SEO Title: BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™: What Worked in My Book Marketing in 2025 (and What Didn’t)
Meta Description: Kelly Morgan breaks down what worked and what didn’t in 2025 book marketing—ads, Amazon, algorithms, pitching podcasts, Substack, Goodreads, collaboration, branding, and selling direct.
Suggested URL Slug: bta-fridays-what-worked-2025-book-marketing
Real Talk: What Worked for Me in 2025 (And What Didn’t)
On this episode of BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™, I’m closing out the year with honesty.
Not theory. Not “what you’re supposed to do.”
What worked for me. What didn’t. What I’m taking into 2026.
What Didn’t Work for Me in 2025
Ads didn’t work.
Facebook ads. Amazon ads. Money out, no meaningful movement back.
Trying to master the algorithm didn’t work.
Posting times, trending audio, viral advice. The algorithm never loved me back.
TikTok Shop didn’t work (this year).
I didn’t have time to lean into it, so it didn’t move for me.
Pinterest and X were quiet.
Low traction, low return.
Kobo wouldn’t list You Sound White because of the title.
I’m not fighting that battle.
Pushing past my limit didn’t work.
Quality drops. Burnout shows up. You pay for it later.
Trying to sit in rooms that weren’t my audience didn’t work.
Not every space is your space.
Amazon sales didn’t work for me.
Even when sales happened, royalties got eaten up fast.
What Worked for Me in 2025
Consistency.
Showing up even when it felt like nobody was watching.
Pitching myself to podcasts.
Every time I shared my story, something moved.
Pitching better (not just pitching more).
Positioning matters.
Collaboration.
Relationships open doors.
Goodreads worked.
People found me there and connected with me.
Substack worked.
Small numbers, real readers. That counts.
Facebook groups worked for networking.
Visibility, support, connections.
Seeing myself as a brand worked.
Confidence, clarity, direction.
Investing in my website worked.
Selling direct beat marketplaces for me.
BRAE Book event worked.
Outreach, engagement, visibility, connection.
Moving in silence worked.
Protecting ideas. Protecting process.
Affirmations + self-care worked.
Because I’m not building anything by breaking myself.
The Takeaway
I didn’t sell a million books. I didn’t get rich off royalties.
But I built:
- trust
- visibility
- credibility
- real connections
That’s a win.
Watch the Full Episode
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