Podcast Summary: The Creative Penn Podcast for Writers

Episode: Amazon Advertising For Books With Geoff Affleck
Host: Joanna Penn
Guest: Geoff Affleck
Date: September 29, 2025
Theme: Practical strategies for Amazon advertising, optimizing book pages, and what every author should know before spending money on ads

Episode Overview

In this episode, Joanna Penn interviews Geoff Affleck—best-selling nonfiction author, self-publishing consultant, and Amazon ads expert—on how authors can effectively leverage Amazon Advertising. The discussion dives deeply into the foundational work authors must do before ever running ads, the evolving nature of organic reach, the role of A+ (A plus) content, and practical tips for both new and seasoned indie authors. The conversation is candid, realistic, and filled with actionable suggestions for anyone seeking to market their books on Amazon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Guest Introduction and Journey into Publishing

• [20:29] Geoff's Background
  • Originally from corporate marketing, got involved in book publishing over 15 years ago through working with bestselling personal development authors (notably from "The Secret").
  • Realized his passion was more about production and marketing than writing itself.
  • Has focused on self-publishing, book launches, and Amazon marketing for the past 8 years.

2. What Authors Need BEFORE Advertising

• [23:00] The Prerequisites for Advertising

  • Many authors jump into ads hoping for a "magic bullet" without having essentials in place.

  • Geoff outlines seven core elements for an Amazon book page that must be optimized:

    1. Book Cover: Has to stand out as a thumbnail and be genre-appropriate.
    2. Keywords: Critical for Amazon’s algorithm; must be chosen thoughtfully for discoverability.
    3. Title & Subtitle: Subtitles especially helpful for genre/trope cues and algorithm triggers.
    4. Reviews: Number and quality of reviews/star ratings impact conversion rates.
    5. Blurb: Should be around 200 words, with a strong hook, bold headline, short paragraphs, and call to action.
    6. A+ Content (from the publisher section): Visually engaging graphics can increase conversion and provide SEO benefits.
    7. Price & Categories: Pricing impacts perceptions and categories must be relevant.

  • Quote:
    "With Amazon ads you have to think about the conversions...if you're going to generate clicks to your book page, you have to be confident that a reasonable percentage of those clicks will turn into orders."
    — Geoff Affleck [23:20]

3. Deep Dive: A+ Content (A Plus)

• [28:35] Is A+ Content Worth the Effort?

  • Visually engaging banners under "From the Publisher" can boost conversion when designed well.

  • Helpful for series and children’s authors; can be used to establish trust and authority.

  • Pro tip: Professionally designed graphics are essential—bad design can hurt sales.

  • Free to add via KDP but requires effort and attention to design.

  • Quote:
    “If you’re not doing it, you’re sort of leaving something on the table that with not much effort you could do.”
    — Geoff Affleck [31:11]

4. The Current Reality of Organic Reach on Amazon

• [33:10] Can You Sell Books Without Advertising?
  • For most new authors, organic reach is extremely limited due to marketplace saturation.
  • Exceptions exist for those with a large platform, but most need to run ads for discoverability.
  • Amazon Ads are seen as putting your book “in the soup aisle, where people are shopping,” as opposed to impulse purchases that might occur via Facebook ads.

5. What Types of Books Amazon Ads Work Best For

• [36:26] Maximizing Your ROI

  • Series or multiple standalones work best due to read-through potential.

  • Standalones can succeed if they convert well, but uncommon, low-volume niches are harder.

  • KU (Kindle Unlimited) books get a boost; ads can drive page reads as well as sales.

  • For cross-genre books or less straightforward categories, advertising is more challenging.

  • Quote:
    “Series can work very, very well with Amazon ads...because if [readers] enjoy your books, they're going to want to read more.”
    — Geoff Affleck [36:29]

6. When Should You Start Advertising?

• [39:23] Launches, Reviews, and Timing

  • Ads can support launches—even with few reviews—especially since Amazon tags new releases with a "Just Released" banner.

  • For ongoing success, monitor performance and continue optimizing product pages.

  • Small advertising budgets can help gain momentum, but caution is necessary to avoid overspending.

  • Quote:
    "If you want the book to have a chance, you've got to invest in marketing somehow."
    — Geoff Affleck [40:54]

7. Maintaining and Updating Your Backlist

• [42:13] For Experienced Authors
  • With large backlists, keeping product pages updated is vital.
  • Review and refresh blurbs, categories, and especially keywords regularly.
  • Use tools like Publisher Rocket, and get outside feedback to avoid becoming “too close” to your own work.

8. Manual vs. Auto Amazon Ads

• [47:31] How to Structure Your Campaigns

  • Auto ads: Amazon chooses where your book is displayed—less control, potentially fewer impressions.

  • Manual ads: More effective; authors select keywords (author names, titles, tropes, etc.) and products (categories/ASINs) specifically related to their book.

  • Start with manual ads for better traction; adjust over time as data comes in.

  • Quote:
    "When you're starting out, manual's the way to go. Because you will get more traction with manual ads."
    — Geoff Affleck [51:11]

9. Managing Your Own Ads: Time and Approach

• [51:13] How Often Should You Check Ads?
  • Weekly, not daily—save yourself the stress!
  • Set budget limits to avoid surprises.
  • Regularly evaluate which keywords are driving clicks and sales; adjust or pause unproductive ones.

10. When and Why to Use a Professional Service

• [54:06] What Geoff’s Team Offers
  • Full management of ad campaigns, including research, setup, ongoing analysis, and hands-on optimization.
  • First evaluate the author’s product page with written recommendations before launching ads.
  • Accessible to both self-published and traditionally published authors (the latter via Author Central).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On publishing basics:
  “So much stuff does go into it and a lot of it is basics like it's basic marketing, like 101. But yeah, it's still hard.”
  — Joanna Penn [46:34]

• On cross-genre challenges:
  “Many of the sort of standard approaches don't work on Amazon when you write cross genre because it is really hard...it doesn't fit the boxes so well.”
  — Joanna Penn [46:36]

• On professional design for A+ content:
  “If readers see sort of amateurish graphic design, they subconsciously think, well, geez, well, what's the writing like?”
  — Geoff Affleck [32:15]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [20:29] Guest introduction and background
• [23:00] Seven essential book page elements before advertising
• [28:35] Deep dive into A+ Content
• [33:10] Does organic reach still exist on Amazon?
• [36:26] What genres and book types perform best with ads
• [39:23] Timing: advertising at launch and with low reviews
• [42:13] Managing and updating big backlists
• [47:31] Manual vs. Auto Amazon ads
• [51:13] How often to monitor your ads
• [54:06] What Geoff’s managed ad service does and how to find him

Final Takeaways

• Advertising is not a substitute for a weak product page. Optimize your Amazon page before spending money on ads.
• A+ Content is an untapped advantage for most indies. Worth learning, but invest in professional design.
• For most authors, especially new ones, organic reach is limited. Ads are often a necessity.
• Start small and scale—track, adjust, and get outside input.
• Manual targeting provides more value and learning opportunities than auto ads.
• Professional help can save you time and boost your ROI, but even the best ads can't compensate for poor fundamentals.

Learn more and connect with Geoff Affleck at: jeffaffleck.com

For Authors Looking to Advertise...

This episode is a valuable resource for demystifying Amazon ads and understanding the foundational work required to actually make them pay off. If you’re considering a marketing push, take the time to apply Geoff and Joanna’s advice to your book pages first—the potential ROI boost is worth it!

[This summary skips the episode’s intro, outro, sponsor ads, and personal updates, focusing only on the actionable content from Joanna Penn and Geoff Affleck.]