One of the most effective forms of online marketing I’d started to do for my fiction (romance) line of ebooks was Facebook ads. I always kept an ad running, and this kept sales trickling in steadily. Hence, I had incorporated FB into my ongoing ebook marketing plan. Then, the unthinkable happened …

Last month (September 2015), my Facebook ads account got suspended. I can still post, but I can no longer boost ads on ANY of my pages (I have four biz pages). When I contacted them to ask why, following is what they said:

Hi Yuwanda,

Thanks for reaching out to us. Your account has been disabled for not following Facebook's Advertising Guidelines.

Ad accounts are evaluated for policy compliance and quality of ad content. When accounts have run ads that are not policy compliant, they are disabled.

Your account was disabled for running misleading ads that resulted in high negative feedback from people on Facebook. Our goal is to provide the highest quality user experience. We reserve the right to reject any advertising that we deem contrary to these objectives. Similarly, we reserve the right to close an account creating ads contrary to these objectives.

For this reason, if any of your ads have been removed or your ad account has been disabled, we will be unable to reactivate either. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please consider this decision final.

Thanks for your understanding,

P

Following is what I said in response to …

P,

I understand FB's policy regarding certain ads, which is why I boosted an ad that had, again, been boosted NUMEROUS times before with no problem. That's my frustration. I run several internet businesses. FB is (was becoming) an integral part of my marketing plan.

I ask that you reconsider this considering, again, the ad that got my account disabled was one you all had approved on at least four or five occasions.

It's not fair. I'm trying to "play within the rules" so to speak, but it's like you all keep changing them. I've even had you all disapprove, then approve the same ad within a few minutes (ie, before I could make any changes to comply with your initial disapproval).

At the very least, businesses should be given a "trial suspension," not an indefinite one.

Again, I ask that you please reconsider.

I then sent them this a few days later, before they could respond to me again …

P:

One more thing in addition to the comments below [above] ...

Am I being penalized because my IP address shows up from Jamaica? I'm American. I'm a freelance writer (since 1993) who CURRENTLY lives and works from Negril, Jamaica. I travel frequently. I know there's a lot of fraud from this country, but I assure you, I'm a legitimate business owner. I've been a freelance writer since 1993 -- see http://InkwellEditorial.com/about to learn more about me. My career is mobile.

 I don't want to be penalized because I conduct my business "on the go" -- and sometimes from places that are not top-rated countries like the U.S. (my home country), Canada, Britain, etc.
There just should be a better way to handle an issue like this. As a mobile entrepreneur, I feel like I'm being penalized because my job is "non-traditional."

Again, I'm asking that you please reconsider the suspension of my account.

Following is their final answer sent them this a few days later, before they could respond to me again …

Hi Yuwanda,

After careful review, I’ve determined that we’re unable to take further action regarding this matter. Please consider this the end of correspondence regarding your ads account.

###

Facebook ads account disabled? Let’s fix, or maybe not!

I did some digging around the internet while I was going through all of this and fund out that once Facebook renders your account ineligible for boosting ads, it’s PERMANENT – and they rarely reverse their decision. Proof? See this post about how bleak the outlook is when Facebook disables your ad account.

Ironically, it details a case where a business owner was able to get his account reinstated, but that’s rare. The advice the author gives is to open a whole new FB account. The article also offers some great insight into how not to get your account suspended again.

Conclusion

I have to say, I’m still floored. Another romance author I know has had the same problem. Her account hasn’t been disabled, but she finds it hard to get ads approved. For example, if a guy has an open shirt and a lot of his torso is showing, that’s a problem, even though you see ads promoting, for example, workout gear and tons more skin would be showing.

In my opinion, my account was disabled because of the type of romance novels I write (romance, light erotica, etc.), NOT because of a particular post I was boosting.

So just be careful romance writers, especially if you’re starting to incorporate Facebook into your ebook marketing plan. In my opinion, their policies are still too wishy washy. Like I said, I’ve gotten an ad disapproved, then approved, all within a few minutes time – the very same ad.

I’m still flabbergasted that this has happened to me and I hope that one day my FB ad account will be restored. But I’m not holding out hope – and am just continuing to write and market via other outlets (like this one).

P.S.: Check out two of our most popular romantic series: “Priced Out of Love,” and “A Lover for Beth.”

P.P.S.: Our list members will always be the first to receive new releases -- and ALWAYS at a discount. How to Subscribe: There's a sign-up box at the bottom of every page of InkwellEditorialPublishing.com.

P.P.P.S.: Did you know you get THREE FREE romances when you subscribe? You do! So subscribe today.