BookBub Ads show a small image to readers who already read in your category. There is no browsing, no blurb, no look inside — just a cover, a line of text and a price. It is the purest test of whether your packaging works, and the most unforgiving place to get it wrong.
What you receive
- Two to three ad creatives at the platform’s 400×600 format, built for legibility at that small size.
- Copy that fits the character limit and states the offer plainly — the deal, the trope, the price.
- Targeting sets by author and by category, each a separate ad so results stay attributable.
- Bid guidance from the category’s typical cost per click, with a starting figure and a ceiling.
- A test plan — which creative against which audience first, and what result counts as a win.
How the campaign is prepared
- Fix the offer. A price drop converts far better than full price; the creative cannot rescue a weak deal.
- Design for the format. Title and cover legible at 400×600, no fine detail, high contrast.
- Build targeting from comparable authors and the categories your readers already browse.
- Run small and read the data: click-through first, then sales, then cost per sale.
Why the creative does nearly all the work here
There is no description on the ad and no preview. A reader sees an image and a line, and decides in under a second. That means the cover must be recognisable as belonging to its genre, the type must be readable without zooming, and the offer must be stated in words that survive being small. Designs that work at full size frequently fail here, so we test every creative at actual dimensions before it goes live.
Targeting, honestly
Targeting a famous author in your genre puts your book beside theirs, which is useful only if the comparison flatters you. Targeting too many authors in one ad dilutes the data. The workable structure is one audience per ad, three or four audiences in total, each with the same creative so the audience is the only variable. Categories are broader and cheaper, and they work better for a book with a clear genre signal on the cover.
Price, the forgotten variable
On this platform the offer is the message. A 99-cent first in series converts several times better than the same book at full price, and a box set at a discount outperforms a single title because the perceived value is obvious in the image. We test the offer alongside the creative, since a strong deal with an average design usually beats a beautiful design at a weak price.
Pricing
| Tier | Scope | Price | Was | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 ad | $20 | $30 | |
| Professional | 3 ads | $60 | $75 | |
| Bulk / Authority | 5 ads | $100 | $100 |
Frequent questions
Do I need a BookBub partner account?
Yes, and it is free to create. We can prepare everything for you to launch, or work within your account.
Is a Featured Deal required?
No, that is a separate editorial placement. Ads are self-serve and available to any author.
What conversion rate is realistic?
It varies by price and genre, which is why the test plan starts with click-through and only then judges sales.
Build my BookBub ads — send the cover, the offer and two comparable authors.