Authors with a limited budget often ask whether they should spend it on PR or Amazon Ads. The two do very different jobs, so the right choice depends on what you want the book to achieve.
What book PR does
PR earns coverage in media your readers trust: newspapers, magazines, broadcast, podcasts and specialist titles. It builds credibility and awareness, and creates assets you can use for years, such as "as featured in" logos, quotes for your book page and links for your website.
PR is strongest when:
Your book has a clear story or expert angle.
You want profile, speaking, clients or credibility, not only sales.
Your readers are not yet searching for books like yours.
What Amazon Ads do
Amazon Ads put your book in front of people who are already browsing and searching on Amazon for similar books. They are measurable and can be switched on quickly.
Amazon Ads are strongest when:
Your book fits a clear category with active readers.
Your book page is ready: cover, description, price and reviews.
You can afford to test and learn for a few weeks.
The common mistake
The most common mistake is running ads to a book page that is not ready. Ads amplify what is already there. If the cover, description or reviews are weak, ads mostly buy expensive clicks that do not convert.
The second mistake is expecting PR to drive immediate, measurable sales. Coverage helps sales, but its biggest value is often longer term: credibility, opportunities and a stronger platform for the next book.
A simple way to decide
Business, leadership or expert book: start with PR. The coverage builds your profile, and the book becomes a credential.
Memoir with a strong human story: start with PR, then add ads once there is coverage and reviews to point to.
Genre or category-led non-fiction with lots of active readers on Amazon: ads may make sense earlier, once the book page is strong.
Using both together
The best results usually come from combining them. PR builds credibility and gives you quotes and logos for your book page. That improves conversion, which makes every pound or dollar of ad spend work harder. Ads then capture the people who heard about you through the coverage and go looking.
How I help
I run book PR campaigns and Amazon Ads for independent and self-published non-fiction authors, so publicity and sales activity work together. Read how book PR works, see recent campaigns, or tell me about your book and I will give you an honest view on where to start.
