Should You Write a Press Release For a Book?
Simple answer – yes, writing and distributing a press release for a book is a great way to start the process of getting media attention. Doing so oftentimes results in stories being published about you and your book, and additional media opportunities.
Table of Contents
What is a Book Press Release?
A book press release is a simple document, written in a certain style and format, that tells the media about a book, its author, and its message.
But, the process of writing and distributing a press release for a book is not simple. You need to find something newsworthy to base the press release on, write it appropriately, using the standard template and format the media expects, and you need to distribute it to the right people in the right way to get their attention.
The Purpose of a Press Release for a Book
Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of a press release for a book or any other story is not to get your press release printed as is. While it’s not a bad thing to get your message in your own words out to the world, a press release run as-is represents a huge uncapitalized-upon opportunity.
The goal of a book press release is to get members of the media to write their own stories about your book, you as an author, and your message to the world.
Those types of stories are usually longer and more detailed and are tailored to that media’s audience, giving that story significantly more weight than just a published press release.
How to Write a Press Release for a Book
Writing a press release is not an exercise in creative writing. Journalists have grown accustomed to receiving press releases formatted in a certain way to give them at a glance the information they need to decide whether to cover that story.
So, you need to write your book press release accordingly.
Let’s start by giving you a free template to use to write your press release.
Download a free press release template in Microsoft Word format 
And here’s a press release template in Google Docs format.
(no email or signup required).
That template is designed to be used for any type of press release on any subject. Of course, when you write a press release for a book, you’ll want to:
Find the Newsworthy Aspect of Your Book
Unfortunately, the fact that your book got published isn’t newsworthy. Thousands of books are published every week (two million a year) and even the book-specific publications don’t announce most of them.
Also, keep in mind that the media is not in the business of helping you sell more books. They’re in the business of reporting news.
So, your most important job in writing a press release for your book is to find something newsworthy about it that will draw the attention of the media and their audience.
By the way, you should know that book press releases don’t have to only be sent upon publication. If something happens in the news that applies to your book, even months/years after publication, you can still take that opportunity to send out a press release making that connection.
Examples of newsworthy story angles include:
Current Events
How does your book tie to stories that are already in the news? Get in the habit of asking yourself the question, every time you are exposed to a news story, “how could my book apply to that story?”
And remember, those stories don’t have to just be “news.” They can be entertainment, sports, weather, or political stories.
Does your book give more information the world should know? Does it show the potential ramifications of that story? Does it talk about the history of the event or maybe one of the people involved in this story? Does it show a local application of that story? All of these areas can make it newsworthy.
Trending Topics
Is something trending on social media that connects to your book? Capitalize on it! Let’s say your book discusses the challenges of teen anxiety – that’s a topic that’s ripe with memes, fads, and other social media topics that pop up regularly.
The Newsworthiness of the Author
Some authors, such as celebrities, politicians, or people who worked closely with them who have insider information, have built-in newsworthy qualities.
“[Person], Chief of Staff to the President of the United States from X to X” will probably get picked up by the press when they write a book, especially if they include some juicy revelations in their press release.
Likewise, if the author has dealt with huge challenges or accomplished amazing things, that can also be newsworthy enough for a feature story.
Famous Endorsements
If you can get someone famous to endorse your book, that endorsement can add news value to your press release. For example, President Reagan’s mention that he had been reading Tom Clancy’s The Hunt For Red October, turned that book into an instant bestseller, and set up his career.
Book Results
If the content of your book has turned around companies, caused people to lose 50 pounds, or was reports on the work behind a Nobel Prize, that can be newsworthy.
Format Your Book Press Release Properly
There are certain elements that should be in every press release. You can find a detailed list of elements that should be in a properly formatted press release here.
In addition to those standard press release elements, you may want to consider adding elements to your book press release like:
The Newsworthy Hook
This should appear in the headline and initial paragraph of your press release, showing why this press release’s announcement should be considered for publication.
A Description of the Book
The book description should show why the reader should care about your book. This should ideally be tied to the newsworthy aspect of your press release discussed above.
Many times the description will show a problem in the reader’s life, and how the book helps to resolve that problem. The book, then becomes the hero, the source of the solution to the problem.
Be careful, though, that this does not become a synopsis of your book. This is telling them why they should read it, not what is in it.
About the Author
This section gives a brief description of the author and why they wrote this book. If the author is part of the news story, this should be earlier in the press release. If not, it should come at the end.
Call To Action (CTA)
The call to action tells the reader what they should do next. In most cases, it will give them information on how to get a copy of the book, including a website URL. If the press release is announcing a book tour, it should give them the information they need to be a guest at tour events.
Contact Information
This section contains the contact information necessary for members of the media to get more information for their story. The person listed can be from the publisher, public relations firm, or could be the author.
Example Press Releases for Books
We know that it’s always easier to write a great press release when you’ve got something to model it on.
Below you’ll find two examples of book press releases, plus I’ve provided links to a bunch more to give you examples of many different kinds of press releases that an author, publisher, or publicist could create.
Example Book Press Release – New Book Release
Example Book Press Release – Book Award Announcement
More Book Press Release Examples
Book release in honor of a major anniversary
Event announcements to promote the release of a new book
New book announcement – confidence for women
New book announcement – book of jargon
New book announcement – hair styling
Acquisition of a new book publisher
Release of books as NFTs announcement
Donation of books to children announcement
Distribute Your Book Press Release
Even the best press release for your book will be useless if you don’t get it into the hands of the appropriate journalists, reporters, bloggers, and influencers.
That job can be incredibly time-consuming and frustrating. Not only do you have to figure out who the right people are to contact, you have to get their accurate contact information and maintain it, because that information changes frequently.
Trust me, this is harder than it looks – this is what we do for a living.
Then you have to figure out how to send it to them in a way that they see it, realizing that most of the email that comes into a media outlet goes directly to spam and trash folders.
You need a press release distributor who has developed and maintains relationships with key media people at scale.
At eReleases.com we do exactly that – with over 1.7 million journalists, reporters, bloggers, and influencers on our database, people who have asked to be there and trust that we will only send them press releases that we believe apply to their beat and their audience.
Plus, every press release we distribute also goes to every news outlet in the United States through PR Newswire, the oldest and most respected press release distribution newswire.
And best of all, we do it all at a very affordable cost.
Get more information about press release distribution services from eReleases.com.
Get real ROI on your press release, plus save 30% on your first order.
- Even the best press release is useless unless the right people receive it! That’s our specialty – custom distributing press releases to the reporters, editors, bloggers, and influencers most likely to pick up and publish your press release, or even better, to write their own story about you. Learn more about our press release distribution services here.
Want more sample press releases? I’m happy to help…
What Are You Announcing? Examples and Templates by Type of Press Release
- Launching a New Product
- Launching a Product Improvement
- An Event
- A Grand Opening
- Achievement of a Major Milestone
- Receipt of an Award or Recognition
- A New Hire or Promotion
- Dealing with a Crisis
- A Partnership With Another Organization
- An Acquisition or Merger
- Social Cause Activities
- Release of a New Book
- Political Campaign Activities
- Music-Related Announcement
- School/University Announcements
- Media, Network, and Local Station Announcements
- Nonprofit Announcements
- Announce an Art Exhibition
- Press Release for A Movie
Press Release Examples Across Several Industries
Finally, here are some tips and training to help you write an amazing press release:
Additional Press Release Resources
-
Directory of Examples & Templates
-
What is a Press Release?
-
Click for Press Release Template & Format (including a blank press release example)
-
Click to Learn How to Format a Press Release (+ Free Template and 80+ Examples)
-
Click to Learn How to Write a Press Release
-
Click to Learn How to Submit a Press Release
-
To Write a Press Release Yourself or Not?
-
80+ Example Press Releases
-
Of course, you could always have us write and distribute your release — starting at a special combination price for new customers. Click here – Press Release Writing
-