Book Marketing Challenge

2025 Book Marketing Challenge Year in Review

| C.E. Flores

In 2025, my goal wasn’t to shout louder. It was to be seen more clearly.

That meant focusing my energy where it mattered most. SurvivingMexico.com became the main stage, while ceflores.com quietly stepped into a supporting role. After reviewing performance and profitability, I’ve decided to keep ceflores.com on WordPress’s free plan in 2026 and concentrate my efforts where growth has been steadier and more sustainable.

To see how that decision played out, I compared January 2025 starting figures with December 2025 totals across the website, social platforms, traffic, and sales. What emerged wasn’t a viral story, but something better: consistency with moments of surprise.

Website Subscribers: Holding the Line

SurvivingMexico.com‘s email list remained a quiet constant throughout the year.

  • January 2025: 909 subscribers
  • December 2025: 909 subscribers
  • Stretch goal: 1,000 subscribers

While the number itself didn’t change, the list continued to represent a highly engaged core of readers who open emails, click links, and stick around. Hitting 1,000 subscribers remains close enough to feel inevitable rather than aspirational.

Social Media: Slow Burns and One Pleasant Plot Twist

Pinterest: Evergreen and Unbothered

Pinterest continued doing what Pinterest does best—sending traffic quietly, without much concern for follower counts.

  • January 2025:
    • 613 followers
    • 317 following
  • December 2025:
    • 611 followers
    • 318 following
    • 3.5K monthly views

Follower numbers barely budged, but monthly views tell the real story. Content continued circulating, being discovered, and doing its job long after it was published. Slow? Yes. Reliable? Absolutely.

Threads: A Polite Upward Nod

Threads remained small but showed signs of life.

  • January 2025: 48 followers
  • December 2025: 63 followers
  • Original goal: 100 followers

Not explosive growth, but organic and encouraging—proof that showing up consistently still counts, even on quieter platforms.

Bluesky: The Unexpected Overachiever

Bluesky was the surprise guest who stayed late and helped clean up.

  • January 2025:
    • 64 followers
    • 69 following
    • 68 posts
  • December 2025:
    • 268 followers
    • 358 following
    • 537 posts

Originally, I hoped to reach 100 followers by year’s end. Instead, Bluesky turned into an active, conversational space that far exceeded expectations and became a genuine point of connection.

Website Traffic & Search Visibility

Beyond subscribers and socials, traffic and search data offered a wider view of how SurvivingMexico.com moved through the year.

Visitors & Views (WordPress Analytics)

From February through November, traffic followed a familiar rhythm: a mid-year lull followed by a strong autumn comeback.

  • Visitors dipped to around 1,510 in early summer and climbed to 3,389 in November.
  • Page views mirrored that pattern, reaching 4,391 views by November.

Late summer and fall brought renewed discovery, stronger seasonal interest, and deeper browsing, indicating more pages, more time, more curiosity.

Search Performance (Bing Webmaster Tools)

Search visibility steadily expanded.

  • Impressions peaked in the final quarter, topping out at 30,000 in November.
  • Clicks stayed relatively steady throughout the year, generally between 122–160 per month.

This widening gap between more impressions and stable clicks suggests growing visibility and clear opportunities to refine titles, descriptions, and search intent alignment.

What the Numbers Are Really Saying

Taken together, the data points to a site that is:

  • appearing more often in search results,
  • attracting more visitors toward the end of the year, and
  • maintaining engagement even during slower seasons.

There was no single breakout moment. Instead, growth came from accumulation where content quietly was stacking, compounding, and finding its people in its own time.

Sales Goals

To keep things grounded, I set a simple benchmark: 20 books sold per month across all titles.

That breaks down to:

  • 3 months: 60 books
  • 6 months: 120 books
  • 12 months: 240 books

The goal wasn’t virality but reliability.

2025 Sales Results

(Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in México series and
The Mexican Apothecary: Traditional Cold and Flu Herbal Remedies — English & Spanish)

  • 243 herbal books sold in 2025

This closely matched the 12-month target, confirming that the 20-per-month goal is realistic and repeatable.

Abuelita ¿Qué Vamos A Hacer Hoy? Let’s Make Rosca de Reyes!
 (Bilingual and Spanish editions)

  • 102 copies sold in 2025

More seasonal by nature, these sales still demonstrated steady interest and strong cultural resonance during key moments of the year.

Reviews & Reader Response

I also received reviews across Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and Muted Muse. There was no numeric target here, just the hope that readers would respond. They did, and that goal was comfortably met.

Quiet Progress Is Still Progress

2025 didn’t arrive with fireworks or viral moments, and that’s exactly why it worked. This year was about tending what already existed, showing up consistently, and letting the long game unfold at its own pace.

As I move into 2026, the work continues, writing, publishing, refining, and sharing, but with clearer priorities and steadier footing. Growth doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it simply shows up, month after month, and that’s more than enough to build on.

December 2025 Book Marketing Challenge

| C.E. Flores

December is here, which means it’s time for my favorite (and occasionally humbling) year-end ritual: digging through a year’s worth of stats to see what actually happened in my little corner of the publishing world.

This month, I’ll be taking a closer look at:

• Website stats – Who visited? What were they looking for? And how many of them stuck around long enough to click something besides “back”?
• Sales data – The highs, the lows, the “…really? That’s all?” moments.
• Social media growth – Which platforms showed promise, which flatlined, and which ones are still giving me the “why are you like this?” energy.
• Best-performing books – Along with the true cost behind each one: money, time, effort, and the occasional existential crisis.

Basically, I’m pulling everything apart to see what worked, what didn’t, and what I can learn from it all. It’s part archaeology, part analytics, part “oh, that’s why nothing happened in May.”

I’ll be back in January with an update on what I discover and, more importantly, how I plan to move forward in the new year. New strategy? New goals? New chaos? We’ll see.

Here’s to ending the year with clarity and starting the next one with purpose.

November 2025 Book Marketing Challenge Update

| C.E. Flores

So… how did November marketing go?

Well, let’s just say it was an adventure—and not entirely by choice. Remember how I had to discontinue my Amazon ads because of that delightful bank card fiasco? Yeah. So November was a full-on freeballing-it month. No ads. No fancy targeting. Just me, my social media posts, a couple of emails, and some strategic free book promos thrown into the universe like confetti.

With limited tools, I leaned hard into my strongest performers: Abuelita ¿Qué Vamos A Hacer Hoy?, Let’s Make Rosca de Reyes, and the Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico series. I decided to make the ebooks free over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. Counterintuitive? Maybe. But hear me out.

Kids’ books? People love a physical copy.

Pick up your copy today!

Herbal books? Herbalists want pages they can touch, smell like paper, and flip through with a cup of tea in hand.

The perfect gift for the herbalist in your life

So the strategy was simple: let readers try them for free digitally, fall in love, and (fingers crossed) come back for the print versions either for themselves or as gifts. Will that work? It’s too early in December to know, but we’ll see.

As for downloads… I didn’t get as many as I would’ve liked. But I’m hopeful that the ones I did get were from the right people like the families, teachers, herbalists, and curious readers who actually want and need these books.

Marketing without ads is definitely a challenge, but it’s also oddly empowering to see what happens when you rely on creativity instead of algorithms. On to December and whatever magic (or mischief) it brings!

November 2025 Book Marketing Challenge

| C.E. Flores

The holidays are here, and that means one thing for us authors: it’s time to turn visibility into sales and ride the wave of end-of-year momentum. November’s theme is simple but powerful: “Make your books impossible to ignore.” Here’s how I’m tackling it this month (and maybe giving you a few ideas for your own strategy).

🛒 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Promotions

These shopping holidays are prime opportunities for indie authors to shine. This year, I’ll be:

It’s all about creating that “grab it now” energy!

📧 Email Marketing Push

This month, my subscribers at SurvivingMexico.com will be hearing from me with a three-part email sequence:

  1. Teaser: “Something exciting is coming…”
  2. Announcement: “Black Friday deals are here!”
  3. Final Call: “Sale ends tonight — don’t miss it!”

To keep it personal, I’ll also sprinkle in quick author updates, a peek behind the scenes, and hints at upcoming projects. My goal? To make readers feel like they’re part of this journey with me.

🎁 Tapping Into the Holiday Gifting Season

Books make the best gifts. They are absolutely thoughtful, personal, and lasting. This month, I’ll be framing my titles as perfect holiday presents by creating gift guide-style posts such as:

  • “Perfect Books for the Curious Soul”
  • “For the Herbalist on Your Holiday List”
  • “Holiday Reads That Inspire & Delight”

By highlighting how my books fit into the holiday spirit, I’m helping readers imagine them wrapped up and under the tree.

🚀 Wrapping It Up

November is all about momentum. With smart promos, engaging emails, and holiday positioning, the goal is clear: make my books impossible to scroll past, click past, or shop past. Now I’d love to hear from you: How are you planning to market your books this holiday season?

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!

October 2025 Book Marketing Challenge Update

| C.E. Flores

So, how did I do updating my online presence?

Welp, I suppose it could have gone better. Let’s call this month’s challenge a work in progress.

I did manage to update a few things across the board, including some author bios, some book descriptions, and some keywords. Progress! I didn’t get around to adding more books to BookBub or Muted Muses (maybe next round), but I did run several free promotions this month, which gave some of my titles a nice little boost.

Then came the Amazon ads fiasco. My bank, the same one I’ve used for ten years,  decided to switch from Mastercard to Discover platform. No big deal, right? Wrong. Amazon Media Group doesn’t accept Discover as a valid payment method. Cue the sad trombone. 🎺

So, I had to turn off all my ads, and naturally, my sales nosedived at lightning speed. For now, I’m not running any Amazon ads until I figure out how to actually pay for them. Gotta love a good plot twist in marketing!

Book marketing is hard. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on it, something unexpected comes along to derail my momentum.

And that, friends, wraps up my October challenge. Onward to November! Let’s see what I can do next!

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!

October 2025 Book Marketing Challenge

| C.E. Flores

Hitting Refresh: Revamping My Author Presence for the Fall 🍂📚

Whew. After a rollercoaster of sales and social media experiments, I’ve realized it’s time for a good old-fashioned author presence refresh. October feels like the perfect month to step back, take inventory, and make sure my online spaces actually reflect where I am as a writer right now and not where I was three years ago.

So, here’s what I’ve been working on (and what’s coming next):

1. Updating My Digital Homes 

First up, I’m giving my Amazon author pages, Goodreads, and websites some botox if not serious facelifts.

  • Fresh bios: It’s funny how fast your author bio gets outdated. I plan to rewrite mine to better reflect my current projects, interests, and focus areas. (Check me out on Amazon as C.E. Flores and Millie Flores)
  • Latest highlights: Adding updates about my current projects so readers know what I’ve been up to, what’s coming next, and where to dive in first if they’re new to my work. (See my latest adventures at Surviving Mexico.)

2. Making My Book Descriptions Work Harder 

While updating my author profiles, I realized some of my book descriptions were… let’s just say they weren’t doing me any favors. So I’ve been going through each one to:

  • Add stronger hooks that make readers want to click “Buy Now.”
  • Use keywords that help new readers actually find my books through search.
  • Inject a little more emotional pull because sometimes a well-placed line about transformation says more than a paragraph of details ever could.

If you haven’t checked your book blurbs in a while, trust me, it’s worth a refresh.

3. Expanding My Reach: Reviews, Reviews, Reviews 

Another big focus for this season: getting more eyes on my books. I’m adding another title to BookBub and also over at Muted Muses to gather more honest reviews and reach new audiences. Reviews are still one of the most powerful ways to build trust with readers, and I’ve been missing opportunities by not fully leaning into that. I also had an author reach out to me to review his book on book reviews, so that’s on my to-do list for the month.

Looking Ahead

This refresh feels like a reset button, a chance to polish what’s already out there, make my books easier to find, and reconnect with my readers in a way that feels more current. By tightening up my author presence now, I’m setting myself up for stronger sales and more engaged readers heading into the holidays and the new year.

It’s a lot of work, but honestly? It feels good to get organized and intentional again.

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!

September 2025 Book Marketing Challenge Update

| C.E. Flores

September wasn’t the most productive writing month for me (life had other plans), but something surprising happened. My book sales actually went up! Maybe it was thanks to the extra push I gave my Lupita book marketing… maybe it was just good luck. Either way, I’m celebrating the win. 

I kept my Amazon ads running for both Abuelita ¿Qué Vamos A Hacer Hoy? Let’s Make Rosca de Reyes and the Exploring Traditional Herbal Remedies in Mexico series, and I also showed up consistently on social media with some targeted posts focused on the Abuelita book. The results? Not too shabby at all.

Looking ahead, I’m maintaining my focus on my children’s book, Abuelita ¿Qué Vamos A Hacer Hoy? Let’s Make Rosca de Reyes! (available in both bilingual and Spanish editions) for the next couple of months with more of the same.

So, how about you? What book projects or marketing strategies are you planning to roll out in the next couple of months?

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!

September 2025 Book Marketing Challenge

| C.E. Flores

Bringing a Little Holiday Magic Early

The holidays might still be a ways off, but in my world, the Rosca de Reyes season starts now. Why? Because if you want a book in time for January 6th’s Three Kings’ Day celebration, you have to order at least three weeks in advance, and that means the marketing magic begins well before the wrapping paper comes out.

This month, my focus is seasonal marketing, lining up my promotions with special holidays and events so my books arrive right when people are ready to celebrate.

One of my favorite projects for this season is my children’s book Abuelita ¿Qué Vamos A Hacer Hoy? Let’s Make Rosca de Reyes! (available in bilingual and Spanish editions). It’s a sweet, cozy story about baking, tradition, and family time, exactly the kind of book you want to share over hot chocolate on a winter afternoon.

Here’s what I’m doing to get it out into the world:

  • Creating cheerful, holiday-inspired graphics featuring the book’s reviews.
  • Posting a gentle, once-a-month nudge for anyone who’s read it to leave a short review (seriously, it makes such a difference).
  • Keeping the conversation going about Día de Reyes now, so when the holiday shopping season kicks in, this story is already on people’s minds.

Seasonal marketing is a little like baking. You mix the right ingredients (timing, visuals, community buzz), let them rise, and by the time the celebration rolls around, you have something warm and wonderful to share.

So here’s to planting those festive seeds early. With a little luck (and a lot of Rosca), December and January will be filled with sweet sales and even sweeter connections.

Get Your copy today!

August 2025 Book Marketing Challenge Update

| C.E. Flores

Sales were… brutal. Like, curl-up-under-the-desk-and-question-everything brutal. 

Honestly, August hit me hard. I discovered halfway through the month that I’d completely forgotten to reset my Amazon ad end date. Yep… ads off, visibility tanked, sales plummeted. OMG! From now on, those ads are staying ON, no excuses.

I did decide to be a little more strategic, though, keeping active ads only on the Lupita book and my herb series. And once I fixed the end date, things picked up a tiny bit… but let’s be real: it was still one of the lowest months of my author career. That stings.

Now, here’s the small silver lining: I’ve been testing out some revamped social media content, and there’s been a noticeable bump in engagement, mostly on Bluesky and Instagram. More follows, more likes, more conversations. Will that translate into better book sales? Well… let’s just say I’m cautiously optimistic, but not holding my breath.

I’ll be honest and let you know that the discouragement is real. I’ve been putting in extra hours this year, pushing harder than ever with marketing, and yet my royalties barely register anymore. And of course, the questions swirl:

  • Is it my material?
  • Has my work stopped resonating?
  • Or is it just… the economy?

My main market is still the U.S., where so many people are struggling just to survive. When disposable income disappears, books are often the first luxury to go. 

But here’s the thing, I’m not giving up. Writing is what I do, what I love. And even if the road feels bumpy right now, I have to believe this is just one rough chapter, not the whole book.

What keeps you going when you feel like you are screaming into the void as a writer?

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Book Hawking: A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Your Self-Published Book is your roadmap to turning your hidden gem into a must-read!