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New Self-Publisher’s FAQ
Tooting Your Own Horn
Press Releases and Press Kits
Contents:
What is a Press Kit?
What is in a press kit?
•
Cover Letter
• Summary of the Book
• Author Bio / Picture
What is a Press Release?
•
How do I get my press release to the media?
What is a Publicist?
•
Can I be my own publicist?
•
Should I use my own name when publicizing
my book?
How do I get Radio
Interviews?
•How
do I handle a Radio Interview?
•How
do I handle TV interviews?
Here are some books to study on this important topic:
1001
Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer
Grassroots
Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz
The
Publishing Game: Get Published in 30 Days by Fern Reiss
Guerrilla
Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for
Minimum Dollars by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Jill Lublin
Jump
Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide for Authors, Independent
Publishers and Small Presses by Marilyn Ross, Tom Ross
6 Steps to Free Publicity: "For Corporate Publicists or Solo
Professionals, Including...Publishers, Consultants, Conference Planners,
Politicians, Inventors by Marcia Yudkin
How to be Your Own Publicist by Jessica Hatchigan
This is 1-4 pages of information you can put in a portfolio and send to reviewers and news organizations. You can send this to reviewers when they request a copy of your book.
We use white portfolios (2 pockets inside with a business card insert in one sleeve) and glue a cover image (centered) on the front. These cover images can be generated on a color laser printer on glossy paper, or you can use cut down cover over-runs (just the front cover). If the book is slender enough, it can be slipped into one of the pockets along with your other materials.
We have seen many people use the cover over-run for their portfolio. This is a nice look when the extra pages are the same size as the cover and it is all stapled together. Some simply have the relevant information printed on the inside of the cover. Combined with a cover letter, this works well, too.
Creative Minds Press can create a press kit for your book!
We usually insert the following:
This is a personal letter—on your letterhead, on nice bond paper—introducing yourself / your product and telling the recipient why your book will interest them.
If you are sending the press kit in response to a request (by them) to send your book and information, remind them when you spoke (or e-mailed). People are busy and often forget why material has been sent to them. Try not to exceed 1 page.
Note: If they have asked for the book and material, always stamp or write: "Requested Material" on the envelope or box.
Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.
Press Release
This should be the latest press release—and may even be the press release that interested the recipient in the first place. It’s good to remind them why they were interested. See the discussion on Press Releases further down for tips on how to write one.
Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.
A capsule of the book. Have a short—no more than 100 words—summary as the first paragraph. You can expand the explanation for the rest of the page. It may not exceed a page. Include all information about the book (release date (if it hasn’t come out yet), distributors, any major marketing plans).
Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.
You don’t always have to include your photo if you’re shy. However, it doesn’t hurt to include it. The biography should not exceed one page. It should include things that support your authority to be an author of your subject (if this is non-fiction), or highlight things that make one look "writerly" if this is a novel. It should be in the third person, even if you write it. Again, have your logo and contact information on the page.
Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.
Reviews or Endorsements
Endorsements (or blurbs; see the discussion on how to get these) and Reviews (see the discussion on pre- and post-publication reviews. See the discussion on how to use reviews) are important in your sales pitch. It shows people that professionals take your work seriously. This should be no more than a page, and have your logo and contact information on it.
If your book is just being released, you probably won’t have any reviews. You can have a page consisting only of endorsements. If you just have only one blurb, put this on the Summary page.
Perhaps you don’t have an endorsement or blurb. That’s OK. Just omit this page. Hopefully, you’ll have a page full of quotes in a couple of months.
Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.
A Press Release alerts the media to your book and / or your expertise. In many cases, media can simply use your release and print it in the magazine or newspaper. Other media people will request a copy of your book and / or an interview to write a story, or complete a story they are working on.
One of the biggest mistakes new publishers make is assuming the world cannot wait to hear that you have published a book. Their press releases only talk about the release of the book. They are, sadly, ignored. You must create a story, a "hook" for the media to use.
You can get some great articles about press releases and the
timing thereof
here
Creative Minds Press
can
write your press release for you!
How do I get my press release to the media?
A lot of new publishers send press releases to every magazine and newspaper they can find. Most of these go into the trash or deleted as spam. You need to target your audience, the same as you do when you make up your marketing plan.
Here are 2 companies that distribute press releases at
low—or even no—cost (remember, you get what you pay for).
Direct
Contact PR
PRWeb
Some services will post your press release for free:
Cadenas Marketing
Click2newsites
ClickPress
Common Dreams
Progressive Newswire
Dime-Co
E-Boom
Websolutions
eWorldWire / PR Free
Expressseek
Free Press Release
I-NewsWire
PR.com
Press Arrivenet
PressBase
Pressmethod
PRleap
PRWeb
Web NewsWire
Webwire
United Kingdon:
Daryl
Willcox Publishing
Pressbox
Or you can have a Publicist take care of this for you.
A Publicist is a person who represents your book to the
media. This can be very helpful to small publishers. Having a professional publicist
makes the media take you more seriously than if you were representing yourself.
Most publicists insist on a 6 month commitment for a set fee. Mailings,
long distance and many other charges are billed separately. There are some
publicists who charge a per-hour fee. They are hard to find.
Publicists send out press releases, press
kits and sometimes books for reviews.
They also work to get you and your book media coverage.
There is no reason why you can't do all your own publicity. It's not a hard skill to learn, but it does take time and it does take a certain amount of knowledge and access. Start by reading one of these two great books: 6 Steps to Free Publicity: "For Corporate Publicists or Solo Professionals, Including...Publishers, Consultants, Conference Planners, Politicians, Inventors by Marcia Yudkin and/or How to be Your Own Publicist by Jessica Hatchigan.
Should I use my own name when I am publicizing my book?
It's not easy being small. When you are the author, publisher and publicist it is hardest to get attention. Self-publishers still bear a certain stigma. To combat that problem, many self-publicists simply change the name on the publicist information to something different (a nom de business, if you will). Other people feel this is lying and don't like to even consider it. This is entirely up to you. As long as it is only to make your company look slightly larger and not for the purpose of defrauding someone, we don't see how it hurts.
However, here's a modern day parable: An actress was having trouble getting jobs and wasn't satisfied with the agents she was getting to represent her. So, she decided to "act" the part of an agent. With a different name and a different accent, she contacted all the production and director assistants and got her acting-self auditions. She still had no better luck landing the actual job, but at least she felt she was in control.
In the meantime, her agent-self had acquired something of a fan club, with people constantly asking her out. She always declined, saying she was working hard for her "girl." One day, one of the agent's fans decided to surprise her by bringing lunch. Imagine her surprise as she walked into the office / apartment and heard the agent's voice, but saw the actress instead. All of Hollywood knew in short order, and the actress could no longer get a job.
The moral, I suppose, is that one can have too much success at the wrong thing. Be careful when you set up alternate identities for yourself, they can take on a life of their own!
How can I get Radio Interviews?
You can put out a press release or media ad to get some attention. See the list above. You can also buy a radio list. Click here to see William Gordon's Radio Talk Show List .
How do I handle a
Radio Interview?
Most Radio Shows will simply do a “phoner”—meaning, you are
sitting safe at home in your ’jamies talking to the host wherever they
are in the world. Few shows actually want you to come in and sit down
with the host (except local).
Click here for a few tips on handling a radio interview.
Please click here to read how a radio campaign I did for my book
Captain Mary, Buccaneer
by tying it into the release of
Pirates of the Caribbean II.
Here are some tips on how to make the most of the publicity you get.
How do I handle
TV interviews?
Pretty much the same way as you handle radio interviews,
except, of course, you have to go to the studio. Here are a few thoughts
that might help:
Don’t look at the camera! Look directly at the host. Speak to him/her.
Only look at the camera if told to.
If you are used to making hand gestures a lot when you talk, practice
eliminating them. You’ll look strange if your hands are flopping all
over the place. Or, you might want to sit on your hands (place them
under your thighs, not your butt (which would look strange)). You
wouldn’t be the first person who had to do this.
If you are wearing a suit jacket, when you sit down, try to get the
“tail” under your rump. This will make a nice line along your shoulders
(and since most TV talks just give a “head shot” (head and shoulders)),
that is a good idea. Otherwise, the fabric tends to bunch up at the
shoulders, making you look rumpled and hunched—which is a decidedly bad
thing.
If your book is about a historical period, you might think about
appearing in costume. TV folk like a good “visual.” But clear it with
your TV contact first.
Here are some tips on how to make the most of the publicity you get.
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