How to Write a Book Press Release
Make sure the news about your new book gets published by learning how to write a book press release
If you have a newly published book begging for attention from your target readers and sitting in your publisher's office or on your table right now as you are reading this, you may have already thought of several ways to promote your new book so that your target readers can be attracted to buying and actually reading it. You may even have come across some advice that you should write a press release for it.
Why a press release for my book?
The press release is a promotional tool that is free and can help you establish good ties with the media so they can further promote your book to your target readers. You can look at this as free advertising but compared to writing ads for TV, radio, or print media, the press release is composed in a different manner similar to a news story. Only this time, it is not actually a news article. Rather, it consists of newsworthy information that aims to entice the media or your potential readers directly so that they become interested in your work.
The publicity your book needs
The press release you are going to write for your book can provide it with all the publicity it needs to become the next bestseller. Usually, a publicist would write a single book press release that he will send to all newspaper and magazine reporters and editors online and offline. While you can do the same thing, it would probably be better if you can write something different for every publication. That way, even if it gets published on one site, it would not look the same as it is on another one. Now let's move on to how you can go about writing your book press release.
Determine the significance of your book
Usually, your main goal is to publicize the book to target readers so they will buy it. However, before you write something that aims to do just that, decide first on what makes the book interesting enough so people would buy it. This is where the newsworthy aspect of your press release comes in. When we say newsworthy, we mean that the book should mean something significant to your readers. Ask yourself what makes the book important in their lives. Also, write your press release so that it is in line with the purpose of creating it in the first place. For starters, ask yourself questions like: Do I want to sell more copies or will this press release make a reporter want to interview or feature me in his newspaper, magazine, or website?
Make it interesting
A typical press release is usually written to appeal to the editor or the news reporter. That way, they would be interested to cover your story and actually publish your press release. However, you can take a different approach when writing a book press release now. This time, instead of writing solely to please the editors, you can write something that is also targeted towards the target readers. Just make sure that it still sounds like a press release, meaning, it is constructed as such and it is still professional.
Make your headline catchy but clear
Once you know the purpose of your book press release, make sure to come up with an interesting headline for it. The title should be something that can catch the reader's attention no matter who he or she is, especially if that reader happens to be a part of your target audience. However, make sure that the headline can still give your reader an idea of what they can expect from the rest of your story. This is where choosing between clear and catchy titles may confuse you. Sure you may always go for the clearer option to play safe but you can always think outside the box and make it catchy as well.
The inverted pyramid
Your book press release is like a news article that cites the who, what, when, where, and why of an event. This makes it sound like a news article. However, you have to elaborate and discuss the details on the following paragraphs. Basically, the information is mentioned in the first paragraph following your heading. As you proceed with writing, the significance of the details you are putting on your press release decreases. It is like writing everything in the form of an inverted pyramid. Just make sure to present your story in the active voice and make use of powerful verbs to further encourage your readers to continue reading. Also, be careful on how you use your adverbs and describing words, and most importantly, keep it short.
Publish in the right place
Finally, make sure your book press release is published on a reputable site such as www.localpressreleaser.com and it may be on its way to becoming the next bestseller.
