It's time for you to stop fantasizing that a reader might search your book and purchase it. The time has changed. In 2025, you need to improve your advertising strategies on Amazon. You can now target buyers with Amazon Ads who viewed your competitors page, or abandoned your book in their cart. However, you need to know how to use it properly so that every dollar you spend is an investment not a loss. Here, we talk all about Amazon book ads from basics to advanced strategies, you can use to top up the charts.
About millions of authors publish on Amazon but only few have ideas about Amazon Ads or know how to properly use it. Why? Because no one guides an author on how to market their book. Most of them only think, Are Amazon ads worth it for books and then stop before they ever give them a real chance. But no more. Let's learn how to use them.
1. Prep Your Book Page
First of all, furnish your book. Make sure your book is well edited and professional, so when a reader clicks your ad, you need to convince them to buy it.
- Your book should have a high quality cover. It's the first thing that attracts an ad-clicker.
- Refine your product page on Amazon. It's your landing page for the book so make sure it is well-written, has a Look Inside feature on and has at least 3 reviews from genuine readers.
- If you haven’t set up your free Amazon Author Central account then do it. You can link all your books to your profile, upload an author photo, and write a great bio. It is a very basic step that makes you look like a professional.
2. Register Your Ad Account
Now, let's start with the ad account:
- You can control your ads through the Amazon Advertising Console, available on your KDP account.
- Next, find a Marketing section or it can be, Promote and Advertise.
- Tap on the option to start an ad campaign. Amazon will open your separate Ads Console. You can then login using the same KDP account.
- You can make a separate ad account for every store where you want to advertise your book. Like, Amazon.com for the US. If you are promoting in the UK then Amazon.co.uk. [Remember to choose the market where you expect your book to sell.]
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3. Set Up Billing Option (How you will pay Amazon)
Now you need to choose the payment option. Don’t worry, they will only charge when someone clicks your ad ( CPC- Cost Per Click), not when they see it.
Smart Tip: You can create a Portfolio in the Amazon Ads dashboard. You can create Mystery Series Portfolio or Non-Fiction to keep everything organized for your multiple books.
Step 2: Start with Sponsored Products — The Essential First Step for Authors
Now you need to select an ad type and the best one is Sponsored Products Amazon ads for authors. This type will only display one book directly in search results. It will even show your books on the other books page. You have another two options with Sponsored Products: Automatic Targeting and Manual Targeting. Let's see which one suits you.
1. Automatic Targeting: The Easy Way To Show Up in Search Results
It is your free research tool. When you select the Automatic Targeting option, Amazon through its algorithm decides keywords that are relevant to your book genre.
How Does it Work: Amazon sees your book title, description basically your book's full page then shows your ads to buyers using keywords it thinks will work for your book
Why Is It Best for Authors? You, as a beginner, might not know search terms readers use for books like yours, so this is perfect for you.
How to use it: First of all, set a low budget. Like $5 to $8 for your book and use a dynamic bid-down only type strategy. It means, if a click is unlikely to lead to a sale then Amazon will lower your bid. It can save your money. Next, let it run for 7- 10 days and collect data by downloading the Search Term Report. You can use it to see the exact phrases readers typed that help you with clicks and sales. All of them are your keywords from actual buyers.
2. Manual Targeting ( Target only those who are interested or related)
After you gather the data of highly competitive keywords from automatic campaigns, move to the next option, that is Manual Targeting. This time you will only focus your budget on the highly effective terms. You can use it in two ways:
- Keyword Targeting
You will target only the keywords you collected from the automatic campaign. Like, epic fantasy new release or dark romance books, etc. Now your ad will only appear when a reader is actively finding a book like yours.
- Product Targeting aka ASINs
Now you will target other or similar book product pages (ASINs). Like, a best selling novel page from a direct competitor. Now, your ad will appear at the end of other author's pages with the same genre. It will steal their traffic right before readers try to buy.
Pro Tips 1: You tell Amazon in a Manual Campaign that how closely can a buyer keyword match with yours.
- You can choose Exact Match. It means the buyer should type the exact keyword like urban fantasy romance will show only urban fantasy romance. Use this type for your best performing keywords and bid high on them.
- You can use Phrase Match as well. Like, a new urban fantasy romance novel. Here they can add words like new or novel. Use it only for profitable keywords.
- The last one is Broad Match. It means keywords can be in any order like a new fantasy romance novel with urban settings. Bid low on these keywords.
Step 3: Use a Highly Targeted Search Keyword
We have already discussed how important keywords are for Amazon Ads. Another kind of keyword is long-tail phrases. They are the most important because readers use them when they are close to buying. They won’t write broad terms like mystery or horror. So you need to choose wisely.
1. Let’s Find Out Your Long-Tail Buyer Keywords
What is the long-tail keyword? It is a phrase that is of three or more words that describes your book's theme. Here is what they look like:
Broad Keyword for High Competition, and Low Intent | Long-Tail Keyword for Low Competition and High Buyer Intent |
Mystery book | cozy mystery with talking cat |
Self-help | self help book for anxiety in teens |
Fantasy | dark fantasy romance enemies to lovers |
Where to Find These Keywords
One way to find them is with Automatic and Manual Targeting Campaigns. Another way is through the Amazon Search Bar. You can start by clicking on the Amazon search bar and type broad terms like fantasy or horror. Note the autocomplete suggestions. All of them are popular search keywords.
You can try sub-genre tropes like in fiction, enemies to lovers, post-apocalyptic, strong female lead and in non-fiction guides to starting a business, personal finance for Gen Z, etc.
2. The Competitor Strategy (Product Targeting)
We have already discussed about ASINs ( Amazon Standard Identification Number) and how you can target other product pages for your ads. You can find ASINs in the Product Information of any book. Second, you can run ads that target the Author Page. Like, you can target Stephen King's author page if you write mystery, horror, or thriller.
Pro Tip 2: Don't only target best sellers or mega bestsellers as their ASINs are expensive. Search for allies who have consistent sales but aren't famous. Their ASINs are low in cost and readers are also prone to trying new authors in the same genre.
3. Underrated Option: Trying Negative Keyword
This is the secret weapon that most of the authors don't try. It can save money. Negative Keywords stop your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches. In short, only actual buyers can see your ads.
Your Book Example | Bad Search Term | Negative Keyword to Add | Why it Save Money |
Paid Book | free Kindle books | free (Negative Exact Match) | Stops clicks from readers only looking for a free book. |
Young Adult Thriller | adult thriller books | adult (Negative Phrase Match) | Stops clicks from readers looking for more mature content. |
Ebook Only | paperback | paperback (Negative Exact Match) | Stops clicks from readers who only buy physical copies. |
Note: If you are confused about how to use keywords or any targeting campaign option, then don’t. Ace Book Publishers is a book publishing company and has expertise in Amazon book marketing. You can visit their website and work with them to maintain your Amazon marketing.
Step 4: Scale Your Budget with a Strategic Approach
You cannot increase your budget daily. It can be risky for you. You need to spend accordingly on what works and is profitable. Mostly you pay according to CPC means Cost per Click model. The average Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing cost for Sponsored Products is $0.81 to $1.30, Sponsored Brands is $1.10 to $2.50, and Sponsored Display is $0.80 to $1.60. However, this is not the important cost. The main cost is what you pay that leads to profit and that you can calculate with ACOS.
1. What is ACOS and how to track it
You must be reading about the term ACOS for the first time but it is the most important metric for scaling. ACOS is the Advertising Cost of Sales. It tells you how efficient your ad spending is. You can calculate it
ACOS = Total Ad Spend. x 100
Total Sales from Ads
You need to check two things with this formula. Is your ACOS Break-Even or Target? It means if your ad spend is equal to your royalty then your ACOS is break-even. Like, your book sells for $5.99, and you get $ 4.50 in royalties. You can then target ACOS to make a profit. Like if your break-even is 50% then you can target 30% ACOS.
The Basic Rule: You should increase the budget on campaigns that are performing below your target ACOS.
2. How to Adjust Your Budget (The "Slow Drip" Method)
If your campaign is profitable, don't double the budget overnight. Instead, increase slowly. Add a daily budget of only 15% to 20% after every 3-5 days. Next, try to schedule your ads ( if possible). Check at what time you get sales and bid your keywords there.
Step 5: How to Maintain Laser-Focused and Organized Campaigns
If you don't organize your Amazon Ads account, it can clutter your structure and can lead to loss. So make sure every book has at least three main campaign types. You can choose to divide your campaign into these three pillars.
Campaign Pillar | Purpose | Targeting Type | Key Metric to Watch |
Pillar 1: Discovery (Auto/Broad) | Finds new, high-converting buyer search terms. | Automatic Targeting and Manual Broad Match. | Search Term Report (Use this data to feed Pillar 2). |
Pillar 2: Harvest (Exwins Match) | Drives sales using the proven, profitable search terms found in Pillar 1. | Manual Exact Match Keywords and Product ASINs. | ACOS (Must be below your profit threshold). |
Pillar 3: Protection (Brand) | Defends your own book page and author name from competitors. | Manual Exact Match on your Author Name, Book Titles, and Series Name. | Impressions/CTR (Must be high to prove ownership of your brand). |
Pro Tip 3: Always name your campaign. Like, [ book title] | Auto | Exact Match | $0.50
Divide your bids
Don't mix your match types i.e Broad, Phrase and Exact in the same Ad Group. If you did it, you cannot bid on them separately. Remember, Different Match Types = Different Intent. You have to bid high on Exact Match then Broad Match. ( A reader using Exact Match is close to buying, while Broad ones are not.) Always create a separate Ad Group for each.
Use Portfolios for Budget Caps
You can also use the Portfolios option in Amazon Ads. They can act like folders with many campaigns. You can even set a budget cap on them. Like, if you set $400 per month then all campaigns in that Portfolio will stop at $400 so you don't overspend.
Step 6: Leverage Strong Creative Assets for Better Performance
We have talked about keywords and how to get sales through them. Now let's talk about how you can use visuals to get sales.
1. Polish Your Book Page
Give your book page a treat and use the A+ Content feature ( you can find it under the Marketing section). It can help you move from plain text to character art, maps, and in short use multimedia. Note that your book's first few pages should be available in the Look Inside feature. You can write A+ content with Ace Book Publisher's professional ebook marketing services.
2. Step into 2025 with Sponsored Brands Video
Today, Sponsored Products are not enough for sales. You need to level up to features like Sponsored Brands Video ads in 2025.
- It can help in creating high quality video ads that appear in the search results.
- Properly show your book cover, main twist, or dialogue, or an intense scene.
- Always include text or captions as most of the videos are auto-mute.
3. Make your book a Brand.
After you have released at least three books of the same genre, you can now switch to Sponsored Brands. You have to now change the book title to call to action. Like, Discover the 3-Book Thrilling Horror Series To Give You Chills At Night. You can now target the direct Amazon Author Store to help readers buy all books at once. Sponsored Brands also allow extra slots to showcase your book through images. You can use Ace Book Publishers' expert book cover services to outshine your book.
Step 7: Upgrade to Sponsored Brands to Promote Multiple Books
We have already talked about what Sponsored Brands is. So let's move on to how you can use keywords to strategically target. Note, you should focus on high-volume searches for Sponsored Brands.
- You can use main genre keywords like cozy fantasy, or self help guide. You can bid high on them and you are promoting multiple books at once.
- Focus on competitors keywords like using famous author names like, Lee Child Books, etc.
- You can also use keywords like series to binge, or best books of the year, to engage readers for the long run.
Start by dedicating a separate Amazon Store
Never use Sponsored Brands for one book. Always aim for it when you have released multiple books in the series. The main point is to create your separate Amazon Store ( find it through Author Central and Amazon Ads section)
- Now you can make each page for the series, your latest releases, and more.
- By directing readers to your store, you give buyers to buy multiple books. It will increase your Average Order Value (AOV).
- Write good headlines like "Follow the Harry Potter twin into the 5-Book Fantasy World.
Step 8: Reconnect with Shoppers Using Sponsored Display Retargeting
We all know, buyers never shop on the first visit. They browse, check other books and then get distracted. You need a second chance to allow your book to shine in front of potential shoppers and that you can get with Sponsored Display Retargeting. You can use it for a high-intent target as it has low ACoS and reasonable conversion rates.
1. Target the Viewers
Retarget those who have liked your cover and click on it. Also, those who have searched your genre and bought another book. Bid aggressively on these, since the audience is motivated. If someone has viewed your Book 1 but didn't buy it, then retarget them with Book 2 or even the box set. The best thing about Sponsored Display is that ads follow reader offside Amazon means on websites apps and even Kindle Lockscreen.
2. Retarget the Buyers (Cross-Selling) and use Lockscreen Ads
Now you can target the readers who already bought your book. Advertise a second book to them. Lockscreen ads are also another feature of Sponsored Display. It shows ads on Kindle and Fire Tablets. Since the ad is a full size image, make sure you have high quality cover from reputable cover designers like Ace Book Publishers.
Final Step: Analyze Your Performance and Optimize Continuously.
Amazon Ads is all about data and keywords. The more information you get, the better you'll bid. Always review your campaigns once a week. Make sure you analyze your ACOS, RACOS ( Reverse ACOS) and TACOS. Make sure your book has A+ content. Always run ads separately for each match type and use the search report to find high-performing keywords.
The Golden Tip: If running an ad campaign is confusing to you then let the professions like Ace Book Publishers lead the way. They can help you with everything from Sponsored Products to Display and even send you a monthly report.
It's Time To Level Up Your Marketing Game
We all know 2025 and upcoming years are all AI driven. So why not change the way we market our books and use Amazon Ads as a business. All you need to do is follow this guide step by step and use terms keywords, ACOS and Match Type accordingly. You can partner with Ace Book Publishers and let them be your marketer partner. Remember, slow and steady win the race.
Frequently Asked Questions
I would suggest debut books or first time authors to first work on their books. Get high quality cover designing, editing, etc. because ads cannot fix a weak book. Then try to optimize your book page and get at least 3 to 4 genuine reviews. After that, you start slowly with Sponsored Products.
Our book publishing company has self published thousands of books on Amazon. We can help you with everything from basic tasks like editing, publishing, etc. to advanced tasks like Amazon Ads, book trailers, and press releases. You can get free consultation on our Ace Book Publishers page about your self publishing career.
If you want your Amazon Author Central to look professional and credible then editorial reviews are the best things you can add. They are reviews from other authors, influencers, famous personalities, and more. When a reader sees it, they instantly click the book and try to buy it. So make sure your book’s first look should be catchy enough to stop them from distraction.
Any active reader or shopper can see your book through Amazon Ads. All you need to do is make sure your book ad is worth enough for them to click and bid on your keywords accordingly.