Most authors don’t have an ad problem.
They have a patience problem.

If you’ve ever stared at your Amazon dashboard 48 hours after launch and declared your campaign a disaster, this episode is for you.

We’re breaking down the 7-Day Amazon Ads Sanity Check — a structured, data-driven framework that keeps you from sabotaging campaigns before the algorithm has time to work. You’ll learn what the learning phase actually means, which numbers matter in week one, and why obsessing over ACOS too early can send you in the wrong direction.

We walk through:

• What to confirm in the first 48 hours (and what not to touch)
• Why impressions without clicks are diagnostic, not disastrous
• When 1,000 impressions with zero clicks is a real signal
• How Amazon quietly penalizes low engagement
• Why automatic campaigns are a brutal but honest positioning test
• How your cover, category, and copy determine ad success before a single click happens

We also tackle one of the biggest myths in indie publishing: that ads can rescue a misaligned book. They can’t. Ads amplify what already exists. If your positioning is weak, ads simply expose it faster.

Instead of daily bid tinkering that resets learning, we outline a calm weekly review process, smart bid adjustments, portfolio caps that protect your budget, and the small one-percent improvements to your retail page that compound over time.

If you’re ready to replace dashboard doom-scrolling with disciplined strategy — and finally let your ads work 24/7 without emotional interference — this episode gives you the framework.

Subscribe for more author-first marketing strategies, share this with a writer who needs ad clarity, and leave a review telling us one takeaway you’ll apply this week.

Send us your feedback!

Help shape our 2026 content by taking our 30-second listener poll!

📱Text Penny & Amy: send us your show feedback, burning marketing questions and new topic ideas!

Text the word PODCAST to (888) 402-8940 to sign up to send us messages and receive new episode announcements. And don't forget to save our number!

Check out our Book Marketing Jumpstart options if you're ready to take your brand, platform and SEO up a few notches.

Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

1. Be sure you're following the show: by clicking the + Follow button on the top right of our show page. If you're already following you'll see a ↓ downward arrow.
2. Locate Ratings & Reviews: Scroll down on our podcast page until you find the "Ratings & Reviews" section.
3. Rate the podcast: Click on the stars to give the podcast a rating.
4. Write your review: Under the star rating there will be the most recent review and just below that click "Write a Review" and compose your review in the text box that appears.
5. Save: Once you've written your review, click "Save" to submit it.

Can't use Apple Podcasts? Email us your review and we'll put it on our website: inf...