FB Ads, Yea or Nay?

Okay, Internet. I need a sign. Or advice. Or a result in a Google search that doesn’t end up with me thinking I have some incurable brain tumor. Can we help an author out? I’m wondering about the Facebook Ad situation for authors. The good, the bad, and the really great. No, I don’t want your ugly. I’ve seen it and it scares me.

Anyway, I have a book release next week. It’s my first under this moniker and it’s also the first fantasy romance I’ve ever written. Suffice to say, I’m a tad nervous. I’ve never been good at book marketing. It’s like swimming in quicksand with four-thousand people watching and shouting out Dos and Don’ts–that was plural ‘Do’, not the Spanish word for two, in case you didn’t pick it up.

I Googled it and read articles and watched videos and I gotta tell ya, I’m getting a ton of mixed signals. Some authors swear by them (mostly big-name authors). Did these authors find success with the help of Facebook Ads before they started selling a lot of books? Or do Facebook Ads help them because they now have a large audience paying attention to their well-known name?

I’ve run ads with the tiniest of budgets with no results. But my images weren’t great and I didn’t really grasp my target audience. Also, $10 doesn’t get you much in this world. So tell, me, Internet, what’s a gal to do with a small budget, a new book, and the fear of becoming Ms. Spam-a-lot plaguing her waking moments? I can only Tweet in your face so many times before you unfollow me.

I’m going to wrestle with this for a while, I’m sure. Meanwhile, I’ve got a book launch to take care of. I’m open to suggestions, y’all. Are you an author who utilizes the Facebook Ad option? Does it work? Do your sales jump?

Share your wisdom. I beg you! Also, send coffee and donuts.