What $70 of AI ads actually got a KDP author (honest test)
Ads can buy clicks, but clicks are not sales.
From KM Aul's Bookshelf (author's own blog) · Aug 2026
Where & with what
What they did
- 1The moveAn independent author paid $70 for a 7-day Zeely Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ad campaign with…
- 2ToolsZeely
- 3ResultZeely's dashboard showed $69.40 spent, 2,670 impressions, 196 clicks and 0 leads (as reported by the…
- 4TakeawayAds can buy clicks, but clicks are not sales.
Copy the prompt
My book sells for [price] and earns [royalty] per sale. Work out the most I can pay per click and per order to break even, and list 5 things to fix on my Amazon page before I run any ads.
Quick answers
What did they do?
An independent author paid $70 for a 7-day Zeely Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ad campaign with two static ads pointing at the book's Amazon page.
What were the results?
Zeely's dashboard showed $69.40 spent, 2,670 impressions, 196 clicks and 0 leads (as reported by the author). 13 KDP orders came in that week, but Amazon can't show which came from the ads, so they are not attributable to the campaign; Zeely agreed counting all 13 is a best-case guess.
What tools do you need?
Zeely (ai ad maker: ugc-style video and static ads for a product).
How much does it cost?
Zeely is paid or trial-based. Check each tool's site for current prices.
Is it allowed?
Yes, but KDP requires you to disclose AI-generated text, images or translations. Source.
Full write-up & sources
What they did: An independent author paid $70 for a 7-day Zeely Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ad campaign with two static ads pointing at the book's Amazon page.
Results: Zeely's dashboard showed $69.40 spent, 2,670 impressions, 196 clicks and 0 leads (as reported by the author). 13 KDP orders came in that week, but Amazon can't show which came from the ads, so they are not attributable to the campaign; Zeely agreed counting all 13 is a best-case guess.
Worth knowing: Ads can buy clicks, but clicks are not sales. On a $0.99 ebook, even the best case was about $5.34 of ads per order. Check your royalty per sale and your listing (cover, reviews) before paying for traffic.
Source: KM Aul's Bookshelf (author's own blog) · Aug 2026. Summarised in our own words; figures are as reported and not independently verified. Updated .
