Think of your press release as the official announcement – about your book – that goes out to the media.
A properly written press release will showcase your book in such a way that a journalist will read it and see that they do not have to put in extra effort to make it interesting and compelling.
Think about the most important points of your message. That means your press release should be catchy and informative. Journalists don’t want to have to read your whole book to get to the point.
When you write a good press release, the journalist’s job is mostly done for them. They can copy and paste the relevant points, make a few tweaks, and publish.
A press release can be a great marketing tool because it helps get media outlets’ attention and gives them talking points about your book. Writing a good press release can earn you free press and more visibility.
Key points:
- Is your book topic related to something newsworthy or trending right now?
- Do you have a unique or compelling story to tell about yourself as an author related to your book?
- Do you have credentials or awards that make you more interesting or credible as the author?
- Has your book been endorsed by someone famous or well-known?
- Does your book go against conventional opinion or common beliefs? Is it controversial?
- Try to focus on what makes your book different within your niche, and why readers would want to pick up your book.
Think of your press release as your book’s resume.
A press release is usually fairly short, 300-500 words and is ideally one page, two tops. Your paragraphs should be short—two to three sentences. Although press releases vary a bit, it contains these basic elements:
Contact info
Include your name, address, phone, and email address, and website
Release date
It should read either FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE or FOR RELEASE ON [Date]
Headline
The headline is the gateway to get people to actually read your release. Short, catchy, action-oriented headlines get the most attention.
City, Province, Date
The city and province are in all caps and the date is followed by a dash. It should look like:
ANYTOWN, ONTARIO, January 12, 2022 –
Content
The first paragraph includes the basic factual information about your book and your abbreviated bio.
The second paragraph contains a detailed description of your book, its highlights, benefits, or compelling information.
End with purchase link or event information including date, time, location, cost, and link to further details. Respect the time of the media and hope they will cover your story.
“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”