Author Braam Jordaan with his books. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Press releases remain a valuable tool in public relations, despite proclamations about their demise. They are especially valuable to promote authors and new book releases.
PR pros may find themselves publicizing an author’s book or may even publish their own book. In addition, PR clients who are not professional authors sometimes publish books or ebooks to establish themselves as experts in their business niche.
A seemingly simple press release can win substantial publicity for a book, especially if leads to a full-length review of the book. Getting reviews, however, is difficult since editors receive scores or hundreds of messages a day and read only a fraction of them. It’s especially difficult since the book market is saturated with new books, many by independent self-publishers.
These are some tips from writers and PR pros on writing and distributing press releases on new book releases. Many of these tips also apply to press releases in general.
Distribute widely. Aim beyond newspapers, magazines and trade journals. Today, the opinions of bloggers and social media influencers greatly impact book sales. Authors are also favored guests on radio talk shows.
Stress news angles. Explaining how the book is related to current news or trends and presenting the author as an expert resource can entice a journalist to request an interview with the author. Although few publications will publish an article solely on the book, many may quote the writer, and hopefully mention the book, as a source in a larger article.
“Unless you’re Snooki and I’m a tabloid, it’s highly unlikely that I’m going to write a story about you and your book,” says author and former journalist Alexis Gant. “What I care about is breaking news. So it’s up to you to find a way to make your book release sound newsy.”
Target specific publications and journalists. Find specific publications and specific journalists covering your topic and send the release directly to them. Although time consuming, the research vastly increases the chances the book will gain attention. Releases sent to the general newsroom are usually discarded.
Be succinct. When using a press release distribution service, setting the hook within the release title and first sentence is the most likely way to win attention. If distributing the release through email, make your key pitch point in your email cover note. If editors cannot find the hook within a few seconds, they’ll probably disregard the release.
Go local. Emphasizing local connections when sending releases to local and regional publications is often a successful strategy. Local media may want to mention authors just because of their local ties.
Seek testimonials. Praise from other people carries more credibility, advises Patricia A Bridwell, a published author. Editors and producers are more likely to slash the author’s own superlative praise for the book.
Post the release online. You can post the release on both the publisher’s and the author’s websites. That will help in search engine marketing. The copy in the online release can link to the book listing on Amazon.
Your email pitch to journalists should include a link to the online release. Many journalists won’t open email attachments from unknown individuals because of the threat of viruses.
Employ a release schedule. Winning media attention isn’t a “one-and-done” deal, says Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases. A single release is unlikely to bring fame and fortune. In addition to announcing the book’s publication, you can issue releases to announce a book tour, report a successful book signing/reading, and announce awards the book received.
Attach a high-resolution photo of your book’s cover. Large photos can be compressed and cropped. Small photos often do not reproduce well.
Make the author available for interviews. Make it clear in the cover email or additional materials that the author is available for interviews. Provide contact information to arrange interviews. Journalists and broadcast bookers usually prefer having the author’s direct contact information.
Use AP (Associated Press) style. Most news publications follow AP style. Following the accepted style will save publications from doing extra editing.
The basics. Don’t forget to include your contact information, page length, price, ISBN, interviews, photos, a review copy of the book, brief recommendations or reviews, and information on where the book can be purchased. Fancy typefaces look unprofessional. Times New Roman or Courier are safe.
Finally, follow standard PR protocols and etiquette for contacting and building relationships with specific journalists and/or reviewers and social media influencers in the author’s topic area.
Bottom Line: Well-written, well-placed press releases can be instrumental in prompting substantial media coverage for book authors. Despite the abundance of new books, targeting specific publications and journalists and connecting the book to current news or trends can lead to much-needed publicity for authors.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
These are great tips for promoting a new e-book. I really like what you said about going local, because I like to know about what new authors are coming from the area where I live. As a reader, I’m more likely to buy a book if I know I am supporting someone close by. I should try looking for new releases by local authors soon.