A self-published author's diary, podcast

How one of my TikTok videos went viral on Instagram and using Amazon ads as an indie author…

Listen to the full episode now…Choose you favorite platform here or listen on SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle Podcasts, StitcherAmazon MusicAudible, OvercastBreaker and more…

Episode 54

In today’s episode, I explain how one of my TikTok videos went viral on Instagram and using Amazon ads as an indie author.

For that video to go viral (it has more than 26000 views) which is very uncommon for me, I followed a few steps. That video also resulted in sales and pages read. My book went from sitting at 700000 to about 70000 and then climbed a bit higher and stayed around 100000 for a few days without any ads.

When it comes to the Amazon Ads, my French ads seem to be doing well. I’ll keep you updated.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Ways to help Ukraine

Do you have any questions about self-publishing/writing?

How to support this podcast?

Thank you so much for listening!

Follow me on Instagram â€“ Bookbub â€“ Facebook â€“ Twitter â€“ Goodreads â€“ TikTok

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
A self-published author's diary, podcast

Dipping my indie author toe into TikTok (and writing thoughts about the TV show Billions)

Listen to the full episode now…Choose you favorite platform here or listen on SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle Podcasts, StitcherAmazon MusicAudible, OvercastBreaker and more…

Episode 47

Today, I’m talking about dipping my indie author toe into the TikTok world of booktok and authortok and writingtok and more (@elodienowodazkij).

I am also quickly talking about getting very invested into the TV shows Billions after watching the first five seasons pretty quickly and how I’ve been analyzing the character arc (as I was listening to the audiobook Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker).

Mentioned in this episode:

Do you have any questions about self-publishing/writing?

How to support this podcast?

Thank you so much for listening!

Follow me on Instagram â€“ Bookbub â€“ Facebook â€“ Twitter â€“ Goodreads â€“ TikTok

Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

This one's a numbers-and-behind-the-scenes episode. I share a full preorder update across all five of my current books, platform by platform, the good and the zero, and where I'm at ten days into a thirty-day TikTok experiment in 2026 (I know, I know).The BookTok part is genuinely interesting to me: one video crossed 2,000 views and somehow racked up more than eight hours of total watch time, while its near-identical twin stalled at 94 and I have no idea why. That's kind of the whole lesson. I get into what's working, where in the world people are actually watching from (hello, UK), how many of them clicked through (spoiler: two), and yes, what it's costing me in focus, because I opened the app nineteen times in one afternoon and that felt worth admitting out loud.Plus: the Belgian VAT answer that arrived in eleven pages, the Barnes & Noble payment I'm still chasing, a trip to the ER that cancelled a posting day, and trying to use my phone less.And I'm going to interview the chemical engineer about how to write a believable one. If you've got a question for him, send it to elodie@elodienow.com. He refuses to see them in advance. So. :-)If you've tried TikTok and it worked for you, or really didn't, come tell me. We can commiserate, or you can show me your data.BeccaCon + Becca Syme's Write Better-Faster Patreon — the author-business conference and the experiments-homework that started all this: https://betterfasteracademy.com (Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beccasyme/posts)Wide for the Win Circle (where I posted about the Barnes & Noble delay): https://wideforthewin.com/L. Penelope — "The Fire That Forges You" (My Imaginary Friends), on documenting your process while you're in it: https://myimaginaryfriends.substack.com/p/the-fire-that-forges-youJami Albright — The Summer That Changed Us — the book that wrecked me (Steel Magnolias meets Schitt's Creek with the heart of This Is Us): https://books2read.com/b/mdZvPW — jamialbright.comMy Christmas Wish-List (preorder, now July 31st): https://books2read.com/MyChristmasWishCancer Is Not My Brand (preorder): https://books2read.com/cancerisnotmybrand/Nice Guys Don't Kiss Like That at Christmas: https://books2read.com/NiceGuysDontKissLikeThatA New Year's Eve Like No Other (third in the Nick & Em series): https://books2read.com/ANewYearsEveLikeNoOtherFrench editions — Ma Liste de Noël and Un Réveillon Pas Comme Les AutresIf the episode was useful, a rate-and-review would make this self-published author's day. Happy writing, and happy, happy reading.www.elodienowodazkij.comwww.elodienow.com
  1. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  2. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  3. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  4. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  5. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.