Ads for Authors Review
The Learn Self Publishing Ads for Authors course for Self-Published authors has been around for a good five or six years now, and, like the other courses from the same team, such as Self Publishing Launchpad, it has a reputation for high-quality and excellent content.
What is the course?
Learn Self Publishing Ads for Authors is a selection of video course bundles supported with PDF downloads to help authors navigate the sometimes complex Ad platforms used to drive sales of their books.
What can the course teach you?
Other experts teach some of the course bundles.
- Facebook Ads for Authors by Mark Dawson. Love it or hate it, Facebook is the world’s largest advertising platform. This flagship course is a deep dive into navigating a complex but powerful platform.
- Advanced Facebook Ads for Authors by Mark Dawson. This course includes more advanced strategies, including reader funnels, audience insights, FB business manager and some great ninja tips.
- Facebook Messenger Bots for Authors by Mark Dawson. Get automated with bots and interact with interested readers through Facebook Messenger.
- Ad Design for Authors by Stuart Bache. Stuart Bache of Books Covered designs fantastic book covers for many bestsellers, including Mark himself. Stuart focuses on design tools Photoshop and Canva to create high-converting covers for your books.
- Amazon Ads for Authors by Janet Margot (Mark Dawson also has a legacy course on Amazon Ads). Janet Margot previously worked for the Amazon Ads team and delivers a clear course on reaching readers directly on the world’s biggest retailer.
- Bookbub Ads by Caryn Robertson. Direct from Bookbub themselves, this course helps you set up ad campaigns to reach the vast book-loving audience of Bookbub.
- TikTok for Authors. Lila Dubois and Jayne Rylon show authors how to tap into the awesome marketing potential of TikTok in this specially commissioned module.
- How to write better, simpler ads by Bryan Cohen. Learn how to attract readers and craft compelling ads for your books and how to maximise their performance.
You also get bonus SPF university mini-course bundles that include webinar workshops to help authors use key players in the industry, such as BookFunnel, PublishDrive, ProlificWorks and more.
There are also additional mini-courses that you can purchase separately. Some examples include:
- How to Write a Bestseller by Suzy K Quinn.
- How to revise your book by Jennie Nash.
- Cover Design for Authors by Stuart Bache (Books Covered) A more advanced version than the one included in Ads for Authors.
- Copy Editing by Hayley Milliman
..and more!
Is Ads for Authors right for you?
It’s no magic bullet or click-button route to instant success. This course will only work for authors who are prepared to invest their time and money into actually going through the system and taking action.
So, going into the course, some writers underestimated the time needed to go through each subject. I focused on Amazon Ads and Bookbub ads rather than Facebook or YouTube, as those platforms were the ones I wanted to focus on at the time.
You don’t have to do it all. Not at once, anyway. Perhaps try out one platform at a time and see what works for you.
After following the course materials, you’ll also need a budget for advertising your books on Facebook, Amazon, and Bookbub. It doesn’t have to be a fortune. Mark suggests toe-dipping with $5–10 days regarding Facebook campaigns. Ads for Authors is for writers who want to treat their book publishing as a business rather than a hobby.
I like that it’s a one-time, admittedly sizeable investment, so there are no recurring membership costs. The SPF guys add new material and keep it updated, which you’ll also get access to going forward. That keeps the course future-proofed with updates and changes in the industry.
If you’re an author starting on your first book and need to know the basics of self-publishing, I would first look at our free Ecourse: Indie Publishing Roadmap and the other main course from the Ads for Authors team, Self Publishing Launchpad. Moving beyond publishing and platform-building basics, Ads for Authors is the next natural step in your Indie Author Journey. It is perfect for those who want to become full-time authors and publishers, as you’ll learn the essential skills to sell books online.
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Affiliate Disclosure: If you sign up through any of the above links, I stand to receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me pay the bills and keep producing content for you, so thank you!
