My First Experience With Facebook Ads for Authors: What I’ve Learned and Why I’m Doing It Differently

For the longest time, I avoided Facebook Ads.

I would hear other indie authors talking about click-through rates, optimisation and audiences, and I felt as if I had stumbled into a completely different career. Running Facebook ads for authors seemed complicated, technical and far removed from the part of my life where I actually write books.

Eventually, I decided it was time to give it a proper try.

Studying an “Unconventional” Method

Before spending a single penny, I did what most indie authors do when faced with something confusing. I researched. I read everything carefully and watched a clear, helpful video on Matt Holmes’s method. His step-by-step approach made sense to me. It stripped away the noise and gave me a structure I could actually follow.

By the end of my research, I finally felt confident enough to begin.

Then Meta introduced Andromeda, and everything changed.

The Arrival of Meta Andromeda

Andromeda is Meta’s new advertising system and it arrived right as I was preparing to launch my very first ads. Settings changed, the layout shifted, and many of the approaches that authors previously relied on were either altered or removed.

Even Matt Holmes’s trusted method was suddenly being questioned. Experts who understood the old system were now reassessing their advice. It felt like trying to learn the rules of a game while the rule book was being rewritten.

What This Means for Facebook Ads for Authors

If you are not familiar with Facebook Ads, here is a beginner-friendly summary.

• Meta Andromeda changed how ads are built and delivered.

• There are fewer manual settings for advertisers to adjust.

• The system now relies more heavily on Meta’s automated decision-making.

• Tutorials created before the update may no longer apply.

• Authors who were just starting to understand the old structure now have a new one to learn.

In simple terms, Andromeda means more automation and less manual control. If you were already confused by ads, this change may feel intimidating. If you were brand new, like me, it can feel like starting again before you even begin.

Creating My First Ads

I decided to press on with my plan despite the disruption. I created my first ad creatives using clean designs, strong hooks and a look that fits my author brand. I experimented with simple layouts and copy variations. I also had to think of imaginative ways to visualise my books, which was a surprisingly fun challenge.

The Early Results

Here is the honest update.

• My daily budget is £10.

• I have spent almost £60 so far.

• The ads have produced a healthy number of clicks.

• I have not had any sales yet.

• The campaign has only been running for eight days.

Naturally I would love to see sales, but I am not discouraged. Before I started, I set myself a 90-day budget that I would not be upset to lose. That decision has made the experience much calmer and much more educational.

The Real Test Begins Now

Now that the ads are running, the real learning begins. I need to understand the data, interpret what is working, decide what needs adjusting and continue to grow my skills as an indie author who wants to reach more readers.

Andromeda may have changed the landscape, but I still believe this is worth learning. Every click teaches me something. Every small result helps me understand my audience a little better. Most of all, every day of this experiment makes me a more confident marketer of my own books.

So here’s to the next 82 days of testing, learning and improving.

Wish me luck.