Marketing

In The News:
10 Reasons Why Authors Should Still Send Press Releases

In book marketing, sending out press releases just makes sense. It’s one of the most direct ways to grab the attention of the media, after all. When you’re launching a book, it tends to become necessity too. These five different situations should explain its vital role in every book debut:

1. You have a book signing event planned.

Got a signing event scheduled along with your book’s debut? A press release together with a different marketing tool should be able to entice people to join the occasion.

2. You want to make noise online.

Press releases aren’t just mere tools to attract media outlets these days. You can now use them to persuade bloggers and online personalities to talk about your new book.

3. You need to convince a critic to review your new book.

You’ll want to submit a copy of your book to a respectable critic with your press release on. It will give him or her an idea of what you have to offer. It’s like a business card but with more details!

4. You need content for your website.

Your press release isn’t just for pitching too. You can also use your article to fill your website with content. Doing this is one way to boost your search engine rankings.

5. You want more exposure for your debut book.

An effective press release will open plenty of advertising opportunities for your book—not just attract attention. With a newsworthy article, you could be featured on a newspaper and then from there, who knows what could happen? A radio host might see you in the news and contact you for an interview.

Press releases might be an essential for every new book, but you should know, it isn’t just for book launches. In fact, you can also use it anytime you want. However, you should remember that the media only chooses newsworthy articles, which is why you should focus on creating unique angles for your next press release too. Don’t know where to begin? You can start looking for hooks with the five situations below:

6. You just finished your high fantasy novel series.

When you reach an important milestone like wrapping up a fantasy trilogy, you’d want everyone (and that includes readers and the media) to know you’ve made it. But of course, you need to be more particular on which achievement you should announce. You should make sure that your potential audience will be interested in it. You might also want to consider featuring a milestone that would grab the attention of the biggest media channels out there.

7. You have an interesting case study.

For non-fiction authors, you’ll most likely turn the heads when you drop some mind-blowing data from your book. Did you discover a new cheese flavor? Or do you have an interesting research on the future of agriculture? You might want to use those as a hook to your story. After all, there will always be people who are huge fans of facts and ideas.

8. You’re going to be a guest speaker at a literary event.

You’ll also want to issue a press release when you’re going to play a huge role in events. You might also target national outlets if you’re going to join a major national meet. Again, you should be cautious on what story you should share. It has to be interesting for both the readers and media. You might want to add a few exciting tidbits on what you’re going to do on your chosen event.

9. You want to jump on the bandwagon.

Does your book’s story or topic mirror what’s hot on the news? You can use this to launch a press release article. However, news cycles can be a bit volatile. Some topics will last for months while others fade away within two weeks. So you should be careful when you want to be on trend as well!

10. Your book is perfect for the holidays.

When you’re looking for a story hook, sometimes you just need to open your calendar. The holidays you’ll see can actually be used as an angle for your press release. Though, you should ensure that your book really goes with the special occasion. You wouldn’t want to announce a feel-good novel in the Halloween, after all.

Need help looking for a good hook?

Our team of publicists can help you craft a well-planned and professionally written press release. If you want to learn more on how we make newsworthy articles for our authors, you can visit our Publicity Campaigns page. When you’re ready for your press release, you can also contact your Marketing Consultant at 833.262.8899.