Chapter 9 The Making of 'JOAN' - Bryan Cohen's Ad School Challenge

Well, Here We Are Again…

I thought I had it all figured out—the plan, the direction, everything. But the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth! After friends and family had done their part supporting my book, sales came to a sudden standstill. I was so disheartened, I almost gave up. What now? Where do I go? Who could I possibly turn to for help?

I didn’t have money to waste, and there are far too many vultures preying on newbie indie authors. Social media seemed like a good idea initially, with its countless groups encouraging authors to join and connect. But many of those so-called “private groups” turned out to be a haven for predatory marketing companies, sliding into direct messages to push their services. It didn’t take long for me to realize these groups weren’t filled with readers—the public, the people I wanted to reach. Instead, they were packed with other authors and opportunistic vultures.

As you can tell, I became pretty disillusioned.

I watched endless videos and sat through countless webinars I’d discovered on social media. They all shared a tiny nugget of helpful advice before diving into their inevitable sales pitch. Every single time.

Then I tried Amazon advertising. It works on a bidding system where you set the price you’re willing to pay per click for each keyword. Well, that turned into a disaster! Nearly £100 spent in just two weeks with zero sales to show for it. Frustrated, I gave up.

A Fresh Approach: Bryan Cohen’s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge

Getting Ready for the 5-Day Amazon Ad Challenge

Months later, I came across Bryan Cohen’s Amazon Ads Profit Challenge. My initial reaction? “Oh, here we go again.” But what did I have to lose besides a bit of time? So, I took the two-week challenge. I followed the homework, watched the suggested videos, and… nothing. At least, not at first.

What sets Bryan’s challenge apart is that he runs it every three months. Authors at any stage of their career—whether they’ve written one book or dozens—are welcome. For two full weeks, participants can ask Bryan’s team anything about their advertising strategy. And the best part? The advice is completely free. Genuine, no-strings-attached guidance for two weeks. That alone felt like a rarity!

I decided to join again for the next session. By then, I’d had a nibble or two in terms of sales, and thanks to Bryan’s more measured, careful approach to ad bidding (what he calls the “zen lemur” method), I could afford to keep advertising longer. Slowly but surely, my book started gaining visibility on Amazon’s digital shelves. It was progress! After all, the point of writing a book is for people to see and read it—not to let it gather virtual dust. Advertising works on repetition; the more people see something, the more curious they become. Eventually, they might just take the plunge and give it a try.

Ad School and Beyond

Ad School sounded like a fantastic opportunity. The level of support and advice offered was intriguing, but I couldn’t afford to enroll. Still, Bryan’s team continues to invite authors back to the free challenge every three months. You can’t argue with that kind of generosity!

Then came an unexpected surprise—I won a spot in Ad School! Me, someone who never wins anything! It felt surreal, and I’ve been with them ever since. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but the support and advice have been invaluable. I’ll keep you updated when I hit the big leagues as a famous author, but for now, I’m busy working on my next book.

Watch This Space!

Joan - Put on a Happy Face is the first in a series 'The Elixir Chronicles', so stay tuned for what’s to come.

Want to ask questions or keep in touch? Feel free to join my email list and email me at authorcmmottershead@gmail.com.

Happy reading, and as always, keep smiling! 😊

Chapter 8 The Making of 'Joan' - Marketing my book

Marketing My Book

Publishing a book with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is just the start. Once it’s live, they encourage you to advertise on Amazon sites. Setting up your sales page is completely free—just like their publishing service—and you only incur costs once your book sells. Even then, the royalties are generous: 60% (minus print costs) for paperbacks and hardcovers, and a whopping 70% for eBooks. Compared to traditional or vanity publishing, it’s an excellent deal.

But here’s the truth—marketing a book is, without a doubt, the hardest part! 

With traditional publishers, they handle the marketing for you: social media campaigns, email blasts, and everything in between. Of course, this comes at a cost, and nothing in the world of marketing is ever truly free. But for independent authors, the challenge is different—it’s all up to 'you' to get your book noticed.

Publishing your book and having it displayed on Amazon’s “shop floor” (your sales page) doesn’t guarantee that readers will pick it from the millions of other titles and buy a copy. That realization hits hard. This is where expenses come into play.

I tried Amazon’s advertising system, bidding on ad space in hopes of boosting my visibility. Let me tell you—it’s expensive! I spent more than I’d hoped and saw little return on my investment. Enter Bryan Cohen’s Ads Profit Challenge—a genuine game-changer. His approach taught me how to advertise smartly, spending less while reaching more readers. While it’s called the “Profit Challenge,” it’s absolutely that—a challenge! But with his insights, I started to see results.

Still, my sales mostly came from word of mouth, and even that has its limits. I wondered, “What’s wrong with my book? Why isn’t anyone buying it?”

Bryan Cohen’s Ad School helped me dig deeper and pinpoint the issues. The first hurdle was figuring out the right genres for my book—a daunting task given that "Joan - Put on a Happy Face" covers so many tropes.

Some examples include:

- A young girl loses her mother at an impressionable age.

- She defies her father’s wishes by marrying an older, vagrant actor.

- As a young mother, she battles postnatal depression while her husband is consumed by work.

- She uses play therapy to help her son express himself.

- A shy girl transforms into a fierce, confident woman through her experiences as a travelling performer.

- Her husband falls into addiction, becoming irresponsible and lazy.

- He strikes her, leaving her for dead and abducting their son.

- Guilt over killing his best friend pushes him into madness.

- As an immortal, he grapples with PTSD, unable to find peace or death despite his yearning for it.

And the list goes on. Identifying a starting point was overwhelming, but I took it step by step.

Next, we evaluated my book cover. Sometimes, the cover itself can affect sales. After much thought, I gave my book a makeover, and the new cover captured its essence more effectively.

Which Cover Do You Prefer?

Let me know in the comments, email authorcmmottershead@gmail.com—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

In the meantime, here’s the link to the paperback version:  

"Joan - Put on a Happy Face" by Carol M Mottershead

Happy reading!