The Nitty Gritty on Press Releases

So now that my book will be launching very soon (August 1), I need to let everyone know about it.  How do I write the release?  Who is going to care about my little book?  Where do I send it?   Well, as it turns out – there are tons of places to send it…and for FREE!   Did I mention FREE!?!  I don’t know about you but that makes me happy.  I always stick to doing free first.  Make a few bucks and then look at investing it back into your business (your book).  I did quite a bit of research on press releases and found some good info and templates to help guide me.

WHAT?  A press release is an official statement of a news story intended for newspapers, journalists and other media.  The media uses this release and makes it known to the public.

WHO?  You – yes, you the author must do a press release.  You can also hire someone to do it and the cost could range from $100-500.  I think it is a good idea to have a professional review this for you.  Journalists will be turned off immediately if there are misspellings, etc. and it appears unprofessional.  At least have a professional editor take a glance.  Your printer usually has someone on staff or go to a local writing chapter.  There are ALWAYS editors there.

WHEN? It is best to distribute the release when the book is ready to launch and then periodically after that for more exposure.  Maybe re-write and try it again 2 months later.  Some would argue there is no good time of day but most of the research says that early in the week and early in the day. Don’t send at 8 am on weekdays – make it more like 9-10 am.  Your release will get lost in the email abyss if it is sent too early.   Don’t send over the weekend for obvious reasons.

HOW?  I discovered quite a few good samples and templates online.  There are 4 major parts of a release: 1) Headline, 2) Summary Statement, 3) Main Body, 4) Biographical Info.  I liked the simple layout of this template: Press-Release-Template.  Also search online for sample book press releases if you need to brainstorm and get ideas or motivation.

WHERE? Again, always start with free first but don’t think that quantity is better than quality.  No one wants to be a habitual spammer of releases.  Personally, I will send to all the free sites but then dig into local media and send to appropriate
sources and get the quality too.  This will take time and effort but will be worthwhile.  Tweak the release to fit the personality of different journalists, maybe a personal note as well wouldn’t hurt.   Let them know why the release is important to them – but only in 2-3 sentences (not paragraphs).  Plan to email this and put the release in the body.  Don’t attach a pdf.  Journalists will not open because of time and fear of a virus.  If you plan on faxing it then you need to put your floppy discs and Jane Fonda VHS tapes in the trash and join us in 2013.

Here is a list of places to start:

1. Your website – FREE
2. Local Newspapers/Radio channels – FREE
3. PRLog.com – FREE
4. Link to 50 other places to distribute release – FREE http://www.avangate.com/community/resources/article/press-release-distribution.htm
5. PRWeb.com – NOT FREE (I did start an account to inquire and they have contacted me by phone and email since – good follow up.  Also heard they are good to work with)
6. Mass Media Distribution – NOT FREE
7. 24-7 Press Release – NOT FREE

WHY? Uh, so people know about your book and you sell more copies.  That’s pretty much it.

So in a nutshell….

DO’S

1. Do have it edited or a professional help you.
2. Do make it newsy – bring out the expert in you and be the source they need to talk to.
3. Do send it out amongst all free release sites.  Also be specific and target certain journalists that will be prone to writing about your topic.  Tweak your press release to fit that journalist or publication.
4. Do seek out newspaper/radio media – start with local media first.
5. Do get to the point.  Keep the release brief and no longer than one page.
6. Do follow a template to make sure your release is done correctly and you provide proper info.
7. Do keep it in the 3^rd person.
8. Do try and try again.  Sending out releases is like going fishing – sometimes they bite and sometimes they don’t.

DON’T’S

1. Don’t use crazy fonts.
2. Don’t start release with headline in all caps/bold/underlined.  Capitalize the heading like you would a title for a book.
3. Don’t send pdf attachment of the release.
4. Don’t just send the release to any person you know with an email.

I hope that helps everyone with press releases.  It is not something you have to hire a big expensive PR firm to do.  It can easily be put together and be cost efficient.  It is an important step in self publishing your book and letting the public know.

Check out my previous blogs on prelaunch marketing, cover/manuscript setup and working with a printer.  If you are not following, just click the follow button on the right hand side to be emailed when new blogs are posted.

As always, I appreciate any comments, suggestions or feedback. If you have a blog topic you want me to cover – send it over.

…and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.