5 Ways to Make Sure Your Book’s Press Release Doesn’t Get Used

Press releases are a basic book publicity tool, but sometimes authors unwittingly sabotage their success. In today's guest post, literary publicity expert Sandra Beckwith, author of Get Your Book in the News: How to Write a Press Release That Announces Your Book, explains how to avoid common mistakes when creating and distributing press releases.

Journalists get way more press releases than they need or want. Still, they will read and often use those that stand out.

Writing a book announcement press release that stands out can be as easy as making sure you’re sharing useful information, using the format that journalists need and expect, and including the specifics they need to report on your new book.

Unfortunately, most authors don’t know that. They make common mistakes that ensure that their book press releases move to the “deleted” file quickly and without being read. Here’s what they do to make that happen. Let’s learn from their mistakes!

1. Use a clever or unique format to announce your book’s publication to the press. This will definitely help your announcement stand out, but it will also grease the path to the digital trash can. Press releases follow a specific format that begins with an attention-getting headline and ends with information on where to buy the book. If yours uses the format that reporters, editors, producers, and bloggers need and expect, your press release has a better chance of getting read and used.

2. Send it as a PDF file. Journalists don’t like working with PDF files because they often lose all formatting when they copy and paste the information into a new file. That means they have to find and reinsert paragraph breaks, and so on. As soon as you create work for them, they lose interest (and who can blame them?).

3. E-mail it as an attachment. Most business e-mail users won’t open attachments because of concerns about viruses and other nasty problems. So how do you e-mail your press release so it gets read and used? Read, “How to e-mail a press release to journalists.”

4. Put your name in the headline. There’s a lot of “us” invested in our books, but because none of us are J.K. Rowling or John Grisham, journalists don’t know our names. The pros use that valuable headline real estate to grab attention by communicating important information about the book, not the author.

5. Don’t proofread your press release. Hey, this is what copyeditors get paid to do, right? Why should you make sure the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are correct when there’s somebody on staff who can do that?

Most of us are responsible for writing our own book announcement press releases to send with review copies, distribute to the right media outlets, and post in our online press rooms. Taking the time to learn the right (and wrong!) way to do it could make the difference between success and failure. Let’s shoot for success!

About the Author

Former publicist Sandra Beckwith has won several national awards for publicity excellence. An author herself, she now teaches authors how to be their own book publicists. Learn more about her new ebook, Get Your Book in the News: How to Write a Press Release That Announces Your Book and subscribe to Sandra’s free bi-weekly newsletter, Build Book Buzz.

Comments

[Jenel Looney]

This is interesting. I tried to do a press release for a client once through PR Web, and it was rejected BECAUSE it didn't use my client's name in the headline. That is one of their requirements, that the person or business issuing the press release *must* have their name in the headline. (At least, it was a requirement at the time, approximately a year ago.) Frustrating!

[Tammy Snyder]

As I do when writing, I researched the how-to's of submitting press releases. It takes just a bit more of your time, but is well worth it. And what's a bit more time if you can get it published?! I had all my press releases accepted and in newspapers and it is simply due to following directions. It is really very easy. Nothing to be intimidated about.
Excellent post, Ms. Beckwith!

[Sandrabeckwith]

Jenel, that is so interesting! I've used PRWeb many times and never encountered that (and never used a client name in the headline...). Hmmm...

Sandy Beckwith

[Sandrabeckwith]

You were smart to do the research, Tammy. Congratulations on your success! (And thanks for the kind words.)

Sandy Beckwith

[Liesa Swejkoski (author)]

I don't write my own press releases, but I may have to at some point, so I'm glad I read this article. I love these ideas. Having said that, this is just my humble opinion, but ALWAYS proofread your press releases. Please, don't rely on anyone else to get it right.

[Sandrabeckwith]

I'm glad it was helpful, Liesa. Thanks for commenting.

Also, in my experience, sometimes the person who wrote the press release is too close to the content to spot all of the mistakes (OK...I'm talking about myself here...). It helps me to have fresh eyes proofread it but when that isn't possible, I use this trick: I e-mail it to myself. For some reason, seeing it copied & pasted into the e-mail message helps me see it differently and catch mistakes.

Sandy Beckwith

[Dana Lynn Smith]

Thanks for your comments everyone! Liesa and Sandy, I hate to be environmentally incorrect, but I find that I do a much better job of proofreading on paper than on screen.

[Sandrabeckwith]

Ah, Dana, I ALWAYS proofread on paper. But I always print on both sides of the paper!

Sandy Beckwith