This episode speaks to marketing techniques to help you make the most of the holidays as a vehicle to sell more books. Learn how to customize your sales pitch and graphics for optimal success whether you are running ads, sharing to social media, appearing at holiday-centric events, or working collaboratively with other authors to get the word out about your books. We’ll teach you how such “holidays” can help you lean into your brand, so you can use this as a marketing strategy throughout the year.

SHOW NOTES:

Holidays:

Seasonal: Fall, Summer…

Religious: Easter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa…

National “blank” day/month: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Women’s Fiction Day, Library Month, National Buffet Day, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, National Indie Author Day…

Customize your graphics

Alter your pitch

Visual images

Events

Lean into your brand

Collaboration with other authors

SOURCES & LINKS:

https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/

DO NOW:

Research days/months that go with your book/brand.Create a calendar of events & social media. Make a plan (whether it’s monthly or weekly). Brainstorm how you can make the most of the holidays that fits with your brand.

Next Episode: Taking a break until mid-January

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

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Curious about how to get traction for your book before it’s released or after? Today, we are joined by three bookstagrammers who will talk to us about how they can be helpful with your book launch by getting eyes on your books and reviews to establish or sustain the momentum of your book marketing campaign. Suzanne Leopold, the founder of Suzy Approved Book Tours, helps to match readers to your books through her customized tour program. We are also joined by two bookstagrammers, Caitlyn Aresti and Christy Taylor, who read and review books for the joy of it. We hope you’ll join us today to gain insight on how bookstagrammers can help your author platform.

How did you become a book influencer?

What genres do you enjoy?

Do you read/review genres other than the ones you enjoy personally as a book influencer?

How do you contribute to the book community?

What challenges do you face as a book influencer?

What are the joys of being a book influencer?

What should authors know about you and the ways in which you can help them?

How can they find you?

SOURCES & LINKS:

Suzy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzyapprovedbooktours

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/suzyapprovedbooktours

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyapprovedbookreviews

Caitlyn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plots.pages.puppies

Christy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmtloveswineandbooks/

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you

In this episode, we'll dive into the fundamentals of advertising on Facebook and Amazon for authors. We’ll explore whether ads are the right choice for you, depending on your goals, budget, and readiness to invest in promotional strategies. You’ll learn about the benefits of each platform, what types of ads work best, and how to get started with your first campaign, including tips for optimizing results over time. This episode will help demystify the process and empower you to make informed advertising decisions.

OVERVIEW: Brief overview of the goals for this episode: helping authors understand if Facebook or Amazon ads could work for their book marketing strategy.

• Facebook Ads:
  • Types of ads (Boosted posts, Sponsored content, Carousel ads).
  • Audience targeting features (demographics, interests, custom audiences).
  • Advantages of Facebook’s powerful targeting capabilities for niche audiences.
• Amazon Ads:
  • Types of ads (Sponsored Product Ads, Sponsored Brand Ads).
  • Reaching readers directly
  • Advantages for visibility in highly competitive categories.

• Budget: Estimating realistic ad spend, starting with a modest budget.
• Marketing Goals: Identifying if you want to increase brand awareness, generate sales, or build your reader base.
• Understanding Ad Metrics: Basics of impressions, CTR (Click Through Rate), CPC (Cost per Click)
• Time Commitment: Emphasis on monitoring ads, testing, and optimizing.

Creating Your AD

Our Experiences

Sources & Links

• David Gaughran – Insights on Facebook Ads, and tips on how to leverage Facebook’’s platform for book sales. YouTube: Facebook Ad Tutorial We highly recommend signing up for his newsletter as well because he gives updated tips and trends of Facebook ads
• Jane Friedman – Facebook advertising strategies for authors, understanding audience targeting, and budget tips. “Amazon Ads for Authors: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide” & “Amazon Ads: A Step-by-Step Walk Through for Beginning Authors”

Do Now:

Evaluate whether Facebook and/or Amazon ads align with your goals & your budget. Start small by setting up a test campaign with a limited budget to get a feel for ad management. Consult the links above for step-by-step instructions.

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

If you found value in this content, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and SHARE. Thank you