You have a book to promote and you want to reach readers, book bloggers, and other people who will further its success. There are many methods for boosting exposure and generating interest, including press releases for a book.
Press releases are an effective but often overlooked book promotion resource for authors, publishers, and promoters. Their potential to appear across multiple networks online and catch the attention of people interested in all types of genres and topics makes them a great option for a book launch.
But while they offer great potential for reach, you will still need to know how to write a press release using tips and techniques that are most effective for promoting a book. This article will explore a few different ways to approach this.
What Should A Book Press Release Say?
The contents of a book press release are a little different from a standard PR announcement used in marketing, such as a press release that promotes a new capability or a press release that announces a business merger.
But like these examples, a press release for a book should still follow a standard structure, which can be seen in various press release templates. It should also focus on the book as something that’s attention-worthy but in an unbiased and journalistic tone.
A book press release should include basic details about the work, including its title, the name of the author, genre or type, whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, date of publication, publisher name, and where it’s available, as well as when it can be purchased, pre-ordered, etc.
But apart from these conventional who, what, where, and when details, there is an especially important question to answer, which is why? For a book press release to be effective, it will answer the following questions:
- Why is the book significant?
- Why did the author write it?
- Why should a reader buy it and read it?
Answering these questions will help showcase what makes this book unique and worthy of a reader’s time. Arguably, they are more important than explaining the synopsis or sharing a blurb.
Answers to these can also be discussed in a way that is more objective rather than promotional, which will make the press release informative and trustworthy.
Tips To Make A Book Press Release More Compelling
There are other ways to make a press release for a book more engaging and boost its ability to gain a response. Consider some of these techniques as you approach your press release:
- Lead with any information that makes the book unique, such as the author’s motivation or inspiration when they started.
- Include a quote from the author that expresses their hopes for what someone will experience when they read the book.
- Focus on what the reader might learn, especially in the case of a non-fiction book.
- Compare the book with other popular entries in the genre. If it has many positive elements in common, this can help readers associate the book with work they already enjoy. If it’s very different, this can attract readers who are seeking something new.
- Provide multiple methods of engagement. Apart from directing the reader to a bookseller link or preorder page, time the release with an upcoming book signing so that readers can also engage in person, or arrange an interview with a local news station that the reader can then view or listen to.
