A great way to generate buzz about a book and attracting the attention of publishers is with a press release.
Getting it read is another thing–make sure your press release gets read with these helpful tips:
Make it a single page. Unfortunate, but true, we live in a world of sound bytes and ‘want-it-yesterdays’. Publishers and media contacts are busy people who have little time to comb through hundreds of multiple page press releases. Limit your press release to one page to gain a better chance of it being read.
Have a catchy headline. All press releases have a headline that sums up the entire release in a few well chosen words. This is an opportunity to shine and show off your creative side. Get their attention and they’ll want to read more and know more.
Don’t talk in the first person. Your press release needs to read as if it came from an objective third-party. Write in in the present tense and stay away from jargon and slang.
Have a dynamic first paragraph. Hook your reader’s attention by highlighting what the book is about in a sentence or two and including a few chapter titles. This is the paragraph that readers will use to determine whether they’re interested in pursuing you and your book and giving you the coverage that you want.
Have an Author’s bio. Make it short and sweet. If you’ve created a book jacket bio for yourself, this is an ideal place for you to use it. In fact, you may need to apply additional edits to keep it no longer than a paragraph. It’s extremely important to include your phone number and email address in this section for contact information–this is how you’ll be reached schedule interviews or for clarification of your press release.
HINT: Don’t forget to follow-up with your contacts a few days after you deliver the press release to ensure that they’ve received it.
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