Author Marketing and Digital Strategy with Lexie Janson

Course Summary

This workshop series is designed to demystify the “black magic” of book marketing (traditionally-published & self-published). Focused on logic, automation, and data-driven results, it provides authors with a replicable blueprint to build a professional digital infrastructure—ensuring their books sell while they sleep.

Course Outline

Module 1: The Foundational Hub (The Author Ecosystem)

• The “Owned” Asset: Why a website and newsletter are the only platforms you truly control.
• Newsletter Mechanics: Setting up a “Lead Magnet” and automated welcome sequence to turn readers into fans.
• The Logistics of Sales: Ensuring “Ease of Purchase” across all major retailers
  • Affiliate marketing: How to set up affiliate links to generate extra revenue per book sale.
  • Social Media aspects: How to sell books through social media platforms.

Module 2: The Pre-Launch Engine (Building Momentum)

• The Power of ARCs: How to recruit, manage, and utilise an Advance Review Copy team to secure day-one social proof.
• Review Strategy: Ethical and effective methods for collecting ratings and reviews before the book is even out.
• Platform Setup: Optimising your Amazon Author Central and Goodreads profiles for maximum discoverability.

Module 3: The Sales Accelerators (Advertising & Outreach)

• Advertising Demystified: A beginner’s logic-based guide to Amazon Ads.
• The Newsletter Ecosystem: Using services like The Fussy Librarian, BookBub, and Book Barbarian to spike rankings.
• Social media presence: How to market your book on socials and not lose your mind.
  • The ratio between selling and content
  • How to find your “target audience”
  • Trends and collaborations
  • Working with booktok/bookstagram influencers
  • Other ways to promote your book

Module 4: The Sustainable Author (Automations & Mindset)

• Executive Function Systems: Create marketing workflows that prevent burnout.
• Automated Engagement: Setting up systems that manage reader interactions so you can focus on writing.
• The Data-Driven Launch: How to read your dashboard and adjust your strategy based on real market performance.
• (Possible addon) The ethical use of AI: How to make AI spot what works and what doesn’t (because sometimes you may not know).

We will be setting things up and discussing them during the course. Some homework may be scheduled depending on the author.

Course Outcomes

Participants will learn how to promote their book pre- and post-release, earn extra money through affiliate links, position themselves in the world of books (and authors), and give their brand a professional look.

• Structured for Success: Each module moves from theory to immediate, actionable implementation (students will need to bring their laptops to the workshop to make it happen).
• Inclusive Design: Specifically built with an AuDHD perspective to provide clear instructions and reduce “marketing overwhelm”.
• Proven Results: Taught by an author who utilised these exact methods to reach #1 in Poland and the Top 20 on Amazon US.

Lexie Janson is a Polish‑Irish author of the White Raven Tales series, beginning with Crown of Shadows, a dark fantasy novel filled with magic, mystery, and morally complex characters.

A lifelong fantasy enthusiast, Lexie has been devouring tales of dragons, mages, and mythical creatures since the age of seven. When she’s not crafting intricate worlds and compelling narratives, she can be found indulging her inner tech nerd, gaming, travelling as a digital nomad, or soaring through the skies as the first female flying car racing pilot.

She writes folklore‑rooted dark fantasy that has resonated with readers across Poland, the US and the UK.

Booked out? To be added to the waiting list for this course, please email bookings@irishwriterscentre.ie.