Ad Account Audit: Stephanie – Boost Your Book Ad Performance With Proven Author Strategies

Are your book ads working as hard for you as they could be? In this post, we’re diving into a real-life ad account audit for author Stephanie Harrell, who writes contemporary romances with a unique fairy tale twist. This detailed session explores everything from targeting challenges to actionable strategies for getting readers to take the leap from clicking your ad to buying (and loving) your book.

If you’re an author struggling with Facebook ads, or simply want to optimize your results, you’ll find tons of tips here. Spoiler: It’s not about spending more money—it’s about making every dollar count. Oh, and there’s even a surprise about reader magnets and newsletter growth that could change the way you think about your back matter.

Check out the full video of the audit below:

Meet Stephanie Harrell

Stephanie Harrell is no stranger to the romance world. With a knack for retelling fairy tales in relatable, modern settings, she puts a creative spin on beloved stories—think Disney, but darker and steamier. Her books prominently feature plus-size heroines, inspired by a desire to see women like herself reflected in the stories she loves.

Her brand is all about inclusivity, heart, and romance with a bite. Stephanie’s dedication shines through her writing, but like many indie authors, she’s hit certain pain points with ads. Her biggest concerns? Low buy-through rates and whether Facebook understands who her audience actually is. Let’s dive into what was uncovered during her ad account audit and how she can turn things around.

Common Ad Challenges Stephanie Faced

Before diving into the solutions, let’s take a look at the challenges Stephanie encountered while running ads:

• Mismatch Between Ads and Landing Pages: Stephanie’s Facebook ads had beautiful visuals and intriguing excerpts but lacked connection to her book’s product page. The journey from ad to Kindle was disjointed.
• Targeting Issues: Facebook had trouble finding the right readers. Stephanie’s audience selections, while thoughtful, missed the mark on relevancy for her books’ genre and tone.
• Inefficient Calls to Action (CTA): Her CTAs didn’t match reader intent, such as using “download” instead of “shop now,” which can cause hesitation.
• Ad Testing Missteps: Dynamic ad campaigns didn’t give clear insights into what elements worked, making it tough to pinpoint a winning strategy.

Sound familiar? These are common hurdles for authors just diving into ads. Luckily, there’s a way forward.

Aligning Ads for Maximum Impact

One major takeaway from Stephanie’s session was the importance of keeping the ad experience consistent with the book-buying experience. When someone clicks an ad, they’re signaling interest based on what they see. If what they find on the landing page doesn’t match that expectation, it creates friction—and friction kills conversions.

Here’s what Stephanie can do to fix this:

Use Book Covers in Ads

Stephanie was using unrelated imagery in her ads. While her excerpts and hooks were solid, the visuals didn’t connect readers to the book they’d land on.

Solution:
Use the book cover in your ads. If the cover text isn’t ideal for ad placement, strip the text and use the image alone. Alternatively, create professional mockups using tools like Canva or BookBrush. This way, readers see a visual cue that anchors their memory when they land on the Amazon listing.

Incorporate Tropes and Series Titles

Romance readers are all about tropes. Highlight them! For example, Stephanie’s books include popular tropes like “fake dating” and “Cinderella retellings.” Including these tropes in ad headlines can let potential readers know exactly why her books are perfect for them.

Headlines like:

• “Cinderella Reimagined—Modern, Steamy, and Perfect for Fairy Tale Fans”
• “A Fake Dating Romance You’ll Devour This Weekend”

These give readers enough intrigue to click, while also clarifying whether the book aligns with their tastes.

Improve Call to Action Buttons

Instead of using vague CTAs like “learn more” or “download,” Stephanie should switch to “shop now,” which aligns better with book-buying behavior. Readers are prepared for the next step when a direct, clear CTA tells them what to do.

Don’t Say “Free in Kindle Unlimited”

While it might seem helpful, calling Kindle Unlimited “free” can mislead some readers. People who don’t subscribe to KU might dismiss the ad entirely. Instead, focus on language like: “Read in Kindle Unlimited or Buy the Paperback.” This informs both KU and non-KU audience segments.

Fixing the Back Matter Bottleneck

One fascinating part of this audit was Stephanie’s decision to send readers to a bonus epilogue instead of promoting the next book in the series. While this helped grow her email list, it inadvertently hurt her read-through rates.

The epilogue wasn’t linked to Book 2, causing readers to lose momentum in the series. The solution is simple: use the bonus scene as intended but also nudge readers toward the next book.

What to Do:

1. When readers opt into your bonus content, automate a follow-up email sequence that promotes the next book.
2. Within the bonus itself, include text like “Want to know what happens next? Start Book 2 here!” with a clickable link.
3. Never assume your readers have read your series! Consistently remind them that the next book is available.

Ad Testing That Works

Stephanie had started testing dynamic ads but didn’t get the focused insights she needed. Dynamic ads are flexible, but they don’t isolate which creative elements are top performers.

Instead, Stephanie should run smaller tests with single ad sets, testing different copy and imagery side-by-side.

Testing Strategy:

1. One Ad Set, Multiple Variations: Start with one ad set at $5/day and test 4–5 different visual concepts (book cover, mockups, excerpts, etc.).
2. Pause Non-Performers: After 7 days, pause ads that haven’t gained traction, leaving only the clear winners.
3. Layer in Consistent Elements: Once you identify a winning image or headline, reuse those in additional campaigns while testing new variables.

TikTok and the Changing Landscape

Stephanie mentioned she had some success on TikTok but stepped away to focus on Facebook ads. While it’s smart to prioritize, TikTok’s volatile rules mean authors need a backup strategy to capture those leads.

Don’t send readers from TikTok directly to Amazon. Instead, direct them to your author website. There, you can feature your books—and even collect emails—while keeping control of your audience.

Why It Matters:
TikTok recently announced the removal of retailer links, like Amazon. If you’re building your audience on TikTok, make sure they funnel through a platform you control.

Key Takeaways for Authors

Stephanie’s ad audit revealed several actionable strategies that any author can apply:

• Use consistent visuals, like book covers, in your ads.
• Highlight key selling points like tropes and series titles in headlines.
• Adjust CTAs to reflect reader intent—“shop now” works best.
• Treat your bonus content as a conversion tool for Book 2.
• Test small, isolate winners, and scale gradually.

Getting ads right isn’t about outspending the competition. It’s about creating a smooth, compelling experience for your readers, from the moment they see your ad to the second they click “buy.”

Ready to Optimize Your Ads?

Looking to transform your author ads and grow your readership? Take a page from Stephanie’s playbook and start testing today! Small tweaks can lead to big wins.

Want to dive deeper into Facebook ads and learn step-by-step strategies? Watch the full session from Finding Your Indie here: