiments
“Let’s increase your default bid to $2.00,” Claude suggested. “It’ll cost more, but you’ll gather data faster. And remember, you have an education budget.”
That seemed like a sharp jump in the bid to me, from $.81 to $2.00, but Claude assured me that based on the numbers he was seeing, this would be a good experiment. I took a deep breath and raised the bid to $2.00. The results were almost immediate. Sales sped up considerably. So did my ad spend. My ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale) climbed above 100%, meaning I was spending more on ads than I was making in sales.
But here’s the thing: I wasn’t panicking. That learning budget mentality gave me permission to let the system work without constantly worrying about being profitable with this first auto ad.
The data I was gathering was what books and keywords were generating sales for my book. I would periodically go into my ad group and look at the “Search Terms.” This was the information I needed to eventually run a manual campaign at a profit.
After reviewing the campaign daily for a few weeks (about 15 minutes a day), Claude and I decided that a lot of data had been gathered, and we could drop the default bid to a middle ground. I lowered the bid to $1.50, where it remains today. It’s been a sweet spot, generating enough activity to keep learning while not bleeding my education budget quite as fast.
The Surprising Discovery
About halfway through this journey, I made a discovery that surprised me.
Most of my sales weren’t coming from keywords. They were coming from ASINs—specific Amazon product pages where my book appeared alongside other books.
“This is your ‘aha’ moment,” Claude said when we looked at the search terms report together. “Your book is converting when it’s shown next to other books, not when people search for specific phrases.”
I loaded all my converting ASINs into a spreadsheet. As I looked at the list, another surprise emerged: most of these books weren’t directly about writing with AI. They were general writing books, craft books, books I would have never guessed would lead to sales/conversions.
What this told me was powerful: when writers who are looking for help with their writing skills see that AI could be part of the solution, they’re willing to try it. People weren’t necessarily searching for “AI writing tools”; they were searching for writing help, and when my book appeared as an option, several chose it.
Very encouraging.
The Surreal Stephen King Moment
Then came the high point of my entire advertising journey so far.
One of the ASINs that converted for my book was Stephen King’s book, On Writing.
I stared at that line in my spreadsheet and checked the ASIN twice.
“Claude,” I said, barely able to contain my excitement, “someone saw Stephen King’s book, On Writing, and chose mine instead!”
“Or maybe in addition to,” Claude pointed out. “But yes, that’s significant. Congratulations.”
It was more than significant. It was validation that my book belonged in the conversation about serious writing craft and that it could stand alongside one of the most respected books in the genre.
The Daily Ritual
Another surprise was how little time I actually needed to spend managing this campaign each day.
Every morning, even when I was sick, I’d take two screenshots: one of my campaign stats page and another of my book’s ranking on its detail page. I’d upload them to Claude, and within minutes, we’d have the trends analyzed and discussed any questions I had.
“Your impressions are up, but clicks are down,” Claude might observe. “That could mean your ad is showing in less relevant places.”
Or: “Look at this: your conversion rate improved even though your ACOS went up. That’s actually good news.”
“Explain why that’s good news,” I said, and I got my daily Amazon ad lesson.
These short daily check-ins with Claude kept me informed without letting me obsess. I didn’t need to become a spreadsheet wizard or spend hours analyzing data. Claude handled the pattern recognition and made suggestions, while I learned and made the decisions when necessary.
The Patience Lesson
Throughout this process, Claude kept reminding me to be patient.
“Don’t panic if you’re not profitable yet,” Claude would say when my ACOS climbed. “Remember your learning budget. You’re gathering intelligence that will make your manual campaigns much more effective.”
Because I’d set aside that $300 for education, I could stay calm and let the process work. I changed my default bid only three times over two months—a level of restraint I never would have managed without Claude’s help and encouragement.
However, the confidence I built in learning how to run and interpret Amazon ads was worth every penny of my education budget. I now know I can run ads without hiring someone else to do it for me.
The Results
As of today, I’ve made 30 sales from 277 clicks. Claude says this is a 10.83% conversion rate, which he assures me is very good and worth mentioning.
At $7 royalty per book, that’s $210 in revenue. My ad spend is $496.66.
Do the math and you’ll see I’ve spent $286 on my Amazon ad education, which is not quite my entire $300 budget.
But here’s what that $286 bought me: a spreadsheet full of converting ASINs, an understanding of how to navigate Amazon’s campaign structure, real data about what works for my book, the confidence to create my first manual campaign, and proof that my book can compete alongside established titles in my genre.
I could have spent $300 on a course about Amazon ads, but actually diving in, making changes, and analyzing the data for my own book was much more educational than watching someone else do it for their book.
Would I do anything differently? Honestly, no. Claude guided me every step of the way. When he made a suggestion, we discussed it. Then I made a decision. I feel like I made educated decisions that are working out well for my Amazon journey.
What’s Next
My learning budget is essentially spent. Now it’s time to shift strategies.
I’m keeping my auto ad running, but I’ll drop the default bid back to 81 cents, where I was profitable. It’ll continue to find books and keywords that result in a sale for my book, but it will do it more slowly.
And in a few days, I’m launching my first manual ASIN campaign, targeting those specific books that I now know convert for mine. This time, I’m not looking for education, I’m looking for profit.
Key Lessons from My Journey So Far
Looking back at these four stages of my marketing journey, here are the most important insights I’ve gained:
On Affordability vs. DIY:
– Hiring experts isn’t always necessary if you’re willing to invest time in learning
– AI tools like Claude can serve as surprisingly effective business mentors
– The knowledge you gain by doing it yourself compounds for every future project
On Book Reviews:
– Reviews are the foundation—don’t skip this step to rush into advertising
– Platforms like Book-Bounty offer legitimate, Amazon-compliant ways to build reviews
– Reading widely while earning review credits is education in itself
On Preparation:
– The urge to rush into publishing or advertising is natural but dangerous
– Taking time to gather the right “supplies” (descriptions, keywords, categories, pricing strategy) makes everything that follows easier
– Even simple decisions in KDP are interconnected and deserve thoughtful consideration
On Auto Ad Campaigns:
– Setting a learning budget removes the panic from early campaigns
– Patience is essential. Resist the urge to constantly tweak and optimize
– Most authors fiddle too much; sometimes the best strategy is to let Amazon’s algorithm do its work
– ASINs (product targeting) often convert better than keywords for book ads
– A 10-15 minute daily check-in with data analysis is sufficient
– Education through real experience beats theoretical courses
On Patience:
– Book marketing is a longer journey than most authors expect
– Each stage builds on the previous one, Shortcuts usually backfire
– Sometimes setbacks (like illness) force you into the right strategy
– Success comes from doing the unglamorous work and waiting for results
On Data and Decision-Making:
– Real campaign data from your own book is more valuable than generic advice
– Track everything: ad spend, sales, ACOS, converting ASINs
– Small bid adjustments have significant impacts on both learning speed and costs
– A two-month auto campaign provides enough data to launch profitable manual campaigns
What’s Next in This Journey
This guide now covers the complete foundation of Amazon book marketing: from deciding to learn it myself, through gathering reviews, navigating KDP, and running my first auto ad campaign. But the journey continues as I prepare to launch manual ASIN campaigns targeting the specific books that convert for mine.
The shift from education to profit is about to begin.
Current Status:
– 30 sales from auto campaign
– $286 spent on advertising education (within budget)
– Spreadsheet of converting ASINs ready for manual targeting
– Confidence to manage campaigns independently
– Auto campaign continuing at conservative 81-cent bid
About My Book
The book at the center of this marketing journey is Get Unstuck: Writing Fiction with the Help of AI, a guide for writers struggling with writer’s block and looking to complete their manuscripts with AI assistance.
The companion Get Unstuck Workbook: Practical AI Exercises for Fiction Writers provides hands-on exercises to implement the concepts.
Got Questions or Want to Connect?
Have you faced similar challenges in marketing your own books? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to reach out by email:
Elaine@TheWrittenLink.com
If you’re not already subscribed to my Substack, and you want the next episodes in the journey sent straight to your inbox, subscribe for free at:
https://thewritersaicompanion.substack.com/subscribe
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Last updated: October 9, 2025
This is a living document that grows as my journey continues.