MAP
Group Member, Gloria Lyons, offers the following tips for writing and
submitting press releases about your book to newspapers or magazines. The
information below is an excerpt from her book, Self-Publishing on a Budget. An e-mail version of this book is
available free of charge to all MAP Group members. E-mail your request to: gloria@gloriahanderlyons.com
How to Write and Submit Press Releases About Your Book
In
the self-publishing industry, writing your book is less than half the battle.
If your goal is to make a profit from selling it, then plan to spend at least
as much time and effort promoting it as you did writing it.
Even
if you place your book on Amazon.com or manage to get a few copies accepted in
a national chain bookstore, like Barnes & Noble, the chances of someone
finding it among the other millions of titles there are slim unless you tell
people about it.
This
is where the promotion and marketing part begins. There are a number of ways to
garner publicity for your book, depending on its genre, including an author
website, speaking engagements, book signings, book fairs and workshops. But one
of the best options available to you is free publicity offered through
newspaper and magazine publications.
Be
forewarned, however, there is a lot of competition vying for this limited
amount of space, which requires an eye-catching press release (or news release
as it is commonly called today) sent to newspapers or magazines related to your
topic.
Start
with local newspapers because they like to feature community success stories.
Just remember that newspaper editors are constantly bombarded with news
releases, so make sure yours grabs their attention.
Keep
your announcement short and to the point (about one page). Give your
announcement title a “hook”, or make sure it ties into recent news or upcoming
holidays or events. Include the “who, what, where, when and why” that all
newspapers require. But avoid making your announcement read like a sales ad or
it will be tossed in the trash. Instead, stress the educational or
entertainment value, list the solutions or benefits your book offers their
readers and why you felt compelled to write it.
Be
sure to include the following items in the order listed:
- “News Release” centered at the top of the page
- Your contact information (name, phone number, address, and e-mail)
- “For Immediate Release” on the next line
- Center the title of your news release, and underneath the title add the body text. (See the sample templates on the website below.)
You
should also include ordering information: the title of the book, name and
address of the publishing company and your website. Then list the retail price,
shipping and handling charges and applicable sales tax.
Place
the symbols: # # # at the bottom of the release, which signifies
the end.
After
the body of the press release, add the book details: the ISBN, binding style,
number of pages and trim size of the book. If you like, add your author bio: a
short paragraph about your credentials for writing the book.
One
website that provides free articles, templates, and tips about how to write a press
release is: www.press-network.com.
Websites
listing U.S. newspapers are:
From
the links above, choose the e-mail address of the most appropriate editor for
your book’s topic (food, sports, health, features, book reviews, etc.)
Brainstorm
to make a list of other publications such as newsletters or local magazines
that are appropriate platforms for your book’s topic.
Sending
out press releases by e-mail is free. All it takes is your time, and the more
you send out, the better your chances of having one accepted.
MAP Group member, Rene Armstrong, recommends a website called The Savvy Book Marketer
for helpful tips to market your book. Read the article posted there about news
releases: Anatomy of a Media Release by Carol White.
If
you would like to share your marketing suggestions with our members, please
send them to gloria@gloriahanderlyons.com
