Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads for authors, in plain English
What an Amazon ad for your book actually is, where it shows up, and the handful of words you need to follow the conversation.
If you’ve ever scrolled down a book page on Amazon, you’ve seen ads for books without noticing. That row of covers marked Sponsored is where many authors’ ads appear. This article explains what those ads are and the few words you need to follow any conversation about them. No jargon test at the end.
What an Amazon ad for your book is
An Amazon ad puts your book in front of readers who are already shopping for books. You don’t design a banner or write a slogan. Amazon shows your cover, title and price, and readers click through to your book page as usual.
You pay when someone clicks the ad, not when it’s shown. That’s why the ad is only as good as the page it leads to: the cover, the description and the reviews do the selling once a reader arrives.
Where your ad can appear
- On other books’ pages, in rows like “Products related to this item”.
- In search results, when a reader searches for words that match your book.
Different kinds of Amazon campaign decide where your ad can show and how Amazon chooses when to show it. The goal is the same either way: your book, in front of readers who would enjoy it.
The words you’ll hear most
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Keyword | A word or phrase a reader might search for, such as a genre or a trope. Your ad can appear when readers search for it. |
| Product targeting | Instead of words, you pick books or categories, and your ad can appear on or near those books’ pages. |
| Bid | The most you’re willing to pay for a click. A higher bid can win more places to show, but doesn’t guarantee them. |
| Budget | The most you’re willing to spend per day on a campaign, so spending can’t run away from you. |
| Impressions and clicks | An impression is one time your ad was shown. A click is one time a reader tapped it. |
What makes a difference
Some things are worth knowing before you start, whoever runs your ads:
- Your book page comes first. Ads bring readers to the page; the page has to persuade them. A clear cover and a description that hooks readers in your genre matter more than any setting.
- Relevance beats reach. Showing your book to fewer readers who love your genre usually works better than showing it to many who don’t.
- Ads need watching. Bids, keywords and budgets need regular adjusting as you learn what works for your book.
Doing it yourself or getting help
Plenty of authors run their own Amazon Ads, and it’s a skill you can learn. Others prefer to spend their time writing and hand it to someone who does it every day. If that’s you, tell us about your book and we’ll suggest a plan.