How to Write a Press Release for a Book

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:WritePressReleaseBook

Story Highlights

Introduction There's no such thing as bad publicitya??but there may be such a thing as pointless

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Introduction

Therea??s no such thing as bad publicitya??but there may be such a thing as pointless publicity. A poorly written press release will be ignored and thrown away. Authors have some different issues to consider when preparing a press release for a book.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need

  • A book to promote

Steps

1

Step One

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Use simple fonts and keep paragraphs short. Dona??t make the press release exhausting to look at, even before the person starts reading. Include contact information at the top: name, address, phone number.
2

Step Two

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Begin with a tag linea??a short, two sentence description: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the watera?|
3

Step Three

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Include a few reviews. If the book has yet to be reviewed, include reviews of past books or of the writer: a??John Doe is a gifted writer.a??
4

Step Four

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Write a brief, enticing synopsisa??similar to what would be on the dust jacket. Not too detailed.
5

Step Five

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Include a brief biographya??including awards, books published, birthplace, job, etc.
6

Step Six

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Last, include detailed info on the book: ISBN number, order information, and publisher information. Repeat author information from the top of the press release as well.

Overall Tips & Warnings

  • Prepare different press releases for different outlets. For example, your press release for bookstores should be different than the press release for book reviewers. The first should emphasize sales potential, while the second should emphasize the article-worthiness of the book/writer.
  • Try and keep the press release to one page, if possible.
  • Dona??t go overboard with the sales-speak: The best book ever written by anybody. Keep the press release factual.
  • Use a press-release submission service. There are free services online or else you may need to pay a fee for a more extensive submission. The most important venues may need to be a??hand delivereda??: emailed or snail-mailed by the author.
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