Patrick Lenton is an author and digital marketing professional. He has worked for Momentum Books, the digital-first imprint of Pan Macmillan, and runs Town Crier, a digital marketing and social media consultancy for authors. His first book is A Man Made Entirely of Bats.

What exactly is an advanced marketing release strategy?

Advanced marketing release strategy is the process of designing a plan to promote your book upon its release – whether in digital or print. The plan identifies a variety of promotional tools and tricks available to authors, which are then supported and boosted by the author’s already existing online platform.

Okay, I’ve got an author Facebook page and figured out Twitter. What should I do next?

There are three steps for using an author platform – discoverability, which we’ve already nailed (congratulations), engagement and sales. Engagement and sales go hand in hand, and are the next and hardest steps for authors.

Can you share a few examples of great author platforms?

Three of my go-to’s are: Kylie Scott, a wonderful author of romance and erotic romance, who utilises her author platform with a trademark fun and sauciness; Nathan Farrugia, a fantastic techno-thriller writer who has utilised author community spaces like Goodreads and Tablo effectively; and Anna Spargo-Ryan, a brilliant literary/commercial fiction author who has an excellent Twitter presence.

Join Patrick to learn all the tools and tricks of Advanced Digital Marketing for Authors on 12 September, 6.30-9.30pm, at the Centre.