Crystal Johnston | Author Success Coach
Helping Authors Find Success
Crystal Specializes in helping authors and creatives build a strategic foundation for sustainability and consistent growth.
Crystal Key Media offers limited slots for Facebook and Amazon AMS Ad Management.
Who I Work With
My core philosophy focuses on using CliftonStrengths™ to help you grow as an author and achieve your writing goals. We dive deep into understanding your unique strengths—whether that’s in your creative process, how you market your books, or how you manage the business side of your author career. Together, we can unlock new strategies to help you thrive in your writing journey.
This might look like discovering how to leverage your strengths to increase productivity, make marketing feel less daunting, or help you prioritize projects that align with your long-term vision.
Whether you're a seasoned author looking to pivot or someone just starting out, understanding how your strengths show up can make a huge difference in your success.
If you're trying to decide between different paths—like going wide or focusing on direct sales, investing time in building an email list, or experimenting with new platforms—we’ll align those decisions with your strengths™. The goal is to create a sustainable and fulfilling author journey tailored to you, rather than trying to fit into a one-size-fits-all approach.
If you have any questions about how we can work together or how CliftonStrengths™ can support your author career, please reach out to me through the contact form on the menu at the top. I’d love to connect!
Wishing you lots of inspiration and joy in your writing!
–Crystal
Client Testimonials
I saw results fast. In fact, my income more than doubled in just a few short months of working with her.
“Working with Crystal is one of the best business decisions I’ve made, collaborating with her has been an absolute game-changer. With her infectious energy, unwavering support, and unparalleled expertise in advertising, Crystal is the ultimate secret weapon I needed to take my earnings to new heights. Forget about classes – with personalized one-on-one coaching, I saw results fast. In fact, my income more than doubled in just a few short months of working with her.”
I have come to trust her advice and rely on it.
Crystal has been incredibly helpful. Without her guidance, my ads weren’t producing anything at all—I was losing money on them. But she’s marketing savvy, she understands all those factors in marketing that are necessary to produce results, and now I’m seeing a big turnaround. She’s patient, and does her best to help clients understand the “why” and “how” of marketing—not just ads, but also newsletters and blurbs. She’s helped me set up automation flows (and to understand what they were in the first place), and is helping me build my newsletter and retain my newsletter audience. Since I started working with her, I’m not paying for expensive classes that feed authors generic advice, and I have come to trust her advice and rely on it.
She’s taken the confusion out of marketing books.
What I appreciate the most about working with Crystal is her professionalism, patience, and enthusiasm for my success. She takes the time to explain things clearly and tailors her advice to my specific goals and needs. She’s an absolute game-changer for helping me market my books to the right people at the right times.
Are You're Ready?
For an agency that cares about you!
At Crystal Key Media, we believe in crafting personalized, impactful marketing strategies that honor your business’s identity and goals. Let’s unlock the door to your brand’s next chapter together.
Meet The Team
Crystal Johnston
Owner/Founder
Lead Ads & Business Strategist
Crystal’s Foundational Approach And Strategic Thinking Allows Her To Help Craft Plans Of Action Based Your Needs, Strengths, And Goals. She is fluent in Clifton Strengths language and application and always seeks to develop strategic plans that will support each individual and business for long-term growth and sustainability.
She Has 9+ Years Of Advertising Experience On Facebook™ And The Amazon AMS Platforms. Through The Years She Has Worked With Many Clients And Tracked Data For $900,000+ Personally In Ad Spend. She’s also run her own 6-figure fiction platform since 2012.
She Has Been Married 20+ Years, Homeschools Her Two Teenage Daughters, And Keeps The Home Zoo Of Chickens, Rabbits, Dogs, And Hermit Crabs— Alive And Well. She’s a Ravenclaw and adores anything to do with Jurassic Park!
Nicole Thomas
Ops & Data Manager
Behind the pages of a book or a computer screen crunching numbers is typically where you will find me. Organization and numbers are the key to everything I do.
I worked for Nestle Waters as a data analyst for almost ten years and cleared millions of dollars worth of deductions and managed accounts like Walmart, Target, and Quick Trip.
In my off time you’ll find me growing my dream of owning a library and snuggling my pig or fur baby, if I’m not running back and forth to cheer practices while homeschooling and trying to keep up with my Freshman Bobcat son.
I love everything about Beauty and the Beast and Belle is my superhero!
She understands what makes books sell, while using numbers to make decisions.
“Crystal is one of those rare authors who also knows how to analyze data. This means she understands what makes books sell, while using numbers to make decisions. It also means she is invaluable to an author like me. One of the things I particularly love about working with Crystal is that she is always upleveling and learning best practices, new tactics etc. She’s also incredibly ethical, and is also always willing to let me know when something isn’t working–even if it means that I need to cut down my ad spend or stop an ad completely..”
I will always be grateful for the upbeat and encouraging energy Crystal injected into my author career.
“Crystal assessed my back catalogue and helped me determine which books to advertise. She was willing to work with my modest budget and she tirelessly adjusted and updated my ads until they were running nicely. One of the ads she created ran profitably for years. I will always be grateful for the upbeat and encouraging energy Crystal injected into my author career. Crystal’s kindness and patience when I was brand new to advertising set me on a path to feeling comfortable investing more in my business, which ultimately led to me becoming a full-time author!”
The strategy talks we have are invaluable.
I’m so grateful I got to work with Crystal when I did. I know how to run ads just fine, but it took up so much if my time and brain space, which is why I went looking for help. Not only did she get my ads dashboards cleaned up so we could really see which ads are making money and which weren’t, but the strategy talks we have for the continuation of my ads are invaluable.
What I really appreciate is her communication.
Crystal has really helped me with my ads that were floundering. I have taken numerous classes on Facebook and Amazon ads and I don’t have the Midas touch. Lucky for me, Crystal does. The first three months, she analyzed my ads and my author brand. Based on this analysis, she determined what books or series we should focus on and how I can keep true to my brand. I trust her advice in navigating through this market. The other service she does well is writing blurbs, which is definitely my weakness. This is definitely one of Crystal’s strengths. Crystal will rework them until she finds their sweet spot. My ads and books perform better after she performs her magic. What I really appreciate is her communication. If I have a question, I can always contact her and she will always get back to me promptly. My income has definitely improved and I believe it’s because of Crystal, my shining star.
Looking for answers to any of these questions?
How Do I Build An Author Brand?
What Are Effective Marketing Strategies?
Should I Advertise?
What Do I Do If My Ads Aren't Working?
Which Social Media Platform Should I Use?
How Do I Use Social Media Organically?
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