| One of the most vital items an author must have in | | | | Press Releases |
| hardcopy and online is a media kit. Keep it in PDF | | | | An author should continually think about how her book |
| format, and you will have everything you need in one | | | | relates to the news of the day, and she should release |
| place. | | | | her own news stories accordingly. A press release |
| You are creating something that contains all the | | | | should be short-a page or two at most, with a |
| information that a media representative will need when | | | | provocative headline that grabs the reader's attention. |
| preparing an interview or writing a story. If there is a | | | | Enticing statistics in the opening of a press release |
| news story that is relevant to your book, a reporter will | | | | immediately communicate the magnitude of the |
| have no time to waste in getting the information he or | | | | problem or challenge the topics your book addresses. |
| she needs. And if you and your book are ready, you | | | | Writing should be short, pithy, and tight. Always include |
| will get the interview. | | | | a brief author bio and all the relevant book information |
| A full media kit will include at least: | | | | and ordering information. |
| - A Table of Contents for the media kit itself | | | | Interview Questions and Answers |
| - Fact sheet on book including the title, author, | | | | It is very helpful to reporters and interviewers when |
| publication date, ISBN, number of pages, retail | | | | you help them ask the right questions. Most of the time |
| availability, testimonials | | | | you will be doing an interview with someone who has |
| - Book cover photo (full scale, color, print-ready, 300 | | | | not had time to read your book. Professionals know |
| DPI) | | | | this and do everything they can to help the interviewer |
| - Author photo(s) | | | | look good and do a good job of highlighting what is |
| - An author bio (full version demonstrating why you | | | | important in your book. |
| are an expert on this subject) | | | | It all comes back to your core messages. Think of |
| - Reviews, testimonials or endorsements | | | | what questions you'd like an interviewer to ask you so |
| - Press release(s) - you can continue to add to these | | | | you could answer them by giving your core messages, |
| - At least ten interview questions the author is | | | | and when there is time, examples of each. |
| prepared to answer (with the answers) that highlight | | | | When you write interview questions, write the most |
| your core messages | | | | important ones first. It is likely that there will be time for |
| - Book excerpt from the introduction or any piece that | | | | at least two to three questions in any interview, so |
| shows the impact of the work | | | | make the first three questions in your list the ones you |
| - Clippings from previous media interviews/articles | | | | absolutely want to be asked because they give the |
| Plan to make this media kit available before publication. | | | | most important pieces of information that will make |
| The media won't wait until you've had a chance to put | | | | your audience anxious to hear more and buy your |
| this together, so if it isn't completed beforehand, they | | | | book. |
| will go to the next story. | | | | Great interview questions are the ones that help the |
| If you get frequent requests from the magazines, in | | | | interviewer get right to the controversial part of your |
| particular, you'll want to have some hard copies | | | | book. What are you telling your reader that is counter |
| prepared and ready to go. Hard copies usually are | | | | to what they might have heard before or contrary to |
| sent in a colored folder with a printed label of the front | | | | conventional thinking. |
| cover on the front cover of the media kit. You will | | | | Make sure and have examples or stories to illustrate |
| want to have a template of a personalized letter | | | | each controversial message point. If there is a great |
| ready to go out with the media kit. | | | | story behind why you wrote the book, have your |
| Author Bio | | | | interview questions bring that out as well. |
| In the bio for your media kit, you want to clearly state | | | | Interviewers like to ask for key points, or five tips, or |
| something about your background and your | | | | three strategies, so give them questions that allow you |
| accomplishments that is relevant for this book and its | | | | to answer with a list of items. These have great |
| readers (about 100 to 500 words). | | | | take-away value for listeners or readers of the |
| There are two common mistakes in writing an author | | | | interview. |
| bio for a Web site or a media kit. The first is | | | | Create a compelling media kit and you will get more |
| saying too much, and the second is saying too little. | | | | and better interview opportunities. |