I published a new video breaking down my 5-step Amazon KDP Ads strategy for promoting a book with a $500 budget. For most books, spending $500 wisely on ads is enough to increase sales, collect meaningful data for optimization and scaling, and identify potential bottlenecks holding the book back. The amount of data you gather depends on the cost per click (CPC) in your niche. What are your average CPC levels?

So - Apart from Nano Banana, and ChatGPT, what are your other favorite tools for illustrations?

I've been skimming discussions across several KDP groups this week. Here's a short snapshot of what keeps coming up. 1. "Why did this book stall?" Many posts are from authors whose books launched well, then flattened out. The common thread is not ads or reviews, but weak topic depth, thin interiors, or unclear audience fit. People are slowly realizing that a clean launch cannot fix a shallow product. 2. Low-effort books are quietly dying There is growing frustration from people who followed older playbooks: low content, fast publishing, and generic covers. These books are not banned or penalized. They just stop selling. The mood is less panicked, more accepting of the fact that the bar moved. 3. Fewer tactics, more questions about catalogs Instead of "How do I launch this book?", more people ask: - How many books do I need before things feel stable? - Does niche focus still matter after 10–20 titles? - Is it better to go deeper or wider now? This is a shift toward long-term thinking. 4. Ads confusion without panic Ads are discussed a lot, but the tone has changed. Less "this trick prints money," more "I’m spending, but I don't fully understand what’s working." Many admit they run ads before they understand their own books. 5. Quiet interest in boring niches Several threads circle around planners, logs, workbooks, and reference-style books. People are noticing that unsexy ideas often behave better over time than trend-based projects. 6. Burnout signals Not dramatic exits, but comments like: - "I published 12 books, and I'm tired." - "I'm not sure what to publish next." - "I feel busy but not effective." This shows a need for systems, not motivation. Open question for the Guild members: Which of these feels closest to where you are right now, and why? Reply with a number (1–6) or add what you are seeing that's missing here.

If building an ARC team to get reviews is pretty straightforward, review services are much more diverse in quality and compliance with Amazon rules. I spent two weeks researching the question in great detail and created a classification for our discussion. If we talk about services, do you agree with this categorization? Can you add examples for every level? Would you suggest more levels? Let's create an excellent taxonomy together.

I checked my U.S. Amazon account and found that only the last 19 reviews are still visible. On Amazon.de, all my reviews are still intact. If you are archiving Amazon review messages in the States, I would be interested to know your situation. Do you still have reviews published before September 2025 visible in your account?