A book press release is a special type of news announcement designed to attract media coverage.
A well-written book press release will include all the important information about your book, including why it’s significant, who should read it, and how it can help them.
Before you start writing, it’s important to understand what makes a good press release and how to write a press release for a book.
For many authors, the process of writing a book is where their passions begin and end, but unfortunately, that is not typically enough to generate a successful and sustainable career.
The writing element is arguably the piece of the puzzle that requires the most creativity, but other factors are at play to grab the reader’s attention and make sales. These areas can eventually become just as thrilling as the writing process, especially once you begin to see the fruits of your labor.
Using a press release as part of your overall strategy is technically optional, but you shouldn’t skip it.
By comparison, a single successful press release can show you just how much visibility you lose out on by not having one.
You can choose to write one yourself or work with a team of professionals. Either way, you should certainly have the foundational knowledge of writing a press release for a book.
Why you need a press release
Before we get into how to write a press release, we should explain why it’s necessary. Here is a detailed description of why book press releases are essential.
An increase in exposure
You should use a press release to increase the opportunities for book exposure. Taking advantage of traditional media outlets and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, for instance, will catapult your book into being sold in so many places.
Far more places can be reached by media than what is physically possible if you distribute the press release yourself.
The internet can be a powerful tool.
Many professionals and consumers check out stuff online instead of going to a brick and mortar store.
An online press release also means that your book can be shared many times over – more than word of mouth alone can ever achieve.
Here are a few opportunities for exposure that may come your way as a result of a good press release:
- Local media reports
- Live or taped interviews
- Speaking engagements or expos
- Increased traffic to your personal/professional websites
When you consider this possibility, the answer to why you need a press release should be rhetorical. As a strategy to work smarter and not harder, once you publish the release, allow it to do the work for you and act as a promotional tool many times over.
How to write a book press release
Learning how to write a compelling book press release may take some trial and error, and there will be a learning curve. Additionally, the details will evolve as you grow as an author and with each new book.
Keep in mind that, although you need to anticipate and adapt to these changes, a press release template can stay pretty consistent from project to project.
Go step by step and do not put undue pressure on yourself.
It is ok not to write a groundbreaking press release initially. What matters more is that you get a good feel for why you need one and how to handle the process.
1. Identify the audience
Who are you hoping to reach? You need to know the answer to that question unequivocally before you begin, or else the tone and target of your entire release will be off.
Luckily, you may have already established this during the writing process. In many instances, the audience that pertains to your book’s niche is the same for which you will be writing your release.
2. Use a creative and catchy headline
This is the first thing that anyone, and everyone, will see, so it needs to be good. There is no promise that people are going to read the release beyond the title, so it must pack a punch.
Here are few examples of ways to generate a title for your press release that will help you find one that suits your needs:
- Use current events and play around a catchy press release title:
- ‘Beat the summer heat with the latest romance novel.’
- Use bold language that is interesting, unique, and descriptive
- ‘A sensational tale of a teacher’s unabashedly brave quest for the truth.‘
- Use a professional title that gives you credibility (Ph.D., CEO, etc.)
- ‘The latest work from John Smith Ph.D.”
- Use a headline that solves a problem for your audience
- ‘How to finally focus on and improve your sleep habits‘
While all these examples are just the tip of the iceberg, you get the gist of the suggestions. Your press release should be authentic to your work, style, and audience and it all begins with the headline.
3. Pick a format
The layout and format of your press release matter just as much as the content. Be sure to make the aesthetic cohesive and pleasing to the eye.
Pick fonts and images that complement each other, and do not fear the power of white space.
Your format may have to change depending on where and to whom you distribute the release, but it is not a bad idea to have a theme that compliments and authenticates your work.
A generic press release will bore the people whose paths it crosses, and in that case, proves pretty ineffective. Be sure that you also use a format that caters to the media outlet you are using; the content can remain the same, but you can switch up how it’s arranged.
Writing the content and what to include
It can be a challenge to understand exactly what to include in your press release, especially if this is the first one that you have written. Look at examples of others that have felt memorable, and try to emulate that feeling in yours.
While it is important to remain original and never plagiarize, there is nothing wrong with following a press release format or using examples to fuel your own creativity.
It will help if you were to include:
- Date and location– this will pertain to the date you plan to put out the release, as well as the primary geographical location that you want to be working from. This, of course, will not limit you geographically, but you should have a ‘home base’ identified.
- The 5 W’s– your release needs to answer the following:
- Who the release is intended to apply to
- What information the public must know
- When the public can expect the work to be made available
- Where people can go to experience your piece as a final product or learn more about your work in general
- Why people should care and why your book is significant
- Easy to understand content– while it’s true you need a great headline, the main content should be simple and easy to understand so that people get the info they need in a way that respects their time.
- Biographical information on the author– People want, and need to know, information on the person who wrote the book itself. When you draft the release, do not forget to include:
- Background on the author, previous notable works, hobbies, location of residence – anything that is going to foster a personal connection between author and audience is good – preferably if it’s something that your audience would also be interested in.
- High-profile reviews – any reviews from prestigious outlets, should be mentioned to increase the author’s credibility.
- Awards and recognition – an example would be something like ‘previously hailed by the New York Times as top 100 authors to watch’ or something comparable, so long as it is accurate and verifiable.
- Links to websites and social media accounts – be sure that your target audience has somewhere to go to get more information should they want it. This is also a great opportunity to control the pathway of ‘clicks’ because it takes the consumer directly from your release to your intended websites without having to look you up in using a search engine.
A typical press release is not long, so having said that, once you have included these suggestions, you are well on your way to a completed piece.
Distribution
Who gets press releases?
You have probably seen news stories but the means on how the news outlets got the pertinent information in the first place is less obvious. The press release itself deserves a considerable portion of your time and attention but don’t sleep on distribution.
Getting this information into the right hands takes finesse and many considerations.
As yourself, ‘Who do I want to reach?’
Once you know the answer to this question, you can work backward and focus on where those individuals go to get information? And the answer to that question leads you to distribution channels to pursue.
1. Local press
The local press is one of the best places to send your announcement if you want an immediate release.
Many media outlets have a a tedious process from when you submit something for them to consider sharing to when they actually share your press release. Your local press will probably still have a similar process in place, but it will not be anything as cumbersome as that of a national or global outlet.
Send a free book with your press release. This way, your book not only stands out but also allows the reporters to read it, or at least skim, and share a brief synopsis of the plot along with the details you provide in your press release.
2. Post to websites
Your goal should be to have this press release go viral. To achieve that, you must post it online.
Posting to your own website is smart, and you should do it, but think about where else you can send this press release. Many blogs have opportunities to create and submit guest posts. If your press release suits someone else’s blog niche, try reaching out and providing a guest post!
This is also a savvy way to boost your search engine optimization (SEO) because you can include links back to your own website, when permissible, within the guest blogs. This will create somewhat of a loop for readers and ensure that they can get the information from your release in a way that also pleases search engines.
Increasing your odds to be a top hit for search results is never a bad thing.
3. Publish on your own website
This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in other considerations we forget to work from the inside out.
Skipping your own website when putting out a press release is more common than you may imagine. This is another way, though, to control the timing and have an immediate release if desired.
Since you and your team potentially are in charge of the internal workings of your professional website, you control what gets added and when.
This is also necessary because it gives you a chance to continue the narrative. For example, if you have an upcoming book signing and send that information out to other outlets, there is no guarantee when or if they will report on it.
But you control your own website and can be sure that the information gets out there even if it’s only to your current readers.
4. Event opportunities and expos
Are there places you know of where you can distribute your press release in a big, public way? Of course, you are probably planning a book launch, but you may want to think about getting your press release out into the world in advance of the launch itself.
Events and expos are a great way to achieve this. Whether you set up a speaking engagement yourself for your own book or join a network of professionals to expose your work, events can generate a big buzz reaching many people.
5. Colleagues
Your colleagues are not your competition. At least not exclusively.
And even when they are competitors, to an extent, you can lean on them to support your work, as you would theirs. A successful book for one person does not mean a lack of success for another, so there is no reason not to consider this distribution opportunity.
Fellow writers will have social media followings and industry contacts that will benefit you if they get their hands on your press release.
Just as you likely admire other authors and often rave about their works, you likely have admirers who will be happy to share about your next project and how much they anticipate it. Your colleagues in the literary world can also bump up your reputation and credibility within the industry and help you gain the trust of the audience.
Book Announcement Example
To give you a clear understanding of what a press release looks like, here is an example of a book announcement:
Emily Miller Announced Her Collaboration with The Home of Self-Help Books
San Francisco, CA, Release: March 26, 2022
The Home of Self-Help Books launches a new book titled How Introverts Deal with the Crowd, authored by Emily Miller. It contains 14 chapters and has additional activities, so readers can apply the skills they learned from the cognitive processes discussed.
Depicting all the struggles with social interactions, the author exposes how introverts struggle to remain on the same page as extroverts. Some discussion points revolve around the differences between introverts and extroverts within family, school, and community setups.
Miller’s observations as a psychologist and from her own firsthand experiences justify how environments may contribute to the prominent traits developed by introverts. According to her, knowing where people stand is crucial in dealing with those you interact with on a daily basis.
The author’s interview clearly illustrated that this book does not give a particular preference over introverts. Still, it is a medium of understanding each personality or possibly a combination of both.
You can purchase this book at every San Francisco, CA bookstore.
You can also checkout this link to learn more about the book: https://howintrovertsdealwiththecrowd.com/pressrelease.
Contact Info
Contact Person: Emily Miller
Company: The Home of Self-Help Books
Address: Buena Vista & Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone No.: +1-555-605-4053
Book Endorsement Examples
A travel TV host, Samantha Brown, endorsed Planes, Canes, and Automobiles authored by Valerie Grubb. The book is a guide designed for adults traveling with their parents, and it explores the good and bad encounters as these adults, together with the elders, travel. Brown’s endorsement is credible since the field of traveling is her expertise. Take a look at this book endorsement:
‘…a delightful guide full of important information for those of us who want to enjoy the companionship of our best travel partners, our parents.”
Another book endorsement example is written by Katherine Bradley, president of the CityBridge Foundation, vouching for Carrie Morgridge’s work, Every Gift Matters. This book emphasizes that donations, no matter how small they are, can create a significant impact. The endorsement has a call-to-action statement which makes it more engrossing as shown below:
“Carrie Morgridge has written a must-read primer for anyone considering philanthropy…Read this book – and learn from one of the best.”
Conclusion
Although this has been a lot of information, your hard work as an author deserves the glory of a well-written press release that honors all that time and effort you put in.
If nothing else, be sure that the pertinent information the audience needs to seek out is clear and concise.
Book promotion should feel exciting, and the release should reflect that. Finding innovative ways to come up with an effective book press release to grab a potential reader’s attention may not be easy, but it will be worth it.
