1. Amazon never, but NEVER does anything to benefit anyone else BUT AMAZON. If AMAZON does something, it’s because that particular feature (offered) is not producing envisioned financial results. That’s the only reason I see Amazon promoting ‘advertising to trad-pub authors’ advertising on Amazon.

2. Advertising costs money. BIG MONEY. Trad-publishers will spend money on advertising for their established writers. Not so much on mid-list and NONE whatsoever on new-comers they choose to take on. Trad-publishers advertising their author(s) work will always, ALWAYS do better than that author advertising him/herself. Offering the possibility that trad-pub authors will now advertise themselves on Amazon to see if they can do better — is naive at best.
They know they can’t — that is if their trad-publisher is advertising for them. The argument here offered is just way off…it’s why I’m commenting in the first place.

3. Amazon is coming here with so-called ‘breakthrough’ feature – again, as if anything from Amazon wasn’t laughable enough or expensive enough – because authors advertising on Amazon feature is not performing according to the algorithm they envisioned. Not a money-maker or money spent on advertising here is drying up. Amazon has a vested interest in serving Amazon and no one else. Here it’s baiting actually indie authors with this feature (to show them that ‘big’ name authors are now advertising themselves which in itself is ridiculous) so the indie authors (once upon a time staple/fodder for Amazon’s advertising) will return once again to waste their money on Amazon…this is a cyclic and unproductive pitch here – heard it all, seen it all – nothing is below Amazon; nothing.

4. There will be no impact on advertising world. Why would there be? Not all authors are stupid, gullible, naive or plain desperate. Advertising works when you spend BIIIIIG money on it. End of argument. Where you spend that money…ah, that’s what Amazon is after – trying to convince you that THEY are the Holy Grail of advertising. They’re not. They’re mediocre at best, and ineffective more often than not.

5. You know where true, punch-a-hole-in-the-world advertising lies these days – in celebrities, in influencers, in infamous and marginally larcenous criminals who game the system and gain fame, in having a direct pipeline to media (think family or friends employed there) – other powerful advertising lies in many different places and directions than Amazon. That’s what’s steaming Amazon’s clams.

Personally, over the years, I found Amazon’s advertising to be least effective. There is nothing like having a celebrity ‘read’ your book – and nothing like having a FOREIGN celebrity read and take your book to their homeland – especially if their homeland is…oh, China…

My guess is this will fall flat. You will get some savvier trade authors who might try this. Ones that are already dabbling in being indie. You also might get some of the bigger authors being able to use them if their pub pays. But this will be a small amount. Some indies act like the sky is falling and this will ruin their business but knowing what I know about being trade and being around trade authors and the mindset, I don’t see many trade authors running ads.

Most trade authors want to just write. That’s why they go with trade. Many will also tell you they can’t afford to market, edit, etc. This is another reason many stick with pubs. So how are they going to run ads? Maybe I am wrong but I am going by what I’ve known for years. Again, it’s the trade mindset that is different. You have to have the patience and desire to learn ads and work with them to get things right and I can’t see trade authors, especially those who don’t make much from their books seeing this as an alternative to market. Plus, many trade authors tend to hate Amazon and I don’t think they would want to willfully give the Zon money.

So, again, I could be wrong of course but I don’t see a big storm coming at all with this. In fact, this was announced weeks ago and I’ve only heard about one discussion on Facebook about it from some panicked indie authors. But they came off the ledge when many others said the same things I did.

Also, using Amazon ads won’t drive trade to self-publishing. Yep, goes back to the mindset. There are trade authors who make NO money and say they would rather make a dollar from their writing than go indie. Many still look down on the option and still have that dream of their book being in bookstores so, no. Ones that want to go indie, will go. But this isn’t going to make those not interested suddenly go indie.

I see hybrid authors using this for their trade books now, definitely. Ones that already use Amazon ads. But I don’t see an influx. I think if that was gonna happen we’d see some evidence now. Doesn’t mean the indies won’t have a tougher time running ads but I doubt it will be the huge change some think it will be.

Great topic!