How to Create Facebook Ads That Actually Sell Books (Without Spending Your Grocery Money)
- liannekayauthor
- Jun 11
- 12 min read
Let me guess: you've been told that Facebook ads are the holy grail of book marketing, but every time you try to set one up, you either spend $200 to sell three books or create an ad that gets about as much engagement as a lecture on tax law.
I've been there. I've thrown money at Facebook like I was feeding a very expensive, very hungry digital monster that occasionally burped up a book sale. But after a year and a half of trial, error, and more error, I figured out the formula that actually works without requiring a marketing degree or your firstborn child as payment.
Getting Started: Your First Steps
Step 1: Access Facebook Ads Manager
Go to business.facebook.com and click on "Ads Manager" or go directly to facebook.com/adsmanager. This is where you'll create your campaigns, not through the "boost" button on your posts.
Important: Don't waste money on boosting posts. It's like buying a sports car but only being allowed to drive it in first gear. Always use Ads Manager for proper campaign control.
Step 2: Learn the Basics First
Before you start tweaking and testing, master the fundamentals I've outlined in this post. Understand how targeting works, what makes good ad copy, and how to read your metrics. Think of it as learning to walk before you try to run a marathon in stilettos.
Your Facebook Ad Success Recipe
Foundation: Have at least 3 books (preferably 5) before starting
Hook: Write copy that stops the scroll
Visual: Create images that match your book's world, not your cover
Targeting: Start with your country, define your age range carefully
Budget: Start with $15/day, test 3 different images with same copy
Campaign Type: Begin with traffic campaigns
Patience: Give it at least a week before making major changes
Testing: Try different approaches until you find your winner
Metrics: Watch CPC and CTR, refresh when costs rise
Tracking: Monitor Amazon rankings and consider Amazon Attribution
Why Each Step Actually Matters (AKA The Method to My Madness)
Foundation: The Three-Book Rule
Facebook ads work best when readers can binge your series after discovering book one. Having only one book is like offering someone a single potato chip. It's technically possible, but ultimately unsatisfying. Three books give you enough runway for readers to fall in love with your world and characters.
Hook: The Scroll-Stopper Strategy
Your opening line needs to grab people harder than a toddler grabs candy at checkout. If your hook doesn't make someone pause mid-scroll, you're just expensive wallpaper in their feed.
Visual: Movie Poster, Not Book Cover
Book covers work in bookstores where people are already shopping for books. Facebook users are there to see what their cousin ate for lunch and argue about politics. Your image needs to look like entertainment, not advertising.
Targeting: Know Your People
Casting a wide net sounds smart until you realize you're trying to sell vampire romance to people who prefer cookbooks. Narrow targeting helps you find your actual readers instead of everyone who accidentally clicked on your ad while trying to scroll past it.
Budget: The Goldilocks Principle
Too little budget and Facebook can't find your audience. Too much and you'll blow through money faster than a romance reader through a new series. $15 is the sweet spot where Facebook has enough data to work with but you won't accidentally fund their next quarterly bonus.
Campaign Type: Start Simple
Traffic campaigns are like training wheels for Facebook ads. They're designed to get people to your book page without the complexity of conversion tracking. Master this before attempting the advanced stuff.
Patience: The Waiting Game
Facebook's algorithm needs time to learn who your readers are. Running an ad for two days and giving up is like planting a seed on Monday and digging it up on Wednesday to see why it hasn't grown.
Testing: The Scientific Method
Change one thing at a time. Copy OR image OR audience. Otherwise, you'll never know what actually worked. It's like being a detective, but with better profit margins.
Metrics: Your Marketing Speedometer
CPC (Cost Per Click) and CTR (Click-Through Rate) tell you if your ad is working. When CPC climbs too high, it's time to refresh. When CTR is low, your hook isn't hooky enough.
Tracking: Know What's Working
Monitor your Amazon book rankings during campaigns. If they improve while ads are running, you're on the right track even if the direct attribution isn't perfect.
If you want to track which Facebook ads are actually driving Amazon sales, you can set up Amazon Attribution. It's like having a GPS for your marketing dollars:
Go to attribution.amazon.com
Sign in with your KDP account
Create a new campaign
Select your book
Generate an attribution link
Use this link in your Facebook ads instead of your regular Amazon link
This will show you which Facebook ads are driving Amazon sales, helping you optimize your campaigns more effectively.
(Please note that Amazon attribution isn't 100% accurate.)
I gave up on too many ads by just looking at that metric.
Stop Thinking Like an Author, Start Thinking Like a Scroll-Stopper
You're probably creating ads that sound like book descriptions. "Join Elara on her magical journey of self-discovery..."
Snore.
Facebook isn't a bookstore. It's a place where people go to procrastinate, watch cat videos, and judge their high school classmates' questionable life choices. Your ad needs to grab them by the metaphorical shoulders and make them forget they were supposed to be folding laundry.
The TikTok Hook Revolution
You know those TikTok videos that make you watch until the end even though you clicked on them by accident? That's the energy your Facebook ad copy needs. Start with a hook that would make someone stop mid-scroll:
Instead of: "A fantasy romance about forbidden love..."Try: "What happens when the woman you kidnap is exactly where she wants to be?"
Instead of: "An epic tale of magic and adventure..."Try: "He thinks he's her captor. She's actually hunting his father."
Instead of: "Enemies become lovers in this sweeping fantasy..."Try: "She married her enemy to destroy him. Plot twist: she's falling for him instead."
See the difference? The second versions make you want to know what happens next. They create questions that can only be answered by reading the book. It's like emotional clickbait, but in the way.
Visual Strategy: Ditch the Cover, Embrace the Vibe
Your gorgeous book cover probably isn't the choice for Facebook ads. I know, I know. You spent weeks perfecting it, your designer is amazing, and your mom said it's beautiful. But Facebook isn't a bookstore. Ir's a scroll-fest where people make split-second decisions based on whatever catches their eye between baby photos and political rants.
My top-performing image? A medieval couple looking like they're about to either kiss or kill each other, and a single fierce-looking woman in dramatic black and white. No covers in sight. Think movie poster vibes, not book catalog energy.
The Text Overlay Game-Changer
Here's where the magic happens: add text to your images that speaks directly to your genre's soul. Not your book title but actual reader language that makes people think, "finally, someone who gets it."
For Fantasy Romance:
"I stayed up all night reading this fantasy romance book"
"This fantasy romance destroyed me in the way"
"When the fantasy romance hits different"
"Fantasy romance that ruined my sleep schedule"
"This fantasy romance broke me"
For Paranormal Romance:
"Vampire romance that doesn't disappoint"
"This paranormal romance consumed my weekend"
"Paranormal romance done right"
"When the paranormal romance is everything"
"This paranormal romance owns my soul"
Do you see what I did there? Every single one of those options shares the book genre.
You're not being sneaky about what you're selling. You're being crystal clear about exactly what kind of book hangover you're about to give them.
Make it sound like a reader recommendation, not a marketing pitch. Nobody wants to feel like they're being sold to, but everyone wants to feel like they're getting insider information from their book-obsessed friend.
For me personally, I use book review quotes that mention my genre in my ads.
The Secret Weapons in Your Description
In the description underneath your main ad copy, certain phrases consistently perform well.
The KU Magic Phrase: "Read For Free With Kindle Unlimited" or "Free With Kindle Unlimited"
This consistently works because it removes the biggest barrier to trying a new author: cost. Even people who don't have KU will often buy the book anyway once they're interested enough to click.
For Trope Lovers:
"True Enemies to Lovers"
"Morally Gray Hero Alert"
"Slow Burn Romance"
"Found Family Vibes"
For Genre Fans:
"Fantasy Romance Done Right"
"Dark Academia Energy"
"Vampire Romance That Doesn't Disappoint"
"Witchy Vibes Only"
For Emotional Impact:
"Will Make You Ugly Cry"
"Prepare for Book Hangover"
"One-Click Warning: Addictive"
"Your Next Obsession"
For Series Hooks:
"Book 1 of an Addictive Series"
"Cliffhanger Alert"
"Binge-Worthy Fantasy"
Choose the ones that match your book's actual content. False advertising will kill your reviews faster than you can say "one-star rating."
The Magic Words That Make Facebook Listen
The Call to Action Setup
When you're setting up your ad, you'll see a call to action dropdown. Select "Shop." This tells Facebook's algorithm that this is a selling post, and it will show your ad to people more likely to make purchases. It's like wearing a "BUYER" name tag at a car dealership. Everyone knows what you're there for.
Technical Settings That Actually Matter
Start with Traffic Ads
Begin with traffic campaigns, not conversion campaigns. Traffic ads are designed to send people to your website (or Amazon page), and they're perfect for authors just starting out with Facebook ads. Think of conversion campaigns as the advanced yoga class. You want to master regular yoga first.
Share to Your Feed Only
When creating your ad, you'll see a bunch of placement options: Instagram, Stories, Messenger, Audience Network. Turn them all off. Just share to Facebook's main feed. That's it. Keep it simple until you know what resonates with your audience. It's like learning to juggle with one ball before attempting flaming torches.
Impressions Over Everything
Set your campaign to optimize for impressions, not clicks or conversions. This sounds backwards, but here's why it works: Facebook will show your ad to more people at a lower cost. Some of those people will remember your book later and buy it through organic search. It's like planting seeds instead of demanding immediate flowers.
Turn Off Facebook's "Helpful" AI (And Keep It Off)
Facebook wants to optimize everything for you automatically. Turn off and keep off:
Automatic placements
Campaign budget optimization
Advantage+ audience
Any AI suggestions that pop up
Critical: Don't Let Facebook Change Anything Facebook will try to "optimize" your images, your text, everything. Don't let them.
You'll need to dig into the enhance options at the bottom of your ad setup and manually click off other "helpful" features. Once all of those are off, text optimization will be disabled. (Trust me, you don't want it.)
Also turn off info labels that Facebook wants to add to your ads. It's like having a helpful friend who keeps rearranging your closet while you're at work - well-meaning but ultimately counterproductive.
You know your book and your readers better than an algorithm.
The Critical Details Everyone Forgets
Make Sure Your Hook Isn't Cut Off
Facebook truncates ad copy, so your compelling opening line might get chopped. Keep your hook in the first 125 characters, or people will have to click "See More" to read it (spoiler: they won't). It's like telling a joke but cutting off the punchline.
Image Quality is Everything
Use clear, crisp images that look good on mobile. Blurry or out-of-focus photos scream "amateur" and will kill your engagement faster than a love triangle plot twist kills reader enthusiasm.
Test Your Compelling Hook
Your opening line should make someone stop scrolling. If it doesn't grab attention in three seconds, it's not working hard enough. Your hook should be the literary equivalent of someone yelling "Free chocolate!" in a crowded room.
Facebook Ads Metrics Decoded (Because Knowledge is Power)
Let me break down the numbers that actually matter, because Facebook throws a lot of data at you and most of it is just digital noise:
CPC (Cost Per Click)
This is how much you pay each time someone clicks your ad. The acceptable CPC varies widely based on your book's price, profit margins, and genre. Monitor this number and adjust when it climbs beyond your comfort zone. Think of it as your marketing speedometer. You want to know when you're going too fast for your budget.
CTR (Click-Through Rate)
This shows what percentage of people who see your ad actually click on it. For book ads, anything above 1% is decent, above 2% is good, and above 3% means you've hit the jackpot. Low CTR usually means your image or hook isn't compelling enough. It's like measuring how many people actually stop to look at your street performance versus just walking by.
Impressions
How many people saw your ad. This number should grow steadily if Facebook is finding your audience effectively.
Reach
How many unique people saw your ad. Different from impressions because one person might see your ad multiple times (like that one song that gets stuck in your head).
The magic happens when you have high CTR with reasonable CPC. That's when you know you've found the sweet spot between compelling content and cost-effective targeting.
Check Your Amazon Book Ranking
Monitor your Amazon book ranking during your ad campaigns. If your ranking improves while your ads are running, that's a good sign your ads are driving sales even if the attribution isn't perfect. It's like checking your pulse to make sure your heart is still beating.
Setting Up Retargeting (For When You're Ready to Level Up)
Once you've been running ads for a few weeks, set up retargeting campaigns. These are for people who already showed interest but didn't buy. Think of them as the "ones that got away":
Go to Facebook Ads Manager
Click "Audiences" in the left menu
Click "Create Audience" and select "Custom Audience"
Choose "Website Traffic"
Select "People who visited specific web pages"
Enter your Amazon book page URL
Set the retention period (30 days is usually good)
Create a new campaign targeting this custom audience
Retargeting campaigns often perform better than cold traffic because these people have already shown interest in your book. It's like following up with someone who asked for your number but then mysteriously disappeared.
Measuring Success (It's Not What You Think)
Don't just look at immediate sales. Track:
Website traffic increases
Email list growth
Organic book searches for your title
Overall series sales (not just the advertised book)
Amazon book ranking improvements
Facebook ads often work like a slow-burn romance. The payoff comes later, but when it hits, it's worth the wait.
Some readers bookmark your book, tell their friends, join your newsletter, and buy three months later.
You can't always trace that back to your original ad, but it's still working.
The Real Talk: It's Going to Take Time
I spent months and considerable money learning what I just taught you in this blog post. Expect a learning curve. Expect some money to go toward education rather than immediate profit.
Expect to feel confused by Facebook's interface because, honestly, it's not exactly user-friendly. But think of it as tuition for your marketing education.
But here's the thing: once you crack the code for your specific book and audience, Facebook ads can be the difference between selling dozens of books and selling hundreds.
The Real Truth About This Strategy
Here's something important: this is what works for me. It doesn't work for everyone. I've tweaked and adjusted these strategies over my year and a half of running Facebook ads to find what gets results for my books and my audience.
Your genre might respond differently. Your readers might prefer different hooks. Your imagery might need a completely different approach. Don't be afraid to pivot if you need to pivot, but at least learn the basics first so you're making informed decisions rather than throwing money at Facebook and hoping something sticks.
The goal isn't to create the perfect ad on your first try. The goal is to create an ad that's good enough to test, then iterate until you have something great.
Because at the end of the day, the Facebook ad strategy is the one that actually gets your book into the hands of readers who will fall in love with your characters as much as you have.
And trust me. Once you find those readers, they'll be worth every penny you spent figuring out how to reach them. They'll also probably demand you write faster, but that's a different problem entirely.
My Actual Campaign Strategy (Because It Works)
I always begin my campaigns at $15 per day. Not $5, not $10 but $15. Facebook needs enough budget to actually test your ads effectively. Think of it as the minimum viable budget for Facebook to take you seriously.
I start with three ads: usually three different images with the exact same ad copy. Why? Because when you find ad copy that works, you milk it for everything it's worth. That TikTok-style hook that makes people stop scrolling? Use it on every image variation until it stops performing. Don't fix what isn't broken, as my grandmother used to say (usually while refusing to upgrade from her flip phone).
Many people have found different ad copy approaches that work for them. For some, book blurbs work, or a shortened version. For me, it never did, but it could work for you.
Test what resonates with your specific audience. Your readers might be completely different from mine. They might love detailed descriptions while mine prefer mysterious hooks.
I keep the same ads running until the CPC (Cost Per Click) rises. When Facebook starts charging me more for the same clicks, that's my signal to refresh or pivot.
Your Facebook Ads Cheat Sheet (For When Your Brain is Fried)
• Have at least 3 books before starting (preferably 5)
• Always advertise book 1 in the series, even if you've written 47
• Go to business.facebook.com (not the boost button, resist temptation)
• Create traffic campaigns, not conversion campaigns
• Set budget to $15/day minimum
• Target your country first
• Choose "Shop" as your call to action
• Turn off ALL Facebook AI optimization features
• Share to Facebook feed only (ignore other placements)
• Use movie poster vibes, not book covers
• Add genre text overlay to images
• Keep hook under 125 characters or Facebook chops it
• Test 3 different images with same ad copy
• Watch CPC and CTR like a hawk
• Change ads when CPC gets too expensive for comfort
• Give ads 1 week minimum before panicking
• Check Amazon rankings during campaigns
• Set up retargeting after few weeks
• Don't change everything at once (scientific method, people)
• Test what works for YOUR audience, not mine
• Expect learning curve and some tuition money lost
• Remember: I spent a lot of money and time learning this so you don't have to
Have you tried Facebook ads for your books? Drop a comment and let me know what worked (or what spectacularly didn't work) for you! And if you're still figuring it out, what's your biggest Facebook ads question?
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