David GaughranYour complete guide to creating Facebook Ads in 2026 - specifically for authors. I share my screen and show you how to create winning ads, step-by-step, and reveal the exact settings you need to give you the best chance of success.
π¨ [KILLER COVERS] Monster guide to nailing THE most important part of branding and presentation: your cover. Not only will it show you how to find an excellent cover designer (even if money is tight) it will also teach you how to brief your designer so that you get a cover perfect for your niche. Even has some advice for intrepid types designing their own: davidgaughran.com/book-cover-design
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] This free course - Starting from Zero - has helped over 20,000 authors learn about how to publish their work, plan launches, and build their mailing lists - among many other things - and is completely FREE: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
β [DECODERS] My book marketing newsletter goes out every Friday - and you get a bunch of freebies when you sign up, including access to a whole host of Facebook Ads resources. Sign up for free here: http://davidgaughran.com/newsletter
00:00 3 Keys to success 01:00 Ads Manager 02:33 Campaign - objective 05:32 Campaign - daily budget 08:00 Ad set - performance goal 10:53 Ad set - schedule 13:08 Ad set - audience 35:38 Ad set - placements 42:19 Ad level - create ad 44:31 Ad level - image + text 52:58 Ad level - final touches 57:20 More resources for you
Facebook Ads for Authors [2026] Ad Creation TutorialDavid Gaughran2026-01-15 | Your complete guide to creating Facebook Ads in 2026 - specifically for authors. I share my screen and show you how to create winning ads, step-by-step, and reveal the exact settings you need to give you the best chance of success.
π¨ [KILLER COVERS] Monster guide to nailing THE most important part of branding and presentation: your cover. Not only will it show you how to find an excellent cover designer (even if money is tight) it will also teach you how to brief your designer so that you get a cover perfect for your niche. Even has some advice for intrepid types designing their own: davidgaughran.com/book-cover-design
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] This free course - Starting from Zero - has helped over 20,000 authors learn about how to publish their work, plan launches, and build their mailing lists - among many other things - and is completely FREE: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
β [DECODERS] My book marketing newsletter goes out every Friday - and you get a bunch of freebies when you sign up, including access to a whole host of Facebook Ads resources. Sign up for free here: http://davidgaughran.com/newsletter
00:00 3 Keys to success 01:00 Ads Manager 02:33 Campaign - objective 05:32 Campaign - daily budget 08:00 Ad set - performance goal 10:53 Ad set - schedule 13:08 Ad set - audience 35:38 Ad set - placements 42:19 Ad level - create ad 44:31 Ad level - image + text 52:58 Ad level - final touches 57:20 More resources for youGoogle AI is so wrong about Facebook Ads (and value rules) #facebook #facebookads #googleaiDavid Gaughran2026-09-25 | Everyone is using AI now - whether they like it or not, I guess - but it's important to verify everything it says. Here's an example of it getting something completely wrong about Facebook Ads and value rules. From my longer video on value rules, placements, and gender: youtube.com/watch?v=vbK5GHQijzcThe Problem with Men: stop Facebook showing your ads to trolls (with Value Rules)David Gaughran2026-09-09 | Meta took away gender controls and this has created huge problems. Especially for romance authors getting comments from trolls - and then Facebook's AI decides to serve the ad to more and more trolls because it just sees engagement!
I have a solution for you. Not only that, I have a new way of handling this which will also allow you to keep control of placements - which Meta is also taking away.
And I share my screen so you can follow along. As a bonus, I give some tips on how to handle Custom Audiences after these changes, so you don't miss out on sales from your core audience.
π [FACEBOOK PLACEMENTS] Manual control is going away but I show you how to take it back πͺ youtube.com/watch?v=MO5JUW02p8A
π― [FACEBOOK ADS TUTORIAL] Your complete guide to creating Facebook Ads in 2026 - specifically for authors. I share my screen and show you how to create winning ads, step-by-step, and reveal the exact settings you need to give you the best chance of success. youtu.be/xYacxyQJPxM
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] This free course - Starting from Zero - has helped over 20,000 authors learn about how to publish their work, plan launches, and build their mailing lists - among many other things - and is completely FREE: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
β [DECODERS] My book marketing newsletter goes out every Friday - and you get a bunch of freebies when you sign up, including access to a whole host of Facebook Ads resources. Sign up for free here: http://davidgaughran.com/newsletter
00:00 Facebook serving your ad to trolls 01:48 Romance authors to the rescue 02:05 How value rules work 04:26 What Meta is changing 05:18 The 2-Step Rule 06:10 Google's AI is so wrong 08:28 Fixing gender and placements 11:37 Custom Audiences and value rules#facebook placements are going away - what #authors should do #shortsDavid Gaughran2026-08-28 | Facebook placements are going away soon - meaning you will lose control of where your ads are shown on Facebook, Instagram, and elsewhere. Which would be a disaster but for this workaround: value rules. See the full tutorial here: youtube.com/watch?v=MO5JUW02p8AA big Facebook Ads change is coming (how to fix it)David Gaughran2026-08-26 | Meta is taking away the ability to manually control where your ads are shown - not just the placements on Facebook, but whether they appear on Instagram, Threads, or Meta's vast network of partner sites known as the Audience Network.
Unless you make changes, this will cripple the ability of authors to sell books on Amazon with Facebook Ads.
However, I have two workarounds for you which will allow you to wrest back that control so you can keep running effective campaigns to sell books on Facebook.
This news came from @JonLoomer and I highly recommend his channel and his website for leveling up your Meta Ads knowledge. I've been following him for years and he's my go to for anything Facebook.
π― [FACEBOOK ADS TUTORIAL] Your complete guide to creating Facebook Ads in 2026 - specifically for authors. I share my screen and show you how to create winning ads, step-by-step, and reveal the exact settings you need to give you the best chance of success. youtu.be/xYacxyQJPxM
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] This free course - Starting from Zero - has helped over 20,000 authors learn about how to publish their work, plan launches, and build their mailing lists - among many other things - and is completely FREE: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
β [DECODERS] My book marketing newsletter goes out every Friday - and you get a bunch of freebies when you sign up, including access to a whole host of Facebook Ads resources. Sign up for free here: http://davidgaughran.com/newsletter
00:00 Huge changes coming 01:56 Why this could kill your Amazon sales 02:30 How to manually control Placements 03:40 Account controls 04:30 Value rules 05:40 Create your value rules 07:36 When is this happening?A marketing campaign from YOUR book cover π Image Workshop E4David Gaughran2026-06-10 | Want to know how to create a marketing campaign from your book cover? How to create an entire brand identity from a stock photo? Episode 4 of the Image Workshop is here to help.
π Get 100 DepositPhoto Picture Credits for just $49 at AppSumo via my affiliate link: appsumo.8odi.net/decoders (Deal runs until July 3)
β οΈ Use my code DECODERS for an extra 10% off!* (* = First time users only.)
π₯ Submit your book to the Image Workshop by signing up to my newsletter (above) and replying to any of the welcome emails with: (a) your book cover, (b) your cover art without lettering (your designer should be able to provide this to you), and (c) a link to your book on Amazon.
00:00 Intro 07:28 AppSumo deal 08:51 How to use DepositPhotos 12:25 Designing a cover from stock 23:35 Social teasers 27:57 Facebook ads 44:45 Newsletter headers 47:50 Facebook cover photo 56:25 Trilogy covers 59:05 Series page ads 1:11:01 OutroThis one setting is KILLING your adsDavid Gaughran2026-01-21 | There is a setting in your Facebook Ads account which you might not have noticed - and it's very powerful indeed. If you leave it switched on, it could destroy your campaigns and waste all your money. And you won't even know why. This short video shows you how to switch it off. And check out this longer tutorial for a complete guide to ad creation π youtube.com/watch?v=xYacxyQJPxMTricky book cover? π Heres how to design promo graphics πͺ (Image Workshop E3 π¨)David Gaughran2025-11-20 | Do you have a tricky book cover? Are you struggling to design promo graphics for it? Episode 3 of the Image Workshop is here to help. If you don't have access to the files needed to create promo graphics, if you have a dark or tricky cover, or if you have some rights issue holding you back, I've got a solution for you: stock photos. And today I show you how to use them for both illustrated and photo-based covers.
π Get 100 DepositPhoto Picture Credits for just $49 at AppSumo via my affiliate link: appsumo.8odi.net/decoders (Deal runs until December 4)
π₯ Submit your book to the Image Workshop by signing up to my newsletter (above) and replying to any of the welcome emails with: (a) your book cover, (b) your cover art without lettering (your designer should be able to provide this to you), and (c) a link to your book on Amazon.
0:00 Intro - How to design ad graphics and promos for difficult book covers 2:00 Rock Gods & Messy Monsters by Diane Katz - Music industry satire with speculative elements 11:01 1980 by Jason Katz - Time travel humor 28:59 Rocky Mountain Heat by Giulia Skye - romance 46:40 Rights issues and promo graphicsHow to hit your old author targets on FacebookDavid Gaughran2025-11-07 | Facebook has made big changes AGAIN - this time taking away most author targets and many other options that were useful for selling books, such as sub-genres and TV shows. But to buy you a little time, I have 3 ways for you to run ads against your old, reliable targets - at least until January 2026. Which should give you enough time to test the new system.
0:00 Facebook has taken away most author targets but I have 3 solutions for you 0:24 Why has Facebook done this? 2:50 Solution 1 - Keep your old ads running 3:22 Solution 2 - Restart old campaigns 4:05 Solution 3 - Cannibalize older ads and turn them into new release campaigns 10:50 Final thoughts: don't be so afraid of the new targeting systemBuild a brand identity for your book π for less than $1David Gaughran2024-11-18 | A quick demo showing you how to turn a pair of $0.39 stock photos into first a book cover, and then an entire visual identity - newsletter headers, website graphics, social media images, and ads - only using free tools like Canva.
πππ HOT DEAL πππ AppSumo is doing 100 stock photo credits for $49 until 4 December. Buy here: appsumo.8odi.net/decoders
Note: this video is not sponsored content but this is an affiliate link - a product I buy and use all the time myself. I recommend moving fast, this is a special early Black Friday offer and the price goes up to $49 on 22 November (regular price: $300). Credits never expire, you can stack as many as you like, and if you change your mind, there's a 60-day moneyback guarantee. I've been buying stuff from AppSumo for 7 or 8 years without any problems.
π Sign up to my mailing list and get a bunch of freebies, as well as your very own chance to submit to the Image Workshop: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π Google Fonts is a huge collection of fonts which is 100% free, can be uploaded into Canva, and are licensed for commercial use: fonts.google.com
πΈ These fonts from Set Sail Studios aren't free, and this is an aff link, but this is my favorite font store and I've been buying fonts off Sam for years. His handdrawn brush fonts are especially lovely - for when you want something unique (he has some freebies too btw): setsailstudios.com/ref/56
00:00 Intro 00:10 Stock photo to book cover timelapse 00:15 Options for turning a book cover into an ad image 01:30 Book cover to ad image timelapse 01:35 The results 03:40 More resources for youI make Facebook Ads from YOUR book covers πͺ (The Image Workshop - Ep. 2)David Gaughran2024-07-18 | The Image Workshop is back to turn your book cover into a killer Facebook Ad - and in Episode 2 we will be focusing on FONTS. Choosing the right font can really impact your design - positively or negatively.
Follow along as I use free tools like Canva to make winning Facebook Ads just using the book cover and the cover art. Learn how your design choices can impact the emotional response from readers. And see how these principles play out across a range of genres from romance and thrillers, to science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction.
π Sign up to my mailing list and get a bunch of freebies, as well as your very own chance to submit to the Image Workshop: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π Google Fonts is a huge collection of fonts which is 100% free, can be uploaded into Canva, and are licensed for commercial use: fonts.google.com
πΈ These fonts from Set Sail Studios aren't free, and this is an aff link, but this is my favorite font store and I've been buying fonts off Sam for years. His handdrawn brush fonts are especially lovely - for when you want something unique (he has some freebies too btw): setsailstudios.com/ref/56
00:00 Intro - today we focus on fonts 00:33 Cry From The Grave by Carolyn Mahony (UK Crime) 20:20 Quick update of My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos (Romantic Comedy) 23:28 Do You Believe In Monsters by Jim Melvin (YA Epic Fantasy) 36:19 Necessary Sins by Elizabeth Bell (Family Saga/Historical Fiction) 45:27 Venom & Lace by Dani Antoinette (Dark Romance) 58:03 Outro - preview of Episode 3... or is it?Turn YOUR book cover into π a killer Facebook Ad πwith Canva π¨ (The Image Workshop - Ep. 1)David Gaughran2024-06-23 | The Image Workshop is here to turn your book cover into a killer Facebook Ad. Follow along as I use free tools like Canva to make winning Facebook Ads just using the book cover and the cover art. Learn about composition, and how your design choices can impact the emotional response from readers. And see how these principles play out across a range of genres from romance and thrillers, to science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction.
π Sign up to my mailing list and get a bunch of freebies, as well as your very own chance to submit to the Image Workshop: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
00:00 Intro 01:22 Bed-Bugged by Susan J. Kroupa (all ages Cozy/Pet Mystery) 23:56 The Exiled Queen by Roxana Arama (Roman=themed Historical Fantasy) 42:30 The Return of the Martians by Mark Hood (Science Fiction) 47:53 In The Silence by M.R. Mackenzie (UK Crime Thriller) 1:00:53 My Book Boyfriend by Kathy Strobos (Romantic Comedy) 1:11:38 Talon The Slayer by A.A. Warren (Space Adventure) 1:24:18 The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg (Viking Historical Fiction) 1:43:09 Outro - coming in Episode 2Im back π with lots of fun stuff coming for authors πͺDavid Gaughran2024-06-16 | I hit the beach today to tell you about all the fun stuff I have coming for authors. First up is the free Facebook Ad Image Workshop. I'm going to share a simple method anyone can follow to turn your book cover into a winning Facebook Ad.
We'll cover some of the changes to the platform, a little bit of buyer psychology, and how to communicate your genre with an ad image so you can find your ideal readers. And you can find out how to get your book featured too!
And you can grab all those freebies I spoke about by signing up to my book marketing newsletter, which goes out each Friday: davidgaughran.com/newsletterπ Facebook Ads For Authors 2022 - Detailed Ad Creation Tutorial πDavid Gaughran2022-04-26 | πππ UPDATED VERSION HERE: youtube.com/watch?v=xYacxyQJPxM
Comprehensive tutorial on Facebook Ads for authors looking to scale up and sell more books.
π [FACEBOOK ADS MANAGER] Some people have trouble finding where they can start advertising on Facebook. This link should see you right: facebook.com/adsmanager
π― [FREE FACEBOOK GUIDE] If you sign up to my mailing list, you get access to a free series of emails on Facebook Ads. If you want more information on Custom Audiences or different campaign types or more detailed information on targeting or any other aspect of Facebook Ads, then sign up here - it's free: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π° [LOW COST BOOK MARKETING] Facebook Ads can be very powerful indeed but are perhaps not the best choice for authors on the tightest budgets. Here's my video on a more cost-effective way to promote your books for those with limited resources: youtu.be/ph-jIE4A1wk
π¨ [BOOK COVER ADVICE] It's almost impossible to get sales going for a book with the wrong cover. My guide to effective book cover design is here: davidgaughran.com/book-cover-design
π΅οΈ [FACEBOOK ADS LIBRARY] Need inspiration for your ads? Did you know that Facebook lets you see all the ads anyone is running? Check it out here! facebook.com/ads/library
00:00 The #1 Reason Why Most Facebook Ads Fail 03:50 Building Your First Ad 08:10 Three-Level Structure of Facebook Campaigns 14:22 Training Facebook's AI to find the right readers 28:29 The hidden targeting settings which will make or break your ads 55:00 Creating images to grab attention 1:05:22 Writing ad text which will close the saleπ 5 Ways To Sell Full Price Books πͺDavid Gaughran2021-03-29 | Sick of the focus on freebies and discounts? Want to know how to sell full price books instead? I got you.
00:00 Intro - How To Sell Full Price Books 00:57 #1 - Email Marketing 04:58 #2 - Branding & Presentation 09:41 #3 - Facebook Trad Ads 13:54 #4 - Paperback Trickery 19:45 #5 - The Deals Springboard
π [BEST BOOK ON EMAIL] Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque is my email bible: amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8HP9
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] My free course Starting from Zero has helped 8000 authors learn about how to build their mailing lists, among many other things, and will actually show you on screen the emails I use in my welcome sequence for both fiction and non-fiction. This course will also go into much more depth on the Deals Springboard idea where I was channeling Archimedes near the end: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
π¨ [KILLER COVERS] Monster guide here which will help you nail the most important part of branding and presentation: your cover. Not only will it show you how to find an excellent cover designer (even if money is very tight) but it will also teach you how to brief your designer so that you get a cover which nails your niche. It even has advice for intrepid types designing their own: davidgaughran.com/book-cover-design
βοΈ [WINNING BLURBS] An enticing blurb is also critical for converting browser into buyers. Here's a book on the topic from a professional copywriter: amazon.com/dp/B07ZB5NJLL
π₯ [EMAIL VIDEO] There's no point building a big list if no one opens your emails. Here are 10 Ways To Boost Your Open Rate so you can get more readers opening your emails - and so they keep opening them too. youtube.com/watch?v=vxTGwKoEjps
π€ [DECODING AMAZON] Check out my guide to Amazon's algorithms and how you can design marketing campaigns which will convince Amazon to take over and do the selling for you: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decoded
πππππ [BEST EMAIL PROVIDER OVERALL] MailerLite is the best choice for most authors, and what I use. This is an affiliate link, so I receive a commission if you sign-up to a paid plan (it does not affect what you pay!): mailerlite.com/a/m2lormdbko
πππ [BEST EMAIL PROVIDER FOR MORE COMPLEX NEEDS] ConvertKit is also a great choice. More expensive, but perhaps more suitable and worth it for those with more complex needs around automations etc. (Not an affiliate link, just happy to recommend.) http://convertkit.comπ Facebook For Writers: How To Create Free Ad Images With Canva π David Gaughran2021-03-20 | This tutorial on how to use Canva to make free ad images for Facebook will show writers how they can turn their book covers into effective ads.
00:00 Intro 02:17 Use Your Book Cover In The Ad 09:02 Creating A Background For Your Ad 12:56 Using Canva Filters 14:17 Twelve Free Graphic Design Tools For Authors 19:00 The Three Key Elements Of Effective Ad Design 20:47 Importance of Font Choices on Price Tags 23:45 Contrast Colors To Make Something Really Pop 25:40 Dialing In The Genre With A Tagline 26:55 Little Finessing Touches Which Make An Ad More Pro 28:57 Converting Your Ad Into Other Formats
*** RECOMMENDED RESOURCES ***
π€ [BLOG POST] 12 Free Graphic Design Tools For Authors - this blog post will have links to all the tools and resources mentioned in the video, including Canva (and Canva alternatives), the Color Scheme Generator, the HTML Color Picker, and the 3D Cover Generator davidgaughran.com/12-free-graphic-design-tools-authors-writers-canva
π― [FREE FACEBOOK GUIDE] If you sign up to my mailing list, you get a free book, and access to a free 12-part series of emails on how to create winning Facebook campaigns. davidgaughran.com/following-free-newsletter
π [FREE SELF-PUBLISHING GUIDE] My comprehensive guide to self-publishing is also free, and you can get download links to that here - it's available FREE from all major ebook retailers around the world: davidgaughran.com/books/lets-get-digital-how-to-self-publishBook promotion which works: Promo Stacking and building your marketing planDavid Gaughran2021-02-13 | A book promotion template that anyone can follow. Learn how to create your own marketing plan to put your book into the charts.
00:00 Intro - Promo Stacking FTW 00:52 What is Promo Stacking? 01:50 Why it works 05:14 Best book promotion sites 08:01 When to do it - creating your marketing plan
*** RESOURCES ***
π [BEST BOOK PROMO SITES] My curated and up-to-date list of the very best book promotion sites in 2022 is here on my site: davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] My free course Starting from Zero had over 7000 authors enroll in just a few months. It's very comprehensive and 100% free and covers knowing your niche, branding, email marketing, launches, and much much more: courses.davidgaughran.com/courses/starting-from-zero
πͺ [AMAZON DECODED] Interested in my book breaking down Amazon's algorithms and giving you marketing plans to take advantage of that? Check it out here: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedRapid Release and Launching Books - Beast Mode for authors?David Gaughran2020-12-22 | What is Rapid Release when it comes to books? Why does it work so well? Most importantly: should you be doing it?
00:00 Introduction 01:40 Evolution of rapid release 04:02 Why it works so well 07:47 Key components of a rapid launch 12:05 My personal experience 14:33 What really drives success?
*** RESOURCES ***
No matter what strategy you adopt, your books must be in good shape. These resources will teach you how to publish like a pro and build your author platform so you can capture reader interest and grow bigger with every launch:
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] My free course Starting from Zero had over 6000 authors enroll in just a few months. It's very comprehensive and 100% free and covers knowing your niche, branding, email marketing, launches, and much much more: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
Want to increase those book sales? Here are more resources for you:
π±βπ [VIDEO] Want a guide to selling more books in video form instead? Here you go: youtu.be/aY0xXgkE-CU
π [DEAL SITES] Deal sites, reader sites, promo sites β whatever you like to call them yourself, you will find my curated, up-to-date list of the very best sites here on my website, broken down into useful categories: davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books
πͺ [AMAZON] Interested in my book breaking down Amazon's algorithms and giving you marketing plans to take advantage of that? Check it out here: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedFacebook Reject: how authors can deal with ad rejections + bansDavid Gaughran2020-12-02 | Are you a Facebook Reject like me? Are you an author struggling with ad rejections or even getting your account banned or disabled? Here's what's causing it, and how you can fix it.
00:00 - Intro 03:17 - Why I Got Banned 08:29 - Authors Getting Ads Rejected 09:47 - A Very Serious Case 11:57 - Facebook System Breakdown 13:20 - How Facebook Can Fix This 15:31 - Workarounds & Fixes
How To Move From Ads Manager To Business Manager (talk some time to be sure you want to do this - it's irreversible): facebook.com/business/help/1710077379203657?id=180505742745347Author Newsletter tips: How to sell more books with emailDavid Gaughran2020-11-13 | Replay of my livestream on how to run your author newsletter to help you sell more books with email! Some recommended resources:
π [BEST BOOK] Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque is my email bible: amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8HP9
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] My free course Starting from Zero had over 6000 authors enroll in just a few months. There's a whole module on how to build your author platform, with a specific focus on your mailing list, and will actually show you on screen the emails I use in my welcome sequence for both fiction and non-fiction: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [SALES] I don't like advertising to boost my mailing list, and I use list-builder promos sparingly. Instead, I spend that money on increasing SALES which spill over into email sign-ups, and have the happy side-effect of helping to pay for the ads too. Here's my monster guide on how to sell books in 2020: davidgaughran.com/how-to-sell-books-in-2020-pandemic-edition
π₯ [SALES II - THE QUICKENING] Prefer a guide to selling books in 2020 in video form? I got ya: youtube.com/watch?v=aY0xXgkE-CU
π [LIST BUILDER PROMOS] While organic sign-ups rule, sometimes you do need to help things along. Check out the LIST-BUILDER section in my guide to the best promo sites around: davidgaughran.com/promo-sites
π [BEST BOOK] Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque is my email bible: amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8HP9
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] 20000 authors have signed up for my free course - Starting from Zero. There's a whole module on how to build your author platform, with a specific focus on your mailing list, and will actually show you on screen the emails I use in my welcome sequence for both fiction and non-fiction: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π [BEST EMAIL PROVIDER OVERALL] Mailerlite is the best choice for most authors, and what I use. This is an affiliate link, so I receive a commission if you sign-up to a paid plan (it does not affect what you pay!): mailerlite.com/?linkId=lp_170762&sourceId=m2lormdbko&tenantId=mailerlite
π[BEST EMAIL PROVIDER FOR MORE COMPLEX NEEDS] ConvertKit is also a great choice. More expensive, but perhaps more suitable and worth it for those with more complex needs around automations etc. (aff link) partners.kit.com/83q0kp5afjiz
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π€¬ [SPAMMY WORDS] This list from Active Campaign is good but you will find many more on Google (we're all just guessing here but Active Campaign definitely know their stuff): activecampaign.com/blog/spam-words
π [LIST BUILDER PROMOS] While organic sign-ups rule, sometimes you do need to help things along. Check out the LIST-BUILDER section in my guide to the best promo sites around: davidgaughran.com/promo-sites
π€ [BLOG POST] If you prefer them old fashioned words, here is a blog post on the same topic but which goes into more detail on the specific changes Iβve made to my business this year withβ¦ everything going on (my favorite euphemism right now!): davidgaughran.com/how-to-sell-books-in-2020-pandemic-edition
π±βπ€ [EMAIL BOOK] Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque is my #1 resource on email marketing:
π [EMAIL FREEBIE] Want a resource to walk you through the very best way of setting up your email list and capturing emails? Sign up to my marketing newsletter to get a copy of my free guide FOLLOWING. Youβll also get to see my sign-up process, welcome sequence, and how I operate my list as a bonus. Plus the weekly newsletter! All free: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [DEAL SITES] Deal sites, reader sites, promo sites β whatever you like to call them yourself, you will find my curated, up-to-date list of the very best sites here on my website, broken down into useful categories: davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books
πππ [FREE COURSE] My free course Starting From Zero will show you how to build a complete marketing plan incorporating all these deal sites in a truly effective way: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
π― [AMAZON ADS BOOK #1] Easily the best resource out there is Robert Ryanβs βAmazon Ads Unleashedβ: amazon.com/dp/B07ZXV4MVZ
π― [AMAZON ADS BOOK #2] Havenβt read this one yet, but itβs on my Kindle β Deb Potterβs βAmazon Ads For Authorsβ amazon.com/dp/B07TVXQBMY
π [AMAZON ADS FACEBOOK GROUP] Better than any expensive course on the topic, if you ask me, is this free Facebook group with lots of wonderful advice on Amazon Ads: facebook.com/groups/393917614473395
πͺ [BOOKBUB AD CREATION GUIDE] This tutorial will walk you through creating your first ads: youtube.com/watch?v=uuxcduDFdt0
β [BOOKBUB BOOK] My comprehensive and recently updated book on the topic β βBookBub Ads Expertβ βcosts just $4.99 and is available from all retailers: davidgaughran.com/books/bookbub-ads-expert
π [FACEBOOK BLOG] My #1 resource for Facebook Ads info is Jon Loomer β just be warned he is a general marketer and not a book person, and is more for advanced users who will have to do a littleβ¦ translating to make his advice work for books: jonloomer.com/blog
β [FACEBOOK FOR BEGINNERS] A better resource for those starting out is the free 12-part email series I did on Facebook Ads, which you get access to when you sign up to my newsletter: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
πΉ [FREE FACEBOOK AD GRAPHICS] Another tutorial video showing you how to create your own Facebook graphics: youtube.com/watch?v=hipSU2Nv_u4
π [CONTENT MARKETING BOOK] My free book βFollowingβ covers content marketing for authors in detail. You get it as a free bonus when signing up to my newsletter: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π€ [AMAZON ALGORITHMS] My book is pretty much the only resource I know about on this topic β βAmazon Decodedβ β and you can pick it up for $4.99: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decoded
γ½ [SALES RANK] For a taste of my approach to how Amazon works, check out this video on Sales Rank: youtube.com/watch?v=lsZSfV6jFRI
π€ [AMAZON RECOMMENDATIONS] My recent livestream on how to get Amazon to do the selling for you! youtube.com/watch?v=ZhyFPTSc01w
00:00 How to market a book 03:29 What doesn't work? 08:05 What works!!! 08:37 Email Marketing 10:37 Deal Sites 14:09 Amazon Ads 18:33 BookBub Ads 22:47 Facebook Ads 25:49 Content Marketing 27:44 Amazon Algorithms 30:20 What will work for you specifically! 31:25 My free course for authorsBookBub Ads: how to make free ad imagesDavid Gaughran2020-10-22 | Simple method for making free BookBub Ads images which you can also use on Facebook. Recycling FTW!
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get a FREE BOOK as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π― [FREE BOOKBUB TUTORIAL] My video walkthrough of the ad interface - packed with useful tips: youtu.be/uuxcduDFdt0
π±βπ [LEVEL UP] If you really want to get deep into BookBub Ads, I have a whole book on the topic - BOOKBUB ADS EXPERT: davidgaughran.com/books/bookbub-ads-expertBig Change At BookBub Ads - what you need to knowDavid Gaughran2020-10-19 | BookBub Ads has made a pretty major change to the platform, which will impact every single campaign. Here's some more resources to help you out:
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get a FREE BOOK as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π― [FREE BOOKBUB TUTORIAL] My video walkthrough of the ad interface - packed with useful tips: youtu.be/uuxcduDFdt0
π [PROMO SITES] These are the best book promo sites in 2020: davidgaughran.com/promo-sitesMy #1 Book Marketing Tip in 2020: Kindle Series PagesDavid Gaughran2020-10-16 | This is my #1 book marketing strategy in 2020: sending readers to Kindle Series Pages!
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [PROMO SITES] As I mentioned in the video, these are the best promo sites in 2020 - especially check out that Freebooksy Series Promo: davidgaughran.com/promo-sites
π§ [AMAZON] Want a whole book breaking down all Amazon's secrets and how you can building marketing plans which work with the algorithms? AMAZON DECODED is out now: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedAdd TEN Kindle categories on Amazon and increase your book salesDavid Gaughran2020-10-04 | How to add more Kindle categories to increase your visibility on Amazon and sell more books.
π [BLOG POST] Fancy all this in article form instead? Check out this post on my site, along with some bonus tips for international stores and some advice on avoiding bad categories too: davidgaughran.com/amazon-book-category-kindle-categories
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [SALES] This video is about categories, but if you want more direct help selling more books, these are the best promo sites in 2020: davidgaughran.com/promo-sites
π [CATEGORIES] Uncover the Kindle categories for any book on Amazon with these handy tool: bklnk.com/categories5.php
π§ [AMAZON] Want a whole book breaking down all the secrets of the Kindle Store, and how you can building marketing plans which work with the algorithms instead of fighting them? AMAZON DECODED is out now: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedAmazon Algorithms: breaking down the Kindle Store [Livestream Replay]David Gaughran2020-08-15 | Livestream replay breaking down how the Kindle Store really works, and answering your questions on Amazon, algorithms, self-publishing, and increasing your book sales! All the resources I mentioned:
π [NEW BOOK] I'll be talking a lot about this - Amazon Decoded - my BRAND NEW BOOK breaking down how the Kindle Store works, and how you can use that knowledge to sell more books. It's available now from all retailers if you want to check it out: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decoded
π¨βπ« [FREE COURSE] My new course - Starting from Zero - just started a couple of weeks ago and already has over 3,000 authors learning how to put together marketing plans that sell more books. Enroll free here: davidgaughran.com/startingfromzero
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [SALES] If you are looking to put together a promo, deal sites are much cheaper and easier to use than ad platforms. These are the best promo sites in 2020: davidgaughran.com/promo-sitesDavid Gaughran Live StreamDavid Gaughran2020-08-09 | ...Free Self-Publishing Guide: a step-by-step tutorial to publishing Kindle books on AmazonDavid Gaughran2020-07-02 | Your free guide to self-publishing a Kindle book on Amazon - with lots more free resources for publishing your ebooks on retailers around the world!
π [FREE BOOK] My guide to self-publishing - Let's Get Digital - is FREE on all retailers. Get your download links here: http://davidgaughran.com/digitalbook
π±βπ€ [NINJA TIPS] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers is very handy and you get ANOTHER free book as a sign-up bonus, all about how to build an author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [SALES] This video is about how to publish your book using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, but if you want more direct help selling more books, these are the best promo sites in 2020: davidgaughran.com/promo-sites
π§ [DESCRIPTIONS] That book by Libbie Hawker on writing enticing descriptions is called Gotta Read It and I liked it a lot: amazon.com/dp/B00OI9HHQY
π§ [CATEGORIES] Check Let's Get Digital for specific advice on adding up to ten categories to your books, but keep in mind you can only do this AFTER you publish. In the meantime, start surveying the Kindle Store for several categories where your book would fit well.How To Get Book Reviews on Amazon... without breaking the rulesDavid Gaughran2020-05-26 | You might be wondering how to get book reviews on Amazon - especially with all the stories of authors getting reviews removed. Here's my simple method.
π [FREE BOOK] If you want to learn more about how Amazon works, you get a free copy of Amazon Decoded when you sign up to my weekly marketing newsletter for writers: davidgaughran.com/amazon-decoded-landing-page
π [EDITORIAL REVIEW] If you want an editorial review Reedsy Discovery does a decent job for $50 - avoid those other companies! reedsy.com/discovery
π§ [SALES RANK] My video on Sales Rank, if you want to explore this topic more: youtube.com/watch?v=lsZSfV6jFRIBuilding Your Author Platform... the RIGHT wayDavid Gaughran2020-05-24 | Your guide to building a real author platform - one which actually sells books.
π [FREE BOOK] My weekly marketing newsletter for writers. Stalk me, and watch how my sign-ups work, the way I welcome readers, how I talk to them, what I say. You get a free copy of FOLLOWING as a sign-up bonus - my guide to building your author platform: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
π [CONTENT MARKETING] Top level guide to content marketing, the basic principles of which you can apply to whatever social network you decide to bolt on to this set-up: davidgaughran.com/2020/01/21/content-marketing-for-writers-authors-fiction-non-fictionKindle Publishing 2020: the real secret to grabbing an All Star bonusDavid Gaughran2020-05-19 | If you are Kindle publishing exclusively in 2020, you need these tips on targeting Kindle Unlimited readers.
π [POP LIST] As an example this is the Popularity list for Kindle Thrillers on Amazon (explore your genre own on the left-hand side): amzn.to/3g72FEv
π΅οΈ [BS LIST] Now compare that with the Kindle Thriller Best Seller list. See how different it is? amzn.to/2zWj1yQ
π€ [DECODING AMAZON] Want to totally geek out? Here's a whole book I wrote on how the Kindle Store works, and how authors can convince Amazon's system to recommend their books: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedTop 5 Myths About Amazon Kindle Sales Rank... BUSTEDDavid Gaughran2020-05-16 | How is Kindle Sales Rank calculated on Amazon? It's time to bust some myths - about marketing too!
π [DECODING AMAZON] If you want to learn lots more about Sales Rank, the Popularity List, the Kindle Store, and how Amazon works, I wrote a whole book on it: davidgaughran.com/books/amazon-decodedBookBub Ads Tutorial: how to reach up to TEN MILLION readersDavid Gaughran2020-05-13 | BookBub is one of the biggest communities of passionate readers and its advertising platform has incredible potential.
π [FREE BOOK] Get a copy of FOLLOWING for free when you sign up to my marketing newsletter. This book breaks down how the Kindle Store works so you can sell more books: davidgaughran.com/newsletter
BookBub is kind of like Groupon for ebooks - a massive deal site with over 10m passionate book buyers in its community. And the "buyers" part there is critical because those 10m readers really do buy books, as anyone who has ever been featured in their Featured Deals email will attest.
BookBub Ads is its self-serve advertising platform and is my favorite way to reach readers right now as no other platform is so responsive or scales this easily and consistently.
I think there is a huge opportunity here for authors willing to put in the effort to learn the platform and this comprehensive guide to the ad creation interface should set you off on the right path.Facebook Ads For Authors 2020: Design FREE Graphics with CanvaDavid Gaughran2020-05-11 | Authors looking for results from Facebook Ads in 2020 need professional looking Facebook graphics. I'll show you an easy method to design them for FREE.
π±βπ [Level Up] Sign up to my author marketing list to get access to a FREE email series on how to use Facebook Ads to sell books. A free book too! davidgaughran.com/newsletter