In 2022, there were more than 300,000 press releases. When you’re writing a book, it’s important to consider how your target audience will access the final product. You can’t become one of the most successful authors without a well-planned book promotion.
Famous authors use press releases to get the message out in the media about their books and to encourage viewers to read them. But, a book press release is also about building anticipation for the launch date.
A good press release makes promoting a book much easier and can save you time in other marketing areas.
So, here is your guide to writing and distributing a book press release correctly.
What Exactly Is a Book Press Release?
Writing a press release is essential to book promotion as it gives media and journalists an overview of the content. But it highlights the importance of your book and why they should pay attention to it. This is a great opportunity to hook them and excite people about your book.
If the press release is written carefully with the correct information, an excellent book can be overlooked and forgotten about. Plus, you can lose money during the process. This is why it’s vital that you hire a professional team to write your press release and give you advice.
Generally, the most memorable press releases are captivating, impressive, and slightly unconventional. It’s important to be cautious about being too unconventional, but adding your unique personality is always an excellent way to capture journalists’ interest.
Think of it this way, media outlets and journalists receive hundreds of press releases a week, so you need to make yours stand out from the crowd. Including trending words that are popular in culture, like diet trends or business tips, is also a good way to highlight the value of your book.
Every book has a different strategy, so you should consider what features to highlight that will represent your brand.
Tips for Writing a Book Press Release
Before you start writing the details down in your press release, it’s crucial that you find your angle. In other words, spend time researching news outlets and current trending topics. This is where you find the popular topics that everyone is looking for and will increase your success rate.
Instead of prioritizing the content in the book, create a catchy headline that will intrigue people to read the text. The best way to brainstorm for your press release is to have a look at the subject area and browse online. Go into forums or social media sites and search hashtags associated with your book title.
Then, you need to consider how your book will make a difference to the topic. Emphasize new data you found during research or the fresh perspective that you produce through personal experience.
Google and social media platforms are great tools for connecting with your target audience and exploring what journalists cover in the news. All of these websites have search bars that are easy to navigate, so take some time to look through them with keywords.
Put the Focus on the Story
Readers love a story that has meaning and comes from a relatable personal story. If you can’t highlight breaking new data insight, then focus on the story. Writing a story about your book brings it to life for media outlets and makes it valuable to them for reaching audiences.
Plus, it gives you an advantage and lets you be creative when writing the press release.
Here are some personal story ideas to get you inspired:
- Overcoming personal obstacles
- Failures that lead to the book’s content
- Major events that shaped your life
- The importance of bringing people together
Remember that the story should be truthful and accurate, but you can make the central focus part of your press release. This way, once people read the book, they know what to expect.
Then, it’s time to write the press release!
Crafting a Press Release for a Book Promotion
Traditionally, a press release is one page in length and is concise. So, no unnecessary information should be blocking the page and distracting readers from the main points. It’s a good idea to write the press release multiple times before you pick the final draft.
Pass the draft to different team members and collaborate with your PR team on suggestions. Press releases are powerful resources for getting media coverage and increasing sales. They still hold a huge significance for small businesses and connecting with more people in your community.
So, this is how you craft a professional book press release.
Top Section of Press Release
On the top half of the page, include key details like contact information, the dateline, and the header. Your contact information should state the company address, phone number, email address, and any relevant online links like website pages. Read over this section a few times to ensure everything is error-free from typos.
The dateline needs to be placed toward the top of the page. This makes it easy for readers to find the date and it should be in brackets before the first paragraph. The dateline must have the city, state, country, and press release date. If possible, these details should be written in that order.
Your header is the only way to hook your reader – hopefully a journalist – from the beginning, so you need to make it one-of-a-kind. Don’t make it longer than twenty words, and compare several options before finalizing the title. If you get stuck, look over your recent searches and watch out for headlines that grip your attention.
Main Body of the Page
In the middle of the press release, you need to write an introduction state. Until this point, the reader has your basic contact details and the header. But this isn’t enough to convince media companies to work with your book promotion. The introduction is where you can personalize the text and avoid being too formal.
It’s challenging to strike a balance between winning over the reader in the sales pitch and hitting a genuine interest. This is why you need to reflect on every line and the phrasing. Sometimes, we can write frantically because we really want to convince journalists that our book is important.
But, if you put people off the content already in the introduction, they might not even finish the page…
Give them something valuable or offer a solution that can benefit their readers, and they’ll be more likely to call your phone number or send an email.
One tip for making the main body of a press release more appealing is to make the most of quotes. Pick some of the best quotes for your book and add them to the page. Choose a quote that represents the brand and overall tone of the book. If you select the right quote, it can make a massive difference to your press release.
Don’t forget to write a short and sweet book description that integrates the main message and how it will benefit people. Then, move on to the final section.
Ending Your Press Release
The ending is equally as important as your introduction. If readers have made it to this point, then they already want to learn more about your book. So, you don’t want to lose their interest at the last minute.
An author’s bio is essential so the reader can click on your website and find out more about you. Integrate this information toward the end of the page and keep it minimal. Unless you’re famous, journalists only want to look at your portfolio quickly. They don’t need multiple pages of background information.
Plus, this could prevent people from focusing on the book if the author’s bio takes up too much space.
It’s possible to add a cover photograph of the book, but it’s not essential. You can include a photograph or leave it blank, depending on your preference. If you think the cover photograph will enhance the press release, include a high-resolution image.
End the page with a strong CTA ( Call to Action) and make it clear what you want in the next stage. Lead them to a website or invite them to an event.
Finally, it’s crucial that you plan the press release distribution. This is when you send the press release to various news outlets and journalists. But you must work with a professional distribution team if you want to get the results you want.
Get a Press Release for Your Book
Hiring a poor-quality press release team can damage your reputation and be a worthwhile investment. A professional company knows that a press release for a book promotion is vital for positive reviews and outreach. So, you don’t want your press release to sound like a formulaic template.
Our team of editors has the skills to polish your content so it instantly wins over the reader. We have over two decades of experience and the tools and network to boost your book promotion campaign.
Let us take care of your press release, and talk to us here.